In the News: Monday, May 25th, 2009

Pull up a chair and get your java on, although beware of bombs. In this morning's headlines, somebody REALLY does not like Starbucks, North Korea detonates another nuclear firecracker, Colin Powell fires back at Limbaugh and Cheney, and Ahmadinejad wants to debate Obama at the United Nations.



Manhattan Starbucks Hit by Small Blast

ABC News-A bomb blast outside a Starbucks coffee shop rattled the early morning Memorial Day quiet of Manhattan's Upper East Side today, shattering windows and triggering the evacuation of 25 apartments.

The coffee shop was closed when the bomb erupted at 3:25 a.m., and there were no reported injuries. read more...

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North Korea condemned over nuclear test

The Telegraph-North Korea has threatened "international peace" the President Barack Obama has said, after the rogue state tested a second nuclear device, drawing condemnation from across the world and prompting an emergency session of the UN Security Council.

"These actions, while not a surprise given its statements and actions to date, are a matter of grave concern to all nations," Mr Obama said in a written statement, adding that the test warranted international action against Pyongyang. read more...

Kim Jong Il better be careful or he might get another strongly worded letter from the UN.

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Colin Powell fires back at Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney

The Politico-In the latest round of the increasingly heated intra-GOP feud, former Secretary of State Colin Powell Sunday defended his Republican credentials and fired back at radio host Rush Limbaugh and former Vice President Dick Cheney, saying the party had to expand beyond its conservative base.

“Rush will not get his wish and Mr. Cheney was misinformed – I am still a Republican,” Powell said in a much-anticipated interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation” two weeks after Cheney suggested on the same show that the retired general had left the party by endorsing Barack Obama last fall. read more...

There is no Rush to be a Dick, Colin, calm down for Chirstsakes.

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Iran's Ahmadinejad wants to debate Obama at UN

Breibart.com-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is calling for a face-to-face debate with his American counterpart Barack Obama at the United Nations.

The offer by Ahmadinejad came at news conference Monday as he steps up his campaign for his re-election in the June 12 presidential vote.

If returned to office, Ahmadinejad says he wants to meet Obama during the U.N. General Assembly in September to debate "world issues and the way toward peace."

Ahmadinejad is in a four-way race against a fellow hard-liner and two pro-reform candidates. read more...

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Hope you have enjoyed.

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In the News: 01 March 2009

Exciting day! Germany rejects appeal to bail-out Eastern Europa, UK PM, Gordon Brown, wants Obama and the US to pay for the rest of the world, State Department declares large area of Mexico off limits to all government workers, except for essential personnel, Rahm Emmanuel declares Limbaugh "intellectual force" of the conservative movement.



Merkel Rejects Calls for EU Bailout of Eastern Europe

WSJ-Germany rejected appeals Sunday for a single multibillion-euro bailout of eastern Europe, even after Hungary begged EU leaders not to let a new "Iron Curtain" divide the continent into rich and poor.

The swift, strong comments by German Chancellor Angela Merkel dampened hopes that leaders at Sunday's European Union summit could forge a unified stance to tackle the worsening economic crisis.

As Europe's largest economy, Germany has been under rising pressure to take the lead in rescuing eastern EU members, but Ms. Merkel insisted that a one-size-fits-all bailout was unwise. read more....

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Brown woos Obama on global deal

Times Online-GORDON BROWN hopes to forge a partnership with President Barack Obama in Washington this week, to call for a “global new deal” to lift the world out of recession.

As he prepares for his first White House visit since the president’s inauguration, the prime minister has hinted that he is ready to make further tax cuts to boost the UK economy.

Brown will meet Obama on Tuesday and address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. Aides say he has both to demonstrate to a sceptical British public that he commands the respect of the president, and to persuade the American political establishment that global action is needed to rescue the US economy. read more...

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U.S. Declares Wide Swath of Mexico Off-Limits to 'Non-Essential' Travel by U.S. Government Personnel

CNSNews.com–The U.S. State Department has declared a large swath of Mexico--including all of one Mexican state and part of another--off limits to non-essential travel by U.S. government personnel working in the country.

