maureen tucker - round and round

one of my favorite rock and roll recordings ever, this song makes me want to dance with my friends and always brings a smile to my face.

"The pill doesn’t need sweetening"

These were the words of Vince Cable today, the first minister from the new Coalition Government to speak in the European Parliament. You can read the full text of the speech here.

Vince was talking, among other things, about the Single Market, suggesting that reinvigorating it did not need a 'package deal' to ‘compensate’ people for freer trade – by for example introducing more social legislation. "The pill doesn’t need sweetening, and the sweeteners may also do serious harm," he said.

In the rest of the speech, he pleaded with the EU to revisit the Doha trade talks and urged Europe to wake up to global competition from countries like China and India.

He concluded his speech by stating the Government's position on the proposed hike to next year's EU budget. MEPs, of course, are likely to call for increases above those acceptable to most member states and certainly the cash freeze called for by the UK. Vince said:

At a time when national governments, including mine, are having to make very painful cuts in public spending, no one can understand why the European budget is not being subjected to the same discipline. There is a big backlash on the way, not only in the UK. Can I plead with you to tackle this issue sensibly? Any sense that the European Parliament and Commission are not acutely sensitive to this issue will be seriously damaging.

One has to presume that sending a Lib Dem and not a Tory minister to deliver this message to the European Parliament was not an accident on behalf of the Government. Perhaps the pill did need sweetening after all...

Ed Miliband: I Would Raise Taxes Higher Than Gordon Brown
THE TELEGRAPH: Ed Miliband’s Labour Party will push for increases in taxation at a higher rate than that proposed by Gordon Brown at the last general election.

The new leader said that he wanted to do “more” from taxation, adding that plans by Alistair Darling, the former chancellor, to cut the deficit over four years were only a “starting point”.

Mr Miliband, who joined in the traditional singing of the Red Flag at the close of Labour conference, has hit out his characterisation as “Red Ed” after he defeated his brother for the party leadership with the support of the trade unions.

But in a break from the New Labour era, when Tony Blair’s ministers shied away from advocating tax rises, he made clear that he was unafraid of being labelled left-wing. >>> Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent | Thursday, September 30, 2010

War News for Thursday, September 30, 2010

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED attack in undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, September 29th.


Army's largest base reeling from four apparent suicides in one weekend

Pakistan cuts NATO supply line after border firing

Marine combat cameraman from Camp Pendleton killed in Afghanistan


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: At least two officers were killed and three civilians were wounded when police and gunmen traded fire in Baghdad on Thursday after an apparent bank robbery attempt, Iraqi Interior Ministry officials said. The officials said the gunmen tried to storm into the state-owned al-Rafidain bank in the Bayaa neighborhood of southwestern Baghdad just before noon. Gunmen detonated four bombs outside the bank to distract Iraqi security forces. Later, clashes erupted between the attackers and Iraqis security forces for 30 minutes. Iraqi security forces arrested two people and they sealed off the entire neighborhood searching for other attackers.

#2: Two rockets hit the fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, a source from the U.S. embassy said on Wednesday, noting that the region has been witnessing tight security measures since the morning. “The two rockets hit the GZ this afternoon (Sept. 29), with no reports on damage,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Samarra:
#1: Four policemen were seriously wounded in two thermal bombs explosions in central Samarra, a source from the Samarra Operations Command said on Wednesday. “Gunmen threw 2 thermal hand grenades on police forces in al-Shurta neighborhood in central Samarra, injuring four policemen,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Mosul:
#1: Security forces defused on Wednesday a car bomb in southern Mosul, according to a police source. “A force from the 3rd division of the federal police managed today (Sept. 29) to defuse a car crammed with explosives in Dourat Baghdad region, southern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: An Iraqi soldier was wounded on Wednesday by a hand grenade in western Mosul, a police source said. “Unknown gunmen threw a hand grenade on Wednesday evening (Sept. 29) on an army checkpoint in al-Islah al-Zeraie region, western Mosul, injuring an Iraqi soldier,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#3: An explosive charge went off Thursday in front of the Faculty of Medicine in Mosul, without leaving casualties, a police source said. “The bomb exploded in front of the Faculty of Medicine in western Mosul, without causing casualties,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The bomb went off spontaneously without targeting any security patrols,” he added.


Al Anbar Prv:
#1: Four civilians were wounded Wednesday in a double explosion in northern Falluja, a police source said. “A bomb contains amount of TNT and C4 went off on Wednesday (Sept. 29) near a police house in al-Saqlawiya district, northern Falluja, causing material damage to the house,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “A local-made bomb exploded five minutes after the first explosion, injuring four civilians,” the source explained. “Police forces foiled a third explosion in the same place,” he added.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: A suicide attack on a NATO convoy killed three civilians and wounded nine others Thursday near the airport in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan, a local official said. The suicide attacker detonated explosives while in his vehicle, causing the casualties, said Zulmai Ayubi, a spokesman for the Kandahar governor. He did not have further details.

#2: At least three security personnel were killed as NATO helicopters struck at a check post in northwest Pakistan's tribal area on Thursday morning, reported local media Express. Express quoted security sources as saying that NATO helicopters crossed into Kurram tribal region from Afghanistan and hit a Pakistani border post.

#3: Afghan troops killed four insurgents during an operation in Kandahar, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

#4: Three Afghan soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb in southern Uruzgan province, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

#5: Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces killed three insurgents during a clearing operation aimed at disrupting the Taliban's freedom of movement in northern Kunduz province on Wednesday, the U.S. military said.


DoD: Lance Cpl. Ralph J. Fabbri

Well done Margot

Credit where credit is due.

