Bin Laden DEAD!

From Wikipedia:
"Death of Osama bin Laden."

The death of Osama bin Laden was reported by international news media, as taking place on Monday, May 2, 2011, at approximately 02:30 UTC, and officially announced by U.S. President Barack Obama about an hour later. At about 1:00 a.m. local time on May 2, (19:00 UTC, May 1), United States military forces shot and killed Osama bin Laden after a 40-minute firefight in Kakul,a town in the Abbottabad district of Pakistan, and then seized his body. The operation was carried out by 25 members of the US Navy SEAL DEVGRU unit under the command of the Joint Special Operations Command forces in Pakistan working with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). After careful monitoring of a compound suspected to be bin Laden's Pakistani residence, U.S. military forces were sent across the border of Afghanistan to launch the attack.Pakistani officials confirmed that bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by the U.S. military. The body was recovered by the U.S. military and was in its possession.ABC News has reported that the body has been identified by DNA testing. However, Reuters reports that DNA test results will be available in the next few days and that bin Laden's body was identified using facial recognition techniques.

The death of bin Laden was celebrated in the United States and welcomed by NATO, the European Union and a large number of countries as a positive and significant turning point for the security of the world. Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood said that the West must pull out of the Middle East following the event. The Hamas administration of the Gaza Strip condemned the killing of a "Muslim and Arab warrior".

American intelligence officials discovered the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden by tracking one of his couriers. Information was collected from Guantánamo Bay detainees, who gave intelligence officers the courier's pseudonym and said that he was a protégé of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. In 2007, U.S. officials discovered the courier's real name and in 2009, where he lived. In August 2010, the courier's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, was located at34.187666°N 73.24262°ECoordinates: 34.187666°N 73.24262°E. Using satellite photos and intelligence reports, the CIA surmised the inhabitants of the mansion. In September, the CIA concluded that the compound was "custom built to hide someone of significance" and that bin Laden's residence there was very likely. Officials guessed that he was living there with his youngest wife. Built in 2005, the million-dollar three-story mansion was located on an "imposing hilltop" on the outer bounds of the city,and had high security. About eight times the size of nearby houses, it was surrounded by 12-to-18-foot (3.7-5.5 m) concrete walls topped with barbed wire. There were two security gates and the third-floor balcony had a seven-foot-high (2.1 m) privacy wall.[13] Its residents burned their trash, unlike their neighbors, who simply set it out for collection. The compound was located a few hundred yards from Pakistan Military Academy (PMA.)

President Obama met with his security advisors on March 14, 2011, in the first of five security meetings over six weeks. On April 29, at 8:20 a.m., Obama convened with Thomas Donilon, John O. Brennan, and other security advisers in the Diplomatic Room, where he authorized a raid of the Abbottabad compound. The government of Pakistan was not informed of this decision.

The raid was carried out jointly by 20–25 helicopter-borne United States Navy SEALs under the command of the Joint Special Operations Command in cooperation with the CIA. According to Obama administration officials, U.S. officials did not share information about the raid with the government of Pakistan before the operation but did notify Pakistan after its successful completion. According to the Pakistani foreign ministry, the operation was conducted entirely by the U.S. forces, however, Pakistan ISI officials stated that they were also present at what they called a joint operation. The SEALs stormed the compound at approximately 1 a.m. local time (20:00, May 1 (UTC)) and engaged bin Laden and his men in a firefight.Osama bin Laden was shot in the head.The raid lasted about 40 minutes and three other men present at the compound were also reportedly killed in the operation, including an adult son of bin Laden. The helicopter that the SEALs used to breach the mansion walls suffered a mechanical breakdown and could not fly the team out. They burned the helicopter to secure intelligence and carried bin Laden's body out of the compound on foot. The other two men were reported to be couriers for bin Laden. A woman was also reported killed in the operation; according to an unnamed U.S. official, one of the men had tried to use her as a human shield.[24] Two other women were injured.Karachi's Geo News described a helicopter crash and "heavy firing" on the evening of May 1 "near the PMA Kakul Road". Details of the raid, observed from a distance, were tweeted by a resident of Abbottabad, who did not know what was happening. According to a U.S. official on May 2, bin Laden's body was handled in accordance with Islamic practice and tradition and was buried at sea soon after his death.

An unnamed Pakistani government official confirmed to Agence France-Presse on May 2 that bin Laden was killed in the operation. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan issued a statement on May 2 denying that bin Laden had been killed. Hours later, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said that if bin Laden had, in fact, been killed, it was, "a great victory for us because martyrdom is the aim of all of us" and vowed to take revenge on Pakistan and the United States. Bin Laden's body was buried at sea less than a day after his death. A burial at sea also leaves no definitive location, thus preventing a burial site from becoming a "terrorist shrine". The Guardian has questioned whether bin Laden's grave would have been a shrine, as that concept is rejected by Wahhabism. It quotes a U.S. official explaining the difficulty of finding a country that would accept the burial of bin Laden in its soil.

Numerous allegations were made that the government of Pakistan was involved in shielding bin Laden. Aspects of the incident that have fueled the allegations include the close location of bin Laden's heavily fortified compound to the Pakistan Military Academy, that the United States apparently did not notify the Pakistani authorities before the operation, and the alleged double standards of Pakistan regarding the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Pakistani-born British MP Khalid Mahmood stated that he was "flabbergasted and shocked" after he learned that bin Laden was living in a city with thousands of Pakistani troops, reviving questions about alleged links between al-Qaeda and elements in Pakistan's security forces.Senator Lindsey Graham questioned “How could [bin Laden] be in such a compound without being noticed?” raising suspicions that Pakistan was either uncommitted in the fight against Islamist militants or was actively sheltering them while pledging to fight them.

^ This is the best news we have had in a very long time. The fact that bin Laden is dead shows that sometimes justice can be done. I am especially glad that he was killed by Americans since he specifically targeted us and now we targeted and got him. I am also glad that he was killed and not captured as now there is no chance he can get away - at least now he won't get his 40 virgins because he didn't die a martyr. He died "hiding" out in the open at a mansion living just like a capitalist. I do not think we should have given him an Islamic burial as it looks like we are honoring him. We should have wrapped his body in bacon and set it on-fire. Regardless what happens now the fact is bin Laden is dead! ^

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

TAR

This week they stayed in Switzerland. The teams took a helicopter to a glacier and had to either dig for a "rescue" person or go down the glacier and rescue a real person. Then they had to make a chocolate troll (where the Harlem Globetrotters went crazy because someone "stole" from them.) In the end Kent and Vyxsin were sent home because they didn't read the clue correctly and got a penalty. Had they not been forced to wait 30 minutes then Zev and Justin would have gone home.

Next week is the 2 hour season finale where they go to Brazil and then Key West. As of right now I would like Zev and Justin to win. I really don't want the Globetrotters to even come close in winning.

Pope John Paul 2 Beatified

From BBC News:
"John Paul II beatified in Vatican ceremony"

The late Pope, John Paul II, has been officially beatified at a ceremony at the Vatican in front of hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful. Among those at St Peter's Square is French nun Marie Simon-Pierre, who says she was cured of Parkinson's Disease. Her apparently miraculous cure is part of the case for the beatification, the last stage before sainthood. He reigned from 1979-2005. Police in Rome estimated that one million people had come to the city for the event, including large numbers of pilgrims from the late Pope's native Poland.

^ I think this is one more step to honoring a great man. It seems that he is one of the most (if not the most) beloved Pope ever. He did so many great things both during his lifetime as well as during his reign. ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13251415

EU: Equal States

From Deutsche Welle:
"Germany prepares for Polish influx as labor market opens"

^ It seems that starting tomorrow the European Union will finally give all its member states an equal fitting since people from: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Poland and Slovenia will be able to live and work in the rest of the EU without any restrictions. It seems like a long-time coming especially since it has been 7 years since these countries joined the EU. ^

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15033957,00.html

Royal Wedding

From Yahoo News:

"World joins in British royal wedding celebrations"

LONDON (Reuters) – They wore Kate and William face masks in Hong Kong, donned plastic tiaras and wedding dresses in Sydney and knocked back jugs of Pimm's and roast beef served on red, white and blue plates in Paris. As thousands packed the streets of London to celebrate the wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday, millions more around the world joined in the fun. Royal-themed parties were held from Beijing to New York, while up to 2 billion people worldwide were expected to watch the wedding on television, the British government estimated. In Australia, a Queen Elizabeth look-a-like greeted crowds glued to a large outdoor screen in Sydney and a Melbourne hotel offered "wedding guests" traditional British food and drink, such as Yorkshire pudding, gin and tonic and Pimm's, a fruity alcoholic drink. Sydney's gays and lesbians held a same-sex royal wedding party, with guests enjoying slices of a giant wedding cake baked by Gaycakes and a gift bag containing a booklet on same-sex marriages. In the former British colony of Hong Kong, which switched from British to Chinese rule in 1997, pubs and bars were decked out in Union Jack flags as live footage of the celebrations were beamed to champagne-sipping party-goers.

