Quote It Now: January 2009

Friday, January 30, 2009

Dinner with T. Boone Pickens: Bidding Starts at $100,000 auction starts at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2

If you've ever wanted to break bread with billionaire T. Boone Pickens here's your chance.

Pickens is auctioning himself off on eBay. The winner gets to bring seven friends for lunch at Nick & Sam's in Dallas. Bidding starts at $100,000 and the money goes to Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas.

The auction starts at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2 and ends at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, but bidders must prequalify on eBay. source>>>

Turn your Nintendo DS into a math trainer

Personal Trainer: Math" is a high-tech way to do a low-tech thing: Learn math facts with flashcards.

Instead of parents putting their kids through their math paces using a set of flashcards, this Nintendo DS game does it for them when kids play the game for 10 minutes a day. Is this method better than using flashcards? Not really. Is it more fun? Yes. The use of technology and the variations on traditional flashcards make this method more engaging.

To attain mastery of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts, kids need to memorize the facts using repetition. "Personal Trainer: Math" provides a way to consistently practice essential math facts in an ordered, sequential way. It keeps track of accuracy and speed over days and months of practice.

When kids first sign into "Personal Trainer: Math," they meet a cartoon version of professor Hideo Kageyama of the Center for Research and Educational Development in Higher Education at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan, who acts as host and math coach. Kageyama pioneered the 100-Cell Calculation Method, which is used in the game. Kageyama encourages kids to play the game every day.

From the main menu, kids have three choices: Daily Test, Kageyama Method or Practice Exercises.

The Daily Test involves three exercises (pulled from the 40 Practice Exercises and the Kageyama Method) geared toward kids' level of math mastery. They start on Level 1 and work their way up to Level 20. On Level 1, kids will be shown flashcards with objects from one to 10 and their task is to quickly identify the number of objects and write that number on the screen. Kids will also be shown addition and subtraction facts and have to write answers as quickly as possible. At the end of each exercise, accuracy and times are recorded and compared with optimal scores. Completion of the Daily Test results in a check mark on an in-game calendar.

The Kageyama Method has kids practice addition, subtraction or multiplication by using 100-Cell Math, which features a 10X10 grid where numbers from 1 through 10 have been placed randomly along the side and top. For each test, kids combine the numbers from the top and the side and place the answer in the corresponding square in the grid. Kids can start with grids as small as 10 cells, and then progress to 30, 50 and finally 100. This method can also be played with up to 15 other people using one game cartridge where all are vying for the best time.

In the Practice Exercises, kids can target their area of math practice. For example, if they want to practice multiplication tables involving the number 9, they can do that. They can also select how they want to practice, with exercises including flashcards, completing math sentences and exploring math ladders (where kids add or subtract a number repeatedly).

"Personal Trainer: Math" is not a traditional video game, rather it is an educational learning aid. By presenting math drills on the Nintendo DS, the video game format helps to take some of the drudgery out of memorizing math facts. The drills are varied and the handwriting recognition works well.

"Personal Trainer: Math" is pretty dry, and not as much fun as others in the Nintendo Touch Generations series, like "Brain Age" or "Big Brain Academy." What it does do well is get kids to drill math facts to improve their calculation speed and accuracy, in just 10 minutes a day. All you have to do is remind them to turn on their Nintendo DS and use it.

Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Best for ages 10 and up

From Nintendo, www.nintendo.com, $19.99, Nintendo DS source>>>

Former Oregon congressman, Cooley ,indicted Thursday on federal money laundering and tax charges

A former Oregon congressman was indicted Thursday on federal money laundering and tax charges that prosecutors said were related to an investment fraud scheme that bilked victims out of more than $10 million.

Former Rep. Wes Cooley, who represented Oregon's 2nd District in Congress from 1995 to 1997, is charged with six counts of concealment money-laundering and one count of subscribing to a false tax return.

He is accused of participating in the scheme from December 1999 until April 2004. In 2002 alone, Cooley took $1.1 million from investors, laundered it to conceal the fraud scheme and falsified his tax return to avoid paying taxes, prosecutors said.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 38 years in prison.

According to the indictment, Cooley and two other men, George Tannous and De Elroy Beeler Jr., lured victims into purchasing unregistered stock in Bidbay.com Inc. by telling them the company would be acquired by eBay for $20 per share. Cooley was the vice president of Bidbay.

Prosecutors said eBay had no plans to buy the company and even sued Bidbay.com for trademark infringement over the use of "bay" in its name.

Tannous and Beeler both pleaded guilty to charges related to the case.

Cooley's attorney, Richard Moss, said his client cooperated with the investigation but might have difficulty recalling things that happened several years ago.

"He's 76, but he's not a young 76," Moss said. "He's not in good health."

In 2005, a civil jury in St. Louis found Cooley and Tannous lied to investors in the Internet startup. The two were ordered to pay $2.2 million to 11 investors.

Cooley denied any involvement in fraud, testifying that he had suffered three strokes and could remember nothing from the previous 15 years of his life. He now lives in Palm Springs. source>>>

Sarah Palin’s shoes sell for $2,000 on eBay

Hey, remember Sarah Palin's giant shoes she wore the night she wowed the GOP convention?

Well, maybe "giant' isn't the right word for them. After all she wasn't wearing huge green Frankenstein-like clodhoppers.

But you know, those red high-heels she was wearing. Some might describe them as sexy. We wouldn't, of course. But those other people might.

For sale

Anyway, they're back in the news.

It's not because she has announced she's going to wear them at this weekend's Alfalfa Dinner in Washington, DC or anything. It's because apparently they were for sale.

A TV station in Anchorage is reporting that her niece decided to put the shoes - a pair of red, Naughty Monkey Double-Dare pumps - up for sale, saying that they "don't fit to [sic] well."

eBay

So, just like her Aunt's decision to put the Alaska state plane up on eBay, she went the same route.

Her alleged niece's ad read:

"Up for bid are thee actual Red Naughty Monkey Heels owned/worn by Sarah Palin. I got the shoes from Aunt Sarah after mentioning that I liked them. They don't fit to well, so I decided to let someone else enjoy them.

"These are the exact heels that made headlines. If you search "Sarah Palin's Red Shoes" on a serach [sic] engine, you will find multiple blogs, articles, and stories on these shoes. You could own a piece of history!!!

"The shoes are NOT autographed, but the buyer has the option of having them autographed!! I included pictures of the shoes, the autographed pictures, the Sharpie pen, and me and my aunt (just taken a couple days ago)."

Bidding has ended

Unlike her Aunt, however, who was unsuccessful in selling the state plane online, she was able to secure a winning bid. And for a pretty good haul. The highest bidder shelled out $2,025 for the pair.

Before you call the FEC to report a violation, her niece wanted to set the record straight.

"These shoes were bought in a small store in Juneau, AK. They were NOT paid for by the RNC. They were purchased by Sarah!!!"

2012

Well maybe the proceeds will go toward her presidential bid in 2012?

She hasn't announced that she's running for anything. Sure, she formed a political action committee a couple days ago, but as we told you earlier today, she says that doesn't signal any presidential aspirations. source>>>

Amazon.com Soars After Outpacing EBay in Sales, Profit Growth

-- Amazon.com Inc., the world's largest online retailer, topped sales and profit estimates yesterday after its biggest holiday season ever, outpacing EBay Inc. and its e-commerce rivals.

Amazon.com rose as much as 14 percent in late trading after reporting that net income increased 8.7 percent to $225 million, or 52 cents a share. Sales climbed 18 percent to $6.7 billion. That compared with estimates of 38 cents in profit and $6.45 billion in sales from a Bloomberg survey of analysts.

The company used low prices, shipping promotions and product selection to attract shoppers during a recession. At EBay, holiday sales fizzled, with quarterly revenue dropping for the first time in the company's history. Amazon's size and customer service gave it an edge, said Scott Devitt, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus & Co.

"Amazon is a company that treats its customers better than EBay," he said. The Manassas, Virginia-based analyst recommends buying Amazon.com shares and has a hold rating on EBay. "From a competitive standpoint between the two, I don't think there's any turning back."

Amazon.com, based in Seattle, rose $7 to $57 in late trading after closing at $50 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares had dropped 2.5 percent this month before today. EBay, down 12 percent so far in January, fell 3.7 percent to $12.25 yesterday.

Sales Forecast

Amazon.com outpaced the rest of the e-commerce market over the past two years and that's likely to continue, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. Even as the U.S. economy lost 2.6 million jobs last year, the company maintained growth.

First-quarter net revenue will rise to between $4.53 billion and $4.93 billion, an increase of as much as 19 percent, the company said. Analysts had estimated sales of $4.55 billion.

Amazon.com will continue to focus on low prices and free shipping to drive revenue, Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos said yesterday. Still, those sales will carry lower profit margins. Operating income, a measure of profitability, will decline as much as 37 percent to $125 million this quarter, from a year ago, the company said.

EBay, an online forum that lets sellers auction items or set fixed prices, reported a 6.6 percent sales decline last week. The San Jose, California-based company blamed the global e-commerce slump.

Listing Fees

No immediate reports of damage from a 4.5 magnitude earthquake that rattled the Seattle today

no immediate reports of damage from a 4.5 magnitude earthquake that rattled the Seattle and Puget Sound area early Friday, but it was a reminder the urban area is sitting on shaky ground.

The quake at 5:25 a.m. was centered 14 miles northwest of Seattle near Kingston, in Kitsap County, at a depth of 36 miles.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported it as a 4.6 quake, but a University of Washington report on the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network listed it at 4.5.

The network shows it was felt throughout the Puget Sound area in Western Washington, and people reported feeling it in Victoria, British Columbia, 71 miles to the north.

Seismic Network director John Vidale said the quake was from the same general source as the 6.8 magnitude Nisqually earthquake on Feb. 28, 2001.

That quake, under the Nisqually River delta between Tacoma and Olympia, was the largest quake to shake the area in more than a half-century. It disrupted operations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and damaged the Capitol in Olympia and buildings and the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle.

Vidale said such quakes are not the type of "megathrust" quake that would catastrophic damage on the West Coast. A megathrust quake would involve the breaking of a tectonic plate - a piece of the earth's outer shell - and would have a magnitude of about 9, he said. The last one happened in the Northwest in 1700.

Small earthquakes are common in the Pacific Northwest. The Friday morning shaker was the largest in Washington since a 4.6 in October 2006 near Mount Rainier.

"It shook the house like something had hit the roof," said Robert Lyden on Anderson Island south of Tacoma in Puget Sound. "It just woke us up." Other than knocking a water fountain off his deck there was no damage, he said.

Lacey Menne says it shook her home as she was preparing to go to work at the Coastal Cafe in Kingston.

"It wasn't strong enough to make anything fall," she said. "It was like, what is that? I think it might be an earthquake. It's totally an earthquake!"

Seattle radio and TV stations heard from callers who said they felt the shaking for 10 or 15 seconds.

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Others near the epicenter said they didn't feel anything.

"My brother called me all the way from California and asked about the earthquake and I said, 'What earthquake?'" said Cheryl Lannoye, 61, of Indianola, about 2 miles south of Kingston, who was among a group gathered at the Indianola Country Store.

The state Transportation Department sent inspectors to check bridges and overpasses in the region, including the downtown viaduct, but said there were no immediate reports of damage. source>>>

The aid money from Hamas came with a heavy dose of politics.

The aid money from Hamas came with a heavy dose of politics. A Hamas Cabinet minister carried a carton stuffed with checks worth nearly $2 million into a Gaza tent camp pitched on the ruins of the Salam neighborhood, close to the Israeli border.

But before hundreds of homeless residents could collect, they had to listen to a political speech. Social Affairs Minister Ahmed al-Kurd told them Israel's military machine was defeated and that the Hamas government would rebuild their neighborhood bigger and better.

"There's a lot of talk," resident Zayed Khader, 45, said after the speech, as he waited for his name to be called so he could pick up relief checks worth a total of $6,000 for his family of nine. "When I see them actually building my house, I'll say these are good words."

Israel's three-week war on Gaza's Hamas rulers ended 10 days ago, but many here complain that political maneuvering -- both between Hamas and its moderate West Bank rivals, and in the international community -- is slowing the delivery of urgently needed aid to Gaza.

Israel and Egypt have not significantly eased their blockade of Gaza since a shaky cease-fire took hold Jan. 18, aid officials say.

A lifting of the blockade, a key Hamas demand, is being held up because of slow-moving negotiations over the terms of a durable truce.

Israel says it will only open the gates if Hamas halts weapons smuggling under international supervision. Egypt has said that on its border with Gaza, it will only deal with forces loyal to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and not with troops from Hamas, Abbas' rival.

In the meantime, thousands of tons of supplies are not reaching Gaza, said John Ging, the top U.N. aid official in the territory. "The ordinary people here in Gaza are not getting enough help and are not getting it quickly enough," Ging told reporters this week.

Israel said U.N. trucks are given priority at crossings into Gaza and denied aid was getting stuck. "Over 40,000 tons of aid have entered Gaza since the cease-fire and that is despite ongoing Hamas rocket attacks," said Peter Lerner, an Israeli military official.

The U.N. Relief and Works Agency is the biggest aid organization in Gaza. It is responsible for 1 million refugees and their descendants, out of a population of 1.4 million. Its initial war emergency budget was $100 million, and on Thursday it filed an aid appeal for $613 million.

But without a deal to open the devastated territory's borders, it wasn't clear the appeal would do much good. More than two dozen trucks loaded with food, aid and goods intended for Gaza were stranded on the Egyptian side of the border Thursday.

"There are thousands of tons of assistance generously donated, sitting in Egypt, Jordan and also in the ports in Israel," Ging said. "That aid should be right here, right now, helping the people who need it."

In recent days, UNRWA expanded food aid, with some 900,000 Gazans now getting rations of flour, oil and sugar. On Thursday, each of 200,000 students in UN schools received about $25.

During the war, U.N. schools sheltered 50,000 displaced Gazans, and the agency is paying nearly $150 to each family to try to find another place to stay.

UNRWA operates independently of the Hamas government, and the Islamic militants have been careful not to interfere with U.N. aid programs. However, Hamas has insists on supervising the projects of foreign and local volunteer groups.

On Thursday, government representatives took charge of a tent camp pitched in the Salam neighborhood of the town of Jebaliya, near Israel.

Dozens of tents stood on a newly cleared lot, ringed by the rubble of houses that had been demolished or badly damaged by Israeli forces. Hundreds of residents, now homeless, milled around, chasing rumors about the size of the eventual aid payment as they waited for other deliveries. Two U.N. trucks eventually dropped off 460 mattresses and 2,540 blankets.

The camp was divided into an area for residents and a fenced off compound for official business, with bearded Hamas police in black uniforms standing guard. In the administration tent, equipped with a computer, the chiefs of the 10 local clans presented lists and ID card numbers of family members to prove their aid claims.

By mid-afternoon, two Hamas Cabinet ministers arrived to the sound of Hamas marching music, carrying a cardboard box with 332 white envelopes. Each envelope held two checks totaling $6,000, to enable each family to buy food and supplies -- after they heard al-Kurd, the Cabinet minister, deliver his speech on the Gaza victory.

But many are skeptical.

As a result of the border blockade, imposed after Hamas seized Gaza in June 2007, there are barely any building supplies, such as concrete, window glass and aluminum. Without a full opening of the border, the rebuilding of thousands of homes is impossible, Ging has said.

Jumma Dardona, whose nearby three-story family house has been rendered uninhabitable, fears he'll live in a tent for a long time. "No one knows the accurate period," said Dardona, 34, as he cut firewood behind the last row of tents, his 6-year-old son Mohammed by his side.

Dardona and several others in Salam said they want Hamas and Abbas' Fatah movement to put aside their rivalries. They say the infighting is one of the main reasons for the misery of Gaza civilians. "As long as they fight, I feel I am lost," said Dardona, who served as a policeman before the Hamas takeover.

However, Abbas' government has not been visible among the aid groups, sidelining him even further in the eyes of many Gazans.

He still pumps huge sums into Gaza every month, paying the salaries of tens of thousands of civil servants and police, like Dardona. But his promised $3.5 million for the families of the dead -- according to Gaza health officials nearly 1,300 -- has not been disbursed, in part because Gaza banks suffer from a shortage of bank notes, another fallout from the closure.

Hamas, which smuggles cash through border tunnels instead of using bank transfers, has no problems with distribution.

Khader watched Thursday's bustle of Cabinet ministers, bodyguards and aid deliveries with disdain. He said he has told visiting Hamas politicians that the civilians are the losers and that they oppose continued rocket fire on Israel -- the attacks that triggered the war.

"It's all hot air," he said of the officials' promises. "What do they care if my house is bombed?" source>>>

Today in Strangeness

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, on this date in 1887 at Fort Keogh, Montana, the largest snowflake fell during a blizzard. It was said to be 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick. In other records on this day, in 1938, German race car driver Bernd Rosemeyer, known as the 'Silver Comet' reached the speed of 268 mph on the Autobahn, just before his death. source>>>

A Message by Billy Graham; The Second Coming Of Christ: Are You Ready?

The Bible says, "Scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.' For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men" (2 Peter 3:3-7).

In other words, there's going to come a judgment on this earth, and it will be a judgment of fire.

The Word of God speaks of the certainties of the end of the world. Jesus said, "As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:37). What were the days of Noah like? And is there a parallel now?

One word that is used to describe the days of Noah is wickedness. The people were wicked: "Every imagination of their thoughts was evil" (Cf. Genesis 6:5). It seems as if they stayed awake at night thinking up new ways to do evil. It was a world in which marriage was abused. The people were corrupt and violent. It was a world in which violence prevailed: murders, wars, insurrections.

It was a world in which there was a lot of religion, but it was a decadent religion. They were preoccupied with things, and they were taken up with their everyday living. They didn't have time for God.

It was a world that was threatened by the judgment of God. But in the middle of all that, there stood one man. God had said that with all the sin and violence and corruption, He was going to destroy the whole world. But He didn't do it because of one man who was going against the tide of that day. His name was Noah. In all that corruption Noah dared to walk with God. Noah believed in God, and true faith determined how Noah lived.

And true faith determines how you live. Do you worship God in your home? Do you have Bible reading and prayer?

The Bible says, "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark" (Hebrews 11:7). God told Noah to build an ark, or ship, out in the desert. Noah had no place to sail the ship, but he was to build it. God told him that he would save Noah and his family when the destruction came.

So Noah started out, and judgment eventually came. God spoke to Noah again and said, "Noah, I'm going to give the world seven more days, and then the flood will come" (Cf. Genesis 7:4).

Today the only bright spot on the horizon of this world is the promise of the coming again of Christ, the Messiah. We can't go on much longer morally. We can't go on much longer scientifically. The technology that was supposed to save us is ready to destroy us. New weapons are being made all the time, including chemical and biological weapons.

In Isaiah 66 we read that "the Lord will come with fire and with His chariots, like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury" (Isaiah 66:15). In the New Testament we read that Christ said, "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:2-3).

Jesus promised that He is coming back, and we are to comfort one another with these words. We're not to wait in terror, because as believers we have the hope of the coming again of Christ.

When Jesus was getting ready to go back to the Father, some of the disciples and His friends from Galilee were watching and waiting. Two angels said, "Why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11). That is God's promise to you and me.

It has been 2,000 years since then. Why hasn't He come? The disciples asked the same thing, and Jesus said, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority" (Acts 1:7). He also said, "of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only" (Matthew 24:36).

Don't guess or speculate. We don't know. It may be a thousand years from now, or it may be tomorrow.

Regardless, the end of the world is coming for you the moment you die, and that could be at any time for any of us. We never know. What have you done to prepare for that moment when your heart stops beating?

How will Christ come? "The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

If that happens today, are you ready? God said, "Prepare to meet your God" (Amos 4:12). The Bible says, "Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). We're going to go as believers and meet Him.

A man came forward at a meeting and gave his life to Christ. Then he said, "Now I'm ready to meet God."

Another man, who had been in jail, attended a Crusade, and he went forward to receive Christ as his Savior. Now the man has been given new life in Christ, and he said, "I'm a totally different man." And he is.

God is giving you the same opportunity that He gave to that man. The Bible says, "You must be born again" (John 3:7). You need to make a commitment to Christ today. This is your moment with God.

I'm going to ask you to open your heart and say, "Lord Jesus, come into my heart."

You ask, "What do I have to do?"

First, you have to be willing to repent of your sins. You may not have the strength to change your way of living. Repentance means that you say to God, "I have sinned. I am sorry for my sin. I am willing to change my way of living. But You have to help me change: I can't do it alone."

You need to make a commitment to Jesus Christ, and let Him come into your heart. I'm going to ask you to do that.

Second, you come by faith. What does faith mean? Faith means that you put your trust in Him and say, "Lord, I give myself to You."

You may have been baptized, you may have been confirmed, you may be a member of a church, you may be a good person, you may help other people. You may do all the good that you can think of, but all of that isn't enough. You must come in childlike faith to Jesus, who died on the cross for you, who rose again, who is waiting for you to make that commitment. Do it today.
Billy Graham
Billy Graham has preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history -- over 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through the various ministries of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. source>>>

Billions of your tax dollars in possible subsidies for ACORN

Billions of your tax dollars in possible subsidies for ACORN? $50 million for the National Endowment of the Arts? Billions of dollars more for other liberal pet projects?

What exactly are our elected leaders doing? On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted largely along party lines to pass the so-called "Obama stimulus bill."

But the only thing the bill will stimulate is BIG GOVERNMENT. It does very little to accomplish its stated purpose, which is to create jobs and stimulate the struggling economy.

Congressman Mike Pence said it best:

"[The] bill won't stimulate anything but more government and more debt. The slow and wasteful spending in the House Democrat bill is a disservice to millions of Americans who want to see this Congress take immediate action to get this economy moving again."

And what exactly is in this so-called stimulus bill?

$1.1 billion for Amtrak;

$50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts;

$400 million for NASA to conduct climate change research;

$300 million for Americorps;

$1 billion for the Census;

$400 million for localities to buy "green" buses;

$650 million for the Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Program;

$600 million for the acquisition of "green" cars;

$7.7 billion for the Federal Buildings Fund;

The list goes on... ALL of it funding by your hard-earned tax dollars.

Here's what Senator David Vitter (R-LA) had to say about the bill:

"It's just a long list of spending items. Not a real economic stimulus job creation bill. It's line after line after line of favorite liberal spending programs, and it amounts to a big government bill - not a job creation bill."

