Car hits crowd near Dutch queen's bus

Ken Lewis out as BofA chairman

Obama 100-days press conf

msn

Fast-spreading swine flu now in at least 10 states

Fast-spreading swine flu now in at least 10 states

WASHINGTON - Fast-moving swine flu spread to at least 10 U.S. states from coast to coast Wednesday and swept deeper into Europe, extending its global reach as President Barack Obama mourned the first U.S. death, a Mexican toddler who had traveled with his family to Texas. Total American cases surged to nearly 100, and Obama said wider school closings might be necessary.

German soldier killed in Afghanistan

Cowardish act
Deutscher Soldat getötet

Afghanistan

German soldier killed in ambush

US GDP drop stronger than expected

Heftiger als erwartet
US-Konjunktur bricht ein

• Economy shrinks at 6.1 percent pace in 1Q AP - 1 minute ago

WASHINGTON – The economy shrank at a worse-than-expected 6.1 percent pace at the start of this year as sharp cutbacks by businesses and the biggest drop in U.S. exports in 40 years overwhelmed a rebound in consumer spending.

The Commerce Department's report, released Wednesday, dashed hopes that the recession's grip on the country loosened in the first quarter. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected a 5 percent annualized decline.

Instead, the economy ended up performing nearly as bad as it had in the final three months of last year when it logged the worst slide in a quarter-century, contracting at a 6.3 percent pace. Nervous consumers played a prominent role in that dismal showing as they ratcheted back spending in the face of rising unemployment, falling home values and shrinking nest eggs.

Good Dailykos recall: In feb Mikkael Purns O'Steele threatened to withold party funds from Specter

US to take majority GM stake. You mean that we own it now! 4/29

3 cases of Swine Flu confirmed in Germany

German NTV

yesterday they had a funny cartoon in some paper, u saw two pigs and a butcher coming from behind with an axe and a knife in both hands. 1 pig says to the other: if he comes up, dont beg for mercy, just sneeze.

Space Explosion Is Farthest Thing Ever Seen

A stellar explosion has smashed the record for most distant object in the known universe.

The gamma-ray burst came from about 13 billion light-years away, and represents a relic from when the universe was just 630 million years old.

"It easily surpassed the most distant galaxies and quasars," said Edo Berger, an astrophysicist at Harvard University and a leading member of the team that first demonstrated the burst's origin. "In fact, it showed that we can use these spectacular events to pinpoint the first generation of stars and galaxies."

"The burst most likely arose from the explosion of a massive star," said Derek Fox, an astrophysicist at Penn State University. "We're seeing the demise of a star — and probably the birth of a black hole — in one of the universe's earliest stellar generations."

Sen. Specter will become a Democrat, tipping Senate power

'He's always been a liberal Republican,' Rove retorts

Video: Steele says Specter 'flipped the bird' at GOP

This commentary sux a bit because it reads: So whats happening: Arlen Specter is becoming a Republican ---- what is a "very bad image" not to say totally misguiding, but despite the commentary's funny

allspinzone:Snarlin’ Arlen Crossing From the Dark Side

Arlen Specter, in perhaps his last run at the Senate, has decided to leave the Republican Party. With the way the Republican electorate has changed over the last few years, he sure needed this magic bullet to stay in the Senate.

Commentary By: Steven Reynolds

The die were cast in Pennsylvania when Obama was elected. The 20%ers who supported George Bush are the God, guns and bitterness crowd, and they are awfully bitter about everything Obama. Frankly, Arlen Specter isn’t bitter enough for their tastes. There has been tons of talk about Pat Toomey, extremist right winger that he is on both the Christian and taxation front, challenging Specter, and with so many moderate Republicans leaving the party in PA, Specter was going to have some big troubles in next year’s Republican primary. So what’s happening? Arlen Specter is becoming a Republican.

You can read Chris Cillizza on the subject at his column in the Washington Post, but I’ll quote from Mr. Specter himself, from his campaign web site:

Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans.

When I supported the stimulus package, I knew that it would not be popular with the Republican Party. But, I saw the stimulus as necessary to lessen the risk of a far more serious recession than we are now experiencing.

Since then, I have traveled the State, talked to Republican leaders and office-holders and my supporters and I have carefully examined public opinion. It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this state of the record, I am unwilling to have my twenty-nine year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate. I have not represented the Republican Party. I have represented the people of Pennsylvania.

I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary.

I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election.

I deeply regret that I will be disappointing many friends and supporters. I can understand their disappointment. I am also disappointed that so many in the Party I have worked for for more than four decades do not want me to be their candidate. It is very painful on both sides. I thank especially Senators McConnell and Cornyn for their forbearance.

Well, that is stunning political news. The Democrats are now almost cloture-proof, and while Arlen says his will be a vote of conscience over party, to get the Democratic nod he is going to have to bend a bit to the will of the Democratic Party in the next year or so. I suppose this is not stunning in the sense that Arlen Specter truly does not look or act like Pennsylvania Republicans anymore. That breed of citizen is a dwindling population that has backed too many losing efforts over the last several years. Who can forget, after all, Rick Santorum’s historic loss a few years ago as an incumbent?

I understand Mr. Specter has promised to give back political contributions from supporters if they do not agree with his decision. Of the people I know who have given him money, I know of many who will be cheering this move. Yes, even some in my own household will be cheering.

So what caused this switch? I’d say the Republican Party becoming too extremist is what caused it. I would not be surprised if other Republican Congressmen and Senators follow Specter’s example, though there are so few moderates left in the Republican Party, that I wouldn’t predict many. Moderate Republican? That’s what is called an endangered species.

Builders working near the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp have found a message in a bottle written by prisoners

Builders working near the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp have found a message in a bottle written by prisoners, museum officials say.

The message, written in pencil and dated 9 September 1944, bears names, camp numbers and home towns of seven young inmates from Poland and France.

Russia to fire 35,000 officers

Russia to fire 35,000 officers

UAW may buy majority of Chrysler

UAW may buy majority of Chrysler

Chrysler may give union 55% stake instead of $10.6bn to provide healthcare after Obama administration piles pressure on carmaker

Sebelius confirmed as Health secretary

Sebelius confirmed as Health secretary

The Kansas governor won Senate confirmation to serve as the health and human services secretary.

• OBAMA'S CABINET: Who's who

Arlen Specter becomes a democrat

Arlen Specter becomes a democrat

Very good development

Well, Mr.Obama, dont go to Dallas I guess

cnn

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A White House official apologized Monday after he OK'd a large aircraft to fly low over Manhattan -- a sight that sent people reminded of 9/11 running in fear.

"I was here on 9/11," said iReporter Tom Kruk, who saw the plane as he was getting coffee Monday morning and snapped a photo. Kruk called the sight of the aircraft low in the sky "unsettling."

The huge aircraft, which functions as Air Force One when the president is aboard, was taking part in a classified, government-sanctioned photo shoot, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

"Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision," said Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office. "While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption." Watch people run in fear as plane flies overhead »

Witnesses reported seeing the plane circle over the Upper New York Bay near the Statue of Liberty before flying up the Hudson River. It was accompanied by two F-16s.