"It's bigger than the World Cup final," said Edward Stockreisser, a British expatriate watching the wedding with his fiancee. "We're in an Irish pub in Hong Kong and everyone's watching the TV...people really care about them." In a shopping mall on Kowloon, on the other side of the harbor, crowds of locals wore red, white and blue hats and waved flags. Some wore William and Kate masks. One of the most northerly -- and coldest -- celebrations was held by British, Canadian and American scientists working on a research project at an ice base on the frozen Arctic Ocean. Wearing thick gloves and fur hats, members of the Catlin Arctic Survey toasted the happy couple at an outdoor breakfast. Royal wedding fans braved an early morning in New York to mark the big day with street celebrations and to watch three couples tie the knot in Times Square. Cable TV station TLC sought to boost ratings by organizing the weddings on a stage erected above the busy intersection in Manhattan. "It's amazing it's the same day, it feels a little bit for them," said groom Hector Abreu, 27. "No, it's for us," butted in his future bride Candice Chapman. About 200 people gathered in Manhattan's Greenwich Village to watch the wedding on TV and to munch on a British breakfast in a restaurant bedecked in Union Jack flags. In Beijing, many expatriate Britons gathered at private houses to watch the ceremony on TV, while a lucky few were invited to a garden party at the British ambassador's house. In cosmopolitan and wealthy Shanghai, the Langham Xintiandi hotel was hosting a gala charity dinner with British dishes. "The dessert will be a chocolate biscuit cake similar to what Prince William himself has requested for his wedding cake," the hotel's communications officer, Taylor Chen, told Reuters. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak was among 1,000 people at a party organized by the UK embassy in Tel Aviv. Guests enjoyed ale and strawberries as a band played Beatles classics. In the garden of the British embassy in Dubai, around 1,200 people sat under sunshades and trees decorated with Union Jacks, watching the wedding on two large screens. They wore straw hats to protect themselves from the scorching sun and tucked into baked potatoes. There was music, dancing and a children's tea party in the sunny southern Spanish town of Rojales where British expatriates and locals watched the wedding on giant screens. "It's a huge celebration, there are about 1,200 people here, 50-50 British and Spanish," said event organizer Linda Sage. Around 400 guests celebrated at the British Ambassador's residence in Paris, sipping champagne and nibbling on beef and horseradish sauce kebabs and egg sandwiches. Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott, deputy private secretary to William's father Prince Charles in the 1990s, told Reuters: "If Britain, by having some fun, can spread a bit of happiness around the world then great, and that's what we've done." Tourists gathered at the Pont de l'Alma bridge in the French capital, an unofficial monument to William's mother Princess Diana since her death in car crash there in 1997. A large heart-shaped frame of white carnations and roses was left with a note, saying: "Thinking of you on this special day."

^ I have to say that I watched the wedding from 5 am until they were back at Buckingham Palace. It was good. I hadn't planned on watching it, but there was really else on. Now that I am a Commonwealth citizen they will be my King and Queen someday. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/people_nm/us_britain_wedding_world

The King's Speech (2010)

I saw this movie by Netflix and really liked it. I thought Colin Firth did a really good job as Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI.) I had known a little about his speech impairment, but not everything that went along with it. I heard that Queen Elizabeth 2 has seen and also liked the movie (about her dad.) This film not only teaches people about a part of history, but does so in a way that doesn't feel like you are in school. It is a pretty quick movie with no long, boring parts.

Baron's

Our dryer (which came with the house and was over 30 years old) died and so we went to get a new one. We went to Lowe's first and were told that it had to be special-ordered and would take 14 days to get to the store and then could be delivered (for a price.) So next we went to Home Depot where we had to first walk all around the store to find someone to help us and then we got a very stupid woman who said that they didn't make dryers in the size we wanted. I know for a fact they do as Lowe's could get one and we had one before. I let the lady know she was wrong and worthless and left.

Then we remembered hearing some ads on the radio to a local chain called Baron's. I looked on my phone and called them. They said they had what we wanted in-stock and so we drove over there. The guy (the same one I spoke to on the phone) was very helpful and friendly - not at all pushy like Lowe's and Home Depot tend to be. We picked the one we wanted and were told it would be delivered for free (with a $15 fee to haul-away the old dryer.)

So far I am very impressed with the service and products that Baron's has. Now I can only hope everything will go smoothly this Tuesday when it is delivered. If all goes well then I will believe in the saying "Buy Local." I have heard this saying all the time, but most local places tend to be bad and then you have to see the same people all the time. I really hope this time will be different.

Obama's Certificate

From USA Today:

"Obama releases long-form birth certificate"

WASHINGTON — President Obama, trying to squelch an escalating and distracting controversy, released on Wednesday a long-form birth certificate from 1961 that showed just what he has always insisted: He was born at Kapiolani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital in Honolulu. Even Obama doesn't think the signed-and-sealed document will convince some "birthers" who suspect he was born abroad and therefore might be ineligible to be president. "I know that there's going to be a segment of people for which, no matter what we put out, this issue will not be put to rest," the president said in an extraordinary morning appearance in the White House briefing room. "But I'm speaking to the vast majority of the American people as well as to the press: We do not have time for this kind of silliness. … We've got big problems to solve. And I'm confident we can solve them, but we're going to have to focus on them — not on this."

In New Hampshire, real estate mogul Donald Trump, who has used the birther issue to fuel a possible presidential campaign, bragged that he had "accomplished something that nobody else was able to accomplish" in forcing the document's release. The notion that Obama lied about his birthplace has become one of those persistent conspiracy theories in American political life, from who-shot-JFK to the forces behind the 9/11 attacks. "There is fertile ground for these kind of charges" about Obama, says Robert Goldberg, a historian at the University of Utah and author of Enemies Within: The Culture of Conspiracy in Modern America. "Knowing how Americans love conspiracy theories, this plays into American fears and anxieties, whether about black people or about the world around them." Such controversies are stoked by skepticism about information from the government and other institutions, the vitriol and polarization in American politics, the echo chamber of cable news and the Internet, and even the profusion of movies and TV shows that depict governmental and global conspiracies, Goldberg says. The release of official documents or reports by commissions rarely settle such issues for everyone.

"Assuming it is completely legitimate and the real deal, I think it raises more questions than it answers," he says of the birth certificate, saying the fact that Obama's father wasn't a U.S. citizen also could raise questions about his eligibility for the presidency. And Farah says he wants to see "the original document." It remains in a bound volume at the state Department of Health in Hawaii in files that aren't open to public view. A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll released Monday indicated the issue has been gaining traction. Only 38% of Americans said they thought the president was "definitely" born in the United States; 18% said he "probably" was. Nearly one in four, 24%, said he was probably or definitely born in another country. Nineteen percent said they didn't know enough to say. Those who think the president was born outside the United States tend to be among his fiercest critics."This is a non-issue that, for whatever reason, takes up space that would otherwise be dedicated to the good things that the president is doing. So it makes every piece of sense in the world to try to take the issue off the table," says Singer, a spokesman for Hillary Rodham Clinton when she ran against Obama in the 2008 Getting the long-form certificate required Obama to write a letter to Hawaian officials seeking a waiver for its release. His personal attorney, Judy Corley, flew to Honolulu to pick up two copies of the certificate, returning to Washington on Tuesday. "We're going to have to make a series of very difficult decisions" on federal spending and deficits, Obama said. "But we're not going to be able to do it if … we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers." Actually, a weekly analysis of leading news outlets by Pew's Project for Excellence in Journalism found that the economy commanded 39% of coverage the week the deficit plans were released, compared with 4% on the Obama administration and the birther issue.

^ There is still something odd about all this. You do not spend nearly 2 million dollars of your own money fighting not to have to show this and then years later all of the sudden show it. Plus no US State in 1961 would have used the term "African." They would have used the term "Negro." It seems that most people are starting to see Obama for who he really is. He is all talk, but little action and always has some excuse as to why he can't do anything (nothing is ever his fault - even when the Democrats had both houses in Congress.) ^

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-04-27-obama-birth-certificate_n.htm

Survivor : RI

Last night there wasn't much of a surprise. There was one Tribal Council but they voted two people off and the last two members of the old tribe (Steve and Ralph) were sent to Redemption Island. Now the one tribe is left and they will have to start picking off their own. I really hope that Rob gets sent off. I just don't care for him this season.

The three that had been on Redemption Island (Matt, Julie and Mike) competed in a challenge and Julie was sent to the jury.

Trip To NY

Last Saturday we left NH in our Jeep to go to my Grandparents' house in NY to make them Easter dinner. When we dropped the dogs off at the kennel early in the morning it was snowing lightly. It wasn't until we were in Vermont and more than half-way to NY that it started to sleet. The Jeep slid and we went into the median. We hit a large rock boulder and went into the other lane of traffic - luckily there weren't any cars there at that time - and that's when I moved the steering wheel so we went back into the median.