As Congressman Pence put it:

"What does $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, $200 million to plant sod on the National Mall, $400 million for climate change research, and $200 million for contraception have to do with creating jobs?"

"Republican lawmakers are raising concerns that ACORN, the low-income advocacy group under investigation for voter registration fraud, could be eligible for billions in aid from the economic stimulus proposal... " [Emphasis Mine]

Senator Vitter went so far as to say that the $4.19 billion that this so-called "stimulus bill" allocates to "neighborhood stabilization programs" could be viewed as a "payoff" to ACORN (or organizations similar to ACORN).

The good news is there is hope to defeat this monstrosity of a bill. Yes, the House passed it, but not without bipartisan opposition. And, every Republican member in the House voted against it.

That means our message is being heard. But as the Senate considers its version of this disastrous bill, we must redouble our efforts.

In fact, according to US News and World Report, the Senate version of this $825 billion House spending bill is already up to $887 billion and it could go even higher once it reaches the floor of the Senate.

There is not a moment to lose. We must demand that conservatives in the Senate stand firm and stop this massive liberal boondoggle!

Use the hyperlink below to send your personalized faxes to Barack Obama and the Republican Members of the United States Senate!

Tell them to put a HALT to the so-called Obama stimulus bill now! Tell them that decent people are suffering financially and an economic downturn IS NOT an excuse to give payoffs and handouts to causes favored by liberal elected officials.

Moreover, tell them you know the lessons of history and that the American people will NOT tolerate policies that will turn the current recession into a decade-long depression simply to advance the agenda of liberals in our government. It's time to pass real stimulus for the American people by letting them keep more of their hard-earned money. Tell them the time has come for government to get out of the way! source>>>

- Send My Blast Faxes -

How to make money using Myspace

This is the first in a series of posts on social-networking sites and how artists can work to monetize them effectively. Most of the content in this series of posts originated from a presentation I gave at Musictoday to our Account Management team. Although this post will deal mostly with music profiles, and contains advice for musicians it could be applied to many other fields.

Myspace has always been about music fans and musicians connecting. A few months ago with the complete overhaul on their music platform they increased their dedication to this portion of their user base, and with Myspace profiles generally showing up in the top 5 Google results for any given artist, it's absolutely essential to make the most of the attention and traffic the profile receives. The following information will provide an overview of some of the basic things an artist should be doing.

1. Banners. The first and most obvious promotion tool are banner links from the profile page itself. Hopefully your profile is not too cluttered and you can throw in a banner or two linking to your merch store, your itunes page, and the best place for fans to buy tickets. If it's part of your income as an artist, you better be linking to it from your profile. TIP: Use photobucket to upload your banner image and get the HTML code for banner placement.

2. Widgets. If you want to take a step beyond banners, widgets are where you want to be. Use widgets to display videos, audio, merch products, tour-dates, rss feeds, you name it. The best part of widgets is that they can be posted anywhere. Encourage your fan-base to spread the widget on their own Myspace pages, blogs, or websites. TIP: Checkout reverbnation.com for some really easy widgets. If you want to get a little more fancy, check out Widgetbox or Sprout.

3. Bulletins. Beyond passive linking from the profile, you need to be taking an active roll in getting information out to your fans. If a fan is your friend on Myspace, odds are that they have at least a passing interest in anything you're doing. Send out a bulletin. On Myspace a bulletin is a message you post to a virtual bulletin board that all your friends can see. Keep in mind that your fans' bulletin boards are most likely full of bulletins from their other friends. So, it may be necessary to post the same information more than once; there's a fine line to walk between re-posting and spamming however. Be cautious. TIP: Only send bulletins when you have major news, send the bulletin a few times on the day of the announcement, and then leave your fans alone!

4. Blog Posts. Blogs show up on your main Myspace profile, and it's an excellent place to post timely information such as a tour announcement, show cancellation, or the release of your new single. TIP: The title of your post is like the subject of an email, make it enticing or your fans won't click to view it.

5. Events. If you're playing shows, you better list them on Myspace. Myspace provides a basic event listing platform which is probably the best way to go. TIP: Make sure you include ticket links and information for each event.

6. Status Updates. Status updates are a quick easy way to make short updates or announcements. Your status update is displayed on the homepage of each of your fans and also on your main profile next to your profile image. TIP: Update your status at least once per day to keep up visibility to your fan-base.

7. PPC. Myspace recently launched their own pay-per-click advertising platform. If you've got a few bucks to spend sign-up and target some banner adverts to fans of "like-artists." TIP: Monitor your spending closely, and kill any ineffective campaigns.

8. Major Announcements. If you've got a major announcement like a new tour, or a new album release, it may be time to give your profile a complete redesign to reflect the news. While working with Jay-Z on the marketing of his Heart of the City Tour with Mary J. Blige we decided it was a good idea to design his myspace profile to promote not just the tour, but specifically the ticket pre-sale. TIP: Your Myspace profile should visually mirror your official site as closely as possible. source>>>

Texas high school basketball coach fired after beating opponent 100-0

For one Texas high school basketball coach even when you win, you lose.

Micah Grimes, who made national headlines when his team beat up an undermanned opponent 100-0, was fired on Sunday.

The firing of the girls varsity basketball coach comes after the Covenant School issued an official apology on its Web site following the Jan. 13 blowout of fellow Dallas-area private school, Dallas Academy.

Grimes, who was in his fourth season at the school, disagreed with the school's apology and said his team played with "honor."

"I respectfully disagree with the apology, especially the notion that the Covenant School girls basketball team should feel 'embarrassed' or 'ashamed,'" Grimes wrote in an e-mail posted on a youth basketball Web site on Sunday and published in The Dallas Morning News.

"We played the game as it was meant to be played and would not intentionally run up the score on any opponent. Although a wide-margin victory is never evidence of compassion, my girls played with honor and integrity and showed respect to Dallas Academy."

Kyle Queal, Covenant's headmaster, confirmed the firing to the Dallas Morning News, but said he could not say if the dismissal was a direct result of Grimes' disagreeing with the school.

Queal signed the original statement along with board chair Todd Doshier.

"The Covenant School, its board and administrators, regrets the incident of January 13 and the outcome of the game with the Dallas Academy Varsity Girls Basketball team. It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened. This clearly does not reflect a Christ-like and honorable approach to competition."

The Christian school also sought to forfeit the game saying "a victory without honor is a great loss."

Covenant, a contender for the state championship last year, held a 59-0 lead at the half in the mid-January game. According to reports, Covenant continued to shoot 3-pointers and employ a full-court press defense into the fourth quarter.

Dallas Academy, a school that specializes in teaching students with "learning differences," such as short attention spans or dyslexia, has only eight players on its varsity squad and is winless over the last four seasons. source>>>

Oscar Night America tickets on sale tomorrow

Tickets go on sale Tuesday, Jan. 27 for Oscar Night America, one of 52 official parties sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that will be held across the country on Oscar Night.

Nashville residents can experience the thrills and surprises of the 81st Academy Awards Feb. 22 at Nashville's Oscar Night America party, which benefits the Belcourt Theater.

This year marks the 10th year that the Belcourt's party has been officially sanctioned by the Academy.

Nashville's Oscar Night celebration will begin at 7 p.m. at the Belcourt Theater. Tickets will be on sale at www.belcourt.org and at the Belcourt box office.

The Belcourt's audience will watch the Academy Awards telecast in on the Belcourt's movie screens courtesy of the ABC Television Network, which broadcasts the Academy Awards presentation.

Official Oscar Night parties last year raised more than $3.3 million in 51 cities. All money raised stays in the local community.

The Academy will provide party guests in Nashville the same official program distributed to guests at the Oscar presentation at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. Copies of the 80th Academy Awards commemorative poster also will be available.

Just like the Oscars in Hollywood, Music City partygoers stroll the red carpet, and have their pictures taken by the "paparazzi". Attendees will also feast on foods from some of Nashville's top restaurants and bid on items in the silent auction.

For more than 80 years, The Belcourt Theatre has provided a space for entertainment in Hillsboro Village. Opening in 1925 as a silent movie house, the theatre was home to the Children's Theatre of Nashville (1930's) and the Grand Ole Opry (1934-36).

Renamed the Nashville Community Playhouse in 1937, the theatre housed both film and live theatre until 1966 when it became The Belcourt Cinema until 1997. With the conversion of the Belle Meade Theatre in 1993, the Belcourt became the last traditional neighborhood movie house in Nashville.
source>>>

On this date in history

On this date in 2004, a rare spontaneous whale explosion occurred in Taiwan. In 1966, the most notorious unsolved crime in Australian history happened, when three children went missing while on a trip to the beach. The case saw numerous twists and turns, including failed input from psychics and a series of hoaxed letters alleged to have come from the missing Beaumont children. source>>>

Karen McHale didn't bother telling her husband last month that she had purchased two raffle tickets

Karen McHale didn't bother telling her husband last month that she had purchased two raffle tickets for the chance to win a million-dollar house in Edgewater. The Idaho Springs, Colo., woman viewed the $100 she spent as a contribution to a Maryland charity, not an opportunity to actually acquire out-of-state property.

Then on Friday, Ryan McHale came home to find his wife in a frenzy, calling family members about some luxurious new digs. His question was simple: "What is going on?"

Karen McHale, 47, had just won a 6,000-square-foot house with an appraised value of $1.25 million. The house had been the top prize in a raffle organized by mortgage broker Tom Walters, who thought a lottery might be a more lucrative way to unload his Edgewater property than a standard sale during a tough economy.

Maryland law requires that a charity run the raffle, so Walters teamed up with the Annapolis-based We Care and Friends. The charity, which helps at-risk youths, was set to receive 10 percent of the proceeds if Walters reached his goal of selling 31,500 tickets, said president and founder Larry Griffin.

Walters, though, sold only about 24,000 tickets, leaving the amount of the charity's cut in limbo, Griffin said. He said he and Walters would figure out tomorrow how to split the proceeds.

"Whoever won it, it was a serious present for them for this year, especially with the economy," Griffin said. "The lady was like, 'Are you joking?' She never won anything in her life."

The raffle had garnered international media attention, and that's how McHale heard about it and decided to buy tickets. When she got the call that she had won, she "was completely in shock, in disbelief," she said by telephone yesterday.
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Then came the more practical question.

"What am I going to do with a house in Maryland?" she asked.

She has decided to sell -- in an auction, not a raffle. She still has to pay about $300,000 in income taxes on the prize, she said, and she has no desire to uproot her family from Colorado.

Both of her sons, ages 19 and 24, live nearby, and she and her husband both have stable jobs as engineers. They live in a house that's half as big but one that they designed and built themselves, she said.

"I obviously want someone to buy the house who would live there and obviously enjoy it," she said. "It really looks super nice."

Karen McHale said she is flying to Maryland this weekend to finalize the paperwork and look at the property in person for the first time. She hopes to unload it as quickly as possible after that, using the cash to pay for her oldest son's upcoming wedding or perhaps pay off the debt on her own house.

"I figure this is my once-in-a-lifetime winning," she said. "And I'm done." source>>>

Calif. governor wants to tax golf, auto repairs,amusement park operators and.veterinarians extra !0%

Golf course owners and some of their customers are teed off at Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. So are veterinarians, auto mechanics and amusement park operators.

Their anger is directed at the Republican governor's proposal to extend the state sales tax to cover more services, an idea that has surfaced in other states as they race to plug crippling budget deficits. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a research clearinghouse, predicts such deficits nationwide could reach $350 billion by 2011.

In California, Schwarzenegger wants to help close a nearly $42 billion budget deficit by taxing rounds of golf, auto repairs, veterinary care, amusement park and sporting event admissions and appliance and furniture repairs.

Democratic Gov. David Paterson in New York has proposed levies on MP3 downloads, taxi rides, movies, concerts, sporting events, and personal services such as haircuts, manicures and massages.

Schwarzenegger's fellow Republican in Utah, Gov. Jon Huntsman, has shelved a proposal to tax attorney and accounting services but promises to bring it back next year.

Service taxes in other states include levies on pet grooming, water well drilling, fur storage, massages, shoe repairs, swimming pool cleaning, taxidermy, and dating and diaper services. But that doesn't make the groups affected by Schwarzenegger's proposal feel any better.

"We're old and retired. We don't need any more taxes," said Fred Mayers of Sacramento as he played golf recently at a public course in the state capital. "The only luxury we have is playing golf. They can't charge us any more."

Scott Pattison, executive director of the National Association of State Budget Officers, said more states could be looking at service taxes as they get deeper into legislative sessions.

"It's one of those things that's so politically difficult and controversial that it's usually one of the last proposals that's floated," he said.

California already taxes some services, including gift wrapping, tuxedo rentals and video rentals for home use. But virtually every other state applies its sales tax to more services, said Jean Ross, executive director of the California Budget Project, a Sacramento think tank.

The tax on services is part of $14.3 billion in hikes Schwarzenegger has proposed to help close a budget deficit that's projected to total $41.6 billion over the next 17 months. He also is seeking $17.7 billion in spending cuts and $10 billion in additional borrowing.

In addition to the service tax, Schwarzenegger proposes hiking the sales tax by 1.5 percent through the end of 2011, boosting taxes on alcoholic drinks, increasing the vehicle registration fee by $12 and taxing companies that extract oil.

Local sales taxes in California range from 7.25 percent to 9.25 percent, varying from county to county and even from city to city. A 1.5 percentage point increase would boost the rate to nearly 10 percent in many areas of the state.

Republican lawmakers have refused for months to consider raising taxes but recently indicated a willingness to consider hikes if they're tied to tough spending controls.

Schwarzenegger and lawmakers have little time left to strike a deal. The state controller has said he will have to delay tax refunds and some other payments for 30 days starting Feb. 1 because of a cash shortage. The governor also has ordered tens of thousands of state employees to take two days off a month without pay, starting Feb. 6.

"There's no good time to raise taxes," said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for Schwarzenegger's Department of Finance. "This is not something that the governor is putting forward because he enjoys it."

He said the six types of services Schwarzenegger is proposing to tax were picked because they involve businesses that commonly collect sales taxes on goods they sell and could quickly adjust.

The affected industry groups say they are being unfairly targeted and that similar businesses are exempt.

"You don't see a tax on movies," said Bob Bouchier, executive director of the California Alliance for Golf. "You don't see a tax on bowling. You don't see skiing. You don't see a tax on any other sport."

The administration estimates that the service taxes would raise $1.4 billion through the fiscal year that ends June 30, 2010. Schwarzenegger wants to implement the taxes on appliance and furniture repairs, golf, veterinary care and vehicle repairs by March 1. The taxes on amusement park and sporting event tickets would kick in on April 1.

Opponents question whether the taxes would raise that much, saying they would result in layoffs and fewer customers.

"You're looking at a $50 increase on a $500 (repair) bill at a time when people are not buying new cars and instead are having their old cars repaired so they can keep them on the road to drive to work," said Peter Welch, president of the California New Car Dealers Association.

"This is really going to hit people when they're down."

Opponents also suggest that other increases, such as a boost in income taxes or restoration of the annual vehicle license fee that Schwarzenegger cut when he took office, would be less damaging.

Not everyone that would be affected is upset.

Sean Grace, a home remodeling contractor from the Sacramento suburb of Elk Grove, said die-hard golfers will find a way to pay the tax if lawmakers approve it.

"Ten percent is not too much," he said before slamming a long drive down the fifth fairway at Sacramento's Land Park golf course. "You've got guys paying $100 (for green fees). What's another $10? They're going to find it somewhere." source>>>

Bill Clinton seeks 'How generation' to solve world's ills

People worldwide need to take action to help solve the global problems of political and economic instability, inequality and environmental unsustainability, former President Bill Clinton said Monday.

"I don't think it's good enough anymore to define your citizenship by being a good, honest worker and a taxpayer and someone who votes," Clinton said in a speech at North Carolina State University.

Bill Clinton at N.C. State
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Bill Clinton addresses world's problems, solutions

Unlike his upbeat appearances in North Carolina last year for his wife's presidential campaign, Clinton was somber and matter-of-fact during his 40-minute speech about the difficulties facing the state, the nation and the world.

The global recession has destroyed about half of the world's wealth. Terrorists continue to strike at targets but are difficult to retaliate against. Most of the world's wealth and access to education and health care is concentrated among a minority of the population. The benefits of development have to be balanced against the cost of global warming.

Because the world has become so interdependent in recent decades, small problems in one part of the globe often affect the U.S. and other countries, Clinton said. Such interdependence means that people's fortunes rise or fall together and that "divorce is not an option" because we all continue to share the globe, he said.

"We should be trying to create a world where we share the future," he said. "We share the benefits and the opportunities; we share the burdens and the responsibilities."

One of those responsibilities is to work to solve the world's problems, Clinton said, calling on people to become part of "the how generation."

"How do you go about taking the best of intentions and turning them into a positive changes in people's lives?" he asked. "You've got to say, 'I want to be a person involved in the how.'"

Some people have started the process, he said, noting about 500,000 non-governmental organizations were started in the last decade to take on specific issues. But much more needs to be done, he said.

"We have a crisis of doing in the world," he said. "We have all of these problems out there that people know are problems, that they can talk about till the cows come home, but nobody knows the how - how do you turn good intentions into real changes."

After the speech, Clinton attended a lunch fundraiser for western North Carolina Congressman Heath Shuler.

Clinton and Shuler have been building a relationship since Clinton reached out to the former NFL quarterback as Democrats recruited him to run for Congress in the 2006 election.

In 2008, Shuler endorsed Clinton's wife, now Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in her run for the White House after she won the primary in his district. source>>>

West End theatres buck the trend with record-breaking year

Last year was the best on record in the West End as theatre proved a refuge from mounting economic gloom.

While Broadway is floundering, figures out today from the Society of London Theatres (SOLT) show that attendances rose by 1 per cent on 2007, the previous best year, to 13,807,286. Box-office revenue also hit a record total of £480,563,674.

Just over nine million people went to see musicals last year. However, it was the old favourites that triumphed. Nearly every new production folded, leading to talk of a divided sector in which a few hit shows attract spectacular attendances while most others struggle to stay afloat.

The most successful show of the year in terms of paid admissions was the Queen tribute We Will Rock You, while Wicked and Billy Elliot did their best business over Christmas.
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New musicals, which accounted for two thirds of ticket sales in 2007, were a different story. Only Zorro, with music by the Gipsy Kings, bucked an inglorious trend.

Gone With the Wind, directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, never recovered from a critical panning and closed after 79 performances. Imagine This, a musical about the Holocaust, folded after a month. Marguerite, from the team that created Les Misérables, failed to capture the public's imagination, and Never Forget, the Take That musical, never took up its announced transfer from the Savoy into the Lyric and will be swiftly forgotten.

The £12.5million Lord of the Rings musical also admitted defeat and shut after 14 loss-making months.

This year already looks more promising, with the blockbuster revival of Oliver! up and running after taking an unprecedented £15million in advance bookings and the imminent arrival of two shows based on hit films -- Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Sister Act.

Attendance at plays was 1 per cent down at slightly under 3 million. But they enjoyed a strong final quarter.

It was an impressive year for dance, opera, performances and entertainments, which rose by 5 per cent.

The figures relate to SOLT's 52 member theatres, which include all the commercial West End venues and the big grant-aided London theatres.

Theatre owners are keen to attribute the numbers to astute programming, but the weak pound and a hankering for escapism also played a part.

Richard Pulford, chief executive of SOLT, said that theatre, like cinema, often did well in a downturn. "I think people are more inclined to cherish those few hours when they can get lost in some other world," he said.

"Looking at the year ahead, I don't have any fears, although I think that the balance between caution and optimism is shifting towards caution. Obviously it depends on the economy -- if unemployment shoots up into the stratosphere, then there comes a certain point where you can't be immune to genuine economic difficulty.

"These figures are good news for the performing arts and for the UK economy. Theatregoers are out there spending money not just at our box offices but in hotels, restaurants and shops in the capital.

"2009 will undoubtedly be tough, but we start the year with the theatre capital of the world in good health. source>>>>

Salvatore F. DiMasi is set to become the latest to leave the top post under a cloud of controversy,

House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi is set to become the latest to leave the top post under a cloud of controversy, setting the stage for a bitter power struggle with his announcement last night that he is ending his 30-year political career, effective tomorrow.

DiMasi, reeling from ethics probes connected to his former campaign treasurer, ended months of speculation during which his subordinates have openly campaigned to replace him.

DiMasi, who also will give up his North End representative's seat, follows Charles Flaherty and Thomas Finneran as the third consecutive House speaker to leave amid scandal. DiMasi has been under investigation for receiving a loan from a friend who was seeking support for a ticket-scalping bill.

"I am excited on the one hand to move on to other challenges and new opportunities. I am sad to leave the House of Representatives," DiMasi wrote. He has faced mounting pressure and revelations of potential impropriety. Despite widespread rumors he may be directly implicated, he has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) and Majority Leader Rep. John Rogers (D-Norwood) both claimed last night to have the support to succeed DiMasi.

Rogers issued a list of names for his potential transition team while DeLeo planned to release a list of 88 lawmakers' names he says have pledged to support him. The winner will need 81 votes.

Meanwhile, six members of Ways and Means and two members of the Legislature's Committee on Professional Licensure fired off a terse letter last night calling for a probe into DeLeo's involvement in a pair of legislative issues that landed DiMasi's friend and accountant, Richard Vitale, in prosecutors' crosshairs.

"There is a grave concern among many members of the House regarding Rep. DeLeo's involvement in the Ace ticket legislation and the Cognos budget item," the letter stated. "Both of those pieces of legislation were altered in the Ways and Means Committee and were not subject to an executive session in which other members could scrutinize the changes.

"Chairman DeLeo needs to offer a full explanation of his involvement in the Ace Ticket and Cognos scandal, which is the very reason why Speaker DiMasi is resigning his post." The letter called for a delay on a vote for the next speaker until DeLeo addresses the questions.

Vitale, who reportedly once loaned DiMasi $250,000 and paid his in-laws' legal bills, faces improper lobbying charges for pushing legislation to assist ticket brokers, including soliciting DiMasi. DiMasi has denied having a hand in the ticket legislation. Federal prosecutors are reportedly probing millions in fees paid to Vitale and other DiMasi associates for work on a $13 million contract to Cognos.

DiMasi said he remained "proud" of his accomplishments, "no matter what the critics and the cynics will say."

