My Family

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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 Money

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?

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

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

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

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-

Austria Donates To Auschwitz

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-

Pearl Harbor: 70

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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-

Poor Soldiers On Thanksgiving

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

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-

Reagan's Polish Statue

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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-

St Petersburg Against Gays

From Moscow Times:
"St. Pete May Fine Gays Who Are Open"

In a throwback to Soviet times, St. Petersburg legislators have tentatively approved a bill that would impose fines on gays or lesbians who openly profess their sexual orientation. The bill achieves this by outlawing gay pride parades and any other public display or discussion of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, lifestyle that might be observed by minors — curiously equating such acts to promotion of pedophilia, which is a criminal offense. Gay activists denounced the bill as "medieval" and called it a pre-election stunt, while legal experts doubted the bill's legality. But a senior local lawmaker said the main flaw of the bill was that it was not harsh enough. The bill proposes fines of 3,000 to 5,000 rubles ($100 to $160) for individuals and up to 50,000 rubles for organizations engaged in "public activities to promote sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transsexuality" that might be observed by children, local news agency Fontanka.ru said. The St. Petersburg bill appeared to be modeled on near-identical legislation passed in the Arkhangelsk region in September. Lawmakers introduced a similar ban in the Ryazan region in 2006. Even if the legislation is half-baked, the issue remains controversial in Russia, where male homosexual relationships were a criminal offense until 1993. In 1999, the Health and Social Development Ministry dropped homosexuality from the federal list of officially recognized illnesses. But most of the populace remains vehemently anti-gay, and politicians and rights groups remain reluctant to stand up for LGBT rights for fear of their own reputations.

^ Russia has numerous problems that need to be addressed yet it's 2nd largest city and former capital decides to go after homosexuals like it is an old Soviet witch-hunt. Why don't they focus on making things easier and better for their citizens instead of discriminating against a group of people. Homosexuality was illegal in the Soviet Union and then in Russia until 1993 - I guess the Communists were afraid of "catching" it. Russia needs to decide once and for all if they want to join the ranks of the civilized world or go back to the isolation of the USSR. ^

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/st-pete-may-fine-gays-who-are-open/447995.html

Survivor: SP

This week Ozzy, Jim and Keith had to hold two poles up for their RI challenge. Ozzy won and Jim and Keith became the first members of the jury. For the main challenge they had to go through a course with a bowl of rice on their head. Sophie won and got immunity. Dawn was voted out and then they had another challenge and Sophie won it again and Whitney was sent to RI. I think next week it will be Cochran and then the game will start getting interesting as it will leave only members from the old tribe together.

FAA Fines AA

From: Huliq:
"FAA fines American Eagle airline $900,000"

The Federal Aviation Administration has decided to fine the regional airline, American Eagle, a company affiliated with American Airlines, $900,000 for keeping planes on the tarmac last May. The incident caused hundreds of passengers to remain on the planes during a storm. At that time thunderstorms were rolling through the Chicago area. The passengers were kept on the planes for hours while the storms rolled through. According to a story in the Chicago Sun-Times, the FAA appears to be trying to send a warning to other airlines just before the holiday travel season and the winter months come that traditionally have brought about more flight delays. The FAA stated that they have decided to fine American Eagle $900,000 for the incident in May. During the time that the storms were rolling through, the airline stranded about 15 flights. The planes were stranded for over three hours on May 29. On those planes were over 600 passengers. The FAA stated that the airline had to pay $650,000 within 30 days. Of that, as much as $250,000 can be credited on refunds and other compensation already given out to passengers on the flights.

^ This is a good step in the right direction for the FAA. It shows that the 3 hour tarmac waiting rule (4 hours for international flights)is more than just on a piece of paper. A law is only good if it is enforced and it seems the FAA is trying to do that. Whether they are also trying to send a message to the airlines over the holiday season is besides the point. I think the new laws need to also extend to the airports. If an airline is trying desperately (which I doubt many would) to get the passengers off the plane within the 3 or 4 hour time limits and the airport doesn't allow them then the airport should also be fined. There is nothing worse that people stuck on a plane with no food, water or running toilets and there is no excuse for that to happen if the plane is on the ground. The FAA is starting to show the airlines that they can't keep treating us passengers like cattle (like they have been doing for years.) Hopefully other airlines will see this fine and think twice about keeping passengers on the tarmac for longer than 3 or 4 hours. ^