Regular readers of this blog will know that we're not the biggest fans of the former Commissioner for Propaganda Communication, Margot Wallstrom. Margot and her office too often acted like outright lobbyists trying to promote ever closer union - including spinning facts on the Lisbon Treaty and trying to silence and slander dissenting voices - rather than civil servants charged with providing factual information (they are funded by taxpayers after all).

But Margot, who now holds a UN position - Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict - has recently done a rather principled thing. Unlike most of her former colleagues, she turned down the controversial 'transitional allowance' that Commissioners are entitled to for three years after leaving office. We've looked at this issue before, but the transitional allowance is again hitting the headlines, as it emerged that ex-Commissioners such as Charlie McCreevy and Peter Mandelson receive hefty pay-outs from the EU despite holding lucrative jobs or making money from book sales.

The allowance is worth a lot of money - for Margot it would have been up to 60% of her final annual Commission salary for three years, or the difference between her current salary and her salary as a Commissioner (€270,376).

Now, Wallstrom won't starve - having made €2,991,313 during her ten years in Brussels and with an annual pension of €113,486 - but you still have to give her credit for doing the decent thing here (given that she did turn it down for ethical reasons and not, for example, because she makes more than what she did as Commissioner in her new role, which would be a scandal in its own right).

So well done Margot - as taxpayers we salute you.

Egyptian Tycoon Sentenced 15 Years In Pop Star's Murder

A superior member of the ruling party in Egypt, Hishaam Talaat Moustafa, has been sentenced to 15 years of jail term, after quashing a earlier death sentence which was awarded to him for killing his ex- lover, Suzanne Tamim. The death sentence was detached on grounds of a technicality.

Moustafa apparently got Mohsen al-Sukkari reportedly to kill the Lebanese singer in Dubai in the year 2008. The case is much talked about in media due to the presence of an elite person.

Sources say that Moustafa killed Tamim because she turned down a marriage propose made by him, since the two were reportedly having an affair. He then allegedly paid Sukkari $2m to end the life of the singer, who rose to reputation in a talent show in the late 90′s.

The killing was done in a very horrible manner, where Tamim was found dead with her throat slit in one of the hotels of Moustafa.

Google Celebrates Flintstones 50th Anniversary Today

The Google Doodle of today refers to The Flintstones. The saga of 'Google Doodle' continues. The search engine giant Google is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Flintstone by portraying a new Google doodle on the home page on Thursday, Sep 30.

Flintstones is one of the world’s most loved cartoon sequences. It was formed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, owners of the famed Hanna-Barbera Productions, in Sep 30, 1960. Flintstones cartoon series was one of the victorious animated American sitcom and was telecasted in ABC from Sep 30, 1960 to Apr 1, 1966.

The Flintstones series portrayed a working class Stone Age man’s life with his relatives and his next door neighbor and best friend. Despite the show ended in 1966, Flintstones continue to be shown in different television channels. Later in 2000, based on Flintstones subject a movie called Viva Rock Vegas was also released.

The famous characters in Flintstones, Barney, Fred, Wilma, Pebbles, and Dino are considered as most loved cartoon characters throughout the world. The Flintstones doodle will be exposed on the Google home page for the whole day of Sept 30, 2010.

Google Inc celebrates unique moments with their Google doodles. Doodles are known as the decorative changes that are made to the Google logo to rejoice holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists and scientists. Over the past 12 years Google has created more than 900 doodles to mark special celebrations and special moments.

Guinness World Record May Title Roly Soon

Taihape has a candidate for the world's oldest dog title, but proving it is another matter. Guinness World Records' existing official title-holder is 21-year-old kelpie cross Sako from Melbourne, Australia, the Mail reported.

And British media last week informed that Billy the Yorkshire terrier, at 22, was the world's oldest dog. But Janise and Mike Seal of Taihape consider their dog Roly matches that milestone.

"So does that make him world famed? We think so, particularly here in Taihape," Mr Seal said.

The Seals got Roly when he was just about six months old from a residence where he was not treated very well and has been with their family ever since.

"We approximate his age to be about or nearly 22. We cannot prove his age, just going on the age of our daughter Natalie, when we brought him home she was seven years old and now she is 28 – so do the calculation yourself."

When he was taken to the Veterinary a month before he was given a clean bill of health, apart from being hard of hearing. "Roly has life too comfortable and is certainly not ready to go to dog heaven just yet."

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Athletes' Village at Commonwealth Games, Delhi, India (OK)

Not one picture, but 13...

Games due to start 3 October 2010

Courtesy of : BBC Sport, 23 September 2010

Kronologi Kerusuhan Ampera

Kronologi Kerusuhan Ampera. Berikut ini data-data kronologi terjadinya Kerusuhan Ampera yang berujung pada kematian 3 korban dari peristiwa tersebut. Rabu 29 September 2010, Pengadilan Negeri Jakarta Selatan menggelar beberapa sidang di antaranya kasus kericuhan di cafe Blowfish April lalu dan sidang dakwaan mantan Kepala Badan Reserse dan Kriminal, Komisaris Jenderal Susno Duadji.

Kerusuhan Ampera

Mulai pagi halaman Pengadilan Negeri Jakarta Selatan steril, tidak ada kendaraan yang terparkir. Kendaraan pegawai dan pengunjung di parkir di halaman kosong yang terletak di utara pengadilan.



Sekitar 200 personel disiagakan sejak pagi di pengadilan. Meski demikian tidak ada pemeriksaan ketat pengunjung yang masuk ke pengadilan.



- Sekitar pukul 10.30 WIB, Susno Duadji tiba di pengadilan. Tidak lama sidang pembacaan dakwaan dimulai. Jaksa membacakan dakwaan Susno setebal 62 halaman sekitar 1,5 jam.