Fox refuses to air Obama in primetime Obama outreach to GOP viewed as 'unusually high'

The Fox television network has refused to air President Barack Obama’s primetime press conference on Wednesday night, scheduled to mark the president’s 100th day in office.

“The address, scheduled for 8 p.m. (ET), could have possibly affected the ‘American Idol’ results show, which begins at 9 p.m., and the network did not want to risk that during the critical sweeps period for ratings, according to sources,” reported the Los Angeles Times. “Fox has historically not registered high ratings for presidential addresses and decided, given the nature of this particular press conference, not to show it, sources said. Fox aired Obama’s two previous primetime addresses.”

EU recommends not to visit the US

Like I get it you need a vaccine vs a flu. Its the cheapest and the easiest way to fight a flu. The problem is that u need to store it in large amounts because it normally takes 4 or 6 weeks to generate it. So, its past the point now to use a vaccine because if u got infected and u use a vaccine it may have hazardous consequences to your health if u "add" it to the special agent. So u need strong antibiotics. But equally, strong antibiotics need also 4-6 weeks to be released in masses. Thus, I suggest, the US is dead. Bad luck. I guess the 900 mio would have been very helpful to produce a vaccine.

Obama says, no time to panic, just concern.

Guy doesn't know how to play this game. Raise the flu terror alert to crimson, tell people to duct tape their house, send surrogates on cable teevee to accuse republicans of wanting to give cocoa and counseling to viruses.
Chichimec | 04.27.09 - 11:08 am | #

Swine flu warning over travel to U.S.

The EU's health commissioner calls on people to avoid traveling to Mexico and the United States as health officials around the world worked to contain a spreading swine flu outbreak. As many as 103 deaths in Mexico are thought to have been caused by swine flu. The U.S. has confirmed 20 while one is being treated in Spain. full story

General Motors to eliminate Pontiac

General Motors to eliminate Pontiac

A V8 is probably no 3-cyclinder engine that is for example in a VW Polo or similiar cars. I mean its no bad decision. It wont be a popular one though.

wikipedia

Republicans Stripped Pandemic Flu Preparedness From Stimulus

Like I get it you need a vaccine vs a flu. Its the cheapest and the easiest way to fight a flu. The problem is that u need to store it in large amounts because it normally takes 4 or 6 weeks to generate it. So, its past the point now to use a vaccine because if u got infected and u use a vaccine it may have hazardous consequences to your health if u "add" it to the special agent. So u need strong antibiotics. But equally, strong antibiotics need also 4-6 weeks to be released in masses. Thus, I suggest, the US is dead. Bad luck. I guess the 900 mio would have been very helpful to produce a vaccine.

Republicans Stripped Pandemic Flu Preparedness From Stimulus

Like I get it you need a vaccine vs a flu. Its the cheapest and the easiest way to fight a flu. The problem is that u need to store it in large amounts because it normally takes 4 or 6 weeks to generate it. So, its past the point now to use a vaccine because if u got infected and u use a vaccine it may have hazardous consequences to your health if u "add" it to the special agent. So u need strong antibiotics. But equally, strong antibiotics need also 4-6 weeks to be released in masses. Thus, I suggest, the US is dead. Bad luck

First papal visit for Charles since divorce - Christians get throats slashed in Iraq

First papal visit for Charles since divorce

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Prince Charles of Britain is meeting the pope Monday for the first time since his 1996 divorce from Princess Diana, representatives for both sides said.

Charles&Camilla in front of Italian parliament

The heir to the United Kingdom throne will be accompanied by his second wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

Prince Charles's accession to the throne is likely to be an unspoken subtext of the meeting, an expert on the prince told CNN.

"The biggest thing on Prince Charles's agenda is the preparation for his coronation," said Christopher Wilson, author of "The Windsor Knot: Charles, Camilla and the Legacy of Diana."

Charles would like the pope to attend personally, unlikely as that may be, given the religious divide between London and Rome, Wilson said.

"He will expect a high-profile Roman Catholic presence in Westminster Abbey," where he will be crowned, Wilson argued. "The combined heads of state come from everywhere. Every democratically elected head of state will be invited. It bigs up your coronation if you can get the highest Roman Catholic to come."

The meeting between prince and pope comes days after the 500th anniversary of the crowning of Henry VIII, the English king who broke with the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England because he wanted to divorce.

It will be Prince Charles's first visit to the Vatican since he went to the funeral of Pope John Paul II four years ago, and his first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, according to his office, Clarence House.

Attacks on Christians in Iraq leave 3 dead

cnn

Due to persecution, Christians in Iraq have had to rely on Iraqi security forces, as shown here on Easter Sunday.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Two attacks on Christian families in the city of Kirkuk on Sunday evening left three people dead and two others wounded, police said.

The first occurred in a neighborhood in southern Kirkuk when a Christian woman and her daughter-in-law were murdered in their home late night Sunday. Police told CNN the attackers slit the women's throats.

In a neighborhood close by, gunmen attacked a Christian family in their home, shooting a father and his three sons, police said. One of the sons died instantly and the other son and the father were wounded.

Many of Iraq's estimated 1 million Christians have fled the country after targeted attacks by extremists.

In October, more than a thousand Iraqi families fled the northern city of Mosul after they were reportedly frightened by a series of killings and threats by Muslim extremists, who apparently ordered them to convert to Islam or face possible death.

80% of Americans want to murder Dick Cheney

atrios

Morse Code: what u c on google is g.o.o.g.l.e. in Morse Code

atrios

a dot is short and a line is long

Germany: Sports:Bild: Bayern München feuert Klinsmann

bild
Bild: Bayern München feuert Klinsmann

Bavaria Munich fires Klinsmann


The Bild article reads: For being in office for only ten months, the project Klinsmann has already become a total failure.

In a total disaster for the initiators, only 14.2% of all voters in Berlin supported the measure that woudda made Religion a duty lesson on schools

German NTV
Germany:
In a total disaster for the initiators, only 14.2% of all voters in Berlin supported the measure that woudda made Religion a duty lesson on Berlin's schools. The measure was heavily favoured by German chancellor Angela Merkel. The current rule is that ethics is the duty lesson and that Religion is taught after the normal education. A clear majority opposed the measure even of the voters taking part in the vote (what were barely 30 %). The number opposing was at 51%. The governing red red coalition that governs in Berlin (social dems/ leftparty) opposed the measure. The result can be seen as a clear victory for governing mayor Wowereit.