“The U.S. Mission in Mexico currently restricts non-essential travel to the state of Durango and all parts of the state of Coahuila south of Mexican Highways 25 and 22 and the Alamos River for U.S. government employees assigned to Mexico,” says a travel alert issued by the department last week.

“This restriction was implemented in light of the recent increase in assaults, murders, and kidnappings in those two states.” read more...

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White House aide casts Limbaugh as top GOP voice

AP-President Barack Obama's chief of staff says talk show personality Rush Limbaugh is a top figure in the Republican Party.

Chief of staff Rahm Emanuel says Limbaugh is the "intellectual force" of the GOP. Emanuel says Republicans now have to live with that choice. read more...

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In the News:27 February 2009

Mentally ill Chicago man sends Obama letter with HIV infected blood on it, German labor unions crying, Comrade Putin won't tolerate economic protests in the Soviet Union, and Soviet warplane wanted to tell Obama hello during his visit to Canada.



Chicago Man Arrested for Allegedly Targeting Obama With HIV-Infected Blood

Fox News-A man from President Obama's hometown of Chicago has been arrested for allegedly sending Obama and his staff envelopes containing HIV-infected blood, in the hopes of killing or harming them.

It's only the second time ever that HIV-infected blood has been sent with malicious intent through the U.S. mail system, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service said. read more...

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'We're Not Paying For Your Crisis!'

Spiegel Online-Anger rises in Germany as the economy falls. Trade unions and globalization-critical protesters are planning demonstrations in Berlin and Frankfurt under the banner: "We're not paying for your crisis." Alexis Passadakis, 31, an activist from the group Attac, tells SPIEGEL what's wrong with the system. read more...

They don't like spending their money, but, I betcha they wouldn't have a problem spending other people's money. Look at Arnie.

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Russia's Putin warns against economic protests

Reuters-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned opposition critics on Friday not to use the economic crisis as an excuse to challenge his government and told them to abide by the law.

Unrest across Russia over economic upheaval has been muted, with the biggest protests so far taking place in the Far East port of Vladivostok where hundreds were arrested in January demonstrations over car tax.

Speaking at a meeting with leaders of Russia's dominant political party, United Russia, ahead of regional elections this weekend, Putin said that criticism of the Russian government during a crisis was allowed, but only within the laws.

"If opposition actions go outside the law, it means they are not pursuing the goals of improving people's lives, but their own selfish goals and the state has the right to defend itself properly," Putin said at his residence outside Moscow.

Russia has tight controls that restrict opposition groups from holding rallies or marches without official sanction. Applications from groups like chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov's 'Other Russia' movement are frequently rejected. read more...

I wonder if the Germans are glad they don't live in Mother Russia. At least the Fatherland lets you protest these days.

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CF-18s intercepted Russian plane before Obama visit

CTV.ca-As security officials worked to secure Ottawa on the eve of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit, Canadian fighter jets were scrambling to intercept a Russian bomber plane in the Arctic skies.

At a press conference Friday, Defence Minister Peter MacKay said the incident happened on Feb. 18th. read more...

They just wanted to say, "Здравствуйте!, товарищ президент." (Hello, Comrade President.)Guess they are realizing they have more in common than they first thought.

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In the News: 23 February 2009

In the news, Santelli responds to White House on Larry Kudlow, Secratary of State Clinton is auctioning off America to Chicoms, Congress worried their private account, better known as Social Security, is about to become depleted, and more economic fear mongering by Progressive agents.

Rick Santelli Responds to The White House Attack



This mght have been a few days late but it was too good to pass up. (H/T to Flopping Aces.)

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Clinton wraps Asia trip by asking China to buy US debt

Breitbart-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Sunday urged China to keep buying US debt as she wrapped up her first overseas trip, during which she agreed to work closely with Beijing on the financial crisis.

Clinton made the plea shortly before leaving China, the final stop on a four-nation Asian tour that also took her to Japan, Indonesia and South Korea, where she worked the crowds to try to restore America's standing abroad.

In Beijing, she called on authorities in Beijing to continue buying US Treasuries, saying it would help jumpstart the flagging US economy and stimulate imports of Chinese goods.