It was a pretty scary experience and could have been a lot worse. I tried using my cell phone to call the police, but had no bars. Most cars just drove past and didn't bother to even stop and check to see if everything was fine. One guy who did stop called the police for us. While we waited we saw that on the same road we had been on there were several different accidents - one car was completely totaled.

A volunteer fireman came over and asked if we needed help and when I told him what happened he started laughing. This was an old man who is supposed to help people. He was a prick and I let him know that and he left. Then an ambulance came to check on us and left to check on the other accidents. Finally the police came and the guy asked if we could make it out of the median. I tried but the car was making a very loud noise and so I had him call us a tow-truck. The tow-truck came and he took us to his house/garage. It was a little weird waiting with his wife while he looked at the car. In the end he said he couldn't do much as it wasn't his specialty. He suggested we drive back home (2 hours away) but we decided to go to NY (1 hour away.) We knew there was more of a chance to get the car repaired there than at home.

I called the insurance company and they told us what car place and rental car place to use in the city we were going to - since it was late on Saturday and the next day was Easter Sunday nothing would be open until Monday (today.)

We made it to NY - it was a little nerve-wracking to drive down the mountain road with a broken car. We dropped the food at my Grandparents' house (everything had been flown around the car in the accident, but it was still usable.) Then we checked in the hotel and ate at a German Restaurant we like (we used my Great-Aunt's car for the longer driving.)We went back to my Grandparents' house where my Aunt, Uncle, Great-Aunt and cousins were and hung out for a while. We watched one of the DVDs I made of some slides with pictures of my dad and uncle from the 1950s-1990s.

Easter Sunday we ate breakfast at the hotel and then headed to my Grandparents' house. We cooked a traditional Polish Easter Dinner (ham, pierogies, asparagus, Pashka bread) and also had horseradish soup and carrot cake - it was all so good. Everyone had a great time.

Today (Monday)I took the car to the garage where they looked at it and said we needed a rental car. We got an ugly white Mazda. After waiting all day to see if the Jeep could be fixed (the frame is bent, etc) we were told it was fixable. It won't be done until May 6th and so we are taking the rental car and going home tomorrow.

Today we took my Great-Aunt to Red Robin for lunch and then for dinner we went to a Chinese Restaurant and then Friendly's for ice cream. Despite the accident the rest of the trip was good (although once the car is fixed and we come get it it will be a long time before I come back here.) So tomorrow we will go home - hopefully it won't be snowing - and get the dogs.

TAR

Last night's show they were in Austria and went to Liechtenstein. They had to take a scooter along the whole length of the country (22 km.) Only the Cowboys had to do it again. Then they went to Switzerland and had to either eat a thing of fondue or bring 20 suitcases to 5 different hotels. Only Zev and Justin finished the fondue. There was a U-Turn and the Harlem Globetrotters used theirs on the Cowboys. The Cowboys came in last and were sent home.

New Federal Airline Rules

From Yahoo News:

"New government rule tackles fees, bumping, delays"

The U.S. government is adding new protections for travelers when airlines lose their bags, bump them off flights or hold them on the runway for hours. The airlines will also have to more clearly disclose the fees they charge. Consumer advocates say the wide-ranging regulations announced Wednesday would improve the flying experience. Still, they wanted regulators to get even tougher on bag fees and make it easier to sue airlines over shoddy service. Beginning in late August, passengers who pay $15 or more to check luggage will get a refund if their bag is lost. They'll also be entitled to more money — up to $1,330 — if they're bumped from a flight. Airlines will have to include government taxes and fees in advertised prices. Delayed international flights won't be allowed to sit on the tarmac for more than four hours, an extension of a year-old rule for domestic flights that greatly reduced 3-hour delays. Passengers bumped off oversold flights will be entitled to greater compensation — up to $650 or $1,330, depending on how long a passenger waits for a makeup flight. The limits are currently $400 or $800. Hobica said that's not enough compensation for delaying passengers' vacations or causing them to miss cruises and weddings. He said airlines should also be required to provide alternate transportation if they cancel a flight other than for reasons beyond their control, such as bad weather. Mark Pestronk, a Washington lawyer who advises travel agents, called the rule "a big disappointment" because regulators dropped a proposal to require that airlines include their customer-service promises in legal contracts with passengers. He said that means consumers can't sue an airline that fails to live up to its promises; they can only file a complaint with the government. Airlines said they're already doing many of the things the Transportation Department wants, including disclosing fees and telling passengers about developing delays. They pointed to government statistics, which show fewer bags are being mishandled and fewer passengers being bumped from oversold flights. Some consultants said the 4-hour limit on tarmac delays for international flights would increase cancelations, and could leave stranded passengers waiting days for a seat on another flight. Regulators were persuaded to adopt the 4-hour rule, however, after a late-December debacle in which several planes loaded with international travelers were stuck, some for more than 10 hours, on snowy runways at New York's JFK Airport. In the future, those airlines could face fines of up to $27,500 per passenger — more than $10 million for a heavily loaded superjumbo jet like an Airbus A380 — although the government has never imposed anything close to the maximum.

 

^ I think that people should get their baggage fee back if their bag(s) are delayed and not only if they are lost. I like that the compensation for bumping passengers went up since most airlines continue to overbook their flights, then bump people off. The best thing in this new set of rules is that international flights can not stay on the runway longer than 4 hours. There is no reason a plane can not either taxi back to the gate and let the passengers off or bring buses to the plane and get the passengers off. I thought it was a good idea for domestic flights and now international ones will be included. I really hope that the Government follows-though with the penalties if the airlines don't do any of these rules. The Government should also focus on the numerous problems with air traffic controllers. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110420/ap_on_bi_ge/us_airline_passenger_rules

Survivor: RI

I didn't have Internet last night and so couldn't write after the show. This week Phil went beyond his usual crazy self. His group realized their rice (which they decided to keep separate from the other group) had maggots in it and so after they cleaned it up they wanted to put their rice in the same container as the other group. The other group said they couldn't (and I don't blame them.) That is when Phil went off. He even had the nerve to play the race card and say it was because he was black. I think it is disgusting that when people have no other hand to play in an argument they play the race card.

I believe that everyone (Black, White, Asian and Hispanic) all around the world could be considered racist at some point in their life because of the broad definition of the word. Of course it is much worse when a Black person calls a White person a Racist because of the historical meaning behind it. That was the case here with Phil. Even though the other group did nothing to fit the definition of racism Phil went off and even used the "n" word many times to try and prove his point. It seems that no one on either group took Phil seriously. Even at Tribal Jeff questioned Phil's response. This only shows that Phil is not only a completely crazy man, but also a man of no integrity as he will do anything to try and win an argument. I believe that is why his title says "former federal agent" and not "federal agent." The Feds must have finally realized how unstable he was and got rid of him.

On Redemption Island: Matt, Mike and Dave had a challenge and Dave became the first member of the jury. Matt continued to whine about everything that is happening to him (I really wish he would become the next member of the jury.)

In the end Julie was sent to Redemption Island because she did what most people do: they tell all their secrets right before voting begins at Tribal. She admitted to hiding Phil's shorts and so was voted out - at least Phil will never find out where his shorts are now. The two groups should have voted out Phil. If there is one thing I really can not stand is people calling other people racist just because they did not get their way. There are real times when people are racist and that should not be diminished because of those who decide to "cry wolf" all the time.

The Kennedys (2011)

I watched this 8 part mini-series last week. I have always liked JFK and have learned a lot about the Kennedy family on my own. I was curious to see if I would learn anything new while watching this mini-series. I have to say that I did not. That doesn't mean I didn't like the mini-series because I did.

I thought John White was a really good choice to play young JFK and that Greg Kinnear was an exact replica of the older JFK. Katie Holmes also looked and acted like Jackie. I didn't think that Barry Pepper looked like the real RFK though, but he did act like him. The guy who played Lyndon Johnson did a good job and portrayed him as the arrogant, unintelligent person he was. The same can be said with the guy who played Joseph Kennedy Sr.

The mini-series was split into 8 parts. The first part dealt with JFK's World War 2 experience as well as his elections to Congress and the Presidency. The second part dealt with JFK becoming President. Part three was about John Jr's birth and the Bay of Pigs invasion. The fourth part dealt with JFK's pain from his war injuries and the Soviet/East German building the Berlin Wall. The fifth part was about desegregation in the South. Part six dealt with the Cuban Missile Crisis. The seventh part dealt with Marilyn Monroe and JFK's assassination. Part eight was about JFK's funeral as well as the assassination of RFK.

The mini-series focused on most of the important events in both JFK and RFK's lives. I am glad that it did not focus at all on Ted Kennedy since he was not on the same high level as his brothers. Even with JFK's adultery I still believe he was a really great President (he never lied about it to the American people like a certain other President did.) I think it would have been very interesting to see what would have happened had JFK not been killed in 1963 or if RFK had not been killed in 1968 and had become President. I think many things would have changed for the better.