Magna becomes top-candidate for Opel takeover

Der Tanz um Opel
Magna wird Liebling

Well, Hessias Cook is right when he says that Fiat is in no position to take over Opel. First up, Fiat is currently taking over Chrysler. That means Fiat will immediately have additional capacities in terms of plants (workers, etc.) and so on. Secondly, the market segment FIAT is currently serving is pretty much alike to the one of Opel. Its not very trustworthy when FIAT says itll keep up all German Opel plants. Even if so, Fiat would still gain some kind of a monopoly character and thats not very soothing. The know how that would flow into Fiat would give them a technological advance of 5 years and would thrash competition. I think Magna is a very neutral competitor and thus some 40 or 50 percent share of Magna in Opel is recommendable whereas Fiats meanwhile pretty woven investment into former eastern block car plants, Chinese interests, formula 1 and I dont know what the heck soever cannot be no guarantee for a serious policy towards some ailing car maker. I think its pretty responsible from Cook and atGoodlehill that they support Austrian-Canadian Magna.

2 shorten this bla: Fiat needs a structure that carries. Its totally amazing they claim theyll keep it up as whole, I just dont believe it.

Viva the swine flu: Pathogen vials go missing from army bio labs

Who would dare to call Powell a pathological liar now?

wired (weird?)

Tragic error causes Iraqi casualties

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is accusing U.S. troops of violating the security agreement between the two countries after a raid in Wasit province Sunday that left two people dead, Iraqi State TV reported.

U.S. troops raided a house in the city of Kut and arrested six suspected members of so-called "special groups" -- groups that are funded, armed and trained by Iran, according to the U.S. military.

During the operation, which the military said was "fully coordinated and approved by the Iraqi government," a man and a woman were killed by U.S. troops, the military said.

Al-Maliki's accusation that the United States violated the security pact is the first time the Iraqi government has claimed a breach in the deal that governs the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq. It was reached last November and implemented in January.

More Dems call for tough Iran sanctions

Chrysler and UAW and FIAT reach deal

yahoo

Correa wins again

Ecuador's leftist president wins re-election

Opel:Fiat seems to be interested in State-Support

express

Saudis prohibit letter combination U.S.A on number plates

express.de

Flu kills 81 in Mexico

Flu kills 81 in Mexico; U.S. under emergency

Mexicans have been urged to refrain from kissing and avoid large crowds amid growing global concern about a swine flu virus blamed for 81 deaths. Twenty cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the U.S., which has declared a public health emergency. full story

Sorry, today are elections in Equador

• 26 April: Andorra, Parliament
• 26 April: Ecuador, President and Parliament

http://ccoaler.blogspot.com/2009/04/today-are-elections-in-ecuador.html

Left wins in Iceland

Left wins in Iceland

Bea Arthur is dead

Germany: Commentary on Merkels speech at Christ Dem district head summit

Well, the CDU still maintains to be a peoples party. And Merkel didnt hesitate to accusate the social dems of having stopped being one. But what infact did Merkel do to proof it? She didnt speak of the crisis. She didnt speak of Opel, she didnt speak of German railways, she didnt speak about unemployment, she didnt do a shit to apply to broad masses. She had some bogus remark on qualified workers. Well, qualified workers. And then? tax cuts. Other topic: SMEs: what do we do? tax cuts. SO wheres the program to stimulate growth despite tax cuts? wheres the special inverstment into the economy? No idea, no hopwe, no future. Wheres additional regulation in the banking sector? okay, I just read Germany intends to take over HRE. But that is what a peoples party does? The only thing this party controls is the investment into shitholes in Ireland. Why doesnt the CDU simply claim to be some special interest representation and Merkel spares us of her good vibes? Smells like piss for me. The only thing that can obviously still help out in this situation is Turin and Rome and the pope because we have to be reduced to the brain size of a floppy disk. And, halleluja, Mekka isnt so far off anymore (or may I say Abu Dhabi or Dubai?). Hey, Abu Dhabi lately bought 10 percent in Mercedes. And THEY recover Germany. Nothing but Christian values, arent they, Mrs Merkel? Shit will hit the fan and it will hit damn hard.

http://ccoaler.blogspot.com/2009/04/germany-tax-cuts.html

Germany intends to take over majority of HRE

Another happy Bush dishes

EATED
First Bank of Beverly Hills, Calabasas, CA gets EATED.Heritage Bank, Farmington Hills, MI gets EATED.American Southern Bank, Kennesaw, GA gets EATED.
http://www.eschatonblog.com/2009/04/eated_24.html

Cheryl Cole elected woman with biggest sex-appeal by FHM readers

Bernanke blackmailed BoA to take over Merrill Lynch

German NTV

Germany: Tax Cuts

State bearing non-terrorist conservatives are at it again, this time its Germany. Mrs. Merkel detected the true potential of relief through pay reduction towards the state on the meeting of district heads of her party, the German Christ Dems.

In sharp seperation from German Social Dems the Christ Dem head Angela merkel promised tax cuts after a possible election victory of her party. "Wherever room will open up after the crisis, we will put back a part (I guess its 'of what we are currently investing into downturn management') into the relief of the people" Merkel said during a meeting of the district heads of her party in Berlin. But it will happen slower than originally thought.

Merkels 50-minute speech was her strongest party-political positioning for long. Merkel pointed at the overproportinal burdens for SMEs in current German tax legislation. "There we godda start." Merkel accused the Social Dems of having not presented a future program for Germany with their election program and (obviously thus) she preferred a coalition with the Lib Dems.

The Christ Dems will not relieve the top earners but the broad mass of qualified workers. "We cannot say precisely in which year we will achieve this because the budget may not get outta control" said Merkel. It has to remain the aim "to stay without debt till the mid or end of the next decade in Germany" the Christ Dem head said. But Merkel hinted at the idea to change the tax legislation during the crisis though the public budgets will be especially burdened thus. It has to be an aim also to cause growth.

Furthermore Merkel intends to relieve the enterprises short-term by tax cuts and hopes for an agreement of the social dems in the coming weeks. If the current rules are not changed "the losses will get brutal high." Merkel pointed at the so called rate-barriers and coat (frame)-selloffs. Politics cant demand on the one side to defend jobs and is on the other simply not helping the industry. "Barriers have to be reduced."

The chancellor seperated herself multiple times from the German social dems. She cannot discern how by "unity wage" and tax increase a prosper (she said good) future for Germany can be achieved.

She hinted at her persuasion that the social dem demand of a "tax for the rich" will hit also SMEs and the economy (obviously as such). Posing "she was asking herself" what rides a peoples party 2 have such an (obviously queer) idea. The only thing she can promise was: "There wont be tax increases with us."

NO TIME FOR STUNTS

Merkel turned against a dramatization of the consequences of the economical crisis. It was "totally irresponsible 2 further fright and panic and predict something what isnt conform to reality." Merkel indirectly refused thus remarks of the social dem candidate for president who is Gesine Swan. Swan called for calm but predicted like union head Sommer dangers for democracy.

Merkel announced a fact.oriented election campaign. "It will be an uncommon election campaign cause there wont be time for stunts." She demanded integrity from her party. 2009 was a key year for the development of Germany for the crisis. In the next month itll be decided whether the style of the christ dems is discernable. it is necessary thus that all levels of the christ dems cooperate.