"By continuing to support American Treasury instruments the Chinese are recognising our interconnection. We are truly going to rise or fall together," Clinton said at the US embassy here. read more...

I wonder how much of the US the SoS was given permission to sell off by the White House? Another question, when did repeating the same mistakes form the past become accepted as logical thought?

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Democrats Resisting Obama on Social Security

NY Times-President Obama is eager to seek a bipartisan solution to ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security, people who have spoken with him say, but he is running into opposition from his party’s left and from Democratic Congressional leaders who contend that his political capital would be better spent on health care and other priorities.

Mr. Obama considered announcing the formation of a Social Security task force at a White House “fiscal responsibility summit” that he will convene on Monday. But several Democrats said that idea had been shelved, partly because of objections from House and Senate leaders.

The president signaled in his campaign that he would support addressing the retirement system’s looming financing shortfall, in part by applying payroll taxes to incomes above $250,000. But that would ignite intense opposition from Republicans, especially with the economy deep in recession. read more...

I guess Congress doesn't want their own private slush fund raided. Start paying a little closer attention to Social Security legislation as well as Medicare. There are some interesting legal developments potentially coming down the pipe concerning these two problems.

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Soros sees no bottom for world financial "collapse

Reuters-Renowned investor George Soros said on Friday the world financial system has effectively disintegrated, adding that there is yet no prospect of a near-term resolution to the crisis.

Soros said the turbulence is actually more severe than during the Great Depression, comparing the current situation to the demise of the Soviet Union.

He said the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September marked a turning point in the functioning of the market system.

"We witnessed the collapse of the financial system," Soros said at a Columbia University dinner. "It was placed on life support, and it's still on life support. There's no sign that we are anywhere near a bottom." read more...

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In the News: 19 February 2009

Cali gets its capital fix and taxpayers are paying for the fiscal dope, final stage of the recession is here, inflation, GREAT VIDEO of Rick Santelli, of CNBC, going off about the economy, and Oklahoma man gets pulled over for anti-Obama sign.

California Legislature finally approves new budget

LA Times-Voting at dawn to end a three-month impasse, the California Legislature passed a budget package that addresses the state's massive deficit with billions of dollars in new taxes and program cuts after Democrats and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reached a deal with a GOP holdout.

Sen. Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria provided the final Republican vote needed to pass a spending plan, which includes more than $12 billion in tax hikes. In exchange, Democrats agreed to rewrite election rules that Maldonado said had allowed the Capitol to become paralyzed by partisanship, leading the state to the brink of financial ruin. read more...

Taxes, taxes, taxes, and more taxes. Welcome to our future.
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Wholesale inflation takes biggest jump in 6 months

AP-Inflation at the wholesale level surged unexpectedly in January, reflecting sharply higher prices for gasoline and other energy products.

The Labor Department said Thursday that wholesale prices increased by 0.8 percent last month, the biggest gain since last July and well above the 0.2 percent increase that economists had expected.

The acceleration was led by a 3.7 percent surge in energy prices with gasoline prices jumping by 15 percent, the biggest gain in 14 months.

Even outside the volatile food and energy sectors, wholesale prices showed a bigger-than-expected increase, rising by 0.4 percent. Economists had expected a slight 0.1 percent rise in so-called core inflation. read more...

Oh wow, and the "experts" didn't expect it to jump as high as it did! Still think they know what they are talking about?

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‘Obama Are You Listening?’: Traders Mock Housing Bailout Plan During Live TV Rant on CNBC



You gotta love Rick Santelli, calling it like it is. Maybe he should be Secretary of the Treasury? Too bad he doesn't want to live in DC, I guess he is right about all the showers he would have to take. Think about the environmental impact.

Video credit to Breibart. I don't know what us bloggers would do without you, Andrew.

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OKC officer pulls man over for anti-Obama sign on vehicle

The Enid News-An Oklahoma City police officer wrongly pulled over a man last week and confiscated an anti-President Barack Obama sign the man had on his vehicle.

The officer misinterpreted the sign as threatening, said Capt. Steve McCool, of the Oklahoma City Police Department, and took the sign, which read “Abort Obama, not the unborn.”

Chip Harrison said he was driving to work when a police car followed him for several miles and then signaled for him to pull over.