- Kira-kira pukul 13.00 hakim mengetuk palu, tanda sidang usai, sidang berlanjut pekan depan.



Usai sidang Jenderal Susno langsung dibawa kembali ke Mako Brimob, tempat dia ditahan. Sidang kasus Blowfish pun yang menunggu antrean dimulai. Belum sempat sidang mulai, kericuhan terjadi.



Dua orang dari salah satu kelompok massa terlihat sudah dalam keadaan berdarah di bagian leher dan lengan. Sebuah taksi dihentikan untuk mengangkut kedua korban. Lalu lintas di depan pengadilan yang biasanya padat, bertambah padat. Sebab, kelompok massa berhamburan di jalanan.



Beberapa orang di antara mereka sudah membawa senjata tajam berjalan di sekitar pengadilan. Polisi kewalahan mengendalikan massa yang mulai beringas. Tiba-tiba saja terdengar empat sampai lima kali letusan tembakan. Massa yang merangsek ke depan kembali mundur.



Polisi segera mengalihkan lalu lintas di depan pengadilan. Kendaraan dari arah Kemang diarahkan ke kanan, sementara dari arah Cilandak putar balik.



- Sekitar pukul 14.30 polisi anti huru hara didatangkan. Mereka membuat barikade di depan Pengadilan Negeri (PN) Jakarta Selatan. Polisi anti huru hara itu memisah dua kelompok yang bertikai tapi bentrokan sudah usai meski suasana masih mencekam.



Sekitar seratus meter dari pengadilan, Kopaja yang mengangkut salah satu kelompok massa dirusak oleh kelompok yang berseberangan. Tidak ada kaca yang tersisa, semua pecah. Kopaja itu

'parkir' di depan Bakmi Ampera.



Dua kelompok massa tersebut mulai bisa dikendalikan, meski suasana masih mencekam. Mereka terlihat bergerombol, sesekali menelepon dan berbicara dalam bahasa daerah.



- Sekitar pukul 15.00, salah satu kelompok massa pergi meninggalkan lokasi kejadian. Mereka pergi ke arah utara pengadilan."Ke rumah sakit," kata salah satu massa, kepada rekannya yang masih berada di jalanan Ampera. Mereka menaiki mobil pribadi.



Polri kini sudah mendata mereka yang terlibat dalam kerusuhan itu. Polri menghimbau agar mereka menyerahkan diri. Jika tidak akan diburu ke manapun mereka kabur.

Sanità, qualità bassa dove si spende troppo

Un'ennesima storia di sprechi di soldi pubblici, documentata dalla rubrica "Di Tasca Tua". Si parla, questa volta, degli esiti di uno studio del Cerm dal titolo emblematico: "Dentro la scatola nera della spesa sanitaria regionale" .




Conclusione significativa di un recente studio del Cerm: le regioni, che spendono troppo in sanità, spesso spendono male e hanno una peggiore qualità. Gli indicatori messi a punto tratteggiano un quadro complesso della spesa sanitaria regionale pieno di sfumature, non senza interessanti sorprese. Un esempio per tutti, quello delle regioni settentrionali, che hanno sì buoni servizi ma che spendono troppo per averli. I parametri adottati sono tre: efficienza della spesa, qualità delle prestazioni e rapporto di queste con la spesa stessa. In cima alla graduatoria delle regioni, che spendono meglio, c’è l’Umbria; a seguire Marche, Piemonte, Emilia Romagna, Lombardia, Veneto, Toscana. Quanto alla qualità, sempre in cima ritroviamo Umbria, Marche, Toscana, Piemonte e Trentino. Scarsa qualità in Calabria, Puglia, Campania, Sicilia, Lazio e Basilicata. Tutte regioni che spendono moltissimo. La sovra spesa della Campania è del 32% quella della Sicilia del 24%, mentre Puglia e Lazio sono entrambi a +17%. Spendono troppo anche Trentino, Liguria, Basilicata e Valle d’Aosta, ma, almeno nel caso delle tre regioni settentrionali, a un eccesso di spesa corrisponde anche un’alta qualità.

Indy ScreamPark to Open for the Halloween Season

Hey Indy Bloggers! There is a rare opportunity available for those who are interested. I received the following email from Megan, who is giving FREE tickets to Indy ScreamPark to any blogger who is willing to write up a review. The email is below. If you are interested, just send me an email (art3dp at yahoo dot com) and I'll forward along her info. Happy early Halloween!

My name is Megan. I am working with the guys over at the Indy ScreamPark in Anderson, IN. Created by the founder of HauntedHouse.com and the publisher of Haunted Attraction Magazine, ScreamPark is Indiana’s newest haunted house. It just debuted last weekend.

I’m trying to get the word out to Indy-area bloggers and wanted to see if you’d be willing to help.

We’re offering free tickets to any blogger who wants to review the haunt. They simply have to RSVP to me.

Here’s some more information on Indy ScreamPark…you can also check them out at www.indyscreampark.com.

Thanks for your help!

Reviews:

Arthur: Life in the Shadows

(If you've done a review, let me know and we'll link up to it here)

Getting Ready for Rummage Sale

 The church is hard at work preparing the winter clothing and blanket rummage sale. These Monday photos should be ancient history, as the Great Hall and narthex were being filled with items for Saturday's sale.
But the organizers told me today that they're anxiously seeking additional contributions of blankets, jackets and other winter clothing. It's never too late to help. The deadline has been extended to deliver your contributions. So DROP BY!  
--Jack Lohr, Interim Pastor

Presbytery Meets in Port Jervis

Under a new Hudson River Presbytery policy that requires ministers to present a statement of faith every time they enter a new ministry, I stood forth yesterday to share my statement of faith. (If you'd like to read it, click here.) The only question I got was from a colleague who liked my statement that the sacraments "need to be shared indiscriminately...as Jesus shared himself." I had a chance to expand on that thought. I said I believe the way I express the invitation to the Lord's Table: "Every one who will say 'Yes!" to Jesus' invitation is welcome to receive..." is perfectly in line with Jesus' table fellowship.