GM halt to affect more than workers

« Return of The Doc Who Cried Clone | Main

Artificial Intelligence Cracks 4,000-Year-Old Mystery

By Brandon Keim April 23, 2009 | 1:01:09 PMCategories: Archaeology

An ancient script that's defied generations of archaeologists has yielded some of its secrets to artificially intelligent computers.

Computational analysis of symbols used 4,000 years ago by a long-lost Indus Valley civilization suggests they represent a spoken language. Some frustrated linguists thought the symbols were merely pretty pictures.

"The underlying grammatical structure seems similar to what's found in many languages," said University of Washington computer scientist Rajesh Rao.

The Indus script, used between 2,600 and 1,900 B.C. in what is now eastern Pakistan and northwest India, belonged to a civilization as sophisticated as its Mesopotamian and Egyptian contemporaries. However, it left fewer linguistic remains. Archaeologists have uncovered about 1,500 unique inscriptions from fragments of pottery, tablets and seals. The longest inscription is just 27 signs long.

In 1877, British archaeologist Alexander Cunningham hypothesized that the Indus script was a forerunner of modern-day Brahmic scripts, used from Central to Southeast Asia. Other researchers disagreed. Fueled by scores of competing and ultimately unsuccessful attempts to decipher the script, that contentious state of affairs has persisted to the present.

Among the languages linked to the mysterious script are Chinese Lolo, Sumerian, Egyptian, Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Old Slavic, even Easter Island — and, finally, no language at all. In 2004, linguist Steve Farmer published a paper asserting that the Indus script was nothing more than political and religious symbols. It was a controversial notion, but not an unpopular one.

Rao, a machine learning specialist who read about the Indus script in high school and decided to apply his expertise to the script while on sabbatical in Inda, may have solved the language-versus-symbol question, if not the script itself.

"One of the main questions in machine learning is how to generalize rules from a limited amount of data," said Rao. "Even though we can't read it, we can look at the patterns and get the underlying grammatical structure."

Rao's team used pattern-analyzing software running what's known as a Markov model, a computational tool used to map system dynamics.

Spain's jobless rate soars above 17 percent

Spain's jobless rate soars above 17 percent

U.S. Said to Seek a Chrysler Plan for Bankruptcy

By MICHELINE MAYNARD and MICHAEL J. de la MERCED

The Treasury Department has reached an agreement in principle with the autoworkers union in the event that Chrysler, which is negotiating with Fiat, files for bankruptcy.

Taliban militants nearing Pakistan capital

Taliban militants nearing Pakistan capital

By Mark Magnier and Mubashir Zaid

A small paramilitary force is sent to an infiltrated area 60 miles from Islamabad, a move that suggests the authorities are not ready to fight.

Poizner runs a rocky path to governor's race

With 13 months until the GOP primary, the insurance commissioner has grappled with turnover among campaign advisors, $150,000 in unpaid inaugural fund bills and questions about his donors.

By Michael Finnegan
April 24, 2009

He has pledged to run the state more efficiently if elected governor, but staff turmoil and lingering troubles with his inaugural fund are roiling the nascent campaign of state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner.

With the Republican primary still 13 months away, Poizner, a leading contender, is on his third campaign manager. Several top advisors have bowed out or taken diminished roles.

City offers 10/10Mbps internet, 81 channel TV, and phone for $99/month. Instead of competing, Time Warner lobbies the state to outlaw municipal owned fiber networks. (dailytech.com)

AMEX

Obama lately announced that he intends to minimize debt rates on credit cards, meaning if u r in the red, the maximum rate will be at 15 % for example and not at 30.
Anyway, Amex got large dropouts lately because the global economic downturn causes people not to pay their bills. The profit's shrunk.

Data set to show slump continuing

Data set to show slump continuing

Bavarias at Goodlehill calls prophecy of social riots "irresponsible"

"Verantwortungslos, dumm"
Warnung vor Panikmache

Politicians of conservatives and social dems criticized the warnings concerning social riots as generating panic. It is irresponsible and dumm to destabilize the mood of the people even further said economical minister at Goodlehill concerning remarks of german union association head Sommer and candidate for German president swan.

Ford

Pass the popcorn!
(California) state GOP officials will ask Mike Villines, R-Clovis (Fresno County), to resign as Assembly minority leader after the May 19 (special) election, a former party leader told a Modesto radio station Wednesday.Former state party chairman Shawn Steel called Villines a "rotten apple" for supporting February's budget deal and the ballot measures in the special election."It's embarrassing having a Republican support one of the biggest tax increases in American history on the state level," Steel told radio host Rob Johnson during Johnson's show on 840 KMPH-AM. "(Villines has) hurt the brand, he's hurting our fundraising, he's hurting our registration."Steel said state party leaders would soon call on Villines to step down after the election. Steel said he did not have a preference for a replacement, saying that would be up to Assembly Republicans...dave™©

Man twitters using brain waves

Senate: Rice, Cheney approved waterboarding

Senate: Rice, Cheney approved waterboarding
Top Bush administration officials gave the CIA approval to use the controversial interrogation technique known as waterboarding as early as 2002, a Senate intelligence report shows. full story

New jobless claims rise to 640,000; continuing claims top 6.1M

New jobless claims rise to 640,000; continuing claims top 6.1M

WASHINGTON (AP) -- New U.S. jobless claims rose more than expected last week, while the number of workers continuing to filing claims for unemployment benefits topped 6.1 million.

Both figures are fresh evidence layoffs persist amid a weak job market that is not expected to rebound anytime soon.

The Labor Department said Thursday that initial claims for unemployment compensation rose to a seasonally adjusted 640,000, up from a revised 613,000 the previous week. That was slightly above analysts' expectations of 635,000.

South Africa

http://www.n-tv.de/1142250.html

ANC 64
COPE 8
DA 19

FIAT will try to get majority of OPEL

Opel-Betriebsrat: Fiat will Mehrheit an Opel

Clinton: Terrorists aim to overthrow Pakistan

Clinton: Terrorists aim to overthrow Pakistan
Pakistan is in danger of falling into terrorist hands because of failed government policies, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warns as she calls on Pakistani citizens and expatriates to voice more concern. "I think that we cannot underscore the seriousness of the existential threat posed to the state of Pakistan by continuing advances, now within hours of Islamabad ...," she says. full story

ANC gets 62,67%

http://www.n-tv.de/1142250.html
no 2/3 majority
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30355164
mystery spouses surround Zuma

Clinton: Tougher Iran sanctions, if needed

Clinton: Tougher Iran sanctions, if needed

Pelosi has known for some time that the NSA eavesdropped on Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)

Contrary to earlier belief, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has known for some time that the NSA eavesdropped on Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), Roll Call's Tory Newmyer reports (sub. req'd) this afternoon.

The spy agency briefed Pelosi about the surveillance "a few years ago," Pelosi said at a lunch Wednesday.

Pelosi said she wasn't told the content of the calls, or even "if what they were talking about was real," Newmyer says.
abcnews

Four on trial over German terror plot

• Four on trial over German terror plot 55 min

(CNN) -- Four men accused of involvement in a foiled terrorist plot against Western targets went on trial Wednesday in Germany.