“I pulled over, knowing I hadn’t done anything wrong,” Harrison said in a recent phone interview. read more...

The police are really becoming the thought police? I didn't know they were on that payroll.

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In the News: 18 February 2009

In the News today, Louisiana Governor, Bobby Jindal, may go it alone without stimulus money, GM sales expectations unrealistic, now wants more money, DOW drops like a brick, 300 points, and Cali. budget proposal misses mark by one vote.



Jindal Signals Louisiana May Not Take Stimulus Money

CBS News-Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, a potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate, has suggested his state may not be interested in all of the roughly $4 billion allotted to it in the economic stimulus package to be signed by President Obama today.

"We'll have to review each program, each new dollar to make sure that we understand what are the conditions, what are the strings and see whether it's beneficial for Louisiana to use those dollars," Jindal said, according to CBS affiliate WWLTV. read more...

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GM: Unrealistic Expectations

Business Week-As promised, General Motors (GM) and Chrysler delivered their turnaround plans to the Treasury Dept. on Tuesday, Feb. 17. While both companies have slashed costs, both say they need more government cash and concessions from the union or their creditors to survive the downturn.

GM got another $4 billion from Treasury on Tuesday, completing a government commitment made in December to give the automaker $13.4 billion. But GM says that given the weaker economy and declining auto market, the company still could need as much as $30 billion in total. Chrysler has asked for $5 billion on top of the $4 billion it has borrowed from the government. read more...

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Dow slips nearly 300 points

IHT-Financial gloom was everywhere Tuesday.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average came within sight of its lowest levels in more than a decade. Financial shares were battered. And rattled investors clamored to buy rainy-day investments like gold and Treasury debt. Markets from Hong Kong to Stockholm to London also staggered lower.

It was a global wave of selling spurred by rising worries about how banks, automakers - entire countries - would fare in a deepening recession. read more...

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California budget negotiations hit a new snag

LA Times-Reporting from Sacramento -- As California's government continued its grinding downshift toward insolvency, efforts to close the state's nearly $42-billion budget gap hit a new snag late Tuesday as Republicans in the state Senate ousted their leader. Around 11 p.m., a group of GOP senators, unhappy with the higher taxes that Senate leader Dave Cogdill of Modesto agreed to as part of a deal with the governor and Democrats, voted to replace him in a private caucus meeting in Cogdill's office. read more...

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Anybody get the feeling we will all be in the same boat as Cali, GM, and the Dow real soon?

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In the News: 17 February 2009

Interesting day, tax protests in Denver, Kansas withholding tax refunds, Juan Williams is one thing on NPR and another on Fox News, and Fifty-one percent of Americans think the Fairness Doctrine will be reinstated.

$30-THOUSAND DOLLAR A PLATE PORK ROAST

Independence Institute– When President Obama signs his so-called stimulus bill in Denver on Tuesday, his stroke of the pen is equal to each American family signing over a $30-thousand dollar check to the government.1

“At a time when tough budgeting decisions are being made around the kitchen table, each family in America will soon be 30-thousand dollars deeper in hock, thanks to this legislation,” says Jon Caldara, President of the free-market think tank, the Independence Institute. “Most of that spending should never happen at all, and much of that money will be spent on pork that won't even taste good.” read more...

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Kan. suspends income tax refunds, may miss payroll

The Wichita Eagle-Income tax refunds and state employee paychecks could be late after Republican leaders and the Democratic governor clashed Monday over how to solve a cash-flow problem.

Payments to Medicaid providers and schools also could be delayed.

"We are out of cash, in essence," state budget director Duane Goossen said.

The move places state taxpayers, workers and schoolchildren in the middle of a political battle over budget cuts. read more...

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An NPR Voice on ‘The O’Reilly Factor’ Is a Credential Played Down

NY Times-News organizations often encourage their journalists to appear on other platforms for promotional purposes. But when the National Public Radio analyst Juan Williams speaks on the Fox News Channel’s highest-rated program, the radio network doesn’t want any attention. read more...

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47% Oppose Fairness Doctrine, But 51% Think Congress Likely To Bring It Back

Rasmussen-Just 38% of U.S. voters think that the government should require all radio stations to offer equal amounts of conservative and liberal political commentary.