This mini-series was a good, basic summary of the Kennedy family's political ambition and how the American public viewed them.

TAR

This week they finally left India and went to Austria. They started in Vienna and had to had to either eat schnitzel and cake in 12 minutes on a Ferris Wheel or move Feud's couch from his office to the University of Vienna where he taught. Most teams started with the eating challenge and then when they couldn't finish it they went to the couch one.

They then had to drive to Salzburg and do a challenge as a chimney sweeper. The Pit Stop was at the home of the van Trapp family (from the "Sound of Music.") Mallory and her dad came in last, but were spared being sent home.

Next week they go to Liechtenstein.

New Dutch Collaborator Data

From Yahoo News:
"Dutch archive: new info on some WWII Jews' arrests"

AMSTERDAM – AMSTERDAM (AP) — The Netherlands' national archive said Tuesday it has gathered new information about the arrests and deportations of some 9,000 Dutch Jews during World War II. The information, from a sealed archive on wartime collaborators, will reveal to some Dutch Jews the names of those who arrested their relatives and other precious facts about their final days as they were deported to Nazi concentration camps during the German occupation of the Netherlands from 1940 to 1945. The project was carried out by journalist Ad van Liempt and a team of researchers who received special permission in Sept. 2010 to review dossiers of 250 collaborators who are no longer alive. It primarily centers on the work of the "Henneicke Column" — a group of Dutch Nazi collaborators working in the investigative division of the government's Central Bureau for Jewish Emigration, which employed police and bounty hunters to find Jews who had escaped the net of the Nazis and their informers. While researching a book on the bounty hunters in 2002 — "A Price on Their Heads" — Van Liempt found personal information in the archive he thought would be useful to victims, but knew they would be unable to obtain. There are 500,000 dossiers on 310,000 collaborators at the archive's collection on special postwar tribunals, but those records are sealed until those named inside have died — and even then they can only be viewed by family members or victims. In addition, the archive is organized by collaborator name, rather than by victim, making it harder for relatives to know where to look. The new information is just a fraction of what the sealed archive contains. "None of the victims knew who had arrested them, or they weren't able to communicate it" before they died, Van Liempt said in an interview published on the website of state broadcaster NOS. One Jewish survivor contacted by the project is Paul Hellmann, whose father Bernhard died at the Sobibor camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. Researchers found a dossier in the archive containing previously unknown details of Bernhard's arrest on a Dutch farm where he was hiding, and his subsequent interrogation. Also contained in the same dossier were two letters written by the then 7-year-old Paul, in a schoolboy scrawl, to his father. They had been delivered to the farm by someone in the Dutch resistance and Bernhard was carrying them at the time of his arrest. "I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't look at them at first, and then later I did," Paul Hellmann said in an interview with NOS. The letters were about everyday occurrences such as seeing trams in the eastern Dutch city of Arnhem, and eating a tasty pie, "but they are letters from a son to his father" Hellmann said. "It's one of the cruelest things that they did, that he wasn't allowed to keep those letters." Results of the project announced Tuesday will only be available to victims' families. The names of the 9,000 victims will be added to a digital database later this month. An estimated 110,000 Dutch Jews died in the Holocaust, including teenage diarist Anne Frank. Just 30,000 Dutch Jews survived the war. Details of the Frank family's arrest are already known, although it remains uncertain who tipped police to her family's hiding place above a canal-side warehouse in Amsterdam.

^ I do not understand why the Dutch Government is only going to give the survivors and their families the names after the traitors have died. If they know who betrayed the men, women and children to the Nazis that sent many thousands of people to their deaths in ghettos, concentration camps and death camps then it is the Dutch Government's moral responsibility to right the wrongs as best as they can and disclose the information while the survivors and their children are still around. The traitors lost whatever right they had under the law when they worked with the Germans and arrested innocent people and helped murder them. It doesn't matter how long they spent in jail (if at all.) I know that if I suffered the horrors of the Holocaust and survived then I would want to know everything I could pertaining to how I was arrested/betrayed and how the other members of my family also suffered. Hopefully the Dutch Government will change their policy and release the information to the survivors and their children right away if they don't then they (the Dutch Government) are collaborating with the Nazi collaborators and that's just plain disgusting. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110412/ap_on_re_eu/eu_netherlands_holocaust

Supporting The Military

From Yahoo News:
"White House joins forces to support military families"

^ This program seems good on paper, but it will be harder to start and keeping people interested. I am curious to know why this wasn't done a long time ago since the wars have been going on for almost 10 years (in Afghanistan) and 8 years (in Iraq.)

People tend to forget the military and their families, but you would hope the government that creates the wars and puts people in harm's way wouldn't. A lot more needs to be done by both the Federal, State, Local Governments and ordinary people in support of soldiers and their families. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110412/pl_nm/us_obama_military_families

Survivor: RI

This week Boston Rob continued his dictatorship and his minions obeyed his every word. The other members even called them a cult and I have to say that I expected cups of Kool-Aid to come out at any minute. The other group caught some fish and Boston Rob didn't want his people to have any. Grant (who tried to say he is his own person) went over to have some fish and Boston Rob told him to call back.

The game is getting pretty boring because Boston Rob has gone from a cool guy to an arrogant cult leader. I really hope that he gets voted off soon, but that would require his minions to wake up out of their brain-washing.

Phil continues to be his weird and annoying self. He always has something dumb to say. It seems that even the people on his side don't care for him, but are just using him for their numbers. I'm sure that he will be the first one voted out once the other group is gone.

Mike was the first one sent to Redemption Island and David was the second. It will be interesting to see which of them (including Matt) will survive and get back into the game.

Civil War: 150 Years On

Today is the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War. I have heard that many States (most of them in the South) are doing little to mark the anniversary. They claim it is because of money problems, but I believe it is because they only want to celebrate the Confederacy and the Old South and not how they lost. I lived in Virginia and have seen first-hand how much in love with all things Confederate people in the South still are. No only do they name schools, buildings, roads, etc after Confederates, but they also have state holidays honoring them.

I firmly believe that Confederate symbols and monuments should be illegal in the United States. They serve the same purpose as Nazi symbols (to discriminate against a group of people.) The fact that groups like the KKK use Confederate symbols and ideals to discrimate against blacks, Jews, Catholics, homosexuals and others shows how important the racist policies of the Confederacy continues to help ignite violence and why they should be outlawed.

I also think we should have big celebrations at the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War since it kept the US united, freed the slaves in the South and started the long journey to make everyone equal.

France's New Law

A law making it legal to have your face covered in public went into force yesterday and police have already given their first fine. I think this law (which does not single-out Muslim veils) is one of the best new laws to be made anywhere in a long time. I know there are several other European countries that are working on the same type of law and hope those pass as well.

There are several Muslim countries (ie Turkey) that outlaw Muslim veils in public and yet no one seems against those. France does not outlaw only Muslim veils but all things that cover the face while Turkey only outlaws Muslim veils. So those people that try to claim France is targeting only Muslims need to get their facts straight.

I really wish the US would follow-suit with France and create the same type of law.

TAR

This week they stayed in India - which didn't make any of them happy. They had to take a plane to a religious town and then had to find several religious men for their clues. The town looks like most of India (crowded, smelly and dirty.) The teams then had to either heat milk for children over dried cow manure or feed hay to cows. One good thing this week was that the Asian father/daughter team were eliminated. That guy was very annoying. He was constanly complaining about random things, always had to stop to eat and was nasty to his daughter. I'm just glad they are no longer in the Race.

Next week the teams go to Austria (I bet they are really glad to get out of India.)

Hop (2011)

I saw this movie yesterday. It was the first film I saw at the theater in almost a year. After seeing the previews I didn't expect much from the movie. It is one of those non-thinking films (which sometimes you need.)

I have to say I enjoyed the movie. James Marsden was good in his role. You can't tell that he is almost 40 in real life and yet played a 20 something here. The scenes with David Hasselhof were a little odd (although I'm sure every German will watch the movie once they realize he is in it.)The bunny was "real" looking in that he didn't look animated. You could tell the scene at the Playboy mansion tried to appeal to adults (since most kids wouldn't understand) and it was funny.

Even though you knew how things would end it was still a good Easter movie.

Survivor: RI

This week there were lots of stupid mistakes. Matt won his Redemption Island challenge against Sarita and rejoined the game while the two teams merged.

Natalie won the immunity challenge even though it looked like Mike was guaranteed to win. This caused a scramble for Mike's former tribe to try and get Matt and Andrea on to their side. It seemed like Andrea was more open to it especially since Matt told everything to Rob.

I thought Matt had learned his lesson from when he was on his tribe and he did nothing but idolize Rob and then Rob and the rest of the tribe voted him out. I guess I was wrong. Matt should have gone over to the people that were on the other tribe. They didn't show us who each player voted for like they usually did, but I think Matt stayed with his former tribe. Ralph wasted the idol for Mike.