Fritz Gelowicz appears in court on April 22 in Dusseldorf, northern Germany.

Three of the men -- two Germans and a Turk -- were arrested in September 2007. Authorities said they had begun mixing a huge amount of explosive material that could have resulted in a strong blast, bigger than the attacks in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005.

The three -- Fritz Gelowicz, Martin Schneider, and Adem Yilmaz -- are charged with membership in foreign and domestic terrorist groups, preparation of explosives, plotting to murder, and plotting to commit a crime using explosives, the court said.

Schneider is also accused of attempted murder, the court said.

The fourth person, identified in German media reports as Attila Selek, is a German citizen of Turkish descent. The German magazine Der Spiegel said prosecutors are still searching for a fifth man they believe played a central role in the alleged plot.

Anti-German hate video surfaced on the net...

Zoom.in

Vor 8 St

New report: Bush admin. was determined to torture

New report: Bush admin. was determined to torture

by Joe Sudbay (DC) on 4/22/2009 08:52:00 AM

Last week, the Obama administration released the Bush administration's legal memos, which authorized torture. This week, we've got a new Senate report on the subject of torture. It's still somewhat sad and extremely disturbing that we're talking about the United States of America permitting torture. But, that's what George Bush did to our country. My initial take on the Senate report on torture is that it confrms the Bush crew was hellbent on torturing any suspected terrorist -- even if it wasn't legal and didn't work. From the Washington Post:Intelligence and military officials under the Bush administration began preparing to conduct harsh interrogations long before they were granted legal approval to use such methods -- and weeks before the CIA captured its first high-ranking terrorism suspect, Senate investigators have concluded.


HULLABALOO DIGBY
A report by the Senate Armed Services Committee released Tuesday night says that torture techniques used at Abu Ghraib prison and approved by officials in the George W. Bush administration were applied only after soliciting a “wish list” from interrogators.

DAILYKOS:

Bush Administration Pushed Torture In Attempt To Find Iraq-al Qaida Links

by Hunter

Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 07:20:08 AM PDT

This story is almost unimaginably repulsive.

McClatchy reports that one of the prime pressures that led to using torture as an "interrogation technique" was the prewar effort to find "links" between al Qaida and Iraq -- links which the intelligence community already were confident did not exist:

A former senior U.S. intelligence official familiar with the interrogation issue said that Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld demanded that intelligence agencies and interrogators find evidence of al Qaida-Iraq collaboration.

"There were two reasons why these interrogations were so persistent, and why extreme methods were used," the former senior intelligence official said on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity.

"The main one is that everyone was worried about some kind of follow-up attack (after 9/11). But for most of 2002 and into 2003, Cheney and Rumsfeld, especially, were also demanding proof of the links between al Qaida and Iraq that (former Iraqi exile leader Ahmed) Chalabi and others had told them were there."

It was during this period that CIA interrogators waterboarded two alleged top al Qaida detainees repeatedly — Abu Zubeida at least 83 times in August 2002 and Khalid Sheik Mohammed 183 times in March 2003 — according to a newly released Justice Department document. [...]

Report links CIA to military harsh interrogations

AP – 1 hr 26 mins ago

WASHINGTON – The brutal treatment of prisoners by the military at Guantanamo Bay, Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and Afghanistan was systematic and a direct result of the CIA's early use of harsh interrogation tactics, according to a Senate report. Full Story»

Police probe death of Freddie Mac official

Police probe death of Freddie Mac official

WASHINGTON - David Kellermann, the acting chief financial officer of mortgage giant Freddie Mac, was found dead at his home Wednesday morning in what police said was an apparent suicide.

Mary Ann Jennings, director of public information for the Fairfax County, Va., Police Department, said Kellermann was found dead in his Reston, Va., home. The 41-year-old Kellermann has been Freddie Mac’s chief financial officer since September.

Odd Developments

CBS/AP) A top executive at Freddie Mac was found dead Wednesday morning in an apparent suicide, according to CBS affiliate WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C.

David Kellermann, the acting chief financial officer and senior vice president of the government-sponsored mortgage lender, was found dead in his home after his wife alerted Fairfax County Police to his suicide, authorities told WUSA.

atrios

KVIA's Darren Hunt arrested on I-10

hey GOP isn't done with crazy yet.


Tancredo was on Tweets last night and put on an appalling display of insanity. The idiot was foaming at the mouth.

No they haven't finished with the crazy as yet.
Billy B |

Obama Open to Probe of Interrogations

WASHINGTON (April 21) - Widening an explosive debate on torture, President Barack Obama on Tuesday opened the possibility of prosecution for Bush-era lawyers who authorized brutal interrogation of terror suspects and suggested Congress might order a full investigation.

Less than a week after declaring it was time for the nation to move on rather than "laying blame for the past," Obama found himself describing what might be done next to investigate what he called the loss of "our moral bearings."

North and South Korea talks last only 22 minutes

North and South Korea talks last only 22 minutes

found the smallest exoplanet ever, called Gliese 581 e,

netscape

HATFIELD, England (April 21) - In the search for Earth-like planets, astronomers zeroed in Tuesday on two places that look awfully familiar to home. One is close to the right size. The other is in the right place.

European researchers said they not only found the smallest exoplanet ever, called Gliese 581 e, but realized that a neighboring planet discovered earlier, Gliese 581 d, was in the prime habitable zone for potential life.

Voting begins in South African elections

Voting begins in South African elections

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- South Africans headed to the polls Wednesday, in elections that the ruling African National Congress is expected to win in a landslide.


Polls indicate that the ANC might lose its two-thirds parliamentary majority.
The ANC, led by Jacob Zuma, has gained votes in every election since 1994, but a new player, Congress of the People, threatens the party's grip on power.
Congress of the People is a breakaway faction of the ANC. The ANC has been dogged by corruption and accused of failing to deliver services to the poor. Fielding a controversial leader as its presidential candidate has not done the party any favors.

Former vice president says post-9/11 aggressive techniques successful

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30325495

If I got imprisoned for 250 years Id also tell instead that it really resulted in something and not unlawful entry.

new opportunities for millions of Americans to volunteer

Clinton and Kennedy, Together Again

The president signs into law tomorrow the new national service corps act, named after Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

Barack Obama split Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy apart. Now he’s bringing them back together.

The current president, the former president and the ailing senator from Massachusetts will gather at the Seed School in Washington on Tuesday, where Mr. Obama is to sign the Edward M. Kennedy National Service Act into law. The legislation builds on Mr. Obama’s call to service by creating new opportunities for millions of America to volunteer.

It is likely to be a poignant moment for Mr. Kennedy, who is being treated for brain cancer and whose late brother, former President John F. Kennedy Jr., created the Peace Corps four decades ago. Mr. Clinton has been invited because the bill would put Americorps – the so-called “domestic Peace Corps,’’ which he created – on a path to grow from its current level of 75,000 to 250,000 annual volunteers.