"I leave with no regrets. Not one," he wrote. "It is time - time to move on, time to return to private life and time to return to my first professional love, the law."

He also hinted at a lobbying or consulting career.

DiMasi's resignation comes four years after he replaced Finneran, who was convicted in 2007 of obstruction of justice for his role in a statewide redistricting plan. Flaherty pleaded guilty in 1996 to tax evasion. source>>>

Muslim youth request Obama's help in fighting extremism

As Barack Obama begins his tenure as the first U.S. president with Muslim ancestry (though he is a Christian), a group of 300 young Muslim activists from 76 countries has asked him to promote policies that can help peacefully curtail religious extremism.

The Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow, a grassroots movement aiming to foster a new generation of civic engagement, issued the open letter after convening the group's first international conference last weekend in Doha, Qatar.

Participants, all between the ages of 20 and 45, included artists, academics, religious leaders and business owners. About 40 came from the U.S., including comedian Azhar Usman, journalist Souheila Al-Jadda and faith-based activist Saleemah Abdul-Ghafur, who recently wrote the book Living Islam Out Loud: American Muslim Women Speak.

Among its recommendations, the group's statement asks Obama and other world leaders to support human rights, youth participation in political and civil society, and mutual respect and engagement between civilizations.

In addition to debating how to combat radicalization of Muslim youths, organize their communities and represent progressive values, participants discussed controversial issues ranging from Islam's position on homosexuality to whether Islamic and Western values are in conflict.

The conference's timing -- with participants closely monitoring Palestinian deaths in Gaza and the birth of a new administration in Washington -- added a sense of urgency to the discussions, organizers agreed.

"The time for change," the letter concluded, "is now." source>>>

Ticket holder to Inauguration left out in the cold,missed a moment that will never happen again.

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This post was written by Amy Hunt, 18, an author of RED the Book, a collection of personal essays written by 58 American teenage girls, recently released in paperback. She is a freshman at Juniata College.

I wish I could write here about my glorious inauguration experience, about the overwhelming emotion as I watched Barack Obama sworn in, about getting to witness his first speech as our 44th president, about the adrenaline that pulsed through the crowd of millions on the Mall.

Well, I can write about that last bit, the charge of the crowd, sure.

But not like that. No, I can talk about the energy as we pleaded with security to open the gate, to let us purple ticket-holders in. Not those silver tickets released to the general public, but the ones given out to staffers, DNC employees, union leaders -- "the people who had really worked for this," according to Katie Kellum, a friend of mine and a field organizer for the Obama campaign. She was kind enough to make me her plus-one, and on Monday night, drove from Lexington, Kentucky, to Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, to pick me up from college before heading to D.C.

For Katie and me, this was our first election, our first chance to vote, and attending the inauguration was a way of celebrating the fact that the candidate we chose is now our president. And it ended in big purple heartbreak.

A friend in the blue section later told us he didn't make it in, either.

And to think: If I'm crying here -- me, the lucky plus-one of a friend who, for months, uprooted her life and devoted herself to Barack Obama -- then imagine Katie. "Really, the only thing we wanted was to see him sworn in," she told me.

Instead, we were just two of the thousands of people who missed exactly that. We held up our purple tickets to prove that we all deserved a place on the other side of the gates, and watched with envy as anyone who made it through ran in with joy. We heard rumors of security breaches; there was only one gate open, or no gates open, or nobody was being let through or some people were being let through but slowly.

What happened? Why were these people unable to be a part of the inauguration they worked so hard to make happen? Why were our pleas and tickets ignored? We can think of people to blame: security and law enforcement? The inauguration committee? Republicans? We don't know, and no one bothered to tell us. All we wanted was an explanation or an apology, but we received neither.

We're calling it our riot of '09, though it was probably more of a peaceful protest. First we stood unmoved for two hours, wondering if the gates had opened, a little starstruck as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson pushed past us. Eventually, we eased forward a few feet only to stop and wait again, little by little making it into the sunlight. "Open up the purple gate!" people demanded. Word started going around that the gates were closed, that none of us would be let in.

That's when the phone calls started: crying phone calls to friends or frantic phone calls to parents, asking them to put the receiver up to the television so we could try to hear the ceremony. And when the cannon fire marked the end of the inauguration and the beginning of this momentous administration, we jumped and shouted for joy--but a bittersweet, via cellphone-and-TV kind of joy. We's missed a moment that would never happen again.

To be clear, I think I can speak for that entire, freezing, disappointed crowd when I say that all of us are so happy to know that Barack Obama is our new president. Yes, we cheered when word reached us that Biden was sworn in, then again for Obama. When my friends and I watched parade footage while eating lunch in a shabby little restaurant--when we saw Michelle and Barack step out of the car and walk along the parade route waving and smiling--our hearts flipped.

But, at least for me, it took a while for it to sink that he really truly is our president. After all, we didn't get to hear the speech. We didn't get to see the swearing-in. And sometimes, this being one of those times, watching the clips on YouTube just doesn't do the trick. No, the only YouTube videos that seem fully real right now are those of the ticket-holders like Katie and me who didn't get in, who chanted and yelled and pleaded.

We're all for that reverend's benediction we heard about days later--yellow will be mellow, the red man can get ahead man, all that. But what in the world rhymes with purple? And, however charming, it's painful to hear about the day we're all supposed to be working toward when ours shut us out. source>>>

Will They Be Scalping Tickets At The Blagojevich Trial?

Now that the circus in New York seems to have been resolved, the continuing circus in Illinois -- the impeachment trial of Gov. Rod Blagojevich -- is expected to move on to a new phase on Monday.

And that leads to this question from James McKinstra of Freeport, Ill.:

Do you know if the general public will be allowed to attend and observe the Blago impeachment trial?

I didn't know the answer, so I turned to NPR's David Schaper, who has been following the fun.

I was just looking over the rules as I prepare to cover the trial, so here is the rule regarding the openness of the trial:

Rule 23. Sessions; open or closed.

(a) At all times while the Senate is sitting upon the trial of an impeachment, the doors of the Senate and the Senate galleries shall be kept open, unless the Senate directs the doors to be closed while deliberating upon its decisions. A motion to close the doors may be made by any member of the Senate, and the motion shall be deemed granted only if sustained by two-thirds of those elected to the Senate by record vote.

(b) By granting a motion under subsection (a), the Senate finds that it is in the public interest for the Senate, as provided in Section 5(c) of Article IV of the Constitution, to conduct deliberations and debate on impeachment matters in closed session.

I would expect most if not all of the impeachment trial, including deliberations, will be open to the public.

There is a gallery for the general public to view all the action on the floor of the Illinois Senate, but there may be space limitations. I believe the trial will be broadcast online, and can be viewed through the Illinois General Assembly's web site: www.ilga.gov

A Delay? Samuel Adam, Blagojevich's new attorney, is considering a lawsuit to halt the trial, calling the Senate rules "completely unfair." And the governor himself said he had no intention of mounting a defense if the rules don't change. In light of the overwhelming vote in the state House to impeach Blago, it is unlikely that the Senate vote to convict will be much different. Pat Quinn is expected to be the next governor of Illinois sometime in February.

That Explains It. In an interview this morning on WLS radio, Blagojevich said the reason Illinois lawmakers are anxious to get rid of him is so they can go ahead and raise taxes once he's gone.

Rod And Reel. He's not going to go willingly, but nonetheless a group called "Rod Must Resign" has been holding demonstrations in Chicago in the past couple of weeks calling for the gov to leave. Spokesman Phil Molfese said, "We believe that the governor can no longer lead our state, because he has lost the trust of the people he was elected to represent. His effectiveness as an elected official has been compromised beyond all repair." Scott Cohen, a local businessman who founded the group, said, ""Blagojevich has been asked by President Obama and Senator Durbin. Now, he's being asked by the voters, the people who put him in office, to resign." The group has the buttons to show for it. And that's good enough for us. source>>>

The Algerian bubonic plague incident should be a wake-up for the Obama administration.

The report that some forty al-Qaeda terrorists died after the bubonic plague swept through their Algerian training camp has been treated with some glee in the media. But that schadenfreude may be misplaced. One question being investigated is whether the North African fanatics fell victim to the naturally-occurring pathogen or the possibility the group mistakenly released the killer bug while brewing it for terror attacks. This incident provides the Obama administration the impetus to assess whether our nation is prepared for a bioterrorist attack.

The Algerian terrorist franchise, al-Qaeda in the land of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), is the largest al-Qaeda group outside the Middle East. AQIM has a deadly terrorism record and a declared intention to attack American targets which makes the potential bioterrorism threat credible but not a surprise for American experts.

Last year, Dr. Jeffrey Runge, chief medical officer at the US Department of Homeland Security, told Congress that the risk of a large-scale biological attack on the nation is significant and the US knows its terrorist enemies have sought biological weapons. Runge said al-Qaeda is the most significant threat.
Continued
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Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has long shown an active interest in biological weapons. In the late 1990s, bin Laden set-up 19 chemical and biological weapons laboratories in Afghanistan stocking them with deadly pathogens: anthrax, plague, and botulinum toxins. He hired Ukrainian and Russian experts to train his people and, according to then-CIA director George Tenet, bin Laden trained his operatives "...to conduct attacks with toxic chemicals or biological toxins."

The group's biological weapons expert, Midhat Mursi al-Sayid Umar, who was reportedly killed by a US missile in 2008, published a 5,000-page encyclopedia of jihad devoted to chemical biological warfare (CBW). Al-Sayid's manual, which is available in print and on the Internet, provides instructions on how to manufacture rudimentary biological weapons.

The availability of al-Sayid's CBW cookbook makes it possible for independent jihadist cells like the AQIM to attempt to manufacture rudimentary biological weapons. That's why it shouldn't be a surprise when there are attempts to manufacture agents by franchise groups such as the 2003 incident in London where six Algerians were charged with plotting to produce the poison ricin and the 2005 French government claim that al-Qaeda cells in the Pankisi Gorge region of Georgia are producing anthrax bacteria, ricin, and botulinum toxin.

Any bioterror attack on America will likely come from suicidal jihadists armed with small containers of toxins made in remote sites like AQIM's training camps rather than pathogen-filled bombs launched from rockets, because weaponizing biological agents is very difficult. It requires the manufacturer to isolate the virulent strain, convert it into a weaponized form and then integrate it with a weapon system that can evenly distribute the agent in lethal doses to the intended targets.

A bioterrorist attack would go something like the following. A lone suicidal bioterrorist could cause significant suffering by spreading killer agents in a public place -- dumping a vile of anthrax spores in a ventilation system or subway -- or even more sinister, contaminate himself with the bubonic plague and then cough and sneeze the deadly plague in a closed area like an airplane or office building.

It could be 36 hours after a terrorist spreads anthrax or up to a week after someone is exposed to bubonic plague before victims become ill with classical symptoms. That's why health care providers must be alert to identify the threat and notify public officials. Quick action will save many lives, but the cost could be high.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that an intentional release of anthrax by a bioterrorist in a major city could result in an economic impact of up to $26 billion per 100,000 persons exposed.

The AQIM incident came to light when Algerian security forces found the bubonic plague-riddled body of a known terrorist by a roadside. Reportedly, AQIM chiefs fear the highly contagious plague has spread to other terror cells because some of the nearly 1,000 Algerian insurgents abandoned the contaminated camp for others in Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria.

The Sun, a British newspaper, broke the AQIM story on January 19th. The paper reported that the epidemic began in AQIM's camp 90 miles east of the capital Algiers. The group turned the camp's shelters into mass graves and fled, reported the Sun.

The plague, also known as "black death," is believed to have killed an estimated 75-200 million people in the 14th century. Today, the World Health Organization reports several thousand cases a year, mainly in southern Asia, Africa and Central America.

The killer bug is caused by a bacterial agent, yersinia pestis, which infects rodents, producing blood poisoning. Fleas that feed on the dying rodents carry the toxic bacteria to humans. This may explain how AQIM terrorists contracted the pathogen if not from a terror weapon mishap.

Left untreated by antibiotics, the plague's symptoms begin with a headache, then chills and fever which lead to exhaustion. The condition may include nausea, vomiting, back pain, soreness in the arms and legs. Swellings, called buboes, which give the bubonic plague its name, appear around the lymph nodes -- the neck, arms and inner thighs. They are hard knobs that turn black, split open to ooze pus and blood. The survival rate among the untreated is small.

Both offensive and defensive programs must be in place to reduce the likelihood of a successful bioterrorist attack launched by groups like AQIM or homegrown radicals.

The best offensive effort is to shutdown bioterrorists at the source. That's why the possibility that AQIM is working on deadly pathogens matters. Our special operation forces working with allies and friendly governments must eliminate threats before they mature.

But trying to stop threats at the source is insufficient. Our borders must be guarded with special biological agent sensors which are still under development. That places the burden on our border guards who must recognize clinical symptoms and deny access or quarantine suspect visitors.

Fortunately, we have in place the beginning of an effective bioterrorist response program. In 1997, Congress passed the Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Act which established the Chemical and Biological Incident Response Force (CBIFR) unit based in Camp Lejeune, NC. The CBIFR is the nation's self-contained and self-sufficient unit for responding to CBW attacks. Its back-up force includes the National Guard's 52 weapons of mass destruction civil support teams, but these 22-man units only advise first responders and that's the nation's CBW Achilles heel.

Most city fire departments have the responsibility to provide first response to CBW attacks but too often that capability is underfunded. Small cities and towns may have no response capability at all. Besides, few US hospitals can handle a mass casualty scenario and most hospitals have very limited capability to decontaminate patients.

The fact is that America isn't prepared for most catastrophic disasters. Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and America's security affairs, claims that the nation is only prepared to respond to a pandemic flu and a major hurricane.

Our preparedness for a bioterrorist attack was tested by the September 2001 anthrax contaminated letter incident. A handful of anthrax contaminated letters resulted in approximately 32,000 persons with potential exposures taking antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent anthrax infections and the attack killed five people.

That incident was quickly exposed because it involved congressional officials who are provided special protection. Likely, had the anthrax letters gone to ordinary offices, the attack would not have been exposed as early and many more people would have died.

The Algerian bubonic plague incident should be a wake-up for the Obama administration to reassess its bioterrorism preparedness. Enemies such as al Qaeda and its franchises are almost certainly producing deadly biological weapons and will use them for mass murder. America must be aggressive in defeating the bioterrorist before he attacks and should that fail our network of first responders must be prepared for a potentially catastrophic attack. source>>>

Costs Of The Obama Inauguration 170 mil.

eated: Jan 21, 2009 at 9:37 PM CST

Story Updated: Jan 21, 2009 at 10:44 PM CST

Barack Obama is spending his first night in the White House this evening.
His inauguration may have been the biggest in history... and it was certainly the most costly.
We take a look at where all the money went.

The national celebration of Barack Obama's inauguration is going to be the most expensive in history.
ABC News totaled up the final bill for all the concerts... events and balls... and found the total to be around 170-million dollars.
So where's the inaugural money going?
The actual swearing-in ceremony set-back the Joint Congressional Committee just 1-and-a-quarter million dollars... lots of it going for the construction of the platform on the west front of the capital... and the three-course luncheon for congress and the new president.
The public parties and events celebrating Obama's historic inaugural will set-back donors about 45-million dollars.
That pays for a concert at the Lincoln Memorial... the inaugural balls and t-v's and sound systems on the National Mall to make sure spectators can experience the moment the 44-th president is sworn in.

And the biggest cost comes for all the security... portable bathrooms... and traffic control to serve basic needs for the crowds.
The federal... state and local governments estimate they'll spend more than 124-million for the big event.
source>>>

Guns & Hoses tickets go on sale Friday

Tickets for the second annual Guns & Hoses charity boxing match go on sale Friday morning.

The event, which pits area police officers against firefighters in a series of three-round bouts, is scheduled for 7 p.m. March 7 at Roberts Stadium.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster locations and online at Ticketmaster.com. Reserved seats are $25 and $20. General admission is $15 for adults and $5 for children ages 12 and younger.

Proceeds will benefit Evansville Police Department Officer Patrick Phernetton's efforts to build a group home in the Evansville area for people with Prader-Willi syndrome as well as a second local charity, which hasn't yet been announced. Phernetton's daughter has the condition, which causes sufferers to constantly feel hungry. source>>>

Going out of business' sales a big business but may not be where you can get the best bargains

Everything must go! Going out of business sale! Those headlines are becoming a lot more common these days. But are liquidation sales really all they're cracked up to be? Here are the details.

1. Know the process

Typically when a large retailer goes out of business, like we've seen with Linens n' Things and Circuit City, a liquidator comes in and buys the excess merchandise. They may put their own staff in place. They hang the big signs and do the advertising. And they're trying to get as much money as they can from the sales.

A going out of sale business is big business says Anthony Giorgianni of Consumer Reports. These liquidation sales generally last a few months.

2. Buyer beware

Usually you're not getting as good a deal as you think.

First of all, you may find better prices online or at other retailers. Keep in mind that liquidators can raise prices that the original retailer already set. They can also get rid of any of any previously scheduled sales.

In fact, since ads that scream "going out of business" just attract consumers who assume they're getting a good deal, there is little incentive to actually give those big discounts says Giorgianni.

At first a liquidation sale may only give you 10% off. But the longer you wait, the more attractive prices get. Plus, when you buy an item from a liquidation sale, there's typically a "No Refund" policy. And that can be a big minus if you're buying electronics or a big ticket item.

3. Do your homework

If you are heading to a liquidation sale, make sure you comparison shop. Or, check with another merchant and ask how close they can come to matching the liquidation price. You'll get the advantage of having somewhere to return the item says Giorgianni.

If you do decide to buy something from a liquidation sale, check in with the manufacturer to see if the warranty will be honored. Before you purchase anything, make sure you have all the accessories and the instruction booklet. Always buy your stuff on a credit card.

And remember that in a liquidation sale, it may not be that retailer's exclusive merchandise. Left-over merchandise from similar store liquidation sales may be on display as well. So if you're at a high end furniture liquidation sale there could be furniture there that's from a lower-end store source>>>

In new era of responsibility American's must recognize duties to ourselves,our nation, and the world

President Obama's inaugural call for Americans to participate in a "new era of responsibility" rings true. He's right that government alone cannot remake the country. Individuals must also take steps that, collectively, lead to a national change in thinking and behavior. But what steps?

The new president didn't say in any great detail. Rather, he pointed out that every American must recognize that "we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world."

Perhaps it's best he left the specifics to each person to determine, for no two lives are alike. At the same time, the nation's key challenges can be taken up at the individual level, for isn't the country made up of individuals?

Washington and Wall Street fell for the lure of excess, but so did households. The economy is forcing them to get their budgets in line, but confusion may arise as people - so used to a "consumer" identity - wonder, "Wait, shouldn't I be spending to help the economy?"

In a hole this deep, government has to fill in the first stimulus. Individuals should reduce their credit-card debt, save, and live within their means so that they are in a stronger position down the road.

They can redefine "spending" as service to family, friends, neighbors, and strangers as unemployment spreads and basic needs grow.

Mr. Obama also spoke of transforming schools and colleges, but parents must apply themselves harder to their children's education. They must engage with schools, make sure their kids attend class and that homework gets done. Among other duties, it is "a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate," Obama said from the Capitol.

He also promised cleaner energy. Here, too, individuals can play a big role. Some folks may snicker at keeping tires inflated properly or switching out light bulbs. They may resist mass transit, especially as gas prices have dropped. But these actions multiplied by 300 million Americans can make a real difference.

A big campaign issue for both political parties was more accessible, less costly healthcare. Prevention can go a long way toward cutting costs. Individuals approach preventive healthcare in different ways, but what if they considered it not merely as a personal goal? What if they saw it as a contribution to a whole and sound nation?

Obama wants to bring a new tone to Washington. But don't all individuals have a responsibility to speak kindly and respect differences? What if, as inaugural poet Elizabeth Alexander posed, "the mightiest word is love"?

None of the above actions and attitudes are new. President George W. Bush rallied up "armies of compassion" and President Carter asked Americans to conserve. But they do require renewed attention at this time. They remind Americans to work for something "bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions," as Obama put it.

In heralding this new responsibility era, Obama described citizenship as having a price and a promise. Indeed, people should prepare themselves for the price - it may come in the form of higher energy costs, delayed Social Security retirement, or a Medicare that's more aligned to seniors' financial needs.

But the promise is a stronger nation, one which the new president can't possibly build by himself. source>>>

Was Rick Warren's Invocation Less Inclusive Than He Let On?

it all boils down to perspective....

What we need to realize is that this country isn't an atheistic/agnostic/Buddhist/Hindu/Muslim/<insert religion here> country with Christians living in it. It's a Christian nation with followers of other faiths/or no faith living in it. Patrick Henry once said, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ!" This next line from Henry as he continues, speaks volumes about WHY atheists and Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, etc., have the religious freedom they do. "For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here." I find it ironic, that those very same citizens with differing faith-expressions who are afforded the freedom to live here based on our Christian principles, are offended when someone utters the name of Jesus - the person to whom the credit is owed for the freedom and liberty THEY enjoy. If it destroys you so much who wish to try to stop it, you have the freedom to live here as much as you do to get out.

However, this petty grievance draws focus away from the work that needs done to heal the soul of this Nation. Winning the "Was Rick Warren's Invocation Less Inclusive Than He Let On?" debate is like putting a bandaid on a fatal wound. source>>>

Gaza war widens lead of Israel's conservative Likud Party; Benjamin Netanyahu likely beneficary

As Israeli soldiers pull back from the Gaza Strip and Hamas's rockets go silent, Israel's dormant election campaign has come back to life.

With just three weeks before voters go to the polls, the center-left government is getting high marks from the Israeli public for its pounding offensive in Gaza. But Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and her ruling centrist Kadima Party may fall victim to the military's success.

Polls show that the conservative opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party have opened up a bigger lead, based on a public concern that the offensive left the Hamas regime intact while failing to free an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, imprisoned in Gaza for 2-1/2 years.

"That's one of the interesting paradoxes of the war," says Mitchell Barak, a pollster who runs the survey group Keevoon. "It restored the Israeli public's confidence in the Israeli army, and in Israel's leadership's ability to defend its citizens ... but it didn't go far enough [to weaken Hamas]."

On the third day of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire, there were rival allegations of violations. The Palestinians said that a farmer was shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip, a charge denied by a military spokeswoman. Israel's army said that it returned fire after one of its units inside Gaza was shot at near the border fence.