Forty-seven percent (47%) oppose government-imposed political balance on radio stations, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fifteen percent (15%) are not sure which course is better. read more...

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Deliciously ironic day in news off the grid, don't yah think?

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In the News (Jan. 14th, 09)

Today, Mickey Rourke fan of President Bush, Obama loads press cadre with some friends, and gas problems in Europe are US's fault, according to Mother Russia. Say it ain't so!


ROURKE: 'BUSH WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME'

Daily Express-The Hollywood tough-guy spoke out about his political views in a candid interview with Britain's GQ magazine, and admits he doesn't understand why so many people blame Bush for a string of world issues - including Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism in the West.

And the actor, who claims he didn't follow last year's (08) historic U.S. election battle between Barack Obama and John McCain, urges the public to consider the tremendous pressure the controversial president was under following the terror attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001.

He tells the publication, "President Bush was in the wrong place at the wrong time, I don't know how anyone could have handled this situation. read more...

I am sure it pleases the President to have the star of such hits as 9-1/2 Weeks and Wild Orchids in his corner. Strangely enough, Rourke does make some sense about the situation.
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Sun-Times: Journalists Being Shut Out by Obama

Newsbusters-According to Sun-Times columnist and long-time Chicago journalist, Carol Marin, journalists at Barack Obama news conferences have come to realize that Obama has pre-picked those journalists whom he will allow to ask him questions at the conference and many of them now "don't even bother raising" their hands to be called upon.

One wonders why journalists are allowing this corralling of the press? Would they have allowed George W. Bush to pre-pick journalists like that? Would they meekly sit by and allow themselves to be systematically ignored, their freedom to ask questions silenced by any Republican? Would journalists so eagerly vie with one another for the favor of Bush like they are Obama's? read more...

The Democrats have never done this. How could Obama ever be ridiculed? Shear propaganda, the media reports honestly about the President-elect because they are part of a noble and honorable profession.

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Europe baffled by broken gas promises

FT.com-The bitter gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine descended into near-chaos on Tuesday, leaving European Union diplomats baffled as promises to restart supplies fully were broken and Moscow suggested that the US had meddled in the affair.

In a potentially alarming twist on Tuesday night, Gazprom, the Russian gas company, said it was unable to meet its legal commitments to supply European countries with gas because Ukraine was allegedly blocking the flow across its territory.

Russia and Ukraine both defied terms of a contract agreed last weekend with the EU to allow an EU-backed monitoring mission to observe gas transit, leaving people in 18 countries across the continent with supply disruptions. read more..

Here is a new theory. The Soviet Union, yes I called them the Soviet Union, is trying to make the Euros understand that they have them in the grip. Of course in Mother Russia it's that evil empire of the Ukraine and the US forcing the poor innocent Rooskies into this corner. I wonder if they actually think that anyone outside of Russia believes them. Yah gotta love'em, they are a comical bunch.

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In the News: (Jan. 12th, 09)

Get a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and fire up the old processor, the morning edition has arrived. In the News this morning: Ice Age on the way, Socialists in the Mist, Israel so confident bringing in second stringers, and Detroit gets a face lift.

Earth on the Brink of an Ice Age

Pravda-The earth is now on the brink of entering another Ice Age, according to a large and compelling body of evidence from within the field of climate science. Many sources of data which provide our knowledge base of long-term climate change indicate that the warm, twelve thousand year-long Holocene period will rather soon be coming to an end, and then the earth will return to Ice Age conditions for the next 100,000 years.

Ice cores, ocean sediment cores, the geologic record, and studies of ancient plant and animal populations all demonstrate a regular cyclic pattern of Ice Age glacial maximums which each last about 100,000 years, separated by intervening warm interglacials, each lasting about 12,000 years. read more...

Just a few days ago in the last In the News segment I was actually joking about the coming Ice Age. Then all of a sudden I read this. Oh well, guess its time to get the old parka out of the closet and dust it off. And I just upgraded my supply of Bermuda shorts for Gore-bull Warming. I wish they would make up their minds, this is getting expensive.