The body language may be interesting to watch. Mr. Clinton grew furious with Mr. Kennedy during last year’s Democratic presidential primary campaign, when the senator broke with the Clintons and supported Mr. Obama over Hillary Rodham Clinton, Mr. Clinton’s wife. Mrs. Clinton, of course, now serves in the Obama cabinet as Secretary of State.

But Mr. Clinton is reportedly still miffed.

Switzerland: Akmaydjinedjad causes expected scandal

yahoo.de



Iran's president Makmut Akmaydjinedjad caused the expected fuzz (scandal) at the UN-anti-racism conference. Delegates from several EU-countries left the audience when Akmaydjinedjad criticized the formation of a "racistic government" in the mid east during his speech concerning Israel. The US obviously intends to continue its dialogue with Iran.

Germany: Bavaria: Haderthauer was close 2 b kiked cause she said former Christ Social head Strauss was a wrong example

alsche Vorbilder
Haderthauer fast rausgeworfen

Scientist Stephen Hawking 'very ill'

Scientist Stephen Hawking 'very ill'

I heard some funny story today. 4 guys travelled to Holland. There they bought 10 g of marijuana. When driving home, they were chasen by a car. So they exitted the highway at some Dutch truck stop, still before the border. When they got on the German side, they were exactly controlled by the car that followed them. Too bad they smoked all of it at the truck stop, ahaha.

Alexandrovna: Who is former CIA director really protecting?

http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/04/ex-cia-director-releasing-bush-era-torture-memos-embolden-enemies/comment-page-1/#comment-3026"
I think the point is the net and why it contracted at such high level id est why they reached so high id est so low to get to the point. They must have had major misinformations before 911 and they clearly mounted certain "side aspects" like bullshit torture methods to get to the point. so in fact the net in fact spread a new net again that caught all kinds of fishes small ones and sharks. Bush always had this stupid rooting out evil shit but I think with the fuzz he caused he must have warned the last shithole under the sun. So they looked more precisely for the failure in their logic before 911. and I think they must have had one. Bush is sure no fan of logical thinking. I think this hints a bit at Iraq. I think noone really expected Saddam to attack Kuwait. Except perhaps the CIA.hehe.

Germany: Fuzz about Bohlen's "Bitch" remark

yahoo.com

Bohlen struck again on saturdays DSDS on RTL. Annemarie has sung a pretty normal song, it was vailando... tu e io a la fiesta. It wasnt very disgusting, she was even properly dressed, so there was no reason to worry in moral terms. But Bohlen couldnt stop to stick the lip after his predictions were wrong and he said bitch.... if this was a karaoke show, u would do great, but I didnt recognize that it was u who has sung the song. I mean she delivered a pretty smart and neutral performance. So Bohlens statement was totally unprofessional. As an explanation he said britney Spears calls herself a bitch also and she probably doesnt mean shes a whore. I guess Bohlen wants more nudity on the stage with roaring horny bitches.

Glaxo to buy Stiefel Labs for up to $3.6 billion

• Glaxo to buy Stiefel Labs for up to $3.6 billion Reuters – 1 hr 48 mins ago

Oracle to buy Sun Microsystems in $7.4 billion cash deal

Oracle übernimmt Sun für 7,4 Milliarden Dollar

Oracle to buy Sun Microsystems in $7.4 billion cash deal

Yesterday were elections in Ecuador

The GOP's worrisome degeneration: Yes, worrisome

Very good idea by Rahm Emanuel

nytimes

Germany

The number of politically motivated crimes has reached in the last year a new peak in Germany. The number of crimes rose in Germany by 11.4% to 31.800 the German ministry of Interior said. That is the highest value since the start of the count 2001.



For the first time since 2004 killings occured: 2 people were killed by right violence. The sharpest rise in total numbers belonged also to nazi-crime.

Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz, left, greets Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Israeli anger over U.N. anti-racism conference

Israel pulled its ambassador from Switzerland Monday to protest an address by Iran's president at a anti-racism conference. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman "have decided to call the Israeli ambassador to Switzerland back for consultations, in protest of the conference in Geneva, in which a racist and a Holocaust denier, who openly declares his intention of erasing Israel, is a guest," Netanyahu's office said. full story

tax-junk by German social dems

"Steuerpolitischer Giftmüll"
SPD-Programm unter Beschuss

Die Vorstellung des SPD-Wahlprogramms hat deutliche Kritik bei allen anderen Parteien hervorgerufen. Vor allem die Steuerpläne der Sozialdemokraten stoßen auf erheblichen Widerstand - die FDP sieht deshalb keine Grundlage mehr für eine gemeinsame Zusammenarbeit. Und auch die Grünen als Wunschpartner der SPD lassen kein gutes Haar am Programmentwurf.

The presentation of the social dem election program caused clear criticism of all other parties. Especially the tax plans of the social dems cause stiff resistance - the lib dems thus see no reason to cooperate with the social dems after the election. The ecos also did not find one point in the program to stick to.

The main point of the program is to lower the minimum taxation from 14 to 10 percent which mainly concerns low income workers.

Obama is deeply disappointed about Iran sentence for US journalist

Haft für US-Journalistin im Iran
Obama "tief enttäuscht"

Joan Walsh: "I believe that every step we take to learn more will only strengthen the case that someone must be held accountable for the lawless cruelty that marked the Bush-Cheney torture regime. We can start by impeaching Jay Bybee, but it can't end there."

UN investigator: Not prosecuting CIA violates international law

The Torture Memos Are Not Just Sick, They're Full of Lies: A Closer Look at the Bybee Memo

alternet

CIA waterboarded Al Qaeda suspect
183 times in 1 month, memo reveals

Venezuela may seek to reinstall envoy to U.S.

(CNN) -- Venezuela President Hugo Chavez is considering naming an ambassador to the United States, signaling a shift in the historically tense relations between the two nations -- one that the Obama administration welcomed.

It is possible we will begin evaluating the designation of an ambassador in the United States," Chavez said in a statement Saturday after the meeting of leaders and representatives from 34 countries at the the fifth Summit of the Americas. "We want to move in that direction."
A senior Obama administration official told CNN late Saturday that Chavez had approached Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to discuss returning ambassadors to posts in Caracas and Washington.
"This is a positive development that will help advance U.S. interests," the official said. "And, the State Department will now work to further this shared goal."
Earlier, another administration official told CNN, "We don't know yet if Chavez is serious. ... We're not rushing into this."
The welcoming attitude from both sides contrasts with the mood during the Bush administration, during which Chavez expelled the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela in September. The United States responded by expelling Venezuela's ambassador, heightening tensions between the two nations.
Chavez -- whose anti-U.S. rhetoric has included calling former President George W. Bush the devil -- made the announcement Saturday after President Obama presented a different approach to the United States' neighbors, offering "favorable prospects" for the future, a White House economic adviser said.