The three-week Gaza war has shifted the focus of Israel's truncated parliamentary campaign toward the best approach in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip and the threat of rockets on southern Israel.

Already, Ms. Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak of the Labor Party are back on the campaign trail hailing the war's achievements. They're touting Israel's restored deterrence against militants and the international support expressed by US and European leaders.

Addressing Israeli college students in a Tel Aviv suburb Tuesday, Livni bragged that European leaders came to Jerusalem to work with Israeli leaders despite the international uproar over the Palestinian civilian toll during fighting. About 1,300 Palestinians were killed, many of them noncombatants and children, according to health officials.

"If Hamas fires a Qassam rocket at Israel, they will get hit again, just like they got hit now, and they know that," Livni said in an interview with Israel Radio on Monday.

Mr. Netanyahu, who had the awkward role of defending the government to the international press during the Gaza offensive, has resumed his criticism of this government's Gaza policy. Right-wing allies of Netanyahu have warned that the military operation has left Hamas in a position to threaten Israel in the future.

Just a few weeks ago, before the fighting, the campaign focused on good government, economics, and leadership.

"Today it's a different world. Security and leadership, mainly in times of crisis, have moved center stage," wrote Yossi Verter, a political commentator in the Haaretz newspaper. "Netanyahu is feeling good - Hamas was always his preferred playing field. In 2006 he was talking about 'Hamastan,' and nobody wanted to listen."

To be sure, the biggest single winner from the war has been Mr. Barak and his Labor Party, which seemed to be fading into irrelevancy with polls indicating a fourth or fifth place finish prior to the war. Labor's 50 percent jump in popularity puts it in third place and makes Barak a leading candidate to continue as defense minister in the next government, but he's still far behind in the race for prime minister.

Netanayhu's Likud party continues to lead Livni's Kadima party by a range of three to six seats, according to recent polls. What's more, right-wing and religious parties are projected to control a 10-seat majority over a coalition of center, left, and Arab parties in the 120-seat parliament. That would allow Netanyahu, who first served as prime minister for three years in the 1990s, a leg up in forming a coalition.

Netanyahu has said that before negotiating a final peace deal can be reached with the Palestinians, the Palestinian Authority needs to build up the Palestinian economy in the West Bank and implement further political reforms. Critics say such a delay in the peace process comes when many fear that the window of opportunity is closing for a two-state solution.

Livni's prospects as prime minister looked more promising at the start of the Gaza war, when several polls showed a coalition of center-left wing and Arab parties pulling even with the right wing. Livni is now coming under fire from those who were unhappy with the UN Security Council Resolution that called for an immediate cease-fire and the international pressure to withdraw from Gaza.

She is also criticized for the failure to force Hamas to negotiate over Corporal Shalit, the Israeli soldier taken hostage.

Political analysts note, however, a fragile cease-fire with Hamas means the fighting might not be finished, creating a volatile environment for public opinion leading up to the Feb. 10 vote. "It's very fluid," says Avraham Diskin, a political science professor at Hebrew University. "If something happens and the Israeli army retaliates, [the fighting] won't be over." source>>>

This date in History

On this date in 1954, the first nuclear-powered submarine, USS NAUTILUS, was launched by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, who broke the traditional bottle of champagne across the ship's bow. One year ago, the Eyak language in Alaska became extinct, as its last native speaker passed away. source>>>

After war, Christians and moderate Muslims in Gaza express fear of emboldened Hamas

Christians and moderate Muslims quietly expressed concern about what their place in the Gaza Strip would be now that Hamas remains strong after a three-week Israeli offensive.

Several businessmen who spoke to Catholic News Service questioned the outcome of the war, which began with Israeli bombardments Dec. 27 and ended with separate unilateral cease-fires -- declared by Israel Jan. 18 and Hamas Jan. 19.

"Hamas is still in government and there are guns everywhere," one businessman noted, hinting that Israel's offensive to destroy Hamas' power base was a failure.

Hamas, an Islamic fundamentalist militia and political party that states as its goals the destruction of the Jewish state of Israel and the creation of an Islamic state in all of historical Palestine, remains armed. News reports said Israel failed to destroy the Hamas network of underground tunnels into Egypt.

At first Christians cautiously told CNS that although they were concerned about the future until now the Christian community had not been troubled by Hamas. But as the conversations continued, they recounted how unknown extremists had killed a member of a Baptist church in 2007 and there had been numerous violent attacks against Christian institutions and businesses, such as Internet cafes, viewed as Western.

All those interviewed by CNS expressed concern for their safety and insisted on complete anonymity.

"There is a lot we want to say but we are afraid," several said. If European countries would offer them political asylum, they said they would accept it.

One woman, asked if the recent three-week war would make Hamas stronger, replied, "I hope not."

She said she had no qualms with Hamas as a national force fighting for Palestinian rights but found its religious rhetoric, which made the conflict a struggle between Judaism and Islam, problematic.

Living near a mosque, she said, she often heard inflammatory statements over the loudspeakers, with the imam cursing Jews and Christians in the same breath.

It is not only scary but also dangerous, she said.

"It started in the mosques (when Hamas took over) and now it is going into the schools," she said.

Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, when Hamas split with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement. Fatah still controls the West Bank.

Although Christians said they feel that, along with Muslims, they are part of one Palestinian nation, they are bewildered by the growing extremism they are encountering. They said children throw stones at their front gates and taunt them with cries of "Christian, Christian." In the streets they sometimes hear the murmurings from older people that once the Muslims finish with the Jews, then they will come after the Christians.

"Many Christians think about leaving," said one Christian, "but the church wants us to stay."

The Christians said they felt the need to "take care of themselves" because they did not know what would happen in the future.

"We don't know what we will do if they decide to make Gaza into an Islamic emirate," said one man, recounting at his wife's insistence how Hamas thugs have threatened Christian women for not covering their hair as required by Islamic law and for wearing what Hamas deems to be immodest Western dress.

Moderate Palestinians also have accused Hamas of using the excuse of the recent war to incarcerate and physically abuse those who are seen to be supporters of opposing groups, such as Fatah.

One woman said she is glad her adult children live abroad.

"It would be selfish of me to ask them to come back and live through what I am living," she said. "There they are living a better life than I am here."
source>>>

Gaza offensive drastically changed security situation in South According to Defense minister Barak

"The IDF has drastically changed the unbearable reality in Israeli communities surrounding the Gaza Strip," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday at an officers' course graduation ceremony in Haifa.

Southern Strip
Gaza smuggling resumes after IDF withdrawal / News agencies
Hours after IDF completes withdrawal from Gaza, AP footage shows Palestinians in Rafah filling fuel truck with petrol that came through cross-border tunnel from Egypt; workers filmed clearing blocked tunnels
Full Story

According to Barak, the three-week offensive in the Hamas-controlled territory "created the conditions for a fundamental change in the security situation that existed in Sderot and the Gaza-vicinity communities over the past eight years.

"This outstanding operation has increased Israel's deterrence in the entire region; the IDF's clear victory was the result of meticulous planning and skilled execution," he said.

The defense minister added that Hamas was responsible for the civilian casualties that occurred in Gaza during the military operation there.

"Hamas chose the battlefield and acted from within crowded neighborhoods, schools, and hospitals," he said.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi told the ceremony that the operation's goals, including hurting Hamas' rocket-launching capabilities and increasing Israel's deterrence, had been met in full.

"Even now, after the ceasefire, the army is prepared to respond with all the means at its disposal," he said. "We've shown that those why try to (attack) are dealt a severe blow."

Also Wednesday, Southern Command Chief Maj.-Gen. Yoav Galant said during a meeting with IDF reservists who took part in the three-week offensive that "nearly all of the weapons caches, tunnels and terrorists' homes in Gaza were hit,"

Galant, who commanded over the operation, added "we assume the other side (Hamas) now realizes that launching missiles is not in its best interest, but we are preparing to defeat Hamas if necessary." source>>>

Journalists still stuck at Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt

Rafah Crossing - Around 40 journalists and humanitarian aid workers were stuck on Wednesday - some of them for the third day running - at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, waiting to enter the coastal enclave.

Israel blocked journalists from entering the Gaza Strip through its Erez crossing during the entire three weeks of fighting and has since only let in a limited number, forcing many reporters to try their luck via Rafah, Gaza's main entry point to - and exit point from - the outside world.

While the crossing point functioned as an entry point into the Gaza Strip for a few days, by Monday afternoon it too was closed to reporters, many of whom had arrived there after travelling hundreds of kilometres, via Cairo, from the Israel-Gaza border.

As they milled around between piles of personal baggage and metal boxes of television equipment, or sat chain-smoking in the little tea shop that is the crossing point's only source of refreshment, the journalists expressed frustration at being unable to report on the situation in the Gaza Strip following Israel's 22-day offensive.

Fed up with borders

"The entire war we've been at borders," says the BBC's Jeremy Bowen, who, like nearly all foreign journalists, covered the Israeli offensive from the Israeli border with Gaza.

"I'm fed up with borders, I want to get inside Gaza," he says.

Human rights observers like Mark Garlasco of Human Rights Watch, have not been allowed in through Erez at all.

"From day one, from the beginning of the conflict, Israel barred our entry. We made another push after the ceasefire, but were again barred," said Gaslasco.

For many, as time slips away, there is a concern that reporting will be negatively affected and the ability to investigate allegations made during the conflict will no longer be possible.

"Israel's desire to withhold access from human rights observers will backfire.

"The truth will eventually get out, but may allow Hamas time to cover up acts which may have placed it in violation of the Geneva convention," he says. source>>>

Islam taught in schools but not Christianity, because atheist are ok with any God but the Real God !

In 1963, a long, long time ago, prayer was removed from American Schools at the request of an Atheist group headed by Madalyn Murray O'hair. Simply put the Supreme Court handed her a decision in her favor on a golden platter as far as she was concerned.

So why can Islam be taught in schools across America today but not Christianity. Why is the word "God" or "Jesus" frowned upon in our public schools, but Allah is not. The answer is that Atheists, agnostics and those who are inclined to lean left politically are either offended by Christianity in our schools or they are not offended by any other god except the Christian God. Sounds like a double standard to me!

Most detractors of Christianity would tell you, or at least try to tell you that they are teaching Islam as history. That's what I call putting the icing on the cake pretty thick. If that's the case, lets teach the Bible as history too!

Contrary to what others may say, America was founded on Judeo-Christian principals and values. This does not mean that there was ever a 'state church' sanctioned by the Government, but it means that the Founding Fathers believed in and spoke fluently about the Christian God in their speeches and comments they made. All one has to do is read the documents, or do a little Google search on names and quotes from, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington or Benjamin Franklin, then read. No, they did not sanction a religion, but they stood for their God when they spoke publicly or otherwise. Trust me, I am not saying that they wanted a "church state", I'm simply saying that they were "Christians".

This is a very short list of states and School Districts that parents have issues with over teaching Islam in Public Schools.

In California since 2001: They have been teaching kids about Islam, reading from the Quran, praying to Allah, wearing Muslim clothing and following Muslim customs of prayer for several years now. Where is Michael Newdow??? Why is he not upset over this.

In Texas since 2007: "The parents of children at Houston Elementary School plan to complain to the school board about concerns they have with a seventh-grade history textbook, which they feel pays an undue amount of attention to the teachings of Islam."

In Arizona since 2005: "if someone placed a pretty mat on the floor, told you to face in a certain direction, kneel, bow down, and repeat strange words five times a day for a month, would you do it."

There are many more examples, Google "Islam in public schools".

Michael Newdow, why do you not protest, implement a law suit, or at least write about the "wrong" in these cases. Why is it just Christianity that bothers you?

If your school is teaching Islamic traditions, prayer, reading the Quran, praying to Allah or anything that is prohibited for Christians, please let me know by emailing me Here. Thanks source>>>

Christians and Muslims worshiping the same God, is a misconception gone on for too long.

Since George Bush said that all religions pray to the 'same God' in November of 2003 and again in October of 2007, it has been frustrating to many people including myself that this misconception was allowed to go on this long. In October of 2007, he stated..... "That's what I believe. I believe Islam is a great religion that preaches peace". He actually argued about it. Now, I don't doubt that George Bush is a Christian, but I do doubt what he has learned from his church, whether it was in Texas or D.C.

I am convinced that anyone who was as closely involved with information about the attackers on 9-11-2001 who flew planes into the Twin Towers certainly wouldn't have that opinion if they understood the complexity of the Muslim faith.

My point here is not to create controversy, or condemn, it is clarify a point of contention that has gone on all too long.

Who is Allah? (pronounced "All-ah")
Scholars agree that "Allah", although being the Arabic word that means "god", just as the word "El" does in Hebrew, Allah was an actual pagan deity that was part of the middle-eastern pantheon at the time of Mohammed. Mohammed was born in 570 CE (common era) in the Arabian city of Mecca.

Below, you can see the flags of Turkey (left) and Pakistan (right) that have the crescent Moon and one Star. This god "Allah" was a moon god, and was one of the primary gods worshiped in the area where Mohammed lived. Mohammed elevated this "moon god" to the level of supreme god and declared him to be THE god, and that there was no other. The symbolism on the flags show the still lingering reference to the Moon god Allah.

National Flag of Turkey National Flag of Pakistan

According to Islam, Allah is a god of infinite power and wisdom, not a God of redeeming love to all mankind as the Christian God. Allah is a despotic sovereign of trembling subjects and slaves, not a loving Father of trustful children as the Christian God. He is an object of reverence and fear rather than of love and gratitude as the Christian God. Allah is the god of fate who has unalterably foreordained all things evil as well as good; therefore, in order to have true wisdom and piety, one must submit to unconditional resignation.

So as you can see, Christianity and Islam worship different deities which are not the same, as George Bush has insisted. source>>>

New A&E FBI Show Portrays 9/11 Truthers As Dope Smoking Terrorists

The A&E network, which stands for Arts & Entertainment, is jointly owned by Hearst Corporation (37.5% ownership), The Walt Disney Company (37.5% ownership) and NBC (25% ownership). NBC is owned by General Electric, a major player in the military-industrial complex and a huge benefactor of the 9/11 attacks, which of course could only have resulted in gargantuan profits for military contractors if the official story was upheld.

Hearst Corporation, the founder of which became synonymous with the term "yellow journalism" for his publication of dubious and sensationalized stories, also owns The History Channel and Popular Mechanics magazine, both of which attacked 9/11 truth in separate hit pieces in 2005 and 2007.

A&E also has close ties with the British Broadcasting Corporation, which has also attempted to debunk 9/11 with a series of hit pieces over the last few years.

Portrayals of the 9/11 truth movement in popular culture have manifested with both negative and positive connotations. An episode of South Park satirized truthers but a more recent episode of the firefighteA new FBI drama currently showing on A&E portrays 9/11 truthers as dope smoking terrorists in its pilot episode, a ploy made all the more interesting for the fact that A&E is part-owned by Hearst Corporation, which has also attempted to debunk 9/11 truth with savage hit pieces via its subsidiaries The History Channel and Popular Mechanics.

The plot of the show, which stars Patrick Swayze, centers around an attempt to infiltrate a group who are suspected of smuggling Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers into Iraq. In one scene, a member of the group talks with an FBI agent who is operating undercover.

"Are you a truther or a sheep?" the man asks the FBI agent.

He continues, "9/11 was a false flag operation man, wake up, a self-inflicted wound to control the masses, you know there was no planes, all of them were holograms and CGI."

The man then takes a drag on a marijuana spliff and gives the FBI agent a crazed look.

The insertion of the 9/11 truther caveat in the episode serves no purpose except seemingly to convince the viewer that the man is unstable and dangerous. The mention of CGI and holograms,an obsessive tenet of an extreme fringe that attempted to hijack the 9/11 truth movement a few years ago, also serves only to detract more credibility from the subject.

Watch the clip.

A&E also has close ties with the British Broadcasting Corporation, which has also attempted to debunk 9/11 with a series of hit pieces over the last few years.

Portrayals of the 9/11 truth movement in popular culture have manifested with both negative and positive connotations. An episode of South Park satirized truthers but a more recent episode of the firefighter drama Rescue Me showed actor Daniel Sunjata, himself a truther in real life, talking at length and with clarity about issues surrounding 9/11 being an inside job.

The very fact that the 9/11 truth movement has entered into popular culture alone and that giant media corporations and arms of the military-industrial complex are having to go to such lengths in a desperate attempt to debunk questions surrounding the attacks, is proof positive that the movement as a whole has had a significant impact on public consciousness, a fact that debunkers are loathe to admit.

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12. Dennis Leary firefighters show to tackle 9/11 conspiracy theoriesr drama Rescue Me showed actor Daniel Sunjata, himself a truther in real life, talking at length and with clarity about issues surrounding 9/11 being an inside job. source>>>

Christian Leaders Call for Prayer for Obama

With Barack Obama now in office as the nation's 44th president, Christian leaders are calling for prayer -- and accountability.

Dr. Ron Jones, senior pastor of Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, Va., has written an open letter to the new president.

"Holy Scripture exhorts us to pray for kings and all those who are in authority," he writes. "Please know, we pledge to pray for you, your family and your Administration. These are difficult times to lead our nation. No President has ever done so without acknowledging the need for divine guidance.

"We will pray that God will grant you Solomon-like wisdom in all of the decisions you make."

Jones goes on to challenge Obama to "defend the cause of the weak" and "maintain the rights of the oppressed" by changing his pro-abortion positions.

"I pray that you will reconsider your views on this moral issue," Jones writes. "I raise my voice on behalf of the voiceless, pleading with you to take the lead in building an America where all of our children, whatever their race or family income, are welcomed into the world, protected by the law and have a seat at the table with the rest of the American family."

Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public policy at Focus on the Family Action, said: "God can and has, changed the hearts of unwilling rulers. Nebuchadnezzar, Darius and Cyrus were three Old Testament kings, all pagans, who acted righteously after God intervened.

"Barack Obama professes to follow Christ, and so his heart should be primed for a miraculous change of heart in his plans for the innocent preborn. This should be the point of our prayers for the new president." source>>>

Europe has Praise and Great Expectations for Obama Administration

More than a million people braved the bitter cold in Washington to see Barack Obama take the oath of office as America's 44th President, millions more around the world watched live TV coverage of the event.

Visitors cram to pose with a wax figure of Barack Obama in London's Madam Tussaud's wax museum, 20 Jan 2009
Visitors crowd to pose with a wax figure of Barack Obama in London's Madam Tussaud's wax museum, 20 Jan 2009
It was a regular work day in Europe and darkness had fallen by the time Barack Obama took the oath of office, but that did not diminish the interest or the eagerness with which so many Europeans awaited the event.

There were celebrations in the far corners of the world. Feasts were prepared in Kenya, the homeland of President Obama's father; students in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, gathered to watch the inauguration in the elementary school Barack Obama attended as a child. Black-tie dinners and champagne parties were being held in the capitals of Europe.

Kenyans in Nairobi react when pictures of Barack Obama being sworn-in as US President are shown on TV
Kenyans react as Barack Obama is sworn-in as US President, 20 Jan 2009
Barack Obama has long been a favorite in Europe - young, energetic, full of charisma and words that promised change.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sent words of congratulations.

"It is a very special day, not only for the United States of America, but a special day also for billions of people all over the world," she said.

Mrs. Merkel said it is historic to have this first African-American president, and she said she looks forward to a strong, intensive trans-Atlantic cooperation.

Her French counter-part, President Nicolas Sarkozy also sent his congratulations.

"We are anxious to see him get to work so we can change the world with him," President Sarkozy said.

French political analyst, Etienne Schweisguth of the prestigious political science university in Paris, said there has been an almost euphoric mood about Mr. Obama.

He said the sentiment in France is a bit like the liberation after World War II - the idea that we are entering a new world, that everything is possible.

Schweisguth acknowledged that this dream of an ideal world may not be realistic, but he said there is a fundamental expectation in France that under Barack Obama, America will find its way again to work for a new world order.

In his inaugural address President Obama outlined the work that must be done, saying the problems are many and complex from a global economic crisis, to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the challenges of strengthening old alliances and building new ones source>>>

Calls, candy and a flight to Midland for Mr.& Mrs.Bush

On President Bush's final day in office, painters and cleaning crews were still working in the West Wing press offices. Moving crews heaved boxes and delicately carried paintings bound in bubble wrap. Other moving trucks were unloading boxes and carting them into the White House.
The Bushes and Obamas shortly before the Bushes flew out of Washington heading back to Texas.

The Bushes and Obamas shortly before the Bushes flew out of Washington heading back to Texas.
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George W. Bush spent Tuesday morning making calls. He rang outgoing Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former White House Chief of Staff Andy Card and former National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.

The former president also had a conversation with his good friend the Rev. T.D. Jakes.

Jakes is the chief pastor of the nondenominational megachurch Potter's House in Dallas, Texas. He was in Washington to give a sermon Tuesday at St. John's Church, a short walk from the White House.

It's unclear what was said in any of these exchanges, but Bush made clear to the nation last week that his presidency was challenging and that he is "filled with gratitude."

Though there has been "legitimate debate" about many of his decisions, including the war in Iraq, Bush said, "there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil."

Noting that Bush's last day in the home he has known for eight years was fraught with emotion, press secretary Dana Perino spoke affectionately about her boss.

Bush "gave me a kiss on the forehead," she said. "It's something I will never forget."
Don't Miss

An attempt to sweeten the memories of the White House press corps was made Tuesday when Perino gave reporters boxes of M&Ms. The candies were wrapped with a presidential seal and signed by President Bush.

Shortly before President Barack Obama and his family arrived at the White House, Bush took a last walk around the South Lawn. He spent his remaining time at the White House with his family.

Shortly before Obama's inauguration as the 44th president, cameras captured the Bushes, along with daughters Barbara and Jenna, walking to a helicopter on the east Capitol parking lot and from there to Andrews Air Force Base.

A wheelchair-bound Vice President Dick Cheney, who injured his back lifting boxes while moving, was taken to a motorcade.
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The Bushes boarded a flight to Midland, Texas, and were expected to arrive in the small town about 6 p.m. Video Watch Bush wave goodbye »

A crowd had formed by midafternoon in Midland, their cheers streamed live on www.welcomehomebush.com. Country music performers Rodney Atkins, the Gatlin Brothers and Lee Greenwood performed until the former first family arrives. source>>>

Germany's Social Democrats Come to Grips With Hesse Defeat

Germany's ailing Social Democratic Party (SPD) sought Monday to explain the dramatic losses it suffered in a regional election won Sunday by Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives.