In the end Matt was voted out and sent back to Redemption Island. I had wanted Matt to come back into the game and shake things up, but he didn't. He wasted his second chance. I don't know if Matt will survive Redemption Island and come back (again) to the game. I kind of hope not since he didn't do anything with the second chance he had.

Communist Food Comeback

From Deutsche Welle:

"Berlin restaurant dishes out authentic communist cuisine"

An eatery in downtown Berlin serves recipes from the bygone communist era. East German cuisine doesn't usually get much attention, but the simple food is a reminder that quite a lot can be made from very little. "I've never been to any place like it," said Sam, a Berlin tour guide, as he finished his Eisbein (pork knuckle) at Domklause. The Berlin restaurant opened last autumn. For the past two months, Sam has brought tours to Domklause three times a week, and has literally tried everything on the menu. Originally from the UK, Sam says he finds the meals at Domklause nice and average, adding, "there's nowhere I can find just East German food." Domklause, the gastronomical sidekick to Berlin's GDR Museum, sports chic backlighting and sleek black tables with white chairs. So where is all the gaudy furniture reminiscent of East German cafes and living rooms? "It's completely bourgeoisie," said Sam of the restaurant. "It's nothing like the GDR. But I don't think it would be so inviting if it had the former style." The restaurant doesn't look anything like a GDR living roomAccording to spokesperson Melanie Alperstädt, the ambience of Domklause was specifically designed to not be nostalgic for the East, simply "because Germans tend to think that nostalgia is a critique of the past," said Alperstädt. The result is authentic communist-era dishes in a modern setting; sentimentality comes only with the taste. "In the museum you can experience the GDR, you can touch the exhibits, you can see original furniture, but here the focus is on the dishes," added Alperstädt.From 1979 to 1992, an exclusive restaurant with the same name was located in nearly the exact same spot - across from the Palace of the Republic, which was the seat of the government in the German Democratic Republic. Welcoming state guests and visitors from the West, it dished out hearty GDR cuisine, like the Jägerschnitzel of the East - breaded sausage nestled in a bed of pasta and tomato sauce - a far cry from the savory escalope found in the West. Domklause's former sous-chef, Hans-Jürgen Leucht, now presides over the newly refurbished establishment as head chef. "We've got a contemporary witness who is also a chef, so it's perfect," said Alperstädt. Stretching the entire length of Domklause's southern wall is the mural "In Praise of Communism," painted by Ronald Paris in 1970, which was salvaged by the GDR Museum from the soon to be destroyed Office for Statistics building in East Berlin. Traditional kitschy slogans from the GDR food industry wrap around the restaurant's interior pillars, making claims like "Fish fingers and canned food - rich in variety and ready to serve." Leucht has been chef at Domklause during two different erasThe menu at Domklause is packed with pages of the culinary classics of communism, including the infamous Ketwurst and Grillettas. Essentially hotdogs and hamburgers, these foods were required to change names in the East, under the ruling of the GDR's gastronomical research institute, so as not to be associated with their counterparts in the West.

Other communist comebacks include Spreewald Gherkins, Strapping Max (fried egg on rye), the Rabbit Imposter (meatloaf), Krusta (pizza), and soups called Power Broth and Soljanka, a traditional Russian workingman's stew. Even the drink list has alcoholic artifacts under the heading "Socialist Schnapps" and wines that include Bulgarian Donkey's Milk (white) and Hungarian Bull's Blood (red). They've also humorously added a page titled, "Alcoholic Beverages from NSW (the Non-Socialist World)," which includes whiskey and cognac. And at least today's version of socialist supper offers plenty of fresh salads and even an entire vegetarian section that includes sugar-coated pasta. Apart from the glaring gimmick, one could wonder why anyone these days would desire GDR grub when there's always another option. Domklause doesn't claim to offer high-class cuisine, but rather pay respect to GDR recipes that embraced the simple pleasures of uncomplicated dishes. The scarcity of products and lack of variety in the bygone era gave cooking a creative challenge, and ultimately a unique place among the culinary arts. "They didn't have everything to cook with in the GDR, but with just a few things, they could make some very nice-tasting food," said Alperstädt. The early Domklause was located across from a GDR landmarkDomklause's clientele is largely made of up tourists, but manager Kim Stender said that at least 20 percent are East Germans, who remember how quickly their favorite staples vanished from the shelves as soon as the Berlin Wall fell.

Susanne Beer, a graphic designer who grew up in the Pankow district of East Berlin, recollects the confusion over milk that seemed to change overnight from 2 percent fat content to 1.5 percent and 3.5 percent. After the collapse of the GDR, Beer "didn't expect that certain products would disappear from one day to the next."

Although she missed Ketwurst in the beginning, along with the not-so-sweet ketchup of the East, Beer was amazed by the variety of foods so abundantly available, like "all the creative flavors of yoghurt, and Kellogg's and spinach and chewing gum!" she exclaimed. "Shops were so empty and then suddenly they were full of food."

Domklause takes visitors back to the empty shelves - but not without creativity. For tour guide Sam, the menu represents a historical and seldom discussed part of the GDR. "It's not extraordinary, though the people always seem to like it," he said.

^ It seems that people are trying new things to bring back the old Communist days (whether to those that lived through them or to the young generations.) There is a game in Poland that shows what daily life was like during Communist times and now this restaurant in Germany. One thing that does interest me is how people survive standing all the time in long lines for little if any food and yet they always seemed to make good tasting dishes. When I was in Russia I saw firsthand people prepare outstanding meals with very little (the lack of food was usually because of uninvited guests and not rationing or scarcity.) I guess they learned it from the days when they had no other choice. While I do not think the majority of people (especially those 50 and younger) want the Communist days brought back I do think it is important to show the youth that period of history and doing so in a visual way makes it even more interesting. ^

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6485798,00.html

A Birther

A Birther is a person who wants proof that Obama was born in the United States and has a legal right to being the President. The characteristics of a Birther are said to be Republicans (or Tea Party members.) I think it is very strange that Obama spent thousands of his own money to make sure his birth certificate was not made public. That makes me question what his real motive is.
Usually if someone does not what to show you something and even invests time and money to keep that out of the limelight there is something they are trying to hide. I have studied US Presidents throughout history and can read all about their childhoods yet when it comes to Obama there is little if anything. There is a brief mention that he lived in Indonesia and then moved to Hawaii. He was born in the 20th Century and yet there is more on Presidents born in the 18th Century. That seems very odd to me.
All Obama has to do is make his birth certificate public and then all the rumors and talk would stop - that is of course if he was born in the United States. I would personally like to know more and hope that the truth (whatever it is) comes out.

Update On New Registration Rules

This is an update on the new registration rules for foreigners in Russia. Russian President Medvedev signed them into law March 24th. These rules will make things a little simpler for foreigners. While they do not bring the Russian system in line with Western countries it is a step in the right direction.

Wet Asphalt (1958)

I just watched this movie (in dubbed English.) It has Horst Buchholz - who was known as the German James Dean. It was made 13 years after World War 2 ended and yet shows how the war still affected the Germans. By the late 1950s there were still thousands upon thousands of German POWs and forced laborers in the Soviet Union. This was a sore spot in West German/USSR relations (although the East Germans didn't seem to care what their Communist friends were doing.)In 1955 alone, 15,000 Germans were released from the USSR and allowed to return to either East or West Germany.
It also has the theme of the older generation knowing what is best over the younger generation. The movie used the example of an old newspaper guy vs a young newspaper guy, but it could fit in any context.
It also shows how the Cold War was evolving and the distrust between the two sides. Throughout the movie the saying "The Poles aren't talking" was used to sum up the lack of evidence. While I know that the countries behind the Iron Curtain often refused to address rumors to the West (and almost never to their own people) it seems odd to me today to have people just willingly accept governments not answering questions.
One scene that really stuck with me is at the German Red Cross when an old woman was asking the official about her son and she was told to wait her turn and the old woman apologized as though she had done something wrong. It shows the German characteristic of accepting any sort of authority without real question. I have personally seen that characteristic (both when I lived in Germany and when I go there as a tourist.)
Overall, the film brought up basic moral questions of doing what is right or doing what one knows is completely wrong. Even though the film was made in West Germany in the 1950s and is in black-and-white I think the questions it raises are still valid today.

The Art Of Language

I consider myself well-versed in English Grammar (although like everyone I sometimes make mistakes.) Most of the time they are simple typos and not grammatical mistakes. I really can not stand when native speakers can not even speak their own language correctly. Every language is a complex system that has taken hundreds of years to evolve and every word has a specific meaning.
Of course I am not talking about people who learn a second or third language and can not speak it correctly or fluently since at least they are trying to better themselves.
While English does not have the gender issues like most other languages we are known for having one of the most vast vocabularies. I am sick and tired of hearing people butcher words and grammar. An example is the word "ask." Many people say "ax" instead. If they did ax someone then they should be sent to jail. There are many other examples.
I think we should start requiring everyone (except those with physical or mental problems) who constantly misuse words and grammar to go to special schools and learn the correct usage. Language is supposed to convey expression and meaning, but nowadays all it is showing is people's ignorance and laziness to learning the correct usage.