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Obama climate czar has socialist ties

Washington Times-Until last week, Carol M. Browner, President-elect Barack Obama's pick as global warming czar, was listed as one of 14 leaders of a socialist group's Commission for a Sustainable World Society, which calls for "global governance" and says rich countries must shrink their economies to address climate change.

By Thursday, Mrs. Browner's name and biography had been removed from Socialist International's Web page, though a photo of her speaking June 30 to the group's congress in Greece was still available. read more...

Not sure why but I see her having socialist ties, while beating the Gore-bull warming mantra, and the possibility of an Ice Age as a delicious sense of irony.
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Israel Bombs Hamas Homes As Reserves Move In

Fox News-From downtown Gaza City black smoke could be seen rising over the eastern suburbs, where the two sides skirmished throughout the night. At least six Palestinians were killed in the new airstrikes or died from their wounds on Monday, Gaza health officials said. One of the dead was a militant killed in a northern Gaza battle.

Despite the tightening Israeli cordon, however, militants still managed to fire off a rocket Monday morning which fell near the southern town of Kiryat Gat but caused no casualties, police said. read more...

Well, things must be going well if the Israelis are sending in the Reserves. Nothing against the IDF reserve components, I am sure they are as battle hardened as their active duty counterparts. This is just a tell tale that the final portion of the offensive in underway and they are expecting to do pretty damn well against Hamas.
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Ring in the new year? The party's over for automakers

Reuters-Automakers put on a brave face at the world's biggest auto show on Sunday, with the sales outlook bleak for the coming year and fabled firms struggling for survival despite massive government aid.

All I can tell you is that demand is a little more robust than we expected," Ford Motor Co sales chief Jim Farley said of January sales at the North American International Auto Show. "I would say a little, not dramatically."

U.S. auto sales fell 18 percent in 2008 from the prior year to about 13.2 million vehicles, battered by a spreading credit crunch, U.S. recession and plummeting consumer confidence. read more...

The title of this story should have been "Ringing in the New Year with a pocket full of cash, Suckers!!"

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In the News (Jan 09, 09)

In today's headlines we have a potential new ice age, Israel rejects UN resolution and Hamas gets aggravated, carbon free city in the desert, and Russia puts the screws to Western Europe.


Coldest in Years Plains to East Coast

AccuWeather.c0m-This is about as bad as it gets folks. I don't think I've seen anything like it since 1994. Sure its been very cold at times over the past 14 years, but the total area impacted by this cold wave will be huge. By next Thursday and Friday, extremely cold air will chill the entire area from the Great Plains to the Eastern Seaboard, and the cold is also going to reach the Deep South. Only the far West will be unscathed.

From the central Plains to the Northeast temperatures are going below zero; there is no question about it. Meanwhile, the Upper Midwest and northern New England could experience readings lower than 30 below zero! read more...

I don't know what we would do if man made Gore-bull Warming wasn't here to warm things up. This freakish cold blast has me worried, it might be a new ice age or something. If it is, I am going to have to return all the carbon credits I just purchased.

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Israel rebuffs UN resolution, pursues Gaza war

Reuters-Israel rejected a U.N. resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Friday and warplanes and tanks pounded the Palestinian enclave.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert dismissed Thursday's binding Security Council resolution demanding an "immediate and durable" ceasefire in the two-week-old war as "unworkable".

Israel said Hamas fighters had fired at least 30 rockets into its territory on Friday. No casualties were reported.

Medics in Gaza said the Palestinian death toll had risen to 784. Ten Israeli soldiers have been killed, as well as three civilians hit by Hamas cross-border rocket fire.

Hamas officials in Gaza say they are weighing the U.N. resolution, but have voiced irritation they were not consulted. read more...

I cannot state the outrage I feel for Hamas being irritated. They might get so aggravated that they can't continue firing rockets into Southern Israel. Then what will they do for a hobby?

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First Carbon-Free City Under Construction

Breitbart TV-




I hope they have a lot of heaters for the upcoming ice age. Maybe Al Gore can use this opportunity to make a buck by trying to chastise them into buying faux fur coats. You know it gets pretty cold in the desert during the day. At least that's what Gore will start claiming.