Party chairman Franz Muentefering said the defeat in the state of Hesse was an "exception" and "in no way" represented a rejection by voters of the SPD's center-left policies.

He blamed the erosion of support on an attempt by the state's party leadership last year to form a minority government backed by the radical Left Party despite campaign pledges not to do so.

SPD Secretary-General Hubertus Heil said the outcome would have no consequences for the SPD at national level where it rules in an uneasy "grand coalition" with Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU).

Merkel said the result "was a good day for the CDU in Germany" and showed that the conservative camp "has a clear majority" in the run-up to general elections set for September 27.

But it was bad news for Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the SPD candidate who will challenge her for the chancellorship. Both candidates enjoy the same level of popular support, but the SPD is lagging far behind the CDU in opinion polls.

SPD popularity sags

In Hesse, the SPD saw its share of the vote slump to an historic low of 23.7 percent, 13 percentage points less than the previous election in January 2008 when it narrowly failed to unseat incumbent CDU Premier Roland Koch.

Koch has headed a caretaker administration since then.

The CDU polled 37.2 percent, roughly the same as a year ago, and will now be able to form a coalition with its favored partner, the Free Democrats (FDP), which upped its share to 16.2 percent.

CDU Premier Roland Koch, centerBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: CDU Premier Roland Koch, center, had been leading a caretaker government in Hesse

FDP leader Guido Westerwelle called the result "a decisive signal for the general election." He said his party would "act responsibly" with the new powers that would soon be at its disposal.

With a CDU-FDP alliance in Hesse, the two parties will be linked in coalition governments in five of Germany's 16 states, all in the western part of the country.

This would deprive Merkel's CDU-SPD alliance in Berlin of its majority in the Bundesrat, the upper house of parliament, which is made up of representatives of the federal states.

Centrist SPD's ambitions

The SPD finds itself in a dilemma after repositioning itself as a party of the center last autumn when it ditched embattled Rhineland-Palatinate Premier Kurt Beck as chairman, DPA news agency reported.

Analysts said the party has to find a strategy that will allow it to emerge from the shadow of the CDU without pandering too much to voters on the left of the political spectrum, DPA said.

This will not be easy in view of opinion polls which show the SPD unlikely to win enough votes in September to form a two-way coalition with its preferred partner, the Greens.

If it makes overtures to the Left, which is treated with suspicion among the electorate because of its communist roots, it could risk losing its credibility as a party with centrist ambitions, DPA said.

A test will come in August when regional elections take place in Saxony, Thuringia and Saarland. The Left Party is strong in all three states and could poll more votes than the SPD.

No national deal with Left: Muentefering

Die Linke leader Oskar LafontaineBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: A deal with Oskar Lafontaine's Left party could be a dangerous partnership for SPD

National chairman Muentefering has left it open to SPD leaders in the three states to join in a coalition with the Left if it would help to get an SPD candidate elected state premier.

But the SPD has so far ruled out a coalition with the Left at national level, citing that party's stance on foreign affairs, particularly its opposition to the presence of German troops in Afghanistan.

But it might have to rethink this option if the general election in September leaves open the possibility of a three-way coalition between the Greens, SPD and Left, DPA said.

A continuation of the present alliance in Berlin would also be a possibility if the CDU and FDP fall short of their goal of achieving a parliamentary majority. source>>>

Price is not right for many shoppers at Circuit City closeout sale

Many irate Circuit City shoppers discovered the hard way this weekend that going-out-of-business sales don't always mean bargain-basement prices.

Tensions have been running high at many of the chain's 567 U.S. stores after the electronics retailer announced Friday that it was ceasing operations and would begin liquidation sales the next day.

The news that all merchandise would be discounted 10% to 30% drew throngs of customers to stores across the nation over the three-day weekend. But many shoppers left angry and empty-handed.

"What happened to 30%? Lies!" shouted customer Gabriel Ifrah, 52, at the Circuit City on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles on Monday, where most items were priced at 10% off.

Another customer, Bob McGinness, 48, said he had come to the store three times since Friday but hadn't found any good deals.

"I've been waiting in line for half an hour each day based on employees' promises that prices could come down, but they haven't," said McGinness, a TV commercial producer from Los Angeles. "It's very disappointing."

It is too early to know when prices will fall to jaw-dropping levels at the nation's second-largest consumer electronics chain. Liquidators said discounts would increase each week as inventory levels shrank and some could reach as much as 90% in the final days.

Closeout sales are commonplace in today's weak economy, but liquidation pricing and procedures often leave customers feeling frustrated. Several Times readers wrote in e-mails and blog comments that they were being "scammed."

Some of the confusion stemmed from Circuit City's abrupt collapse, which left liquidators scrambling to begin sales the next day. The Circuit City closeout is one of the biggest retail liquidations ever to take place in the U.S., experts said, with more than $1 billion worth of inventory to move by the end of March.

A lucky man won a villa on Tuesday after buying a 99-euro (131-dollar) ticket real estate lottery

Vienna - A lucky Austrian man won a villa on Tuesday after buying a 99-euro (131-dollar) ticket in the country's first real estate sale by lottery, but notaries and real estate brokers expressed concern about this new trend.

Traude Daniel sold 9,999 tickets for her 400-square-metre villa in Klagenfurt in southern Austria, as the house had become too big for her, she told Austrian news agency APA.

Walter Egger, 50, the winner from the village of Sankt Andrae im Gurktal, was informed about his new home while undergoing treatment at his dentist. 'That's crazy!' is all he could say under the circumstances.

The Finance Ministry has told Daniel that selling her home that way was legal, but notaries have warned the owners of some 50 other houses who are planning to follow suit that they might violate the criminal code, which forbids any form of gambling.

'Besides the evaluation regarding criminal law, one should look at regulations against money laundering,' warned Klaus Woschnak, the head of Austria's notary organization.

Real estate brokers are warning some houses to be sold through a lottery were being advertised for amounts far larger than the real values. Broker Ewald Neuhold told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that one house he had appraised recently at 300,000 euros was now being sold by lottery instead, advertised for a value of 620,000 euros.

'That's fraud,' Neuhold said. source>>>

Rick Warren's inaugural invocation unapologetically Christian

So Rick Warren's inauguration invocation has come and gone. What was it like? I'd say:
Emotional and inclusive, asking God for a broad set of blessings for a wide range of tasks for the new administration. But also emphatically Christian -- in Jesus name (and Isa and Yeshua) and ending with what Christians call The Lord's Prayer, taken from the New Testament click to watch source>>>

The Rev. Joseph Lowery has thanked God for letting Barack Obama inspire the nation

The Rev. Joseph Lowery has thanked God for letting Barack Obama inspire the nation to believe that "yes, we can" work together toward a "more perfect union."

Delivering a benediction at the end of Obama's inauguration ceremony, Lowery said Obama takes office at a "low moment" in the nation's and the world's economic health. He prayed for an end to "exploitation" of the weak and poor, and what he called "favoritism toward the rich."

The 87-year-old Methodist is considered the dean of the civil rights movement, helping lead the Montgomery bus boycotts in the 1950s and delivering a list of demands to Alabama Gov. George Wallace during the bloody Selma-Montgomery March in 1965.

After being asked to deliver the benediction at Obama's inauguration, Lowery said he's long hoped that an African-American would one day become president, but didn't think he'd live long enough to see it. source>>>

Pope blesses Obama on historic day

Pope Benedict XVI has given new US President Barack Obama his blessing and prayers as a host of world religious and political leaders welcomed him to office.

The Vatican released the text of a telegram Benedict sent Mr Obama a few hours before the presidential swearing-in ceremony.

In the telegram, the Pope told Mr Obama he was praying that God would grant him "unfailing wisdom and strength" in carrying out his responsibilities. Benedict also urged Mr Obama to stick to his resolve in promoting understanding and peace among peoples.

The pontiff also expressed hope Obama's leadership would help Americans use ethical principles and spiritual values in building a just society. Benedict said attention must be paid to the poor, the outcast, the hungry and "those who have no voice".

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants Barack Obama to seek an international consensus on battling the global financial crisis.

Ms Merkel said that Germany is wishing Mr Obama and his new administration the strength to combat the financial crisis, noting that until the US economy improves, turbulence will continue on international markets.

"The US are the key for the improvement of the financial situation around the globe," Merkel told reporters. "If things do not improve for America, then it will be very, very difficult for the other regions of the world."

And across Kenya, neighbours engulfed in political violence only a year ago have come together to celebrate the US presidential inauguration of the East African nation's favourite son, Barack Obama. The celebrations have helped bring together Kenyans from different ethnic groups who were drawn into the country's political violence last year.

The struggling country of 38 million is proud to boast the birthplace of Mr Obama's father and it is hard to exaggerate the enthusiasm Kenyans feel for America's new president.

The election of a black American president stands as a powerful symbol of unity on this continent, where many countries are still riven between competing ethnic groups and the older generations still remember the injustices of colonialism. source>>>

Israel exits Gaza

- Israeli forces were pulling out of the Gaza Strip yesterday following a tentative truce with Hamas which allowed Palestinians to take stock of the devastating three-week war.

But with a defiant Hamas vowing to fight on if the withdrawal was not completed before next week, it was unclear how long the peace would last, even as world leaders continued to look for a long-term solution.

Meanwhile, bulldozers cleared rubble from streets in the Hamas-ruled territory and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said more than 22,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, estimating a total repair bill in the enclave of at least US$1.9 billion (S$2.8 billion).

Israeli military officials said troops and tanks which had poured into the Gaza Strip on Jan 3 as part of an offensive to counter Palestinian rocket attacks were gradually leaving, though they remained ready to tackle any flare-up in fighting.

Israel and Hamas separately declared ceasefires on Sunday, to the relief of Western powers which, while publicly sympathetic to the Jewish state's security concerns, were alarmed by the mounting humanitarian toll.

Palestinians emerged from hiding, horrified by the killing of more than 1,300 fellow Gazans and the widespread destruction of homes and government infrastructure.

Gaza medical officials said the Palestinian death toll included at least 700 civilians. Israel, which accused Hamas of endangering non-combatants by operating in densely populated areas, said hundreds of gunmen were among the dead. Hamas' armed wing challenged the figure, saying it lost 48 fighters.

Ten Israeli soldiers were killed and three Israeli civilians were hit by rockets, Israel said.

But the one-sided nature of the casualty toll did not stop Gaza-based Hamas administration head Ismail Haniyeh claiming a 'popular victory' against Israel.

'The enemy has failed to achieve its goals,' he said in a speech.

Hamas' truce decision, conditioned on Israel withdrawing within a week, was 'wise and responsible', he said.

At the same time, a spokesman for Hamas' Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades said 'all options would be open' if Israel did not meet the group's pullout deadline.

Ominously, spokesman Abu Obeida also used a live televised address on Al-Jazeera to say: 'Our capacity to launch rockets has not been diminished and we will launch more rockets with God's help.'

Israel launched its assault on Dec 27 vowing to 'change the reality' for its southern border towns that, since 2001, had taken fire from Hamas and other Palestinian factions armed mostly with improvised short-range rockets.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni responded to the latest threat by telling Israel Radio: 'If Hamas fires rockets at Israel, it will get hit again, just like they got hit now, and they know it.'

Israeli Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter went a step further, warning of a military response to any renewed flow of arms into the Gaza Strip.

He told the radio station: 'That means if smuggling is renewed, Israel will view it as if it were fired upon.'

For now, the Gaza situation looks much as it did before the conflict - armed stand-off and a dim future for the 1.5 million people fenced inside the strip by a blockade aimed at punishing Islamist Hamas for rocket fire and ambitions to destroy Israel.

'I don't know what sort of future I have now - only God knows my future after this,' said Ms Amani Kurdi, a 19-year-old student, as she surveyed the wreckage of Gaza's Islamic University, where she had studied science.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy was joined on Sunday by leaders of Germany, Britain, Spain and Italy and the current president of the European Union, the Czech Republic, for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

They visited Egypt and Israel to support the ceasefire, and have called on Israel to open Gaza's borders to aid as soon as possible.

Yesterday, Israel opened three border crossings to shipments of food and other basic necessities, and a spokesman for Mr Olmert said 'enormous amounts' of aid could be allowed in if the quiet holds. source>>>

After Best Buy mega-stored Circuit City to oblivion, the hapless retailer has quickly gone to pieces

After Best Buy mega-stored Circuit City to oblivion, the hapless retailer has quickly gone to pieces.

On Friday, Circuit City said it was liquidating all of its stores. Then, on Saturday, there was a big liquidation sale at my local Circuit City--up to 30 percent off. The checkout line was almost as long as the lines you encounter on a typical Saturday at Fry's--the mostly California- and Texas-based sprawling electronics warehouse. (The line actually snaked to the back of the store.)

Understand that I'm not giving Fry's any backhanded praise. Fry's is so big, so unwieldy, and, in some respects, its sales policies so lax that, as a rule, I avoid it (unless I need a nuts-and-bolts item like a Torx screw).

But Fry's is still a going concern. Circuit City isn't. The store that I visited on Saturday had been taken over lock, stock, and barrel by the liquidator. I interviewed (very briefly because she was on checkout duty) the "store manager" who said that, as of Saturday, her new immediate boss was the person from the liquidation company. That person, in effect, was now running the show, she said.
My local Circuit City (in southern California) on Saturday had lines inside as long as Fry's--though that isn't necessarily a compliment

My local Circuit City (in southern California) on Saturday had lines inside as long as Fry's--though that isn't necessarily a compliment
(

Inside, it was close to pandemonium. (The manager would not let me take pictures inside the store.) Consumers swarming everywhere: every one of them with at least a few breathless questions and scant employees to provide answers. And consumers seemingly snapping up anything that wasn't nailed down. (I've never seen so many HP wide-screen monitors in one checkout line.)

One male employee in the section I was browsing, spent most of the time I was there (about 15 minutes) pleading ignorance and searching for a manager who never (apparently) materialized.

A female employee I talked to outside (she was on break) said no one knew it would happen--until it happened.

What was ironic (and sad) was that I had been to this same Circuit City a few weeks before and an employee had boasted that this store would not close (in the wake of the limited nationwide store closings Circuit City had announced in November) and would be around for a long time.

My take as a consumer? The sheer scale, selection, organization, and relative attention to display detail that one senses at Best Buy proved to be a huge disincentive for going back to Circuit City--and CompUSA for that matter. Statistics don't lie. I have been to Best Buy dozens of times in the past two years. I've been to Circuit City--even though it's closer--maybe six times, and always as a last resort.

Ask your casual consumer, who is familiar with both stores, why Circuit City failed and the answer is often summed up in two words: Best Buy. Others will say Amazon--but that's another story.
source>>>

In a Most Private Kennedy, a Lure of Public Duty

On the day last March that Caroline Kennedy visited the Bronx to honor Joya Ramirez, Ms. Ramirez dressed up in her gray gabardine suit and invited her three sisters, two nephews, niece, fiancé and seven friends to accompany her.
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Caroline, about 3, and her father, who is holding her doll.

A secretary for 44 years at the city's juvenile detention centers, Ms. Ramirez had been selected for a Sloan Public Service Award, and she was not about to skimp on her moment.

Shortly after Ms. Kennedy -- wearing a name tag -- stepped off a bus and into the Horizon Juvenile Center, Ms. Ramirez accepted from her a bounteous bouquet of flowers. Ms. Kennedy posed for pictures with each relative and chatted unhurriedly. It was a topsy-turvy moment when a civil servant savored the briefest of spotlights in the company of a famously reluctant celebrity. And then there were finger sandwiches and juice.

"I think everybody was impressed that she even came," Ms. Ramirez said. "If my last name was Kennedy, my feet wouldn't touch the ground."

There were no television cameras in Mott Haven that day; the Sloan awards program exists "largely below the radar," recognizing "people who are invisible," said Mary McCormick, president of the Fund for the City of New York, which administers the awards. And in that way, the program suited Ms. Kennedy, 51, who has always sought to perform public service as discreetly as possible.

Now, however, Ms. Kennedy, having offered herself as a candidate to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton as New York's junior senator, stands poised to surrender her zealously guarded privacy and genteel civic involvement to dive headlong into the mosh pit of New York politics. She has already dipped a toe. After announcing her interest to Gov. David A. Paterson in December, Ms. Kennedy made a few forays into the field of self-promotion, which does not come naturally to her.

"I think she's constitutionally modest and constitutionally not a bloviator, and the 'look at me' part of politics is so antithetical to what she is," said Richard Plepler, a friend who is co-president of HBO. "But don't confuse that with a lack of passion or talent for making her case cogently and effectively."

Still, her initial public appearances elicited criticism that Ms. Kennedy had failed to exude warmth, express herself well or make a compelling case for why she should leapfrog over seasoned politicians. Not unlike Mrs. Clinton when she first sought the Senate seat, Ms. Kennedy, who is also considered smart and a serious student of public affairs with a household name, was challenged for a résumé thin on traditional professional experience. Raised to tend her family legacy but not to trade on it, Ms. Kennedy has struggled to make the case that she is motivated by the Kennedy ethic of public service and not by any sense of entitlement.

Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic consultant, said that she "plainly flubbed her rollout." But Robert Shrum, a Democratic strategist who is close to the Kennedys, disagreed, saying that the New York press "hazed her like crazy," as when reporters zeroed in on the multiple times she uttered "you know." Mr. Shrum noted that her eloquent uncle Senator Robert F. Kennedy had his own verbal tic -- "the tendency to go 'ah,' which never got in his way."

Polls released last week showed that voters had cooled on Ms. Kennedy, increasingly favoring Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo. It is Governor Paterson who will make the selection -- he has interviewed other candidates, too, and is expected to announce his decision this week -- but the new senator will have to face the voters in 2010 and again in 2012.

Ms. Kennedy was neither surprised nor deterred by the initial "roughness of the politics, which might have made others dive under their beds," her close friend Nicole K. Seligman, general counsel of the Sony Corporation, said. Still, she once again withdrew from the public eye and declined to be interviewed for this article.

Relatives and friends sought to depict Ms. Kennedy as brainy, funny, loyal and remarkably down-to-earth for a woman whose life, with all its privilege and tragedy, has been documented like a national photo album.

The essential Caroline Kennedy whom they portrayed is a hands-on mother of three children and the author of seven books who has spent much of her adult life managing first the legacy of her assassinated father and then the memories and estates of her mother and younger brother.

"She never, ever displays entitlement," said Esther Newberg, her literary agent. "I have been sitting next to her at book signings where 800 people go through a line and say the exact same thing -- 'I went into politics because of your father' or 'Your mother was beautiful' or 'How hard it must be for you because of your brother' -- and she is unfailingly gracious where I would have begun to throw water at them."

Life in a Protected Zone

Friends and relatives say Ms. Kennedy's pursuit of the Senate seat is the logical conclusion of a year spent immersed in the presidential campaign. continue>>>

Christian leaders urge focus on poor in Obama stimulus package

- Nine Christian leaders said the transition team of President-elect Barack Obama listened attentively to their urging that the needs of the poor be included in a planned economic stimulus package once Obama assumes the presidency.

They said they were challenged by a transition-team official to have the members of their respective denominations demand help for the poor in the stimulus package.

"We hope and believe overcoming poverty, which diminishes the lives and dignity of so many of our children, is a central and urgent priority for common and persistent action for all of us," said Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

He spoke during a Jan. 15 press conference sponsored by Christian Churches Together following the transition-team meeting.

"Perhaps the most important word in Catholic teaching and in overcoming poverty is 'and,' " Archbishop Gregory said.

Overcoming poverty, he added, will require, among other things:

- "More personal responsibility from parents in raising children and more public responsibility from government to help them escape poverty."

- "More bipartisan cooperation and less ideological posturing in the national debate over how to reduce poverty in our nation."

- "Decent jobs at decent wages for those who can work and a decent safety net for those who can't work, can't find work or aren't paid livable wages."

The nine Christian leaders at the press conference said they offered no specific policy prescriptions to the Obama transition team.

The Rev. Sharon Watkins, general minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), said afterward that specifics were not offered in order to maintain consensus among the various members of Christian Churches Together, which encompasses Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, African-American Protestant, evangelical and Pentecostal denominations.

"We believe that renewed commitment to overcome poverty is central to the mission of the church and essential to our unity in Christ," reads one portion of Christian Churches Together's statement on poverty. The organization's four objectives to reduce poverty are to strengthen families and communities, reduce child poverty, strengthen the educational system, and "make work work" by "guaranteeing that full-time work offers a realistic escape from poverty and access to good health care."

While much talk regarding the stimulus package's components has been aimed at the middle class, the poor need its benefits as well, said the Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners. "We do care about the middle class," he said. "But it is our task to make sure the poor, who are close to the heart of God, are not left out during this economic crisis."

Rev. Wallis said America's churches may have to gird for a "poverty emergency" if the U.S. economy continues to falter, potentially swelling the ranks of the nation's poor from the current 37.2 million to 45 million at a time when denominations and individual congregations are themselves feeling the effects of a recession that has already lasted more than a year.

Similar hopes for reducing American poverty were expressed in 2001 when George W. Bush assumed the presidency, said the Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, general secretary of the Reformed Church in America and one of those invited by Bush to suggest themes to use in his first inaugural speech. "Eight years have passed," the minister added, and "in the United States 4 million more people have fallen into poverty."

In past years, Pentecostals and evangelicals might not have seen the need to care for the poor, said Bishop James D. Leggett, presiding bishop of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. But "the Lord demands" it, he noted, adding "there is a growing sense among evangelical Protestants to pay attention to the needs of the poor." source>>>>

Pope urges Christians to live side-by-side in peace with peoples of other cultures and religions.

- Noting that migrants and refugees live often painful and difficult circumstances, Benedict XVI has urged Christians to work toward living side-by-side in peace with peoples of other cultures and religions.

The Pope said this today on the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, before praying the Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter's Square. The theme for the day is "St. Paul Migrant, Apostle of the Gentiles."

"Saul," the Pontiff said, using St. Paul's Jewish name, "was born into a family of immigrants in Tarsus, an important city of Cilicia, and grew up in three cultures -- Jewish, Hellenistic, and Roman -- and with a cosmopolitan mentality."

"When he converted from being a persecutor of Christians to being an apostle of the Gospel, Paul became the 'ambassador' of the risen Christ to make him known to all, in the conviction that in him all peoples are called to form the great family of the children of God," he said.