We heard an inspiring message in worship on how to do youth ministry (and to be the church) by Kenda Dean, Professor of Youth Ministry at Princeton Seminary and author of Almost Christian: What the faith of our teenagers is telling the American Church.

She included a number of video quotes that are quite interesting, and look better here online than the did in the bright sanctuary of First Pres., Port Jervis. Be sure to click the links!

She started by giving us the insights from The National Study of Youth and Religion funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc. The purpose of the project is to research the shape and influence of religion and spirituality in the lives of U.S. adolescents; to identify effective practices in the religious, moral and social formation of the lives of youth; to describe the extent to which youth participate in and benefit from the programs and opportunities that religious communities are offering to their youth; and to foster an informed national discussion about the influence of religion in youth's lives to encourage sustained reflection about and rethinking of our cultural and institutional practices with regard to youth and religion.

She played an ad for PlayStation2 that featured a message about Training Fleas. She challenged the church to stop perpetuating "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" and instead find ways to translate our Christian faith in ways that our children can apprehend. She invited us to talk with neighbors about a number of topics, including the question: "Is your youth group engaged in training fleas?"


She quoted from a study on "Exemplary Youth Ministry," a national study of congregations in seven denominations funded by the Lily foundation and completed in 2003.

We saw a video on Youth Ministry as "Cat Herding." (This one is really fun to watch!)

And she described the work of Improv Everywhere. (I'd call it quasi-ecclesial, since it uses "flash-mob" strategy to bring people together for a shared mission that is intended to build community and make strangers feel good about themselves.)
A number of videos describing their projects are available here:
Grand Central: http://improveverywhere.com/2008/01/31/frozen-grand-central/
Wedding Reception http://improveverywhere.com/2009/06/02/surprise-wedding-reception/
Little League http://improveverywhere.com/2008/04/07/best-game-ever/

Loads of resources and ideas here! And there was a lot more excitement at Presbytery. Hard to imagine--presbytery meetings that are actually enjoyable and worthwhile. Only thing missing: time to talk with others on a less formal basis.

--Jack Lohr, Interim Pastor

War News for Wednesday, September 29, 2010

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Monday, September 27th.


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: A roadside bomb went off near a parking lot in Baghdad's northern neighborhood of Kadhmiyah, wounding six people, three of them in critical conditions, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

#2: In a separate incident, an explosive charge detonated in Saidiyah neighborhood in southern Baghdad, wounding four people, the source added.

#3: Two persons were killed and eight others were wounded in a sticky bomb blast in northern Baghdad, a police source said on Tuesday. “A bomb, stuck to a small bus, went off on Tuesday evening (Sept. 28) near al-Nabi Mohammad mosque in al-Tarmiya region, northern Baghdad, killing two persons and injuring eight,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#4: Two civilians were wounded on Wednesday when a roadside bomb went off in central the Iraqi capital. “The blast took place near the al-Shorooq Building, central Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#5: Four civilians were wounded on Wednesday when a roadside bomb went off in central the Iraqi capital. “The blast took place near the National Theater, central Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#6: A bomb squad of the Iraqi Interior Ministry defused on Wednesday a roadside bomb in central the Iraqi capital. “The bomb was planted in the al-Firdouss Square, central Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Tarmiyah:
#1: In a separate incident, a bomb exploded outside a Sunni mosque in the town of Tarmiyah in the north of Baghdad late on Tuesday, killing two worshippers and wounded eight others, a local police source told Xinhua. The blast occurred as the worshippers were leaving the mosque after the evening prayers, the source said.


Samarra:
#1: In the early hours of Wednesday, gunmen believed to be al-Qaida militants stormed the house of Major Sa'id Ali, chief of the al- Jillam police station, and shot him dead in front of his family members in the city of Samarra, some 120 km north of Baghdad, a local police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.


Saqlawiya
#1: A bomb planted in a police officer's house exploded, wounding three women and a man, in the town of Saqlawiya, 50 km (32 miles) west of Baghdad, a police officer in the Saqlawiya police station said.


Qalat Yawer:
#1: Police in Iraq's Kurdish region shot and killed a suicide bomber trying to attack a checkpoint near a military base on Wednesday, a Kurdish security official said. Jabbar Yawer, a Kurdish security forces spokesman, told CNN that the incident took place near Qalat-Deza, a town near the Iranian border about 80 kilometers or nearly 50 miles north of the city of Sulaimaniya. Kurdish security forces, known as the peshmerga, manned the base. The attacker's explosives-filled vest detonated and wounded two policemen after he was shot dead, Yawer said.


Hawija:
#1: Explosives in a booby-trapped house used by an armed group went off when an Iraqi police and army patrol tried to raid it, wounding three soldiers, in Hawija, 210 km (130 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.


Kirkuk:
#1: Four army and police elements were wounded on Tuesday in an explosion in southwest of Kirkuk, Kirkuk Districts Police Department (KDPD) chief said. “A joint force launched on Tuesday (Sept. 28) a security operation in al-Huweija district, southwest of Kirkuk,” Brig. Sarhad Qader told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “A house bomb went off in a region in al-Huweija, when the forces approached it, injuring three soldiers and one policeman,” he added.

#2: A roadside bomb wounded an off-duty policeman when it went off near his house northwest of Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, on Tuesday, police said.