Somalia votes for Sharia Law

cnn

ASZ: GOP intends to alienate via Cuba

“The United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba,” Obama countered in his own speech. “I know there is a longer journey that must be traveled in overcoming decades of mistrust, but there are critical steps we can take toward a new day.” Earlier this week, Obama lifted restrictions on travel to the island by Cuban Americans.

The administration has been careful to accompany its outreach to Cuba with demands that the government allow more political and personal freedoms before the embargo is lifted. “They’re certainly free to release political prisoners,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters yesterday. “They’re certainly free to stop skimming money off the top of remittance payments as they come back to the Cuban island. They’re free to institute a greater freedom of the press.”

But events appeared to be outpacing the administration’s efforts to adjust its Cuba policy on its own terms. Earlier yesterday, the secretary general of the Organization of American States said he would ask its membership to readmit Cuba — ejected in 1962 at U.S. urging — when that organization meets next month. Bipartisan bills have been introduced in both houses of Congress to lift all travel restrictions and ease the embargo.

And it was not at all clear that Cuba is ready to grasp the olive branch Obama is extending.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that a reported willingness by Cuban President Raúl Castro to discuss “everything” with the United States was a “welcome overture.” Her comments followed news accounts from Cuba that quoted Castro as expressing willingness to talk with the United States about “human rights, press freedom, political prisoners, anything they want to discuss,” as long as it was a conversation between “equals” that respected Cuba’s sovereignty.

allspinzone

updated 23 minutes ago

Iran sentences U.S. journalist to 8 years

A U.S. journalist in Iran was sentenced to eight years in prison for espionage, her father and Iranian media said Saturday -- a sentence that prompted sharp denunciations from political and media officials. full story

Iran Said to Convict Journalist of Spying

Iran Said to Convict Journalist of Spying

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 50 minutes ago

An Iranian court has convicted the American journalist Roxana Saberi of espionage and sentenced her to prison.

North Korea: Sanctions a declaration of war

North Korea: Sanctions a declaration of war
North Korea said Saturday any sanctions or pressure applied against it following its rocket launch earlier this month will be considered a "declaration of war." In an announcement on state-run television, the country said it was poised for a military response to any moves against it. full story

I mean North Korea needs to curb it a bit. We all like to kill some thrash but this isnt appropriate.

Torture methods

http://news.de.msn.com/politik/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=16147843

interesting german summary of the released torture methods

Bush-era memo: Insect use OK for interrogation

Interrogation tactics such as waterboarding, sleep deprivation and slapping did not violate laws against torture when there was no intent to cause severe pain, according to a Bush-era memo on the tactics. One memo also authorized keeping suspected al Qaeda leader Abu Zubaydah in a dark, confined space with an insect, noting that he "appears to have a fear of insects." full story

Dems: Texas governor should reject secession

AUSTIN, Texas - In a state that once was its own nation, a Republican governor who talked about secession without completely dismissing the idea has Democratic lawmakers in an uproar.

Gov. Rick Perry, in comments following an anti-tax "tea party" Wednesday, never did advocate Texas breaking away from the United States but suggested that Texans might at some point get so fed up they would want to leave the union. That was enough to feed opinions for and against secession on Web sites, cable TV and talk radio across the nation.

General Growth files for bankruptcy protection

General Growth files for bankruptcy protection

NEW YORK (Reuters) – General Growth Properties Inc, the second largest U.S. mall owner, filed for bankruptcy protection on Thursday in one of the biggest real estate failures in U.S. history.

Ending months of speculation, the Chicago-based mall owner, which listed total assets of $29.56 billion and total debts of $27.29 billion, sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors along with 158 of its more than 200 U.S. malls, while it seeks to restructure some of its debt.

Since November, General Growth has warned that it may have to seek protection from its creditors when it was unable to refinance maturing mortgages.

The company said in a statement that it planned to continue exploring strategic alternatives during the bankruptcy protection, from which it is seeking to emerge as quickly as possible through a reorganization that preserves its national business.

General Growth's filing in the U.S. bankruptcy court in Manhattan makes it one of the largest nonfinancial companies to succumb to the financial crisis in the U.S.

Before the bankruptcy protection filing, the company had defaulted on several mortgages as well as a series of bonds. It has also put several of its flagship properties up for sale.

Analysts and other real estate experts have speculated that mall owners Simon Property Group Inc and Westfield Group would be interested in buying some of General Growth's assets from bankruptcy.

General Growth has been generating enough cash flow for the company to pay monthly interest costs and expenses, but it has been unable to refinance the principal of loans and mortgages as they come due because banks and other financing sources have been reluctant to issue large mortgages and loans.

"Our core business remains sound and is performing well with stable cash flows," General Growth Chief Executive Adam Metz said in a statement.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reached an important milestone Wednesday in her quest to pay the debt from her failed 2008 presidential bid

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/16/clinton.debt/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reached an important milestone Wednesday in her quest to pay the debt from her failed 2008 presidential bid: For the first time in eight months, her campaign committee reported having more money in the bank than it owes.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's campaign committee reported owing $2.3 million in debt at the end of March.

On a day most Americans were preoccupied with filing their federal income taxes, Clinton's campaign committee filed finance documents with the Federal Election Commission, reporting a total of $2.3 million in debts at the end of March, compared with $2.6 million in the bank.
The nation's top diplomat has been steadily chipping away at unpaid campaign bills since suspending her White House bid in June 2008, when her debt peaked at $25.2 million. That amount covered $12 million owed to vendors, as well as the $13.2 million she loaned her campaign from personal funds.
Clinton's campaign was unable to repay that personal loan by the time the Democratic National Convention convened in Denver, Colorado, last August, the deadline mandated by the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. The former New York senator was forced to forgive the entire loan amount.
Her campaign owed $6.4 million to 16 creditors at the end of November; $5.9 million to five creditors at the end of December; and the current $2.3 million owed to just one creditor at the end of March. That creditor is Penn, Schoen & Berland, a political consulting and polling firm that advised Clinton during her presidential bid. The firm's president, Mark Penn, was Clinton's senior campaign strategist until he stepped down last April amid revelations that he had lobbied on behalf of Colombia for a U.S.-Colombia trade deal that Clinton opposed. Penn remained involved with the campaign.
Earlier this year, Clinton and her supporters raced to pay as much of the debt as possible by the time she was confirmed and sworn in as the nation's 67th secretary of state on January 21. As of that date, Clinton became subject to a federal law known as the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from personally soliciting or accepting political contributions. The Hatch Act allows others to keep raising money on Clinton's behalf, without her direct involvement.

Indish vote

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/15/india.elections/index.html

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- India begins voting Thursday to choose a new government in a mammoth exercise covering more than three million square kilometers of the planet in scattered polling until next month.

Republican absurdity doesnt stop at the democratic party door: lunatic fringe movement challenges Gillibrandts vote

The US senate has been challenged.
nytimes:Senators ballot disputed

By DAVID M. HALBFINGER

Published: April 14, 2009

James N. Tedisco, the Republican candidate in the deadlocked race for Congress in New York’s 20th District, has been challenging absentee ballots right and left, his Democratic rival complains. But mostly left.