"This is also the Church's mission," the Holy Father continued, "more than ever in this time of globalization. As Christians it is impossible for us not to feel the need to transmit Jesus' message of love, especially to those who do not know him, or who find themselves in difficult and painful situations.

"Today I have immigrants particularly in mind. Their reality is indeed diverse: In some cases, thanks be to God, it is peaceful and they are well integrated; in other cases, unfortunately, it is painful, difficult and sometimes even dramatic."

Meeting place

"I want to insure that the Christian community looks on every person and every family with attention and asks St. Paul for the strength of a renewed dedication to work in every part of the world for peaceful coexistence of men and women of different ethnicities, cultures and religions," he added.

Benedict XVI said that everyone, "according to his own vocation and in the place where he lives and works, is called to bear witness to the Gospel, with a greater concern for those brothers and sisters who have come from different countries for various reasons to live among us."

Great Boston Molasses flood occurred this date in 1919.

The Great Boston Molasses Flood happened on this day in 1919. A large tank burst and 2.3 million gallons of molasses barreled out in a 30 ft. wave leaving 21 dead and 150 injured. Some residents claim that on a hot summer day the area still smells of molasses. source>>>

Official transcript of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2009 State of the State address

Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much, Lt. Gov. Garamendi, for the nice introduction. Chief Justice George, President Pro Tem Steinberg, Speaker Bass, Senate Republican Leader Cogdill, Assembly Republican Leader Villines, members of the Legislature, ladies and gentlemen:

*
Audio: State of the State address
*
Budget dominates Gov. Schwarzenegger's speech

First of all, I want to congratulate the four that have been responsible for creating, really, the Martin Luther King holiday. So I want to say thank you because Martin Luther King has been a great hero who has given his life for justice and for equality and has been a great inspiration not only to Americans but to people all over the world. So congratulations to all of them. Let's give them a hand, again, for the great work that they have done. (Applause)

I also want to take this opportunity to just thank a few people, because all this hard work is not done just by me or the Horseshoe, there are a lot of people involved. First of all I want to say thank you very much to my wife and the first lady of California for her extraordinary work on the Women's Conference or on promoting earned income tax credit or the volunteers, California Volunteers, or the Hall of Fame or the California Museum and the list goes on and on and on. Let's give her a great hand for the great work that she is doing. (Applause)

Then I also want to take this opportunity to say thank you to my staff that has been working so tirelessly, not only during the day but sometimes at night and on the weekends and so on and especially also my chief of staff, Susan Kennedy. Thank you very much for all the great work that all of you are doing. Thank you. (Applause)

Your Vote
In 2009, Sacramento legislators' first priority should be:

Creating new jobs
Reducing the budget deficit
Improving the education system
Creating universal healthcare
Boosting environmental protection programs
And I also want to say thank you to the staffs of the Legislature, because we are not by ourselves down there; you guys, you have terrific staff, hard-working staff that come down there and work with us also again many hours during days, nights and weekends, so we want to say thank you also to them for all of that. (Applause)

Now, we meet in times of great hope for our nation, although we hear the drumbeat of news about bailouts, bankruptcies and Ponzi schemes, the nation with great anticipation is also awaiting the inauguration of a new president. Our nation should be proud of President-elect Obama's election and what it says to the world about American openness and renewal.

You know, President Reagan used to tell about a letter that he got from a man who said that you can go and live in Turkey but you can't become a Turk. You can go and live in Japan but you can't become Japanese. And he went through various different countries like that, but the man said anyone from any corner of the world can come to America and become an American. (Applause)

I know that we know that any American child now also, no matter what corner of the world his father or mother comes from, can even become president of the United States. What a wonderful national story for us. This nation rightfully feels the hope of change.

Californians, of course, desire change here in their own state as well. Yet they have doubts, if that is possible, because for months in the face of a crisis we have been unable to reach agreement on the largest budget deficit in our history. We are in our third special session and we have declared a fiscal emergency and every day that goes by makes the budget problem that much harder to solve.

As a result of all of this, California, the eighth-largest economy in the world, faces insolvency within weeks. The Legislature is currently in the midst of serious and good-faith negotiations to solve this crisis, negotiations that are being conducted in the knowledge that we have no alternative but to find agreement.

The importance of the negotiations' success goes far beyond the economic and human impact. People are asking if California is governable. They wonder about the need of a constitutional convention. They don't understand how we could have let political dysfunction paralyze our state for so long. In recent years they have seen more gridlock in Sacramento than on our roads, if that is possible.

I will not give the traditional State of the State address here today because the reality is that our state is incapacitated until we solve the budget crisis. The truth is that California is in a state of emergency.

Addressing this emergency is the first and most important and greatest thing that we must do for the people of California. The $42-billion deficit is a rock upon our chest and we cannot breathe until we get it off. It doesn't make any sense for me to talk here today and stand in front of you and talk about education or infrastructure or water or healthcare reform and all of those things, when we have this huge budget deficit. I will talk about my vision for all of those things and much more as soon as we get the budget done. So, no, I did not come here to deliver the normal list of accomplishments and proposals. I came just simply to encourage this body to continue the hard work that you are doing behind closed doors. I know we're going to get it done.

There is a context, of course, and a history to the negotiations that are underway. It is not that California is ungovernable; it is that for too long we have been split by ideology. Conan's sword could not have cleaved our political system in two as cleanly as our own political parties have done. Over time ours has become a system where rigid ideology has been rewarded and pragmatic compromise has been punished. And where has this led us? I think you would agree that in recent years California's Legislature has been engaged sometimes in civil war. Meanwhile, the needs of the people became secondary. Our citizens do not believe that we in government are in touch with their needs.

Now, these needs are not unreasonable, may I remind you. At the end of the day most people do not require a great deal from their government. They expect just simply the fundamentals. They want to live in safety, they want good education for their children, they want jobs, they want to breathe clean air, they want water when they turn on the faucet, they want electricity when they turn on the switch, and they want those things delivered efficiently and economically.

One of the reasonable expectations that the public has of government is that it will produce a sound and balanced budget. That is what the legislative leaders are struggling to do right now. There is no course left for us but this: to work together, to sacrifice together and to think of the common good and not our individual good.

Now, of course, no one wants to take money from our gang-fighting programs or from Medi-Cal or from education. Of course not. No one wants to pay more taxes or fees. But each of us has to give up something, because our country is in an economic crisis and our state simply doesn't have the money.

In December we even had to suspend funding that affects 2,000-plus infrastructure projects that were already underway. So now the bulldozers are silent. The nail guns are still. The cement trucks are parked. This disruption has stopped work on levees and housing and schools and roads, on everything. It has thrown thousands and thousands of people out of work at a time when our unemployment rate is rising and when people really need the jobs. How could we have let something like this happen?

I know that everyone in this room wants to hear again the sound of construction. No one wants unemployment checks replacing paychecks. So I'm encouraged that meaningful negotiations are underway. And as difficult as the budget will be, good things can come out of it. Because in spite of the budget crisis, when we have worked together in the past, we have passed measures, extraordinary measures that move the state and even the country forward.
source>>>

Go skiing this weekend! SNOW REPORT

Arapahoe Basin
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Ski Cooper
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Sol Vista
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Vail
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Winter Park
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Wolf Creek Ski Area
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Pope, JNF head agree Jews and Christians should work together for peace

Pope Benedict XVI received a delegation from the Jewish National Fund (JNF) on Wednesday in a meeting described as lasting longer than expected.
Pope Benedict XVI greets...

Pope Benedict XVI greets Israeli ambassador to the Vatican Mordechai Lewy prior to his traditional speech to the Holy See's diplomatic corps, at the Vatican on Thursday.
Photo: AP
Slideshow: Pictures of the week

JNF Chairman Efi Stenzler, who headed the delegation, used the pre-planned visit to discuss the Gaza situation and the fight against Hamas, telling Benedict that Jews and Christians should "join forces" and "fight together" against terrorists who sought "the destruction of peace."

Stenzler stressed that Israel merely wanted peace, to which the pope replied, "I too want peace and peace is very important to me."

The visit had been arranged in order to discuss Christian holy sites in Israel, many of which are maintained by the JNF. Benedict is expected to visit in May.

"My hope is to use your trip to Israel this year to help build bridges between the Jewish nation and the Christian nation through ecological and environmental issues, which are pure and good for all humanity without regard [to] religion and faith," Stenzler told him.

He presented the pope with one of JNF's blue collection boxes, as well as an Old Testament in both Hebrew and English. The pope said he was pleased that the bible was also in Hebrew.

Afterwards, Israel's ambassador to the Holy See, Mordechai Levy, told the delegation that the pope had given the visit a surprising amount of his time source>>>

US Airways Airbus aircraft flight has crashed in the Hudson River.

US Airways Airbus aircraft flight 1549 from Lagurdia Airport in NYC to Charlotte North Carolina Plane has crashed in the Hudson River.

146 Passengers on board, 5 Crew Members, Some reports say plane struck flock of geese.

Boat and firefighters are currently rescuing passengers.

Caught in the opt-out trap

When Angela Gross buys a ticket through Frontier Airlines' Web site, it tacks on an extra $10.95 for travel insurance. How did it manage to do that? By having a checked box on the booking screen that she had to opt out of. Now Frontier is balking at a refund.

Q: I have a question about travel insurance that I bought online when I booked airline tickets. Actually, I didn't mean to buy the insurance. I was on the Frontier Airlines Web site, and there was a little box that was automatically checked that indicated I wanted to pay an extra $10.95 for travel insurance.

It was a lot like one of those pre-checked boxes that sign you up for sales campaign e-mails from a company. Only this time, I had to pay for it. The box was hard to see and the purchase didn't show up until after I bought the ticket.

Frontier says it can't help me, and that I have to go through the travel insurance company for a refund. The insurance company, AIG Travel Guard, hasn't responded to any of my requests. I don't think it should be a default setting to purchase travel insurance, and I want my money back. Can you help me?

-- Angela Gross, Englewood, Colorado

A: Frontier shouldn't have charged you for insurance you didn't want. The airline engaged in something I call unethical pre-checking -- signing you up for a service you didn't want.

The least it could do is offer a fast refund. Instead, it punted to AIG Travel Guard. Needless to say, AIG should have quickly refunded your money, too. Instead, it stalled.

What's the world coming to?

When both companies balked at a refund, you should have written a brief, polite e-mail to both companies requesting a refund. To underscore your seriousness, why not copy the Transportation Department and the insurance commission for the state in which you live? Since those agencies track the number of complaints they get about companies, they'll be particularly interested in what you have to say.

If that doesn't work, try escalating your complaint to an executive. E-mail works best. At Frontier, e-mail addresses are formatted as follows: first initial last name (no space)@flyfrontier.com; at AIG, it's firstname.lastname@aig.com. I'm giving you the conventions because the names of executives can change, but e-mail address formats generally don't.

Pre-checking a box is frowned upon in the online community. The more accepted practice is to opt in to a service or purchase -- in other words, checking the box if you want to buy insurance. I asked both companies for a response.

AIG spokesman Dan McGinnity said you should be able to get a full refund for your policy and that his company has no control over the way in which its products are sold by a third party. "We do offer a full refund for clients who decide they do not want the travel insurance protection, as long as they contact us prior to their trip," he said. A small percentage of Frontier's customers -- less than half of 1 percent -- have asked for their money back.

Steve Snyder, a spokesman for Frontier, said the airline should have offered you a full and immediate refund when you phoned, but defended the practice of pre-checking. "Quite frankly," he told me, "we are selling a product that we believe in." He noted that travel insurance covers items that typically cause people to change their flights, "and we think $10.95 insurance is a better deal than a $150 change fee plus fare difference."

Since your query, Frontier "made some changes" to its site to make the opt-out box as obvious as possible, according to Snyder. While I applaud that, I think there's one more change that ought to be made: to allow passengers to opt in -- not out. source>>>

Christian group asks Obama to Put poor people first

A coalition of 36 major Christian organizations today urged President-Elect Barack Obama to put poor people first when designing an economic stimulus package.

Christian Churches Together, which says its represents 101 million church members, said talk of bailouts and stimulus packages have focused too much on the middle class instead of the poorest citizens.

"We really can't be true to our calling and our Christ without addressing poverty," said William J. Shaw, president of the National Baptist Convention, USA and president of the African American groups in Christian Churches Together.

Christian leaders said they met with Obama's transition team to discuss the main priority of many religious groups: reducing poverty.

They asked the new administration to set a goal to reduce poverty by 50 percent in the next decade. That same goal was suggested to President Bush eight years ago, but it wasn't met, said the Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, general secretary of the Reformed Church of America.

"Poverty is a moral failure," he said. "The ongoing scandal of poverty in our country is not just a political issue but is a moral and spiritual issue."

The group acknowledged that middle class families need help, too, but said those in poverty have the most pressing need. Helping the poorest families could stimulate the economy, they said.

The responsibility to help, they said, lies with the government and with religious organizations.

Christian Churches Together, formed in 2006, includes members from every major denomination. It is broken into five "families" -- Catholic, Orthodox, historical Protestant, Evangelical/Protestant and African American. source>>>

NPR to Broadcast Obama Inaugral Celebration Concert

NPR will be the only radio broadcaster of the concert "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration," the star-studded kickoff of official inaugural festivities, starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 18. The event, which is free and open to the public at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be broadcast by NPR to public radio stations nationwide, and will be available as a simultaneous stream at the Web sites of many stations. Find your local station for more information: visit npr.org/stations.

The lineup of performers mixes some of today's biggest pop stars with iconic musical luminaries. Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Herbie Hancock, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder and many more artists are all scheduled to appear on stage (a full list appears to the left). In addition, an assembly of leading actors will read historical passages throughout the special.

According to the Presidential Inaugural Committee, "The Sunday afternoon performance will be grounded in history and brought to life with entertainment that relates to the themes that shaped Barack Obama and which will be the hallmarks of his administration." The concert portion will start around 2:30 p.m. At the end of the performance, President-Elect Obama will address the crowd.

NPR's Lisa Simeone will anchor the 3-hour broadcast. Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic Tim Page will also be on hand to preview the music at President-Elect Obama's inaugural ball.

Note: This concert will not be archived on NPR.org. source>>>

similarities between how Muslims and Jews worship the God of Abraham.

Speaking of the Jews, Razib has an interesting post (following up on this post, from last year) attacking the intellectual seriousness of the term "Judeo-Christian." Among other things, he argues that in terms of historical beliefs and practices, it makes more sense to talk about a Judeo-Islamic tradition, with Christianity, trinities and all, as the outlier, than it does to lump the Christians and the Jews together.

Given that the term in question evolved, in part, as a characteristically American form of politeness - a way to make a Jewish minority in a largely-Christian society feel welcomed and at home - I don't think it's a surprise that it's somewhat wanting in the intellectual-rigor department. But I think there are two defenses to be made of it. The first is that it's most often employed in the context of intra-Western debates over secularism, atheism, the culture war, and so forth, rather than in the context of Islam - and in a landscape like the post-Enlightenment West, where traditional religion has often been opposed by secular ideologies of various stripes, Jews and Christians would seem to have enough in common to constitute a Judeo-Christian axis (if you will) that can be reasonably contrasted with worldviews ranging from Comtean positivism to Marxism and National Socialism. (It's not a coincidence that the term "Judeo-Christian" was initially popularized during decades when the latter two ideologies were ascendant.)

Throw Islam into the mix, obviously, and the term makes less immediate sense. Razib allows that self-consciously modernized faiths like Reform Judaism and liberal Protestantism have more in common with one another than either does with contemporary Islam, but he makes the case that "Rabbinical Judaism, the dominant form of Judaism between 500 to 1800, resembles Islam much more than Christianity," and that even the Judaizing tendencies in post-Reformation Christianity don't create a practical affinity with Judaism comparable to the similarities between how Muslims and Jews worship the God of Abraham.

His brief is plausibly argued (though he glosses rather quickly over the implications of the Maimonidean-Scholastic connection), so let me just offer one possible response: Namely, that you could arguably rest a case for a deeper Judeo-Christian than Judeo-Muslim affinity on how the junior religion relates to the parent faith. Both Christianity and Islam are essentially supersessionist, obviously, but I suspect that the Christian decision to swallow the Hebrew Bible whole into its scripture - and to preserve, rather than elide, Jesus' own obvious self-understanding as a Jew - ultimately creates deeper grounds for dialogue than does Islam's insistence that the narrative of the Hebrew scriptures was deliberately corrupted and required correction from Muhammed.

Put another way, Christian tradition seems to have more respect for the essential integrity and God-givenness of pre-Christian Judaism than does Islamic tradition. This makes it difficult to imagine a Muslim version of the sort of rethinking of what, precisely, supersessionism means than we've seen from Evangelicals and Catholics in this century - a rethinking that's been crucial for the development of Judeo-Christian dialogue. And by the same token, there's no equivalent in the foundational narrative of Islam to the striking Jewishness of Jesus, a quality which would seem to make Jewish engagement with the Gospel narratives - and Christian engagement with that engagement - more plausible and intellectually fruitful in the long run than Jewish engagement with the figure of Muhammed.

Admittedly, though, these suggestion are entirely provisional, and perhaps hopelessly timebound. The potential for fruitful Jewish-Christian dialogue was not readily apparent, to put it mildly, during many periods of Christian history; there were periods when Jewish-Islamic dialogue was in better shape that it is today; and it may be that Muslim-Jewish dialogue in, say the 24th century will look a lot like Christian-Jewish dialogue does at present, the various scriptural tumbling blocks notwithstanding. And if that dialogue is taking place between religious scholars in a peaceful Israel and Palestine, I'll be delighted to have my theory disproven. source>>>

Watch Out for These Inauguration Scams

After hearing about a friend who got tricked into thinking a letter in the mail was an Inauguration Day ticket, I discovered a variety of Jan. 20-related scams. First, beware of the fake tickets. The Inaugural Committee has warned consumers against buying tickets from third-party sellers. Since the tickets, which are free and handed out by members of Congress, require in-person pick-up close to the date of the Inauguration, anyone claiming to have tickets to sell is not telling the truth, the committee says. "We urge the public to view any offers of tickets for sale with great skepticism," says staff director Howard Gantman. Websites including eBay and StubHub have officially banned the sale of tickets.

While scalped tickets for ice hockey and other sports games are easy to find in Washington, they aren't a reliable option for Inauguration day, warns the Better Business Bureau. Scalpers may not be able to get enough tickets to sale, and lawmakers are also considering whether to make the act illegal.

Other scams include:

* Overpriced hotel deals. Travel guru Peter Greenberg says he's saw a $70,000 package for a room, champagne and a limo -- but no tickets to any Inauguration-related event.

* Letters that say "you've been selected." High school students were the target of fraudsters who told them they'd been selected to represent their state, if only they paid a certain amount of money. Of course, even if they paid the money, they still didn't receive any Inaugural tickets.

* Telemarketers. As far away as the Caribbean, telemarketers have been selling alleged Inaugural tickets to anyone who will pay $99 or more. Just remember: The tickets are free, given away by lawmakers. Be suspicious of anyone who tries to sell them to you.

And, of course, think twice before purchasing Obama memorabilia. The Better Business Bureau warns that the only value it holds is of the sentimental variety. source>>>

Steve Jobs Taking Leave From Apple for Health Reasons

Steven P. Jobs, Apple's co-founder and chief executive, told the company's employees in a letter on Wednesday that he would take a leave of absence through June in order to focus on his health. Mr. Jobs said last week that he was being treated for a hormone problem. Here is the text of his letter as released by Apple.

Team,

I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.

In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple's day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.

I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.

Steve source>>>

The curious agnosticism of ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’

Shouldn't movies be able to imagine the afterlife better than any other art form?

I thought of this while watching "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." The film is mired in aging and death, yet for some reason it never broaches the topic of the great beyond.

Brad Pitt plays the title character, who is born old - wrinkly and infirm - and grows younger each day. That doesn't mean he is immortal, however. Instead, he passes from a decrepit state into middle age, then into youth and on to infancy and eventually death.

That's not necessarily the stuff of which multiplex tickets are sold, so the movie's marketers have emphasized the poignancy of the relationship between Benjamin and the love of his life, played by Cate Blanchett. (They share a brief, rapturous romance at the midpoint of the film, when their characters are momentarily in the same age demographic.)

According to the movie, this is as good as it gets. In life, happiness is a fleeting prospect. At one point, as Benjamin and Blanchett's Daisy lie together, he mournfully observes, "Nothing lasts."

Christians, of course, believe the opposite, which may be why I found "Benjamin Button" overwhelmingly sad, rather than poignant. The movie is resigned to thinking of life as a weary trudge, with joyful moments strewn here and there. It may, somewhat miraculously, go backwards, but it doesn't go on forever.

Forever, though, is the Christian's hope. We believe in eternal life with Jesus Christ, even if we aren't exactly sure what this will look like. (My 6-year-old daughter has her own idea. Only this week she told me that we arrive in heaven as babies and grow up until we reach the age at which we want to live forever.)

I wish more movies took on the challenge of filling in this gap. Revelations, with its fantastic, symbolic imagery, has inspired grandiose, effects-laden visions such as "What Dreams May Come" and "Constantine."

Going back further, there was Max von Sydow playing chess with the Grim Reaper in Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal."

In the lovely, 1998 Japanese film "After Life," the recently deceased select their favorite memory, which is the only one they can take with them into eternity. And, of course, we know that "All Dogs Go to Heaven."

Imagining the afterlife is a daunting task, so I can understand why "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - which was a film making wonder in so many other ways - remained so earthbound. Still, I eagerly away the picture that speculates on what heaven might be like in a way that resonates with me source>>>

Christians, Gays, Muslim woman, rabbis to pray at inaugural service

At past inaugurations, ceremonial prayers uttered on behalf of the incoming president drew about as much attention as the flags on the podium.

Not this year.

Barack Obama's choice of clergy is under scrutiny like no other president-elect before him, alternately outraging Americans on the left and the right as he navigates the minefield of U.S. religion.

"I can't recall any prayers drawing so much attention," said Charles Haynes, senior scholar at the First Amendment Center who specializes in religion in public life.

Gay advocates assailed Obama, while many conservative Christians were heartened, when he invited the Rev. Rick Warren, a Southern Baptist who opposes gay marriage, to deliver the inaugural invocation on Tuesday.