Mosul:
#1: Gunmen killed a tribal leader after they stormed his house in eastern Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, on Tuesday, police said.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: "Three Taliban militants were killed as security forces raided Taliban hideouts in Muqar district in the southern Ghazni province Tuesday night," governor of Muqar district Sahib Khan told Xinhua. Six more militants including their commander namely Khan Alizai were detained during the overnight operation, he asserted. Taliban militants have yet to make comment.


DoD: Sgt. Mark A. Simpson

DoD: Spc. Donald S. Morrison

FBI agents cheated in terrorism test

A US government investigation has uncovered proof of widespread cheating by FBI agents in an internal test.

The exam was designed to test their knowledge of terrorism investigations and foreign intelligence meeting.

The Department of Justice found that FBI field agents had cheated by conferring and using crib sheets and computers to look up responds.

The report found that "an important number of FBI employees engaged in some form of improper conduct or cheating" on the test. Suspicions were increased after 200 FBI staff finished the 90-minute exam in less than 20 minutes.

All employees were required to take the 51-question computerized exam after undergoing 16 and a half hour of tuition about controversial new guidelines for domestic terrorism investigations.

After interviewing staff, investigators found that a lot of people taking the exam had conferred; workers in one office exploited a programming error to call up the answers and in another office, of 11 workers interviewed, three supervisors and four agents said that they had used answer sheets.

Is there a case for a Chapter 9-style insolvency procedure for the eurozone?

An interesting letter in yesterday's FT by Annerose Tashiro of law firm Schultze & Braun in Frankfurt, argued that the eurozone should consider adapting a restructuring plan akin to the US bankruptcy code - the so-called Chapter 9 - which enables American municipalities and cities to default. She argued,

Looking into the framework that Chapter 9 provides, such a municipality would not be under the threat of any sort of liquidation or dissolution. There would also be no estate in the traditional sense and no assets – so no one is suggesting that the Greek school system should be sold off to pay its debts.

Interesting thought. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble has consistently argued for the introduction of some sort of orderly insolvency procedure to deal with a sovereign default within the eurozone, fearing for Greece's in a first instance.

Such a mechanism would have several appealing aspects from a German - and economic - point of view:

- Crucially, it would transfer risks from taxpayers to creditors (where the risks belong). At the moment, German taxpayers are potentially liable for some €120 billion - a crazy amount by all standards. In total, roughly €29 billion has already been dished out to Greece as part of the first rescue package, with Germany being liable for a substantial part of that sum. The rest of the bailout package is theoretical at the moment.

However, should Greece continue to tap the bailout funds, and other countries - such as Ireland, Portugal or, heaven forbid, Spain - follow suit, these bailout fantasy sums would no longer be theory but will become an absolutely massive liability on the Bundesfinanzeministerium's books.

A chaotic default following taxpayer-backed loans would combine the worst of all worlds, and would be a disastrous blow to both the euro and the European Project as a whole. Even if the risk of a eurozone country defaulting was tiny (and it isn't), you can see why German politicians don't want to take this gamble.

- And close to German hearts, an insolvency procedure could encourage fiscal discipline. As a leader in the FT argued last week, "In a union so clearly unable to control the fiscal habits of its member states, the threat of default would be a powerful check on excessive borrowing and irresponsible lending."

- It could allow for Germany to sneak in other changes to eurozone governance, including temporary suspensions of voting rights for countries breaking soon to be toughened up EU budget rules.

Whether a Chapter 9-style mechanism or something else, any concrete proposal for an orderly default procedure is bound to come up against massive political challenges. The elephant in the room is Treaty change. Germany seems inclined to push for changes at the level of all 27 member states, which would require all EU countries to agree. Alternatively, the eurozone could establish such mechanism outside the EU Treaties, which, incidentally, would circumvent Britain.

An insolvency procedure would involve a clear transfer of powers from member states to the EU, as national laws must be brought in line with whatever is established at the European level.

BUT, instead of taxpayers footing the bill for the poor decisions of governments and companies they cannot vote out of office, such an arrangment would mean that ultimate liability will rest with those who actually made the mistakes.

If an insolvency procedure means no more taxpayer funded or ECB-led bailouts of governments - which have no basis in the rule of law in the first place - the net effect would actually be a fairer and more democratic eurozone.

* UPDATE: A leader in today's Handelsblatt makes a convincing case for an insolvency procedure. "Only when investors know their risks, prices can fulfill their role in the market place", it argues, noting that "neither banks nor countries should be 'too big too fail'. It calls for an insolvency procedure to be ready in a couple of years time, as "Greece might default after all".

LG Announces New 3D Notebook

LG has announced a latest notebook computer that has 1080p resolution and support 3D content called the A510. The new notebook is a 15.6-inch machine and its 3D screen uses inert glasses and is LED backlit. Power for the notebook comes from a choice of processor options.

The options for CPUs comprise Core i5 840QM and 740GM, Core i5 580M, 560M, and 460M, as well as Core i3 380M and 370M processors. The notebook runs Windows 7 and comes with a usual pair of passive 3D glasses and a clip on set for those who wear glasses.

Storage is up to 640GB and the machine is capable of having up to 4GB of RAM. The notebook has Blu-ray, a 1.3MP webcam, and Bluetooth. LG is looking to ship the notebook starting in October at an unrevealed price.

A Baby Girl Dies Of Accidental Overdose At Children's Hospital

A baby girl at Children's Hospital died after a nurse incorrectly administered a lethal dose of medication, hospital officials said. Eight-month-old Kaia M. Zautner of Puyallup passed away on Sept. 19 after suffering a brain hemorrhage, according to family members. Hospital CEO Dr. Tom Hansen outlined the incident in a letter sent to staff members last week.