Survivor: RI

This week Matt won the challenge on Redemption island (again) and Stephanie was sent home. Then the two tribes came neck-to-neck in the main challenge, but in the end Boston Rob's team won again (thanks to Grant.) The one tribe took a helicopter ride to an active volcano and had a picnic. The other went to Tribal and sent Sarita out. The look on her face was priceless because she was so sure Dave would be going that she didn't bring any of her things.

Next week it looks like the two tribes merge together and the winner from Redemption Island rejoins the game - hopefully it's Matt.

TAR

This week they started in China with tea and ended in India with tea. Every time I see a show like this it makes me never want to go to China or India (they are just too crowded and dirty.) The teams had to taste a bunch of teas to find a mango one and then either deliver books to a school or paint one of the Indian Gods. I would have done the book challenge as the painting one seemed to take forever. In the end Margie and Luke were sent home. As of right now I would like Jet and Cord to win.

Survivor: RI

On Redemption Island Krista and Matt fought against each other and Matt won. He continues to stay on the Island. Andrea got upset because she thinks Krista and Matt bonded while on the Island (since Krista gave Matt her Bible.)

Philip was his usual creepy self. He said that he was a Federal Agent for only 4 years - which makes me think he didn't pass his mental tests and didn't do such a good job as he claims (usually government workers stay in until they retire.)

The tribe with Boston Rob won the challenge and got a picnic as a reward. The other team went to Tribal where Stephanie was sent to Redemption Island - no surprise there.

TAR

Last Sunday the teams were still in China and had to chose between either dressing up in traditional costumes and putting dolls in the correct order as the real-live characters or they had to put together a solar water heating system. There were two U-turns (Jamie and Cara and Flight Time and Big Easy got the U-turns.) They had to do both tasks. Then afterwards the teams had to put a dinosaur together - that seemed very hard. Mallory and Gary used their pass to not do the challenge and yet they still came in second after Jet and Cord.

New Registration Rules

From Moscow Times:

"No More Police Fines for Incorrect Registration Papers"

Police will no longer be allowed to collect fines from foreigners with invalid or missing registration papers, according to a bill aimed at easing registration rules that was approved by the Federation Council on Wednesday. Instead, the party that issued the foreigner's visa invitation will be held responsible for violations.

"The bill stipulates that the inviting party, usually the employer, is responsible for any such violation," said Vladimir Kobzev, head of the legal department of the Russo-German Chamber of Commerce. He said employers should inform their foreign staff to always carry valid registration to avoid fines being slapped on the company, which can be as high as 500,000 rubles ($17,500). The hitherto little-publicized detail in the registration legislation is supposed to reduce extortion, "because a police officer can no longer demand money directly on the street," Kobzev said. The main thrust of the bill is to ease registration rules by lengthening the period foreigners can be in the country without notifying authorities, from three to seven working days. It also abolishes a recent reform requiring landlords to register foreign tenants at their factual addresses, reinstating the previous rule of registering at the employers' address. The amendment was initiated after foreign businesses complained about the new rules, which came into effect Feb. 15, because many landlords refused to comply with them. The State Duma swiftly approved the changes last Friday, and a senator's aide said Wednesday that there was a good chance that the bill would come into effect by the end of the month. "The bill was passed and sent to the Kremlin today," said an aide to Federation Council Senator Alexei Alexandrov, who oversaw the vote Wednesday. The aide, who refused to give his name, said it was likely that President Dmitry Medvedev would sign the bill into law before March 31. Asked when Medvedev would sign the law, a Kremlin spokeswoman promised to look into the matter but did not reply as of late Wednesday. Kobzev said he was impressed by the unusual speed of the bill's passage. "This is amazing efficiency by our lawmakers," he said by e-mail.

Experts said that while immigration authorities in Moscow have shown flexibility in dealing with last month's registration reform, there has been considerable confusion in the regions. "We had a lot of problems in St. Petersburg, where authorities demanded landlords' passports and other unnecessary documents for registration," said Alexei Filippenkov of the Visa Delight agency, who also chairs the migration committee at the Association of European Businesses. His frustration was echoed by Christopher Gilbert, head of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce. "It seems there is a mismatch between the documents demanded centrally from the Federal Migration Service and regional branches," he said by telephone. "There are many examples where regional authorities ask for documents that are actually not necessary. The further you go from the capital, the less coherent it becomes."

^ If this is passed and actually enforced it will be a step in the right direction. It only makes sense that an unregistered visa fee be given to the Russian sponsor since every Russian Visa has to have a Russian sponsor and only the sponsor can register a Visa. It will also do a lot to stop corrupt Russian police since they can't (officially) take any fees or fines. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/no-more-police-fines-for-incorrect-registration-papers/432702.html

Survivor: RI

This week was alright - although not much new happened. On Redemption Island Kristina and Matt fought against each other and Matt won again. Matt was pretty dumb in saying he wanted to get back with his alliance with Rob and Grant at his former tribe - the people who voted him out.

The tribes had to work blind-folded during their Reward/Immunity Challenge which at first seemed difficult, but really wasn't. Stephanie was the caller for her tribe and they lost while Rob was the caller for his and they won.

Krista and Stephanie were the typical desperate females on the show and I am glad Krista was voted out (although I wouldn't have cared if Stephanie went.) At Tribal Krista tried to tell all the little secrets of her tribe before she left.

There was nothing on the Phil front. He was still his usual creepy self. He even thinks he can get enough people to have a coup and become the leader of his tribe. I guess he doesn't realize that no one on his tribe likes him.

Comonwealth Day

Today is Commonwealth Day in the Commonwealth of Nations. I recently had my Canadian Citizenship restored to me (I am now a dual Canadian-American) and as such am also a citizen of the Commonwealth. I couldn't really find out much about Commonwealth Day other than most countries do not make it a holiday or do anything special for it.

TAR

This week they went from Japan to China (although Kent and Vixin didn't get on the "required" flight so that could hurt them.)The teams had to ride a yak and then take a gondola up a mountain and find the different Chinese zodiac signs. Most of the teams then did the candy challenge and then headed to the Pit Stop only to be told they were still racing.

I can not stand Ron and Christina. He is constantly nasty and not the smartest. He is a bitter old man who can't stop eating even though he is on a race. I really hope they do not win.

I don't have a team right now that I really want to win.

Survivor: RI

Last week Russel was sent to Redemption Island where he had to go against Matt. In the end Matt won and Russel cried. It it so good to know that he is out of the game for good and that out of his 3 times on the show he still hasn't won (although he has tried to buy the title.)He was a weasel of a player who used the weakest and dumbest to his advantage. Philip was his usual creepy self (both at his camp and while visiting Redemption Island.) Rob found the idol for his tribe and let everyone think Kristina had it so she was voted out and sent to Redemption Island.

Iceland And Home

The next day we checked-out of our hotel and waited with several other people (including the CT family) for the shuttle bus. Again, Icelanders’ lack of good numbering skills came into play. The tour company sent a 10 seat shuttle bus for 12 people. I made sure to get on with my mom right away (while my sister and dad took care of the bags and chair) and saved two seats for them. Two people - including one from CT – tried to take one of the seats, but I stood my ground and they backed down. When we got to the depot there was a larger bus that was almost filled to capacity. Again, I took my mom and we walked the whole length of the bus until I was lucky to find 4 empty seats together. I had to constantly tell the tour company woman that the seats were for my sister and dad (she kept wanting to give them to other people.) My sister and dad couldn’t get past the group from CT to get back to the seats and I mentioned that to the tour lady and she told the extra people to get off and wait for the next bus while my dad and sister got to their seats and we left. My sister told me that the driver was the same, nice one we had the day before which was good to hear.

We went to the Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa. When we got there it was windy and snowy. We took our bags and chair off the bus and put them in a small, locked shed. We then had to walk about 10 minutes to the front door. My sister and mom went to the women’s locker room while my dad and I went to the men’s. The lockers were pretty small and it was a little confusing at first to learn how to open and close them with our wristbands. You then had to take a shower before going into the Lagoon. My dad was still getting ready when I went and found my sister and mom. We opened the door to go outside and it was beyond freezing. The short walk to the lagoon was awful. Then the water in the lagoon was lukewarm at best – I was expecting hot. After some time I got out and found my dad who took a picture of my sister and me swimming in the lagoon (my mom waited inside because of the wind and snow blowing on her – that is where we saw the guys from NYC again who gave us their table to sit down as there were no other ones available.) My sister kept seeing everyone put this white stuff on their faces and so she had me dive to the bottom several times where I kept getting black sand. We finally asked a couple where they got the white stuff from and found it was on the side of the lagoon.