http://www.huliq.com/10304/faa-fines-american-eagle-airline-900000

TAR

This week they went from Africa to Denmark. Most teams got to Copenhagen at the same time by finding an earlier flight, but Marcus and Armani took the scheduled flight and got there last. The first challenge was to get dressed-up in Renaissance costumes and learn 3 different dances. Then they either had to churn butter or race a rabbit through a course. Most chose to churn the butter. There was a double U-turn there. Ernie and Cindy U-turned Bill and Cathi while Bill and Cathi U-turned Laurence and Zac. Ernie didn't want to U-turn anyone but Cindy made him because she was too slow the last time and didn't get in first place. This time Ernie and Cindy came in first place and Laurence and Zac came in last and were sent home. I am really glad not to have to see Laurence anymore since he was always pretty slow and making dumb mistakes.

Veterans

Today is Veterans' Day and regardless what your political views are, whether you are against the wars or not everyone in the country should take a moment to thank a veteran for their service. Veterans and soldiers do not create the wars (politicians do) but they defend us unquestionably and make it so we can go about our ordinary lives not worrying about our freedom or safety. My grandfather, father and brother are all veterans.

Everyone from our Federal and State Governments to the regular citizen owes everything they have to the men and women who fought and are fighting around the world. And we all need to make sure the veterans, soldiers and their families are taken care of both during their time of service as well as afterwards. People who risk their lives everyday for other people's families while missing key aspects of their own families' lives deserve to come home from war and not have to worry about where they are going to live, how they are going to feed their children, what kind of work they will do or where they will receive the medical care they need.

I hope that everyone would stop and think about the soldiers and veterans more than once or twice a year. Most are too proud to ask for the help they need - and they shouldn't have to. The programs and services should just be there for whenever they need them.

11-11-11

Today is 11-11-11. It is also Veterans' Day as well as my parents' wedding anniversary. Veterans' Day is when we stop to remember all the men and women who are fighting or have fought for our country (including those that are currently in Iraq and Afghanistan.) It seems Obama did little to mark the holiday - which is a disgrace since he is the head of the military and the one who sends soldiers to fight and die. He laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (which is for Memorial Day as Veterans' Day remembers those that fought and are alive today) He watched a basketball game and made a speech in which he said that all troops are coming home. That is not true since the soldiers in Afghanistan are staying there until at least 2014 and the ones leaving Iraq will probably go to Afghanistan, Kuwait or some other place in the world rather than home. Regardless of how Obama lies the truth is the American military is the strongest and most dedicated in the world and has been throughout its history and we need to remember everything the soldiers did/do for us.

TX: No To Confederate Flag

From USA Today:
"Texas DMV rejects bid to allow Confederate flag on license plates"

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Board today unanimously rejected a bid to allow the Confederate battle flag on vanity license plates, the Houston Chronicle reports. Gov. Rick Perry, who had appointed all nine members of the board, remained silent on the issue until two weeks ago when he came out against it, saying it's "just a part of history that you don't need to scrape that wound again." Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas NAACP, argued that opponents viewed the flag as a symbol of slavery and hate. "This is the wrong thing to do," Bledsoe told the board, the Chronicle says. "We don't want others to look at Texas with scorn and ridicule and think that we are a bunch of country bumpkins.

^ This is a step in the right direction in making the Confederate flag as well as all Confederate symbols illegal in the US. The Confederacy and its symbols only praise racism, discrimination, violence and anti-American feelings (since the Confederacy left the United States.) ^

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/11/texas-dmv-rejects-bid-to-allow-confederate-flag-on-license-plates/1

Quebeckers Want Maple Leaf

From The Globe and Mail:
"Quebec town waves the flag for Canada’s Maple Leaf"

When crowds of Quebeckers rally around a flag, it’s typically to wave the province’s cherished fleur-de-lis. But residents of one small Quebec town have been galvanized by a battle over the Canadian Maple Leaf. More than 100 residents packed the council chambers this week in Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, pop. 3,200, to demand the town’s mayor restore the Canadian flag that was removed from the chamber. The flag was taken down shortly after Claude Boucher, a former Parti Québécois MNA, was elected mayor in 2009. After a failed effort to get it restored last year, residents began a grassroots movement that grew into a stormy gathering at the town council’s room on Monday night. So many showed up that crowds spilled into the hallway and outdoors. Flags are potent political symbols in Quebec and it’s rare to see emotional displays over Canada’s. Polls suggest that while voters in the province still identify themselves as Quebeckers first, a majority are proud of Canadian symbols like the flag, the anthem and the army. “As far as I know Quebec hasn’t separated yet. I ask that the mayor respect that,” said Mr. Larochelle, speaking in the community 145 kilometres east of Montreal.