Hansen said a nurse in the intensive care unit recently "administered 10 times the planned dose of a medication, calcium chloride." "The infant was deeply fragile and succumbed to complications from the overdose several days later," the letter said.

A hospital spokesperson refused to offer any additional details about the case, but family members described the harrowing incident on a blog dedicated to tracking the infant's condition.

"What took place is this- One of Kaia's nurses accidently miscalculated the amount of calcium chloride that Kaia was to receive," a post on the blog said. "This was in the morning. Throughout the morning and into the afternoon Kaia started showing signs of elevated runs of heart rate and also her oxygen saturations went way down.

"What this means is that there wasn't adequate oxygen in her blood and the reason this happened is because the calcium chloride caused Kaia's heart to basically go into cardiac arrest and the right ventricular shut down so she wasn't able to transfer very much, if any, blood to her lungs. We aren't sure precisely how long her internal organs and brain were not receiving good oxygenated blood supply, but it was at least an hour."

According to the blog, the baby girl was born "a little blue, not breathing very well and not very receptive." Doctors determined her heart was malfunctioning and hooked her up to a machine that helps control the heart's functions. Blog posts indicate the infant has been harassed since.

It is not known whether the nurse involved will face any penal action. Hansen said the hospital has notified the state Department of Health, and has launched an investigation to conclude why its safeguards failed to prevent to death.

"This was a catastrophic outcome for the patient and family, and caused severe distress for staff members as well," Hansen wrote. "Perhaps the best tribute we can pay to this family is by doing everything we can to stop future medical errors in our system."

In the wake of the incident, Hansen said the hospital has distorted its policy to only allow pharmacists and anesthesiologists to use calcium chloride in non-emergency situations. He added the investigation is enduring, and officials are looking for additional ways to cut risk to patients.

Iran Unveils New Flying Boats

Flying boats were unveiled by Iran on Tuesday, and the regime says that the so-called stealth plane-boat hybrids have been deployed by the Revolutionary Guards.

The alleged flying boat is a single-pilot seaplane called Bavar 2, on that is equipped with a machine gun and a surveillance camera, Iranian media reported.

"Bavar 2 is a surface-moving flying boat and performs patrol and reconnaissance missions on the sea," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi told the Iranian state-linked Fars news agency.

In the future, Iran is looking to make improvements on the craft’s weapons. "The flying boats will be equipped with missiles and rockets in the near future and this will progress their combat capability," Lieutenant Commander Alireza Tangsiri told Fars.

Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the few countries which managed to design, construct and use flying boats in a short time," said Defense Minister Brig.

At Presbytery

I'm at Presbytery today in Port Jervis with elder Sue Godshall.
Back late in day the with a report

--Jack Lohr, Interim Pastor

"Trichet threatens your money"

The frontpage of German magazine Focus this week features a picture of ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet - accompanied by the dramatic headline: "This man is risking your money". Equally alarmist, the front page notes that "the interest rate time-bomb is ticking: central banks endanger prosperity".

The magazine asks whether the ECB will become a "bad bank" itself, arguing that its ongoing low interest rates, junk bond purchases and aid to private banks harm savers and investors.

It quotes experts predicting that life insurers will only be able to offer their customers returns of 1.75% next year - far below their 4% target, echoing similar concerns to the Netherlands.

Focus notes that central banks outside the eurozone have also engaged in controversially low interest rate policies (by the way, prompting the Telegraph's Ambrose Evans-Pritchard to call for the US Federal Reserve to be shut down) .

Difference is that there might be democratic support for this kind of policies in America (and the UK) since the logic behind the policy, whether correct or not, is tailored around the specific needs of the US economy and American savers and taxpayers. In Euroland, this is clearly not the case as shared currency complicates national interests and creates a mismatch between economic and monetary policy.

But viewed from Germany, the cobweb of euro trade-offs is becoming increasingly clear: for example, massive exposure to foreign governments' debts and haircuts on pensions/savings vs. the benefits of keeping Greece and others in.

C.I.A Drone Attacks In Pakistan To Curb Taliban

By ETHAN Markoff

PAKISTAN NEWS - C.I.A has rapidly increased drone attacks in Pakistan to thwart Taliban. According to American officials, C.I.A has drastically increased its bombing campaign in the mountainous terrain of Pakistan. The campaign is aimed to cripple the Taliban stronghold in the region, Talibans are main rival of American soldiers in Afghanistan and plan attack against U.S troops.

The C.I.A has begun its bombing campaigns as a covert war where it attacks with armed drone aircraft. In a single month it has launched 20 attacks and made strategic plan to cripple the terrorist’s plots from militant based in Pakistan.

The increasing air strikes reflect the frustration of Afghanistan and U.S on Pakistan government less aggressive move to thwart the militants from the country's western mountains. The U.S officials have alleged Pakistan to neglect military operations inside North Waziristan, which is considered as a stronghold of Taliban militants.

Besides C.I.A air strikes, the area is continuously bombarded with U.S helicopters air strikes that estimated killed at least 50 militants in the region. The militant group called Haqqani network believed to attack against American troops was targeted by the U.S air strikes.

However, Pakistan strongly criticized the helicopter attacks, arguing that it against NATO’s mandate, which says the military action, must not reach beyond the Afghanistan border.

Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Afghanistan recently warned Pakistani commanders they would launch ground operations in Pakistan tribal areas if Pakistan didn’t take a constructive action against militants.

“Petraeus wants to turn up the heat on the safe havens,” said one senior administration official, explaining the sharp increase in drone strikes. “He has pointed out to the Pakistanis that they could do more.”