The tables turned when Obama asked V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, to lead prayers at Sunday's kickoff for the inauguration at the Lincoln Memorial. Gay rights groups rejoiced, while some conservative Christians wrung their hands.

The Inauguration Committee has only released one clergy name so far for the Jan. 21 National Prayer Service that caps the inauguration. The Rev. Sharon Watkins, the first woman president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a Protestant group, will deliver the sermon.

The Associated Press has learned additional details.

A prayer will be offered at the National Cathedral by Ingrid Mattson, the first woman president of the Islamic Society of North America, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information. The Islamic Society, based in Indiana, is the nation's largest Muslim group.

Three rabbis, representing the three major branches of American Judaism, will also say a prayer at the service, according to officials familiar with the plans. The Jewish clergy are Reform Rabbi David Saperstein, Conservative Rabbi Jerome Epstein and Orthodox Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, sources said.

It is also traditional for the incoming administration to ask the Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington to lead a prayer. The Most Rev. Donald Wuerl leads the archdiocese.

And like many incoming presidents before him, Obama will attend a service at St. John's Church, dubbed the "Church of the Presidents," before his swearing-in.

Religion has been a lightning rod for Obama since the presidential campaign _ from false rumors that he is Muslim to uproar over sermons by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

And interest in the inauguration is higher overall, partly because of its historic nature, the swearing-in of the first African-American president. The Rev. Joseph Lowery, a Methodist considered the dean of the civil rights movement, will give the inaugural benediction.

But Obama's choice of clergy is also of greater interest because of the changing landscape of American religion.

The United States is more diverse than ever before, and members of minority faiths yearn to be recognized as fully American. Even atheists are newly energized, suing to prevent prayer and mention of God at the swearing-in.

"In the past, minority groups within Christianity and minority religions on the American scene were not as vocal or as sure-footed and therefore didn't pay as much attention to the inauguration event itself or didn't feel the need to. That's no longer true," said Rabbi James Rudin, who spent three decades leading interreligious outreach for the American Jewish Committee.

Most past presidents only had to choose from clergy of the American Protestant establishment. Eventually, inaugural organizers added a priest or bishop to the ceremonies as the Catholic Church in the U.S. grew stronger. Rabbis were sometimes included.

But Protestants are now losing their majority status in the country. The go-to Protestant for inaugural prayer, evangelist Billy Graham, is 90 and off the public stage. No one has, or likely could, take his place as "America's pastor."

The Obama campaign is also partly responsible for the religious focus.

The Democrat spoke openly of his faith during the election, more so than his opponent, Republican Sen. John McCain, and reached out to believers, hoping to counter the perception that the GOP had cornered the market on God.

"This inaugural is a coming-out party for the Democrats in terms of their religious voice," said Stephen Prothero, a religion professor at Boston University. "Democrats found their religious voice in the last election and I think there's interest in seeing how that voice is going to sound."

Haynes said Obama is also carrying the hopes of the many Americans frustrated by the prominence of the Christian right in recent decades, especially in the administration of President George W. Bush. That partly explains the backlash against Warren, he said.

"The sense is it's time to balance that out and to have other voices heard. He's supposed to represent change," Haynes said. "There are many people looking for a symbolic change in tone, especially when it comes to issues of religion and public life." source>>>

Pro-Life Law Firm and Illinois Solicitor General will Argue for [Abortion] Parental Notice law

- On Wednesday, January 14, the Chicago-based Thomas More Society (TMS - www.thomasmoresociety.org) will argue before the Federal Seventh Circuit, along with Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's Solicitor General, to defend Illinois' long waning Parental Notice Law for Abortions. At issue is whether the federal injunction against enforcement of the Illinois Parental Notice Law of 1995 should be continued in effect, given that the Illinois Supreme Court issued rules for confidential hearings and appeals by minors, who are in a trial judge's view, mature and informed enough to make their own decision whether to end a pregnancy or whose family circumstances (e.g. incest) make it perilous that such parental notice be given. It was for lack of such rules -- which the Illinois Supreme Court, with different membership, had refused to issue back in the 1990s -- that the federal court had originally barred enforcement of the parental notice law.

Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of Thomas More Society, said, "We are anxious to press this appeal because we believe that the enforcement of this law, enacted well over a decade ago, is very overdue and should be delayed no longer. Polls show that up to 80 percent of Illinois citizens support parental notice for abortion, which is serious invasive surgery, and indeed parental consent is required by law before school nurses may even administer aspirin to minor students. Illinois is the only Midwestern state where parental notice is not required and child predators routinely bring minors from other states here for abortions without their parents' knowledge, let alone consent. It's high time this anomalous, flagrant injustice was brought to an end."

Contacts for the Media
Tom Brejcha, Esq., Chief Counsel, Thomas More Society: 312-590-3408 cell, 312-782-1680
Thomas Ciesielka, TC Public Relations: 312-422-1333, cell 312-403-1333 source>>>

HBU offering business courses based on Christian principles

Houston Baptist University is starting a Christian business leadership series.

"Bible in the Boardroom," being taught through the school's continuing studies college, will look at executive leadership best practices based on Christian principles.

Entrepreneur Brad Hays and Wallace Henley, assistant pastor at Houston's Second Baptist Church, will lead the courses.

There are five initial courses for the "Bible in the Boardroom" series: Zones of Greatness, Soul of Business, Seven Secrets of Successful Managers, Energy Zappers: Handling Difficult People Effectively and "Wow" Secrets of Customer Service.

The first course begins Feb. 2, with all of the other courses scheduled to begin through June. source>>>

This Day in History

On this day in 1128, the military order Knights Templar was granted a papal sanction, declared to be an army of God by Pope Honorius II. In 1968, Johnny Cash gave his legendary performance at Folsom Prison.

A Magician’s Christian Encounter

You've probably heard of the famed magic duo Penn and Teller. If you know them well, then you understand that Penn Jillette, the one that talks, is a big time atheist. Phil Cooke had this video on his blog where Penn is talking about a recent experience where a Christian gave him a copy of the Psalms after a performance. His reaction is worth a watch. The good stuff is towards the second half.

I was intrigued by the way Penn talked about this man. He said he was "very, very, very good" and when on to use descriptors like polite, kind, honest and sane. Obviously this one experience, and maybe 100 more like it, may never change the magicians views. But I think it opened his eyes to the love and compassion Jesus shows through many of us. Of course his reaction led to lots of questions for me.

Why is it a surprise for someone to see a Christian and say that person is nice and compassionate? Why doesn't the world see us as kind, honest and sane instead of standoff-ish, pretentious and a little bit crazy?

The obvious and easiest thing to do is blame the media. In past jobs, I was the media and I got blamed a lot. There is no doubt the loudest voices get heard most of the time. And many times the loud Christian voices are the ones who are extreme and not representative of many of us. But I wonder if this is really the problem? If the majority of Christians were acting out in kind and authentic ways, wouldn't society view us a different way despite the crazies in our mix?

This has always been a passionate issue for me. I believe the way we act and live is our best witness. Penn said it in the video, we would really have to hate someone to not share what we believe to be true that everlasting life exists. I agree proselytizing can be good if it's done in an authentic way. While it may not change Penn's life, although I hope that it can, it could change the lives of others.

I realize this isn't a new or ground breaking line of thought, but for some reason it's always an issue we as Christians face. How do you view it? What's the perception problem in your eyes? Could it be the problem is the loudest Christian voices aren't really those who are acting out their faith in a polite, kind and honest sort of way? source>>>

Monday, January 12th, 2009 Footnotes: Mickey Rourke’s Messed-Up Face

In his heyday, Mickey Rourke hated the idea of being a heartthrob. He doesn't have to worry about that anymore. After a stint as a professional boxer, Rourke's once-pretty face looks like it's been beat on with a meat cleaver. He says he's never been to a plastic surgeon, but needed surgeries to repair damage done in the ring. Ironically, it is Mickey's weathered face (along with exceptional acting, of course) that helped his character in The Wrestler feel authentic -- and also lifted him from straight-to-video purgatory to Golden Globe winner and now Oscar contender. Read our footnotes to get the skinny on Mickey Rourke's, um, disheveled appearance.

1. Forehead:
Rourke slashed his own forehead with a razor to get the crowd pumped by the sight of blood while filming The Wrestler. "Wrestlers call it gigging," he explained to EW while showing off his scar.

2. Brain:
During his EW interview, Rourke teared up about not only the impetuous behavior that helped sink his career in the '90s but also the physical abuse he suffered as a child before his father abandoned him at the age of six. ("When you're 5, 6, 7, you can't fight back," Rourke told magazine. "And I never got over what happened.") Rourke now has a psychiatrist, goes to therapy two days a week and attends church regularly.

3. Nose:
Rourke had cartilage taken from behind his ear to help repair his nose, which took a pounding in the ring. He's had a total of six nose operations. A-ha! This helps explain why he looks deformed.

4.Cheek:
Rourke's cheekbone was shattered during a boxing match. Ahh, now it's all coming together. ...

5. Left shoulder:
"Carré forever" is tattooed on Rourke's left shoulder. Carré Otis is his former wife, a model he met while filming 1990's Wild Orchid. (Remember the uproar over their "unsimulated sex scene"?) In 1994, Rourke was arrested for spousal abuse. The charges were dropped after the couple attempted to reconcile, but their marriage ended in 1998.

6. Arms:
Rourke is receiving intravenous treatment for mineral deficiencies.

7. Left forearm:
Rourke has an IRA symbol tattooed on his forearm.

8. Belly:
Rourke has a pumped up body in The Wrestler, but has appeared bloated at times over the last decade. Could this be due to a combination of prescription medication and drinking (he was charged with a DUI last year)? Or is it just his diet? According to EW: Rourke accepted $200 a week from a friend so that he could eat when he was without work. "Two hundred bucks will last you at McDonald's," he told the magazine.

9. Cigarette:
Rourke smokes Marlboro Reds. source>>>

Jonas Brothers, Aretha Franklin among stars at Obama inauguration parties

If his inaugural celebrations are any indication, then President-elect Barack Obama is going to be one rockin' leader of the Free World. Concerts celebrating the new presidency are planned over several days in Washington, D.C., with HBO and ABC pulling together the big ones and airing them live across the nation.

HBO kicks off the festivities Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial with an afternoon of music and readings featuring such performers as Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, will.i.am and Stevie Wonder. Perhaps the biggest name of all, Obama himself, will start things off with a welcome to the crowd.

Among those reading historical passages will be Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington. The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson will give the invocation. In the coming days, more artists are expected to join the lineup. The concert is free and open to the public.

"This is a great opportunity to capture a historic event in a very meaningful setting," said Don Mischer, who is producing and directing the show. "We will have the statue of Abraham Lincoln looking down on our stage and a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people lining the mall -- a tableau any director would relish."

Mischer said he expects about a million people to attend the event in the anticipated 18-degree weather, watching the proceedings on Jumbotron screens.

Obama and his wife, Michelle, are expected to make an appearance at ABC's "Neighborhood Inaugural Ball" after Obama's swearing-in (at which Aretha Franklin and Yo-Yo Ma are expected to perform) on Jan. 20. The network will broadcast live on television and over the Internet and is expected to announce its musical lineup today.

Disney also is jumping into the act with a Kids' Inaugural concert to honor military families, to be hosted by Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of Vice President-elect Joe Biden. The show, which will probably feature the latest white-hot Disney act the Jonas Brothers, will be broadcast live on the Disney Channel and on Radio Disney.

Bargain hunters buy kids' clothes at resale without sacrificing fashion

-- Stacey Goodwin's 11-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter don't seem to mind wearing second-hand clothing.

And Goodwin certainly doesn't mind saving money buying her children's clothing at consignment stores.

"Why spend hard-earned money paying retailers when the economy is the way it is, and your kids are going to outgrow them in six months?" said Goodwin, a Mattoon resident, while shopping last week at Barb's Little Treasures in Mattoon.

Experts and store owners said savvy parents can save half or more by buying their kids' clothes at consignment stores, which sell others' belongings in exchange for a share of the proceeds.

And those concerned about fashion or a stigma from shopping second-hand need not worry too much, said officials. For one, most consignment stores carry a lot of major brand clothing that is less than two years old.

"And nobody knows you bought it secondhand unless you tell them," said Linda Simpson, professor of consumer studies at Eastern Illinois University's School of Family and Consumer Sciences in Charleston. "If you don't want anyone to know you bought it secondhand, don't tell anybody."

Of course, Simpson freely admits that she does much of her shopping at resale stores. "I see a lot of name brands" there, she said.

Simpson noted that stores like Plato's Closet, which carries secondhand, trendy clothing for teenagers and college students, are helping change some consumer attitudes about buying used clothes.

"An excellent way to save money is to shop consignment and thrift," Simpson said.

At Barb's Little Treasures, owner Barbara Burns said she sells clothing for less than half of its estimated new value, including name brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister. "It makes more sense for them to buy here," she said.

Nancy Kuykendall, owner of Twice Is Nice in Charleston, said she will not accept clothing consignments that are more than two years out of date.

"Everything's up to date in terms of style," she said.

At Repeat Boutique in Mattoon, owner Brenda Scott said much of the consigned apparel is still new, "some with tags even."

She said her customers often tell her they find more of a variety at her store than in most retail stores.

Shawn Ames, owner of Pennies from Heaven in Mattoon, recalled how a teenage boy and his two teen sisters all left her store happy -- the boy in particular.

"They don't seem to mind" buying from a resale store, she said. "It's name-brand clothing at a secondhand rate."

Goodwin said she not only saves money buying at consignment stores, she often ends up making some of that back by reselling the clothes on consignment after her children are done with them.

"It's recycling," she said. source>>>

Hard-to-Find Tickets, Free Tech Support and More

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Find out which restaurants in your area have specials on kids' meals with KIDSMEALDEALS.COM. The website lets you scan for nearby eateries as well as sign up for its monthly newsletter to find out more.

Increase your child's chance at an athletic scholarship with help from COLLEGECOACHES.NET. The website helps high school students reach the widest spectrum of recruiters with videos and profiles.

When you swipe your credit card at a vendor, that transaction fee the vendor pays to the card company is usually passed back to you. TRUECOSTOFCREDIT.COM gives you the inside scoop on how much using your plastic really costs.

Curious about the fat content of that KFC chicken leg or Carl's Jr hamburger? FATBURGR.COM has the nutritional information you need to make sure you don't pack on too many pounds at your favorite chain restaurant.

Looking for a free and easy web site for tech support on everything from printers to home theater systems? FIXYA.COM has manuals and troubleshooting to give you the inside scoop on how to make your gadgets work. source>>>

At final press conference, George W. Bush was by turns reflective, defensive, humorus,and nostalgic

At his final press conference as president, George W. Bush was by turns reflective, defensive, humorous, and nostalgic.

"This is the ultimate exit interview," Mr. Bush said near the start of his 50-minute appearance in the White House briefing room Monday morning. The president opened the session with a statement of appreciation for the role of the press. "We have been through a lot together," he said.

His responses to reporters were sprinkled with personal asides, kidding CNN correspondent Suzanne Malveaux about the preferred pronunciation of her name and ABC's Jake Tapper about the career path that led to his assignment covering President-elect Barack Obama.

Bush repeated his oft-stated hope that the president-elect would succeed. The president said he would ask Congress to release the remaining $350 billion in Wall Street bailout money before leaving office if Mr. Obama asked him to. Such a move would mean Obama would not have to start his term supporting the unpopular bailout. Noting that Obama would come in for criticism once in office, Bush said, "I hope the tone is respectful.... He deserves it and so does the country."

When asked about criticism that his execution of various policies, including the war in Iraq, had been flawed, Bush responded that "hard things don't happen overnight." He disagreed with the assertion that the standing of the United States had been diminished by his administration's conduct of the war on terror. "I strongly disagree that our moral standing has been damaged," Bush said.

Asked about mistakes and regrets, the president offered a fuller list than he has in the past. "Clearly putting 'Mission Accomplished' on an aircraft carrier [early in the Iraq war] was a mistake," he said. "Some of my rhetoric has been a mistake," he added.

The mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Grahib "was a huge disappointment," he said. One new item on the president's list of publicly admitted mistakes was the decision to push for privatization of Social Security after the 2004 election. The administration "should have argued for immigration reform" then, he said.

Paterson's secret Senate pick may violate NY law

New York Gov. David Paterson's secretive process to select Hillary Rodham Clinton's successor in the U.S. Senate conflicts with his campaign promises to open up government and may violate state law.

Just days from announcing his choice, Paterson won't identify "about 10" people who he said are in the running to follow Clinton. He won't release the blank questionnaire he sent to each of them looking for background information. He won't turn over the candidate's completed forms. And the public isn't getting any idea how the hopefuls feel about broad or regional public issues - or even if public policy is being discussed.

"The process is confidential," is the stock answer from his office for the appointment to what has been called the world's most exclusive club.

The list of hopefuls and the questions posed to them in the questionnaire seems to most clearly violate the state's post-Watergate freedom of information laws designed to make sure government officials are accountable to the public. And at least some of the answers by candidates in their background checks should likely be public, too.

"How could it not be public? It's a blank form," said Robert Freeman of the state Committee on Open Government, the state agency that oversees enforcement of the good-government laws.

The names of those under consideration - among them Caroline Kennedy, perhaps Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, several members of Congress and other elected officials - should also be disclosed, Freeman said.

"In my mind, the identities of those seeking one of the highest offices in the land would not rise to the level of unwarranted invasion of personal privacy," Freeman told The Associated Press in an interview.

Some case law also would appear to go against Paterson, a lawyer. A court found not even a village board could legally go into a closed-door executive session to discuss filling a vacant seat. Freeman said state law in some ways recognizes less privacy protection for those in public office or seeking public office compared to private citizens.

Cuomo, who as attorney general is the governor's lawyer, didn't respond to a question of whether he supported the secretive process. Cuomo has refused to say if he is seeking the Senate seat.

"Their personal privacy does not trump the public's right to know who their next senator will be," said Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group.

Horner said the need is particularly acute in light of accusations that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to sell to the highest bidder his appointment for the vacant Senate seat of Barack Obama.

"So why doesn't Governor Paterson get the candidates to pledge they won't raise campaign funds for him, so his appointment is not in the best of interest of his own political position?" Horner said.

Paterson's spokesmen wouldn't respond to that question Monday.

Paterson said Monday that he hasn't publicly disclosed the information he has received from potential candidates because the request wasn't "a government action. That was a personal request I made of the candidates. Some of the information was rather private."

At a news conference, Paterson said the list of candidates is "personal."

"The law is on his side as far as whether he has to do any this with transparency," said Barbara Bartoletti of the League of Women Voters. "But good government is not on his side here."

A copy of the questionnaire to applicants, obtained by The New York Times after Paterson's office refused to release it, asks about finances and job history, but not about policy positions.

"I don't think I've heard any public positions," Bartoletti said. She noted that most of the hopefuls are in office and so have a record for the public to judge. The exception is the perceived front-runner - Caroline Kennedy - who has never held public office and has guarded her political opinions and privacy.

'Slumdog Millionaire,' Kate Winslet Dominate The Golden Globes

A year after the Golden Globes were reduced to a glorified press conference by the writers' strike, the always unpredictable
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awards show returned in all its goofy glory Sunday night (January 11). The broadcast went from paying solemn tribute to Heath Ledger, to Tina Fey informing "BabsonLacrosse" to "suck it," a four-peat by "Slumdog Millionaire" and a resurgent Mickey Rourke giving a shout-out to his omnipresent Chihuahuas.

It was that kind of night.

Draped behind a mop of greasy hair and dark shades, and dressed in a black-on-black tuxedo accented by a spangly scarf, Rourke nearly wiped out on his way up to accept the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for his career-reviving role in the hard-luck drama "The Wrestler." Thanking his dogs, Bruce Springsteen, Axl Rose and "tough son-of-a-bi---" director Darren Aronofsky, the wonderfully profane actor admitted, "It's been a very long road back for me."

But the biggest winner of the night was equally scrappy Indian drama "Slumdog Millionaire," which took home the Best Motion Picture - Drama award, as well as nods for Best Director for Danny Boyle, Best Original Score and Best Screenplay.

Another multiple winner was actress Kate Winslet, who scored the night's first nod for Best Supporting Actress in the WWII drama "The Reader" and was so flustered she had to stop herself from setting down her Globe on the stage while accepting. Later in the night, the actress was even more overcome, forgetting the names of one of the other actresses in the category of Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama, (Anne, Meryl, Kristin and, oh, Angelina, by the way). Barely able to breathe, Winslet had to remind herself to "gather" while accepting for her role as a 1950s housewife in a crumbling marriage in "Revolutionary Road."

In what many think could be a foreshadowing of the Oscars, one of the first major movie acting prizes of Sunday night's Golden Globes went posthumously to Heath Ledger for his harrowing work as the Joker in "The Dark Knight."

Ledger, who died last January of an accidental overdose of prescription medication, triumphed over a field of Hollywood legends in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture category, besting such top billers as Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr., Ralph Fiennes and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Taking the stage as the star-studded audience rose to their feet, somber "Dark Knight" director Chris Nolan accepted on Ledger's behalf. "All of us who worked with Heath on 'The Dark Knight' accept this with an awful mixture of sadness but incredible pride," Nolan said with a drawn look on his face.

"After Heath passed on, you saw a hole ripped in the future of cinema -- but with the extraordinary response to his work that we've seen all over the world, I, for one, start to be able to look a bit less at that gap in the future and a little bit more at the incredible place in the history of cinema that he built for himself with his talent and with his dedication to his artistry."

Ron Cantrell returns to Israel for Yad Vashem seminar

An American evangelical pastor who was ordered to leave Israel in August 2007 by the Interior Ministry amid allegations of missionary activity has returned to Jerusalem for a three-week Holocaust seminar at Yad Vashem.

Ron Cantrell, 60, is a vocal supporter of the Jewish state.

He now lives in California and is one of three Christian educators brought to the International Winter Seminar by the Jerusalem-based Christian Supporters of Yad Vashem, in partnership with the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, a prominent evangelical organization.

Cantrell, who came on a tourist visa, said Sunday that he would help raise funds for Yad Vashem and further Holocaust education among Christians in America.

The seminar, which is being attended by 30 Jewish and Christian participants from 11 countries, aims to educate them about the Holocaust and anti-Semitism.

The seminar includes an in-depth tour of Yad Vashem and meetings with Holocaust survivors, leading historians and experts in the field of Holocaust education.