^ I think this shows how French Quebeckers are finally starting to realize that Quebec needs Canada just as much as Canada needs Quebec. If Quebec ever officially leaves Canada - which is unlikely in the near-future as most polls show support for remaining within Canada - then the Canadian flag would not be required to be flown, but as long as Quebec is part of Canada then it should fly alongside the Quebec Provincial flag. It seems that some people (in this case the mayor of the town) just likes to cause trouble over senseless issues rather than bring attention to real problems that need to be fixed (like unemployment, education, health care, etc.) ^

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/quebec-town-waves-the-flag-for-canadas-maple-leaf/article2231401/

Brits Leaving Germany

From Yahoo News:
"British troops to start leaving Germany in January"

Britain has announced that it will begin withdrawing its 20,000 troops stationed in Germany next January, in plans that will end Britain's military presence there by 2020. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed a calendar for withdrawal of troops from Germany, Britain's largest military deployment abroad, where troops have been posted since 1945. In October 2010, the government announced plans to repatriate half of the troops in Germany by 2015 and the remaining 10,000 by 2020. Britain, the US and France have kept troops in western Germany since the end of the Second World War. It was an important base for the NATO allies during the Cold War years. Figures from the German government show there are currently 66,000 US army personnel in Germany, including 56,000 soldiers. France keeps 3,800 staff in the country, of which 3,600 are soldiers.

^ It is a little odd that since Germany was given full control of its territory by France, the UK, Russia and the US in 1994 there are still so many French, British and American troops stationed there (especially considering that all the countries bordering Germany - except Switzerland) are now part of both NATO and the EU.^

http://news.yahoo.com/british-troops-start-leaving-germany-january-

Malta Story (1953)

This is a pretty good movie about what happened in Malta during World War 2. It shows how the ordinary Maltese and the British suffered and survived constant bombing and the treat of invasion from Italy and Germany. Of course there is a love story woven in as well.

Even though Malta is a small nation of a few islands it played a key role during the war. It was so important to the British that they didn't just give it up and allow it to be occupied like they did the British Channel Islands.

During the Second Great Siege of Malta (June 1940-November 1942) Malta was bombed a total of 3,340 times - more than England during the Blitz. Not only was the island bombed constantly day and night, but it was also starved (German and Italian planes destroyed any convoy of supplies destined for Malta.) In 1942 when it looked liked all was lost and Malta would be invaded the British and Americans took huge risks that turned the tide of the war and lifted the siege. In April 1942, King George VI awarded Malta the George Cross to honor the sacrifices and determination of the Maltese. The George Cross is such an important award for the Maltese that they kept it on their flag even when they gained their Independence from England and became a Republic in the 1970s.

I remember when I was in Malta and everywhere we went heard about the war (especially how it impacted Malta.) I was a teenager at the time and didn't really care, but now find it very interesting and would like to go back and learn more.

Russian In The EU

From Russia Today:
"‘Russian should have status of working language in EU’"

Russia’s envoy to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, has suggested holding a referendum in European countries on granting Russian the status of a working language within the EU. The country’s ruling party United Russia supported the idea. “Starting from April 1, 2012 a new rule comes into force in the EU, according to which EU citizens can initiate a referendum through the European Commission,” explained Rogozin during a meeting with representatives of the United Russia party. Technically, in order to submit the initiative to the European Parliament, it is necessary to collect 1 million signatures, he added. Dmitry Rogozin is also a leader the Congress of Russian Communities (CRC) public organization. It is a moderate nationalist project aimed at protecting the rights and interest of ethnic Russians and Russian citizens both within the country and abroad, as well as promoting Russian culture. He believes that if Russian is officially recognized as a working language in Europe, this will help to settle a number of problems faced by the Russian-speaking population abroad, in the Baltic states in particular. “The language is power,” he added. “This means that this powerful national and political factor should be taken into account.” United Russia has already pledged support to the initiative. According to Yury Shuvalov from the United Russia presidium, they are already working on a long-term strategy together with the CRC. And some other proposals forwarded by the Congress of Russian Communities are likely to become part of this strategy. Among others, they suggest introducing “a Russian ID card” fort ethnic Russians from the CIS and Baltic states. The document would grant those non-citizens some privileges on the territory of Russia as compared to other foreigners. Another suggestion is to create a program aimed at bringing back to Russia highly-qualified professionals who settled abroad following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