In all seriousness, this is pretty cool, technologically speaking. It will be very interesting to watch this develop through out the years and see how it works out.

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EU redoubles efforts to restore flow of gas

FT.com-The European Union resumed efforts on Friday night to secure the restoration of Russian gas shipments via Ukraine to the EU after hopes of an early settlement to the crisis faded, leaving millions of consumers facing a fifth day of shortages.With the winter turning bitterly cold across much of Europe, the EU failed to secure backing from Moscow and Kiev for the deployment of international observers to monitor the pipeline. While both Ukraine and Russia have agreed to the monitoring plan in principle, they remained divided over details including the role of Russian monitors in Ukraine and possible Ukrainian monitors in Russia. read more...

Even the Russians know that the ice age is coming. That's why they are hording all of their natural gas and blaming the Ukrainians. Jokes aside, this is the first major shot being fired at the EU by Russia. Seems ole Vlad is trying to schism Western and Eastern Europa. I am sure the EU in its typical appeasement fashion will blame Ukraine. Keep suckin' up boys, Russia just loves it.

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In the News: 23rd October 2008

CT
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Top Iran officials recommend preemptive strike against Israel

By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent-Senior Tehran officials are recommending a preemptive strike against Israel to prevent an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear reactors, a senior Islamic Republic official told foreign diplomats two weeks ago in London.

The official, Dr. Seyed G. Safavi, said recent threats by Israeli authorities strengthened this position, but that as of yet, a preemptive strike has not been integrated into Iranian policy.

Safavi is head of the Research Institute of Strategic Studies in Tehran, and an adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The institute is directly affiliated with Khamenei's office and with the Revolutionary Guards, and advises both on foreign policy issues.Safavi is also the brother of Yahya Rahim Safavi, who was the head of the Revolutionary Guards until a year ago and now is an adviser to Khamenei, and holds significant influence on security matters in the Iranian government. Read more...

Preemptive strike against Israel? Yeah that's smart. I sure hope the insurgent backing government of Iran isn't listening to this guy. Big Bad, aka the United States, would cause it to start raining steel if Israel got whacked. I can think of no other way to put it.
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ELECTION REJECTION: NETWORK NEWS SLUMPS;VIEWERSHIP FADES

The Obama-McCain match-up is proving to be a lackluster election ticket for the Big 3 network news programs, according to NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH.

As the shouting from the trail and the frantic spinning from the anchor desks intensify, the audience is voting with their remotes.

All 3 evening news shows experienced audience drops year-to-year for the week of Oct. 13-19, 2008.

CBSNEWS w/ Couric shed a half a million viewers, falling from 6.4 million to 5.9 million; ABCNEWS dropped from 8.1 million to 7.6 million; NBCNEWS slumped from 8.2 million to 7.8 million.

I don't know why but for some strange reason I don't feel sorry for them.
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Oil falls below $67 on US recession fears

By Madlen Read, AP-Oil prices tumbled below $67 a barrel to 16-month lows Wednesday after the government reported big increases in U.S. fuel supplies -- more evidence that the economic downturn is drying up energy demand.

he Energy Information Administration said crude inventories jumped by 3.2 million barrels last week, above the 2.9 million barrel increase expected by analysts surveyed by energy research firm Platts. Gasoline inventories rose by 2.7 million barrels last week, and inventories of distillates, which include heating oil and diesel, rose by 2.2 million barrels. Read more...

Remember the good ole' days, about a month or two ago, when this was all we had to worry about? My how things change from week to week. And let me tell you I am so worried about those poor folks in OPEC starving to death. What will they do?

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Larijani: Iran prefers Obama

YnetNews-Iranian parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Wednesday that Iran would prefer Democrat Barack Obama in the White House next year. Larijani also dismissed any idea that the US would attack Iran.

"We are leaning more in favor of Barack Obama because he is more flexible and rational, even though we know American policy will not change that much," Larijani said at a press conference during a visit to Bahrain. Read more...

I would prefer him too. He has absolutely no foreign policy experience and his mentor is Joe Biden, the Iranians must be jumping for joy over his possible election.

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Cred to the Drudge Report for stayin' up late providing all the cool links. Thanks!

-CT

"Happy Hunting!"

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