Pakistani officials have angrily criticized the helicopter attacks, saying that NATO’s mandate in Afghanistan does not extend across the border in Pakistan.

As evidence of the growing frustration of American officials, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Afghanistan, has recently issued veiled warnings to top Pakistani commanders that the United States could launch unilateral ground operations in the tribal areas should Pakistan refuse to dismantle the militant networks in North Waziristan, according to American officials.

“Petraeus wants to turn up the heat on the safe havens,” said one senior administration official, explaining the sharp increase in drone strikes. “He has pointed out to the Pakistanis that they could do more.”

It is feared that escalating air strikes by C.I.A could stimulate the resentment in Muslim world against Americans. A recent attempt to detonate a truck filled with explosive in Times Square was an implication of C.I.A bombing campaign.

War News for Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The DoD is reporting a new death unreported by the military. Pfc. Clinton E. Springer II died from a non-combat related incident in Kabul, Afghanistan on Friday, September 24th.

The DoD is reporting another new death unreported by the military. Spc. Marc C. Whisenant died in a vehicle accident in an undisclosed location in Kuwait on Friday, September 24th.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED attack in undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, September 27th. News reports this is a Polish soldier who died in the south-eastern area of the Ghazni Province.


Report: 2 Army soldiers killed by third in Iraq

C.I.A. Steps Up Drone Attacks in Pakistan to Thwart Taliban

Petraeus Says Taliban Have Reached Out to Karzai

Rebuke from Islamabad after NATO airstrikes kill 55 on Pakistani soil


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: Two civilians were wounded Monday in a sticky bomb explosion in southeastern Baghdad, according to a security source. “The bomb, stuck to a civilian car, exploded on Monday afternoon (Sept. 27) in a garage in southeastern Baghdad, injuring two passing civilians,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: An improvised explosive device went off on Monday near an army vehicle patrol in northern Baghdad, eyewitnesses said. “The bomb exploded in al-Safina region, northern Baghdad, with no word on damage or casualties,” the witnesses told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#3: An officer of the Iraqi Interior Ministry was wounded on Tuesday when a sticky bomb attached to his car went off in eastern Baghdad. “The blast occurred today in the al-Baladiyat neighborhood, eastern Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#4: Clashes have erupted on Tuesday between unknown gunmen and security forces in the al-Neayria area, eastern Baghdad. “Police forces sealed off the area,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Amarra:
#1: One U.S. soldier was wounded on Monday by a sniper in central Amara, a security source said. “The soldier was wounded while conducting a joint operation with Iraqi army forces in al-Askari neighborhood in central Amara,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The soldier, who was wounded on his leg, was carried to a nearby hospital for treatment and he is in a stable condition,” the source added.


Nassiriya:
#1: A car bomb was defused on Monday in a rural area in eastern Nassiriya, according to a security source. “Acting on a tip-off, policemen managed on Monday (Sept. 27) to defuse a booby-trapped car in al-Kariedi region in Said Dakhiel region, northeastern Nassiriya,” the source, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The car contains amounts of TNT, C4 and two Katyusha rockets,” he added.


Kirkuk:
#1: Gunmen in a speeding car shot dead a civilian in southeastern Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.


Mosul:
#1: A young man was killed on Monday in a random shooting in western Mosul, a police source said. “The man was killed as a result of a random shooting in al-Harmat region, western Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency, pointing out that the 16-year-old victim got a bullet in his head, killing him on the spot.

#2: A roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army foot patrol wounded two soldiers in western Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: A suicide bomber killed a deputy provincial governor and five others Tuesday in eastern Afghanistan, police said. The bomber rammed a motorized rickshaw loaded with explosives into one of two vehicles in a convoy taking Deputy Gov. Khazim Allayar to his office in Ghazni city. His adult son, a nephew and a bodyguard were also killed, said Ghazni province police chief Zarawar Zahid. Two civilians nearby were also killed in the blast and a number of others wounded, he said.


MoD: Corporal Matthew Thomas

DoD: Pfc. Clinton E. Springer II

DoD: Spc. John Carrillo Jr.

DoD: Pfc. Gebrah P. Noonan

DoD: Spc. Marc C. Whisenant

DoD: Pfc. William B. Dawson

DoD: Pfc. Jaysine P. S. Petree

News: Sergeant Kazimierz Kasprzak

Kabul warns of rising terrorism threat

Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul concerns about the growing terrorist threats in the region despite the deployment of 150,000 foreign troops across Afghanistan.

"Terrorism in our region is a rising threat to world peace and security. The audacity and geographic scope of radical and terrorist groups harbored in our region continues to enlarge," Rassoul told the UN General Assembly on Monday.

According to the Afghan official, greater international cooperation is desired to defeat terrorism in the region.

"Terrorism remains a global challenge which can be defeated only through a rigorous international effort," he went on to say.

"If our international partners and allies wish to win the global war on terrorism, they must look beyond villages in Afghanistan, and engage in a plan that will effectively and decisively dismantle organizations and networks that carry on with immunity to support terrorist and radical militants," Reuters quoted Rassoul as saying.

Violence has increased to its highest level across Afghanistan since the Taliban were ousted by US-led forces in 2001.

Biggest And Brightest Transgenic Glowing Fish Produce Glowing Offspring

The most newly created fluorescent fish are angelfish - the biggest and brightest transgenic glowing fish in the world so far.

Taiwan's largest exporter of ornamental fish, the Jy Lin Company, says it has effectively inserted a fluorescent protein gene into the reproductive organs of the fish. It allows them to produce glowing offspring.

The company says its new breed of fish took more than three years and about 10 million Taiwan dollars to develop because the reproductive cycles of medium-sized fish are harder to control than their small-sized counterparts.