^ I don't see Russian becoming a working language within the EU. The EU already has too many languages that they have to translate to/from. There may be a good size minority of ethnic Russians in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, but they don't have much political clout since the USSR collapsed. Even though Russian was a mandatory subject throughout Eastern Europe from the 1940s-1990s not many people nowadays want to use it. I have met many Eastern Europeans who would rather use the few basic words they knew in English rather than use Russian (even though then we could fully understand each other.) It was a matter of principle. Many people still have strong anti-Soviet/Russian feelings over the Soviet Union/Russia taking over the iron Curtain and forcing its power over others. ^

http://rt.com/politics/status-working-language-eu-561/

Survivor: SP

This week the old Savaii tribe went after Cochran for going to the other tribe. Coach and his tribe are treating Cochran like a hero. I think once the other old Savaii are gone Cochran will be the next to go. Cochran is acting very cocky and that is just dumb - he should be thinking of the game and what's ahead. They had two immunity challenges this week. The first one Jim won. When it was clear that Ozzy would be voted out Jim said that he would give Ozzy his immunity. Then at Tribal, right after Jim gave his speech about playing an honorable game he went back on his word and kept immunity for himself so Ozzy was sent to RI. They then had a second immunity challenge. This time Cochran and the old Upolu didn't participate and instead ate muffins. Only Jim, Whitney and Dawn did the challenge - which Whitney won. There was a second Tribal and Jim was sent to RI.

Nation-wide EMS Test

From Yahoo News:
"Emergency Alert System: Why US is doing first national test now"

Today at 2 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday Americans watching television or listening to the radio will see and hear a familiar sounding message: "This is a test of the Emergency Alert System. This is only a test...." This 30-second audio tone and message will sound like emergency test messages that local television and radio stations have broadcast for nearly 50 years. But Wednesday's test will be the first time the federal Emergency Alert System – a last resort means for the president to address the country in a national emergency – has been tested on a national basis. There are 14,000-plus broadcast television and radio stations, as well as 10,000-plus cable television systems in the EAS. The purpose of the test Wednesday, federal officials say, is to put that old system through its paces – to allow FEMA and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) "to assess how well the Emergency Alert System would perform its primary function: alerting the public about a national emergency."

^ I was watching TV at 2 pm today and when the EMS Test first started it was playing Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi." Not the most fitting song to announce a disaster to the nation. Apparently this test today didn't go as well as it should have. Many stations around the country either didn't do the test or didn't do it at 2 pm like they were supposed. I doubt that the EMS System will improve after today's results are analyzed. If something does happen people shouldn't rely solely on the EMS System or anyone but themselves. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/emergency-alert-system-why-us-doing-first-national-173954617.html

New Catholic Translations

From Yahoo News:
"American Catholics prep for new Mass translation"

Each Sunday for decades, Roman Catholic priests have offered the blessing — "Lord be with you." And each Sunday, parishioners would respond, "And also with you." Until this month. Come Nov. 27, the response will be, "And with your spirit." And so will begin a small revolution in a tradition-rich faith. At the end of the month, parishes in English-speaking countries will begin to use a new translation of the Roman Missal, the ritual text of prayers and instructions for celebrating Mass. International committees of specialists worked under a Vatican directive to hew close to the Latin, sparking often bitter protests by English speakers over phrasing and readability. After years of revisions negotiated by bishops' conferences and the Holy See, dioceses are preparing anxious clergy and parishioners for the rollout, one of the biggest changes in Catholic worship in generations. The biggest challenge will be for priests, who must learn intricate new speaking parts — often late in their years of service to the church. At an Archdiocese of Newark training at St. Peter the Apostle Church in River Edge, many clergy had just received a final published copy of the Missal, a thick hardcover bound in red, accompanied by an equally dense study guide. Earlier drafts had been available for orientation sessions that have been ongoing for months nationwide Many clergy are upset by the new language, calling it awkward and hard to understand. The Rev. Tom Iwanowski, pastor of St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Oradell and New Milford, N.J., turned to the section of the new missal that calls funeral rites, "the fraternal offices of burial."

^ You would think the Catholic Church has more pressing matters (child molestation cases, shortage of priests, low attendance, etc) than changing prayers and responses to poor English that no one would use in everyday life. ^

http://news.yahoo.com/american-catholics-prep-mass-translation-230512232.html