We then got out, cleaned up and dressed. We had an hour before the bus to the airport and so we asked the woman at the restaurant if an hour was enough time to order and eat (vs the café) and she said it was. We ordered burgers and 15 minutes before we had to leave we asked where out food was and it came right out. My mom said it must be a game for the restaurant because several other tables had to complain for their food before it was brought right out. We quickly ate and then had to walk back to the bus in extreme wind and snow (it was so bad we had to keep our heads down and just walk fast.) I could have skipped the Blue Lagoon as it wasn’t much fun for me – my sister liked it though.

The bus took us to Keflavik Airport where we checked-in. The Departures section of the Airport is a lot better than the Arrivals. We had no problems through security although we did have to take off our shoes – which most European Airports don’t make you do. We were in the central waiting area. I found all the Haribo candy I wanted and a lot of Kinder Chocolate (although no Kinder Eggs) in the Duty Free Shop. We then tried to use up the last of the Kroners we had and bought some drinks. We were 20 Kroners short and I said I won’t get one of the drinks when the nice cashier woman gave it to me. We then did the VAT Refund and actually got a good amount of back. We have always done that in Ireland, the UK, Germany, etc and never got anything back. It was nice to finally get something back – although it was in Kroners.

We then headed to the gate 15 minutes away. We went through Icelandic Immigration and started walking past a desk where two women were talking and had no signs. Apparently they were there to make sure only people headed to the US went beyond that point, but there was no way to know that just by looking at them. We waited by the gate for Boston (where I saw the NYC guys waiting for their flight to JFK.) My dad and sister did some more shopping. I told the gate people again about pre-boarding and was told it was a full flight.

When it was time to board a woman took us to an elevator and then left. The flight was basically the same as coming over only no bags dropped on us. The CT family was on-board (I was glad when we finally landed and never saw them again) as well as a bunch of students from Harvard Business School who were annoying as they won’t make room down the aisle. I did take some nice pictures when we flew low over Greenland.

When we landed we got our chair right away (the guy thought we had a connecting flight although I never told him we did) and headed to Immigration. We went through a special lane where the guy was very nice, friendly and funny – he told us a story about an American family who came back from Iceland and couldn’t pronounce things. It was very fast and efficient. We took the elevator down to baggage. All the bags except my dad’s came out pretty quickly. We then went through Customs and then headed to the covered walk-way to the Hilton. We spent a night there since my sister had an early flight home the next morning. We had dinner at Hilton Restaurant and had a very lazy waiter who we had to keep complaining to for everything. We then went to our rooms and went to sleep. The next morning we walked to the airport where my sister checked-in for her direct flight home (there was a large group of middle schoolers on front of us who slowed everything down.) When my sister went through security we got our car and drove 3 hours home in the pouring rain.

For the most part the trip to Iceland was a lot of fun. It was nice to go someplace with my dad and sister (and of course my mom who always goes with me – since she pays.) It would have been nice if my brother and his family could have also come.

Reykjavik: Day 3

On our third day we took a tour of the Golden Circle. We waited in the hotel lobby for a shuttle bus to pick us up. There was a family from Connecticut (that we would see several times) also waiting for the same tour. The shuttle came and we took it to the depot where we got onto a bigger tour bus. The bus was pretty crowded, but the four of us all found seats together close to the front. It was an 8 hour tour. The guide said everything in English and then German because there were several Germans on-board. I heard her say that she didn’t know she was going to be using German and thought it was pretty rude when the same German guy kept correcting her. If I was the guide I would have just switched to English and made the German guy mad. Also at every stop there was another German guy who kept standing right behind me pushing me to get off faster (while I was helping my mom.) He was a complete douche and I let him know it.

We stopped in the town of Hveragerdi at a rest area. Then we went to the Skalholt Cathedral (which is on the site of the first Icelandic Church.) At the beginning of the tour it was snowing and then at the end it was raining and windy. After Skalholt we went to a waterfall (I don’t remember the name) and then went to the Gullfoss. The Gullfoss is where the Atlantic and European Tectonic plates meet. We had to walk about a mile from the bus to the Gullfoss. It was extremely windy to the point that it was pushing you. My mom and sister turned around and went inside the store before seeing it and I would have too, but I wanted to take a few pictures – which turned out really well.

After the Gullfoss we went to the Strokkur Geysir. We had lunch at the café at the gift shop (it was my first Icelandic cheeseburger and was alright although cold – I was too hungry to care and ate two.) We then walked along the geysirs and took pictures. We even walked up to the Strokkur Geysir right as it erupted. Our last stop was to Thingvellir. Thingvellir is the site where the Icelandic Parliament was held from the 1100s – 1700s before moving to Reykjavik. The guide and most passengers got out of the bus in the pouring rain and walked about 2 miles up hill while the rest of us rode the bus to the top and got off only to take pictures and go to the gift shop – yet I still got soaked.

We then made our way back to Reykjavik. The guide was asking where everyone wanted to get off and since we had a large bus that couldn’t go through most of the narrow city streets people were let off at intersections closest to their hotel. When it came to us we asked the guide to let us off at the closest taxi stand so we could take a taxi back to the hotel. After the guide talked to the driver she said that they would take us back to the depot where the driver would drive us to our hotel by the small shuttle bus (she even offered the same thing to the family from CT, but they were weird and randomly got off in the middle of nowhere.) We gave the guide and driver a tip because both did a good job and helped us. The driver spoke English really well (as did the guide of course.)

We were pretty tired from our day tour that we decided just to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. Again, most things were fish, but we all ordered steak “well done.” When it came out it was still bleeding. Usually I would send it back until they got it right, but being tired from jet-lag and the tour I just ate it. We then went up to our rooms where I spent the next two hours downloading my pictures onto Facebook and then packed.

Reykjavik: Day 2

The second day we had the day to explore more of Reykjavik. My mom, sister and I ate lunch at the Caruso Restaurant (which our hotel recommended.) It was pretty good although the non-seafood choices were slim. I had spaghetti carbanara (which reminded me of our trip last December to Dubrovnik.) We did some souvenir shopping (they have lots of shirts, books, etc about that one volcano that disrupted flights in Europe last year.)After lunch my dad joined us and we went around the city more. One of the main attractions we went to was the Hallgrimskirkja Church. We even went up in its tower. It was really nice although not very old (built last century.) We also went into several grocery stores where I was looking for Haribo and Kinder chocolate. I didn’t find any Kinder chocolate and the only Haribo candy was black licorice which I do not like. We also saw many odd sites like an English Pub that only has Icelandic beer or a Mexican Restaurant that also serves traditional Icelandic food.

At 6 pm we got picked up by a shuttle bus and went on a brewery tour called “Taste of the Sagas.” It was a small tour group which included my family, a couple from Massachusetts that obviously had just left their trailer park and a group of businessmen from New York City (we would see the NYC guys later.)Our guide’s name was Olaf – even though she was female. She spoke excellent English and really tailored her presentation to her audience. We got to taste a bunch of different Icelandic beer and soda. We also learned that beer was illegal in Iceland from the 1930s until 1989 (although hard liquor was legal.) During the walking part of the tour we had to put on protective hats and looked very funny. We liked the guide and the tour a lot and so gave her a tip. I should mention that people in Iceland do not expect tips and so they are genuinely surprised and pleased when you give them one.

After the brewery tour we had dinner at the Mexican Restaurant I mentioned above. It was called “Tabasco’s” and was pretty funny. It was a Mexican Restaurant that also served traditional Icelandic food made by a Chinese chef. It was warm and cozy and the food was good. It turned out to be pretty pricey though. Afterwards we took a taxi back to the hotel.

Reykjavik: Day 1

We took the shuttle bus (where this driver could speak English really well) to our hotel – the Hotel Odinsve. The Odinsve is a 4 star hotel in downtown Reykjavik. The staff were very helpful (sometimes above and beyond), the continental breakfast buffet was large by European standards. Even though it was before the regular check-in time (it was around 8-9 am) we got our rooms right away. The rooms were a little small (especially the bathroom where you had to hold your breath to fit into the enclosed shower) and looked straight out of an Ikea catalog. My parents’ room was nicely heated while my sister’s and mine was constantly cold. Also Icelandic water smells and tastes like sulphur which does not make it fun to brush your tooth or shower.

The first day we were very tired with jet-lag (Iceland is 5 hours ahead of NH and is in the same time zone as the UK.) The rain had stopped and my mom, sister and I walked around the capital. There was no snow anywhere, but the city is very hilly so I had to be careful with the chair. We couldn’t really find any place to eat and so we had lunch at a bakery. Throughout our stay in Iceland it was weird to hear the totals for everything since the numbers where in the thousands. $1 US Dollar is 115 Icelandic Kroner. While everyplace we went to (restaurants, taxis, stores, etc) took credit cards even for small purchases it made me do a double-take when the cashier said the total was 320 (meaning Kroner), etc.