Tale Of Two Hitlers

digbysblog

I mean its a total insinuation against Obama to say he's a fascist. In fact, the nazis paraload a lot because hes African-American. They recruit guys because they are diffrent from him. That are the facts and its vile to use the prophanity of the office which has previously nazi-shitten by George W. Bush. I remember the discussion about the ad also. Back then, the repugs were very swift in simply proclaiming the ad was too extreme. period. not nice, regardless how many died in iraq by the time. today we got a peacy president again and the bastards call us fascist. fascism in fact means that u maximize thru mixing - economical and military aims and then steer it for war. the inevitability hitler caused with his job programs in the weapons industry was of course war. and bush was on a similiar track. the total stupidity glenn beck shows us again with his half-informed unfounded remarks is only another sign the republican ideology doesnt currently suit the purpose of a state. the fukk u cant cut taxes if the state is broke. the repugs demanded tax cuts for 30 years and now they have to leave the track for not being shot as fukking enemies of the state or terrorists.that they steal and abuse our ideology for their cheap stunts incorporated in this nuthole glenn beck is another epidemy of the locust style repugs think is politics. I hope theyll submerge in the next election. fukk u mr.paulson.

The ad in question used a tape recording of the Nazi leader speaking while it showed images of Hitler and German military prowess during World War II. At the end of the ad, a photo of Bush raising his hand to take the oath of office is seen.
"A nation warped by lies. Lies fuel fear. Fear fuels aggression. Invasion. Occupation. What were war crimes in 1945 is foreign policy in 2003," the ad said.

Republican groups and Jewish organizations expressed outrage over the ad, which has been removed from the MoveOn.org Web site. The Republican National Committee (search) called on all nine Democratic candidates to condemn the ads.

RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie (search) called the ad, "the worst and most vile form of political hate speech."
[...]
MoveOn.org spokesman Trevor Fitzgibbon said, "we had no idea the Hitler thing even existed."



Here's Beck this past weekend:



When a liberal activist group accidentally put a 30 second citizen generated ad featuring a comparison between Bush and Hitler on its web site, the political establishment goes nuts.

Glenn Beck, a highly paid television pundit spends an entire hour comparing audience Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini to Obama and the political establishment acts like it's perfectly normal.

c also: ccoaler.blogspot.com:Obama becomes a popular recruitment tool for nazis because hes an African American

Björn Engholm becomes 70 this year

Obama becomes a popular recruitment tool for nazis because hes an African American

(CNN) -- Right-wing extremist groups may be using the recession and the election of the nation's first African-American president to recruit members, a Department of Homeland Security report contends.

Though the nine-page report said it has "no specific information that domestic right-wing terrorists are currently planning acts of violence," it said real-estate foreclosures, unemployment and tight credit "could create a fertile recruiting environment for right-wing extremists and even result in confrontations between such groups and government authorities similar to those in the past."

The report, prepared in coordination with the FBI and published April 7, was distributed to federal, state and local law enforcement officials under the title "Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment."

It compares the current climate the 1990s, "when right-wing extremism experienced a resurgence fueled largely by an economic recession, criticism about the outsourcing of jobs, and the perceived threat to U.S. power and sovereignty by other foreign powers."

It cites proposed restrictions on weapons as likely to increase membership in extremist groups and expresses concern the groups might try to recruit veterans.

The report also cites concern about anti-Semitism, saying that some groups are blaming the loss of U.S. jobs and home foreclosures on "a deliberate conspiracy conducted by a cabal of Jewish 'financial elites' " in an attempt to recruit members.

The election of President Obama is cited as a key recruitment tool. "Many right-wing extremists are antagonistic toward the new presidential administration and its perceived stance on a range of issues, including immigration and citizenship, the expansion of social programs to minorities, and restrictions on firearm ownership and use," the report said.

It said that twice in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election, "extremists appeared to be in the early planning stages of some threatening activity targeting the Democratic nominee, but law enforcement interceded."

The report said that "lone wolves and small terrorist cells" represent the nation's biggest terrorist threat because their low profile makes it difficult to intervene before they act.

Mark Potok, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups, agreed that Obama's election may have boosted membership in such groups, but called any link to the economy "more questionable."

He said his group has documented "a steady, not dramatic," growth of extremist groups -- from 602 in 2000 to 926 in 2008, an increase of more than 50 percent.

Though "there has been a lot of talk about the country being stolen," it is "a little early" to conclude that Obama's election has driven massive growth in such groups, he said.

A DHS official said the department was not trying to squelch free speech by issuing the report. "There is no link between extremists being talked about in that report and conservative political thinkers, activists and voters," the official said.

But conservative radio talk show host Roger Hedgecock was not persuaded. "If the Bush administration had done this to left-wing extremists, it would be all over the press as an obvious trampling of the First Amendment rights of folks and dissent," he told CNN.

In fact, the Obama administration in January did issue a warning about left-wing extremists. Both reports were initiated during the administration of former President George W. Bush.

SuicideGirls: Glenn Beck goes insane

Glenn Beck Goes Insane 4/15

And feel free to enjoy some Glenn Beck poetry,, which he recites everyday on his show.


WRONG WITH US

Put these people in jail, put these people in jail,
Put them in jail, what is wrong with us;
We knew this guy was in the country,
He was -- he has been in the country
And extradited before; we have thrown him
Out of the country, then we brought him back, and
Then we threw him out and he came back again;
What the hell is wrong with us, what is wrong with us.

("Glenn Beck," Fox News, March 11, 2009)

U.S. Stymied as Guns Flow to Mexican Cartels

By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.

Violent crime groups in Mexico are seen as capitalizing on the ease of acquiring American weapons, fueling bloodshed south of the border.

Obama says he supports Iran's nuclear program "with rigorous inspections"

Iran has proven repeatedly that it regards its nuclear program as proof that it triggers absolute power in relation to others. This nuclear program may not have any service to others. It triggers the fundamental change of the self-perception of the Iranian Republic id est that Iran is a superpower. For me the US remains a superpower and Obamas politic is more than dangerous. He doesnt only sell some reason for self-defense of the Iranian opposition, he sells in special sale his own image of an enforcer of the own superiority. For me, the moolahs are some kind of nazis for their jew-hate. Obamas move is left politely weak and if u add that Carter got ousted for them its bullshit. GRADE F

cnn

Mexico slams Burger King for insulting ad

German government in Hypo offer

BBC:German government in Hypo offer

The German government has launched a takeover offer for troubled lender Hypo Real Estate (HRE).

The government's bank rescue fund said it was offering shareholders 1.39 euros per share, 15.8% higher than its last closing price of 1.20 euros.

But US investor JC Flowers, who has a 25% stake in HRE, has said he wants to remain a shareholder.

Singapore economy in record fall

Singapore economy in record fall

Singapore's economy shrank by 19.7% in the first quarter of 2009 compared with the previous three months, its biggest quarterly contraction on record.

Official estimates also showed the economy had shrunk by 11.5% compared with the same period a year ago.