Following the seminar, Christian Friends of Yad Vashem intends to send the three participants they sponsored to speak at churches across the US.

Cantrell and his wife, Carol, had lived in Israel for nearly two decades when they were ordered to leave after their request for permanent residency was turned down by the Interior Ministry. Two of the couple's children have married Israelis and have Israeli ID cards.

At the time, Cantrell said the allegations of missionary activity were baseless.

Cantrell, who used to run a small Jerusalem-based ministry, Shalom Shalom Jerusalem, after previously working for an evangelical organization in the city, Bridges for Peace, could have continued living in Israel if he had left the country at least once every three months to renew his visa, but choose not to.

The Shalom Shalom Jerusalem Web site said then that the couple "encourages Christians and Messianic Jewish believers in their understanding of the prophetic Scriptures" and "encourages believers to participate in God's end-time plans by being involved in positive support for the nation of Israel and Jewish communities worldwide... in the regathering of the Jewish people to their homeland."

In a press release, Yad Vashem said that three seminar participants brought by Christian Friends of Yad Vashem were "exceptionally qualified and already well-known as speakers on Israel-related issues."

Established in 2006, the Christian Friends of Yad Vashem aims to promote the Holocaust Memorial's work and further Holocaust education around the world by bringing Christian youth leaders, pastors and educators to the Jerusalem seminars.

The current seminar is one of six international Holocaust conferences held at Yad Vashem over the past month, attended by more than 100 educators. source>>>

Tickets For International Book Festival Go On Sale

The Ennis Book Club Festival 2009, in association with Clare County Library, will take place in the County Clare capital from 6-8 March next. The festival programme will feature visits, readings, lectures and workshops by internationally acclaimed authors, along with drama, musical entertainment and chocolate tasting.

Contributors include John Boyne, author of 'The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas'; Mark O'Halloran, award
winning writer and actor; Salley Vickers, best selling British novelist and author of 'Miss Garnet's Angel'; John Connolly, Irish novelist; John Breen, author of 'Alone It Stands'; Jennifer Johnston, Booker Prize nominated writer; and Allan Guthrie, Scottish crime novelist.

Other festival participants include Gerard Donovan; author of the Booker Prize nominated 'Schopenhauer's Telescope'; Aifric Campbell, author of 'The Semantics of Murder'; Órfhlaith Foyle, critically acclaimed poet and author of the debut novel 'Belios'; Gerard Stembridge; novelist, film director, playwright and co-author of the satirical radio show 'Scrap Saturday'; and travel writer Manchán Magan.

The three-day programme of events is expected to attract hundreds of book club members and book lovers from all over Europe and North America.

One of the highlights of the weekend will be the Sunday Symposium during which the theme of 'Reading Politics' will be explored by journalist and political analyst Conor O'Clery, Public Relations consultant Terry Prone and Labour politician Michael D. Higgins.

Elsewhere, journalist and broadcaster Kevin Myers and Maria Dickenson, head of book buying in Eason will host '10 books you should read'; Georgina Byrne, of South Dublin Libraries, will discuss e-books; author/TV producer Anna Heussaff will present a workshop on enriching your Book Club; broadcaster and author Denis Sampson will discuss his book on John McGahern, entitled 'Outstaring Nature's Eye', Broadcaster and journalist Rachael English will chair an interview and reading session with John Boyne and Salley Vickers.

Poetry will also feature prominently at the festival. Winner of the Rooney prize for Irish Literature, Medbh McGuckian; founder member of Aosdána and winner of the Marten Toonder prize for Literature, Micheal O'Siadhail, awarded an Irish American Cultural Institute prize for poetry in 1982 and in 1998 the Marten Toonder prize for Literature.; Dublin-based Russian poet, Anatoly Kudryavitsky; winner of the 2003 Cúirt Festival Poetry Grand Slam, Kevin Higgins; and poet and dramatist Rita Ann Higgins, whose many accolades include the Peadar O'Donnell Award, will all delight and challenge their audiences during the Festival.

Meanwhile, students from Trinity College Dublin will stage an exclusive performance of 'The Trial of Oscar Wilde' at Ennis Courthouse. The only other enactment of the trial, which led to Wilde's public disgrace and two year imprisonment for acts of "gross indecency', was held at Trinity College in April.

The festival launch will include a "giant book club gathering" featuring a mass reading and discussion of 'The book of Lost Things" by novelist John Connolly.

According to Ciana Cambell, of the Ennis Book Club Festival organising committee, 'The event will not only serve and reflect the reading passions of many in the country, but once again provide a significant and timely boost to the local tourism sector.'

She added, 'The festival presents a unique opportunity for book club members from Ireland and beyond to get together to share their joy of reading, to meet authors, to discuss books, and to have a weekend break with friends. The involvement of so many high profile authors, academics and literary figures will no doubt contribute greatly to what will be a diverse programme of events.'

The inaugural Ennis Book Club Festival was held in 2007. Past participants include Patrick McCabe, Edna O'Brien, Ann Enright, Joanne Harris, Brian Keenan, Roddy Doyle, Diarmuid Gavin, Hugo Hamilton, Dermot Bolger, Fintan O'Toole, Theo Dorgan, Lorna Landvik and the late Nuala O Faolain.

Both previous festivals have attracted literary enthusiasts from all over North America and Europe, including members from many of Ireland's 150 Library Book Clubs and 300 Private Book Clubs.

Tickets for all events are on sale at Glór Box Office 00353656843103 / boxoffice@glor.ie. For further details on the Ennis Book Club Festival 2009 see www.ennisbookclubfestival.com, email info@ennisbookclubfestival.com source>>>

Destroy discarded hard drives, warn researchers

Here's the next essential item in a sysadmin's equipment - a hammer. Too many PCs are still dumped with confidential data intact according to Which? Computing, information that would be very tempting to identity thieves.

The consumer protection publication said that such was the ease with which data could be recovered, that smashing a hard drive with a hammer was the only solution for total peace of mind. The publication showed how easy it was to retrieve sensitive data from unwanted PCs by buying eight second-hand hard drives from eBay and trawling through them to see what confidential information could be uncovered.
Minimizing the Risk of Information Security Breaches: Best Practices for SOA Governance and Compliance: View now

Using easily obtainable free software, Which? Computing researchers recovered 22,000 'deleted' files, including images, music files and spreadsheets.

Which? Computing editor Sarah Kidner warned that the risk of falling victim is high as the average UK citizen was worth an estimated £85,000 to an identity fraudster. "PCs contain more valuable personal information than ever as people increasingly shop online and use social networking sites." She said that brute force was often the only answer; "It sounds extreme, but the only way to be 100 percent safe is to smash your hard drive into smithereens."

Which? Computing research closely mirrors that of University of Glamorgan's carried out last summer. The BT-funded research analysed 317 second-hand hard drives purchased second-hand and found that 23 percent of business machines contained enough information to identify the specific company that had owned them, and a shocking five percent still held sensitive business information.

If destruction sounds too extreme, there's always the option of encrypting all the hard disks. This could be an expensive option and not always reliable as researchers from Princeton University found last year when researchers showed that encryption such as BitLocker could be cracked source>>>

Parade Tickets Sell Out in Minutes

5,000 tickets for the bleacher seats for the inaugural parade went onsale at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time today and, according to reports, sold out within minutes. Or less than a minute. Here are some of the comments on our blog from those who tried to get tickets:

I just tried to get a parade ticket and it said no tickets found. Posted by: wendykroy1 | January 9, 2009 1:09 PM |

yeah and ticketmaster was sold out of parade tickets literally one minute after the on sale time. ticketmaster is lousy-there's always the ones who get to the 'front of the line' when it comes to this stuff, then resell them on ticketmaster's ticketnow.com site for astronomical prices. Posted by: kasalexis | January 9, 2009 1:12 PM |

No luck on the parade tickets. Posted by: wp11234 | January 9, 2009 1:14 PM |

I got on the ticketmaster site at 12:30...kept refreshing until 1pm...I had placed my order for 4 tickets and typed in the two secret words within 20 seconds...no luck...all sold out...what a joke. Posted by: rparker543 | January 9, 2009 1:28 PM |

I agree. Ten minutes after parade tix went on sale there were people selling them on craiglist for hundreds of dollars. It would have been nice for the PIC to figure out a way give people tickets who actually wanted to use them, and not try to make a buck. source>>>

Atheist Bus Campaign is 'offensive', say complaints

The advertising regulator has received almost 150 complaints that an atheist ad campaign, proclaiming "There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life", is offensive to Christians and other religions that believe in a single God.

Stephen Green, the national director of Christian Voice, is among those who have complained to the Advertising Standards Authority, arguing that the atheist campaign broke the advertising code on the grounds of substantiation and truthfulness.

The ASA has received 141 complaints about the Atheist Bus Campaign which launched earlier this week on buses throughout England, Scotland and Wales, as well as the London underground. However, 39 of the complaints are regarding newspaper and online articles about the campaign, which the ASA has no power to deal with.

The complainants claim the ad campaign is offensive to Christians and those of other monotheistic religions.

Green said: "It is given as a statement of fact and that means it must be capable of substantiation if it is not to break the rules.

"There is plenty of evidence for God, from people's personal experience, to the complexity, interdependence, beauty and design of the natural world.

"But there is scant evidence on the other side, so I think the advertisers are really going to struggle to show their claim is not an exaggeration or inaccurate, as the ASA code puts it."

The regulator has not yet decided if the complaints warrant a formal investigation to see if the campaign has broken the advertising code.

Hanne Stinson, the chief executive of the British Humanist Association, which launched the campaign, said she "pitied the ASA if they are going to be expected to rule on the probability of god's existence. However, if they do investigate we will be very happy to respond".

The campaign uses quotes from famous public figures - such as Albert Einstein, Douglas Adams, Emily Dickinson and Katharine Hepburn - who have either endorsed atheism or expressed scepticism about the concept of God.

Writer Ariane Sherine first suggested the idea in a Guardian Comment is Free blog last June, saying an atheist bus campaign would provide a reassuring counter-message to religious slogans threatening non-Christians with hell and damnation. source>>>

Sarah Palin: Caroline Kennedy benefits from media's "class bias"

An interesting interview with Sarah Palin, which can be seen here via the Huffington Post.

Revealing a hefty chip on her shoulder, she reckons Caroline Kennedy is getting an easy ride from the media because of "class bias" in her bid to be appointed New York senator.

There has undoubtedly been media favour towards Kennedy, but she has been skewered by some papers too; and like Palin, she undermined her candidacy with poor interview performances.

Whatever the correctness of the Alaska governor's view, her knack for publicity remains flawless.
source>>>

Monster Mini Golf has won its battle to continue using the name "monster."

A chain of indoor miniature golf courses has won its battle to continue using the name "monster."

Monster Mini Golf of Rancho Cordova and the company that sells the mini golf franchises were both being sued for trademark infringement by Monster Cable, a Bay Area company that makes electronic components and is notoriously aggressive in protecting the monster name.

In the lawsuit, Monster Cable claimed the indoor golf courses "are likely to cause confusion" with Monster Cable's portfolio of trademarks, which include Monster Park in San Francisco.

Monster Mini Golf co-founder Christina Vitagliano of Providence, Rhode Island said she had been fighting with Monster Cable for three years over the monster name. She said a breakthrough finally came when she was able to speak directly with Monster Cable founder Noel Lee.

The result is that Monster Cable has agreed to drop its suit and will pay all legal fees, which Vitagliano said run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"We are the first people to ever accomplish this with Monster Cable," Vitagliano told News10.

Vitagliano posted a letter from Lee on the Monster Mini Golf Web site explaining his reasoning:

"We have made the decision that public opinion, and that of our valued customers is more important than the letter of the law that requires us to prevent the dilution of our mark or risk losing it," Lee wrote.

It was unclear whether Monster Cable will resolve its legal challenges with other companies using the monster name.

News10 contacted the Sacramento law firm representing Monster Design of Benicia, which had been embroiled in trademark dispute with Monster Cable. Attorney Mark Leonard said he was unaware of the Monster Mini Golf settlement.

"I'm pleased for Monster Mini Golf," Leonard said. "I hope we can reach a similar settlement with Monster Cable." source>>>

Christians face even more trouble in Gaza

-- The casualties continue to rise in Gaza as Israel continues to retaliate for the dozens of Hamas-fired missiles that broke a cease-fire more than 10 days ago. It is believed that nearly 500 people have been killed in the violence, with over 2,000 wounded.

While the violence continues in the region, Christians are facing even more difficulties. Tom Doyle with E3 Partners says Hamas voted December 23rd to institute Sharia (Islamic) law in Gaza, which means radical Islam will rule -- women must be veiled, secret police will be watching everyone, and worse, says Doyle. "They also included in that the ability to crucify someone if they make a charge against Islam. It's just definitely going backwards in that community."

Doyle says the Christian community is already being affected. "The Gaza Baptist Church is right in the middle of where the action -- obviously not a place where people want to going to gather in a large group." Worship services are "happening privately or in homes."

If the Hamas government is ousted by the Israelis, Doyle says there will be "cheering in the streets. They know what that government means. They know how difficult it's going to be on their family and their living conditions."

Despite the turmoil, Christians are having an impact. "We're seeing believers there reach out to help feed believers, Muslims, or nominal Christians, and they're helping out in the midst of it."

Doyle is asking Christians to pray that believers will be preserved and will use this opportunity share Christ.

If you'd like to help support Christians who are facing violence from both Israelis and Hamas, click here. source>>>

$67 Billion Stimulus for Germany

Chancellor Angela Merkel's government said its second economic stimulus package will be pushed through parliament "as quickly as possible," shrugging off criticism from allies over financing the measures.

Lawmakers, who are still enjoying the seasonal recess, will be called to Berlin on Jan. 14 or Jan. 15, almost a week earlier than planned, to discuss the steps in the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, the government said today in an e- mailed statement.

Merkel's determination to implement the program, worth between 40 billion euros ($54 billion) and 50 billion euros over two years, comes as senior members of her Christian Democratic Union criticized plans to finance the measures through debt. Guenther Oettinger, prime minister of the state of Baden- Wuerttemberg, told the Financial Times Deutschland newspaper he may oppose the package in the upper house of parliament, where Germany's 16 states are represented.

"With all this pressure, Merkel's apparent resolve to leapfrog the critics and push new measures through parliament may serve her and her party well," said Hans-Juergen Hoffmann, managing director of Hamburg-based polling company Psephos. "Merkel's got an unenviable job: She needs to send a signal that she puts country before party -- and she may just pull it off."

Working Groups

A final decision on the government's second stimulus program, discussed by the coalition parties in Berlin yesterday, is not due before another meeting scheduled on Jan. 12, spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said yesterday. Five working groups have been established to hammer out the details.

"I'm confident that we will reach agreement over the coming week by the time of the next coalition meeting," Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, leader of Merkel's Social Democratic Party coalition partner and her challenger at national elections in September, told reporters last night.

The Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, forced into a grand coalition in November 2005, face what Merkel has called a "super election year," with a state election in Hesse on Jan. 18 followed by a presidential election in May, European elections in June and another three state ballots in August before the federal election on Sept. 27.

Madoff victims selling memorabilia on eBay

Did you get fleeced by Bernard Madoff? Or did you buy that Madoff Securities fleece jacket on eBay?

Madoff, who was arrested last month after allegedly telling investigators he lost as much as $50 billion of investors' money in a giant Ponzi scheme, promoted his firm by putting its name on everything from T-shirts to beach towels, tote bags and umbrellas.

Dozens of the keepsakes are now being sold on eBay.

Some of the sellers say they're former clients and employees. Others, like John Mitchell, hawked a cigar humidor bearing Madoff's name.

"I find these things and then I resell them," Mitchell, of Fox Grove, Ill., said Sunday. He said he bought the humidor from the manufacturer before it ever made it to Madoff's firm.

Mitchell said he also sold Lehman Brothers items after the firm declared bankruptcy in September.

"People are buying that stuff," he said. "It's sad, but it's still humorous."

Other Madoff items for sale on eBay include insulated coolers, binoculars, golf caps and flashlights. Several eBay postings are prodding buyers to "own a piece of history!"

The Madoff name wasn't fetching top dollar on the Internet. Bidding for many items didn't rise above $50.

Eleven bidders were hoping to take home a fleece jacket, size L, on Sunday; the highest bidder had offered $147.59.

A seller put a Madoff Securities promotional backpack up for sale, writing, "These are the same ones that Bernie used to haul off all the loot!"

Another seller said simply, "A family member used the services of Bernard L. Madoff Securities in New York and was given this beach towel."

Also up for bid was a photocopy of a financial statement Madoff put out for a client, postmarked Dec. 3, a week before his Dec. 11 arrest.

The seller, from Glen Cove, N.Y., said the actual document may be put up for sale later. source>>>

Bashing Rick Warren, Star Parker Reveals Christian Right's Fears

There's been a lot of under-the-radar grumbling in the Christian right about Rick Warren's acceptance of Barack Obama's invitation to give the invocation at his presidential inauguration. But few of Warren's Christian critics have been willing to take their complaints public, given his megapastor stature; his The Purpose-Driven Life has sold more hardbacks than any other book in American history except for the Bible.

That helps explain why a recent AP story about Rick Warren's critics on the right neglected to name a single right-wing critic.

In her syndicated Scripps Howard column today, conservative activist Star Parker breaks the silence, blaming Warren's forum last summer with Obama and Republican presidential nominee John McCain for delivering a chunk of evangelical votes to the pro-choice, pro-gay-rights president-elect:

Last August I wrote a column critical of Rick Warren's decision to host a presidential candidate forum at his Saddleback Church.

My reasoning then was that America's crisis is moral ambiguity. I argued that Pastor Warren would only contribute to this ambiguity by hosting candidates with opposing views on issues such as abortion and homosexuality and presenting himself as a neutral moderator.

Only Barack Obama would gain, I felt, being showcased as an acceptable candidate by one of the nation's best-known evangelical pastors. If John McCain had wanted to clarify his social conservative credentials, he didn't need to go to Warren's church with Barack Obama to do it.

Evangelicals and other Christians listened as Warren called Obama and McCain "friends" and "patriots" and watched as Warren winced no more than would have Larry King when Sen. Obama said it was above his "pay grade" to consider if and when an unborn child has human rights.

Evangelicals had already been hearing from Warren, and left-leaning pastors like Jim Wallis, that they should broaden their primary concerns beyond sex and abortion.

In retrospect, I cannot prove that I was right. But I think the evidence powerfully supports my claim.

Obama picked up five percentage points of the evangelical vote over what John Kerry received in 2004. Those five percentage points amounted to about a third of Obama's winning vote margin over John McCain.

Sure, the Saddleback Forum alone does not explain this shift. But the legitimacy Obama gained that night certainly didn't hurt.

The largest shift was among 18-29-year-old evangelicals. Obama got 32 percent of their vote -- double what John Kerry had gotten.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal after the forum, Warren was oblivious to the vulnerability of this group. The Journal reported, "...as for the notion that younger evangelicals are ready for rebellion against their parents' ideals, Mr. Warren cites polls showing that the younger evangelical generation is even more concerned about abortion than the older one." True. But this was only one part of the picture.

In 2007 the Pew Research Center reported that Republican identification among 18-29-year-old white evangelicals had dropped from 55 percent in 2005 to 40 percent.

A survey done by Greenburg Quinlan Rosner Research showed that 26 percent of 18-29-year-old evangelicals, compared to 9 percent of those over 30, support same-sex marriage.

The Christian right rarely goes public with its fears about Democrats making inroads among evangelicals, but here Parker has mapped out those fears in stark detail. I consider it a public service. source>>>

Judge Rejects Liberian woman claims 'I smuggled monkey meat for religious reasons'

Raymond J Dearie, a federal US district judge, said that Mamie Manneh was wrong when she claimed that her faith - a sect of Christianity - meant that she did not need to apply for permits to import exotic food stuffs.

He also said she should not have misled officials.

Mrs Manneh had been charged three years ago with smuggling the meat in to Kennedy Airport as she returned from the war-torn West African state on her way back home to New York.

However, her lawyers' attempts to claim a right under the first amendment of the US constitution, which guarantees religious rights, fell on deaf ears.

Now Mrs Manneh faces up to five years in prison - as well as possible deportation.

The woman, who has nine children, is already serving a prison sentence for trying to run over a woman whom she suspected of sleeping with her husband.

Her consumption of monkey meat is not a problem for her church in Staten Island, New York, where other African immigrants also like to eat the meat.

But under American law it is illegal: as she has now discovered. source>>>

Israeli troops and Hamas militants are fighting major battles on the streets of Gaza City

Large explosions and heavy exchanges of fire hit the Shejaiya neighbourhood in the east of the city as Israel pressed forward in its campaign to halt Hamas rocket attacks.

Flares and assault helicopters were seen in the skies above the blacked-out area, where Hamas said it had fired missiles at seven Israeli tanks.

The Islamic Jihad movement said several of its members were killed in the fighting.

Israeli military sources confirmed that troops were involved in heavy clashes in the area.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he would tell Israel that "the violence must halt", while Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for an "unconditional" truce.

Mr Sarkozy strongly criticised Hamas, the Islamist movement which rules the Gaza Strip, saying it had acted in an "irresponsible and unforgiveable" way.

"We, Europe want a ceasefire as soon as possible," he said.

"Time is working against peace. The weapons must be silenced and there must be a temporary humanitarian truce."

He met Mr Abbas in the West Bank political capital of Ramallah before going on to meet the Israeli leaders in Jerusalem.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, envoy for the Quartet group of powers, said a ceasefire was a priority.

But outgoing US President George W Bush said any truce must include provisions that prevent Hamas firing rockets into Israel.

A Hamas source said there could be no ceasefire talks until Israeli forces completely withdrew from Gaza.

At least 541 people have died in Gaza since the 10-day offensive was launched by Israel in retaliation for Hamas rocket attacks on its south.

Palestinian medical officials said that 13 members of a Palestinian family had died in an Israeli strike on their home in a Gaza refugee camp on Monday.

The Israeli army said "many dozens" of Hamas fighters had been killed since ground troops invaded on Saturday.

"Hamas has so far sustained a very heavy blow from us, but we have yet to achieve our objective and therefore the operation continues," Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said. source>>>

Jan. 4 was the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille

Jan. 4 was the 200th anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille. National Public Radio observed the date by interviewing Mike Hudson, the director of the Museum for the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville. The museum is celebrating the

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