That night we had a prepaid voucher to go to the Restaurant Reykjavik (which apparently the Icelanders call the Café Reykjavik – even though the sign outside says Restaurant – once we got that straightened out with the taxi guy with the help of the hotel’s front desk we were finally on our way.) The Restaurant was in the center of the city. It turns out that we were just a block or two from where we “couldn’t find any place to eat lunch.” Had we only gone a block or two we would have found a bunch of cafes and restaurants. Oh well. We were early for our dinner and show and so waited inside on some couches. It turns out that our prepaid voucher entitled us to either the large fish buffet or lamb – and I don’t eat either. I got the fish buffet just so I could have the non-seafood items (hot asparagus soup, cold rice, cold potatoes and cold red cabbage – luckily I like cold red cabbage.) I stocked up on those for my meal and had some dessert. Then we went downstairs for an hour-long comedy show about Iceland’s history. As it turned out we were the only people in the audience. The guy performing was pretty good and funny. He even had my sister play a slave who killed him (as king.)

After the show we took a taxi back to the hotel and had a small snack at the hotel’s bar before going to bed.

Flight To Iceland

My parents and I drove to Boston’s Logan Airport. We parked the car and took a shuttle bus to the terminal. We met my sister’s plane (and it a little nerve wracking since she had to make a connection with only 40 minutes to spare) and had to wait several hours to check- in. When it came time to check- in we went to the IcelandAir desk (where there was no line) and had no issues although the woman thought she was doing us a favor by changing our seats to closer in the plane, but instead of all four of us sitting next to each other my sister was sat in the same row number as us but at the window and not the aisle. Once we got rid of our bags we had dinner at a restaurant right before security. My mom and I had eaten there before and it was good. There is one very annoying waiter there, but luckily we never get him (although you can hear him constantly talking.)Our food was good though.

After we ate we went through security. This time I didn’t have to go through the full-body scanner nor get the extensive pat-down. I simply walked through the metal detector and that was that. There was small incident with a stupid TSA woman running the x-ray machine. She kept yelling for people to pick up their items and move away from the security area. Since I was waiting for my mom to be finished I stayed right where I was. I will never understand why the TSA has some many lanes and employees just standing talking to each other and yet only have two lanes open when most of the international flights at the same time.

We waited for our flight and even reminded the guy at the gate that we would need to pre-board and yet when it came to boarding they were unprepared for us. We took the elevator to the plane where I had to ask the flight attendant to take the chair while we went to our seats (since no one from the airline was there to help us.)

IcelandAir is not the best or most modern airline. The plane looks like it is from the 1980s. It is also the only trans-Atlantic airline that makes you pay for all food and yet they only sell light snacks on a 5 hour flight. They also make you pay 3 Euros (even though Iceland doesn’t use the Euro) for headsets to watch movies like “Independence Day” and other films from the 1990s. There was one incident during the flight when the guy behind us got up to take something out of the overhead compartment and a bag with a computer fell right on my mom. It really hurt her and yet the guy made it seem like it wasn’t his fault. He is the only one who stood up and moved things while we were sitting. He was a complete idiot and I let him know just what I thought of him.

When we landed in Keflavik we took the airport’s chair off the plane. We went through Icelandic Immigration (where we had no problems) and then had to get on a bus in the pouring rain (the bus had no ramp and we had to lift the chair off and on) to go to the main terminal. Our bags came within 20 minutes - as promised by IcelandAir – but we had to wait a while for our chair. We then went through Customs where we had to take the Flybus (as per our prepaid vouchers.) I had heard and read that everyone in Iceland speaks English, but found many - especially those in the tourism business – that did not. The bus driver kept speaking in Icelandic to me when I told him he had to put the chair under the bus with our bags. I finally had to get mean and shout “You…… This…… There” and make sure he put it on the bus before I got on and found a seat. I should say here that I have found the majority of Icelandic people do not understand numbers or time (maybe that’s why their whole economy completely collapsed in 2008.) The bus was full to capacity, but more on the numbers and time later. We took the big bus to a depot where the bus driver (speaking only in Icelandic) told us all to get off on top smaller shuttle buses. In the pouring rain my sister had to find which shuttle bus was ours where I got us seats and then helped her and my dad with the chair and bags.

TAR

Last week the teams left Australia and flew to Japan. Half the teams got on a flight with a connection in Hong Kong that was supposed to get to Tokyo 15 minutes before the direct plane, but they had a delay and were an hour late. I didn't really care for the challenge they had to do (dress up and perform several things exactly right.) The other challenge (the mud or the waterfall) were better. I would have liked the Chinese father/daughter team be sent home because the dad is just a bitter old man and is very annoying. Instead the father/son team (who look and act more like they are married) were kicked out.

Survivor: RI

I just watched last week's show on Ti-Vo. While I don't think it was neccesary for the one tribe to throw the challenge just to get rid of Russell. They would have lost eventually and then could have gotten rid of him. I am glad that they voted Russell out. He was beyond angry. The only bad thing is that he now goes to Redemption Island and has the opportunity to come back into the game. Hopefully he won't come back and he will be just a memory in this season.

Iceland Bound

I am going to Iceland for a week and will write about the trip when I get back.

Russia's New ID Card

From Moscow Times:

"Kremlin Rolls Out Card That Does All"

Imagine a piece of plastic that gets you a doctor's appointment, pays your bills, allows you to rent a car or buy a plane ticket and even get Moscow registration faster than the sham ads in the Moscow metro. President Dmitry Medvedev promised Monday that three years from now all Russians will have this magic card. He gave the government till May to make final calculations of the funds necessary to introduce the universal electronic card, or UEC, for all citizens and urged banks to not take advantage of card users at the meeting of the commission on modernization and technological development of the economy Monday. The UEC, which will be a kind of Swiss army knife of plastic cards and serve as a combination of a state electronic ID, driver's license, car insurance and migration cards among other possible perks, should be available to Russians by 2014, according to the federal law. The project to create the new e-card could cost the government as much 150 billion rubles ($5.2 billion) to 170 billion rubles ($5.9 billion), Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina told reporters at the modernization commission meeting. The project will have spanned five years, and the cost of card issuance alone will be 40 billion rubles, which puts the cost of one card at 265 rubles ($9), Nabiullina said. The minister promised that all investments in the card would be matched by savings as the new e-card will replace the Russian version of social security cards. While the card offers an almost infinite number of benefits, the list of them is still to be determined, and most other details of the project are still to be worked out. Banks, for one, are not sure whether they will benefit from this innovation. German Gref, chief executive of state-run Sberbank, which is one of the three banks that will help finance the card's development, said banks have so far been reluctant to provide funds for the project because it's "of little interest" commercially, Bloomberg reported. Another danger of introducing such a card is the potential for identity fraud, which often plagues countries that have introduced systems of electronic identification and rely heavily on cards similar to the UEC, experts say.

This is especially the case in Western countries, said Timur Aitov, executive director at the Association of Russian Banks. "Until recently, we have had nothing to steal," he said. But introducing a card that would hold comprehensive data on citizens could put them at high risk of identity theft. Medvedev confessed that, to date, the government has not found a good answer to the question of protecting its citizens' data and he admitted that personal information often circulates on the Internet. But "on its own, protection of such information should not be an obstacle to making the decision to issue cards," Medvedev said. The fact that the card will use a foreign chip should also not stand in the way of the project taking off as soon as possible, Medvedev said. "[We] will not wait till we create our own chip, otherwise it will never be made," the president said. While Medvedev promised that the new card "will improve the lives of tens of millions of people" by cutting through the red tape and allowing Russians to do everything from paying their gas bills to making a doctor's appointment online, experts see ample potential for the card to turn from a magic wand into a weapon that can be used against its owner through fraud and identity theft. Cases of fraud involving plastic debit and credit cards in Russia, according to experts, run as high as 1 percent to 1.5 percent of all cards, and not all of them are reported. Banks, too, will have to weigh potential dangers, Aitov said. "While it's natural for a bank to want to promote itself and get new clients, they must keep the cost in mind," he said. New risks will be brought upon by many "untrustworthy" clients who have never owned a debit or credit card before come on board, making transactions they have no financial backing for, Aitov said. To add to banks' headaches, Medvedev encouraged the government to think about how to regulate tariffs on transactions for commercial and state services, which are controlled by banks. "If citizens will incur high expenses for making a transaction, this will look really bad," he said. "This is why all who will be servicing these cards, all major banks must understand that this is, after all, a social mission and not a source of substantial income." Since the design of the card is still being developed, the president said he hoped the discussion of the design of the new e-card would be fair and objective, unlike the vote for the official Sochi Olympic mascots, where the results of voting on state-run television did not correspond with results of Internet voting. He proposed that people make suggestions for the new card on the Internet. "I hope that it will seem fairer than the discussion of mascots for our Olympics," the president said. "That at least there will not be the dissonance that occurred between the vote on television and the vote on the Internet."

^ Russians have had to carry internal passports throughout history (Czarist, Soviet and Russian.) Now they want to replace the internal passport booklet with a credit card sized one. I am not sure that this new card should be used to do everything (at least not when it first comes out.) The chance of fraud and misuse is too high. The new cards should be issued and used only for ID purposes. After seeing how the new cards work then the government could add other services. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/kremlin-rolls-out-card-that-does-all/431800.html