“For species like these, we deployed the technique of reproductive organ electroporation. We insert fluorescent genes into the reproductive organs and leave the male and female fish to reproduce on their own, and then they could give birth to fluorescent babies", said Lin Yu-ho, the developer.

Electroporation is a method whereby an electrical pulse is used to create passages through cell walls for the transplantation of foreign molecules - in this case the fluorescent protein gene.

Although the medium-sized fluorescent fish will not be commercially obtainable until it passes the standards set by genetically modified organism (GMO) laws - to ensure it poses no damage to the natural environment - the angelfish has already fascinated wide attention and won Taiwan's major biotechnological awards. Once they become saleable, Lin hopes to sell the angelfish at the wholesale price of USD$30 per fish.

Emergency Landing Ended In Safe Landing

Last night a plane from Atlanta made an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York lacking part of its landing gear. The pilot, Capt Jack Conroyd, balanced the plane on its left wheel before easing it on to its right wing to slow it down after the jet's right wheel became jammed.

The plane, flying from Atlanta to White Plains in New York, was sidetracked to JFK because of its longer runway after the pilot told air traffic control an indicator light in the cockpit went on. He was heard saying to air traffic controllers "AC4951 Roger and, uhh better work", prior to landing.

Fire fighters were put on alert but were not desired due to the landing, while all 60 passengers and four crew escaped unscathed.

Atlantic Southeast Airlines is investigating the cause of the matter, spokesman Jarek Beem said in a phone interview. He said the airline was tremendously proud of the crewmembers. "They did an outstanding job of following protocol to ensure the safety of our passengers."

Great Plains Rounded Up By Buffalo’s

Buffalo herds on the Great Plains are one of the iconic pictures of the Wild West.

Cowboys and park staff have been hosting the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup as they gather the 1,500-strong herd of buffalo and force them into corrals.

The dust flies and the ground trembles as the biggest herd of buffalo in the US is rounded up and driven past by cowboys on horseback.

The buffalo are rounded up yearly to prepare them for the autumn buffalo sales, which normally take place on the third Saturday in November.

After the round-up, spectators can watch the herd being identified and the calves being vaccinated.

Some of the buffalo are sold off every year as there is only enough winter meadow (when the herd is left to fend for itself) to feed around 1,500.

Ikan Bergigi Manusia Ditemukan

Seorang pemancing di Amerika Serikat dikejutkan dengan ikan yang menyangkut di kailnya. Seekor ikan yang memiliki gigi, mirip dengan gigi manusia berhasil ditangkap.



Seperti dilansir orange.co.uk, Kamis (23/9), Frank Yarborough, warga South Carolina sedang memancing di Danau Wylie. Tanpa disengaja dia mendapatkan ikan aneh yang panjangnya sekitar 8 inci tersebut. Asumsi awal, ikan yang dia tangkap itu sejenis ikan lele. Yarborough pun memasukkan tangannya ke dalam air untuk menariknya keluar. Namun saat mencopot kail dari mulut ikan tersebut betapa terkejutnya dia setelah melihat ikan itu bergigi manusia.

Ikan Bergigi Manusia

Robert Stroud, seorang ahli biologi perikanan air tawar telah mengambil sampel dari ikan tersebut untuk dikirim guna menentukan spesies ikan tersebut ke Departemen Sumber Daya Alam South Carolina.

“Ikan ini kemungkinan spesies pacu, yang berasal dari cekungan Sungai Amazon, Amerika Selatan dan biasa diperdagangkan untuk ditempatkan di akuarium,” kata Stroud. Saat ini ikan yang telah mati tersebut ditaruh di dalam kulkas di rumah Yarborough. Dia tidak berencana untuk memasak hasil tangkapannya itu.

Taking their own advice?

Finance Ministers meet today in Brussels to discuss proposals for strengthening the EU’s “economic governance”, spearheaded by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and his “task force” on the subject (which so far has failed to convince member states). In parallel with whatever Van Rompuy and the Finance Ministers come up with, the Commission will on Wednesday table its proposals for various measures intended to pre-empt another sovereign debt crisis. These will include sanctions for countries which run unhealthy budget deficits .

According to German daily Die Welt, the Commission is also contemplating the introduction of a “warning system” to monitor wages in member states' public sectors. This is potentially hugely controversial stuff, depending on what the proposal looks like in the end. Marco Buti from the European Commission for Economic and Financial Affairs explains the rationale: "the wage development in the public sector does of course have a great influence on the economy".

Fair enough. However, although it's not entirely clear to us which EU institution will be in charge of deciding when public sector wages are posing a risk to the sustainability of the overall economy under the forthcoming proposal, if Mr. Buti sees the Commission in this role, he might be up against some resistance. Says Buti, "when wages in the public sector damage competitiveness and price stability then the country will be requested [by the Commission] to change this policy."

Problem is, the Commission isn’t exactly in the strongest moral position to give lectures to member states on public sector pay. EU officials’ salaries are already far higher than the majority of public servants in member states, and the Commission now wants to award its officials three pay rises by 2011, adding up to a pay hike of 5% – at a time when most member states are busy imposing pay freezes and deep cuts. The same reasoning can be applied to the Commission’s drive to make Europe’s various pensions systems more sustainable (including retiring later). Meanwhile, EU officials can retire at 63 with up to 70% final salary pensions, and many take early retirement.

It has been pointed out many times before – by Dan Hannan in the European Parliament last week for example – but it can never be repeated enough times: the mismatch between what the EU institutions preach on public finances and what they practice is mind-boggling.

If member states had the same pay and pension policies as the EU institutions, we fear that they would go bust in no time.

"Europe at 27 is doomed to failure"

Pretty bleak stuff from former French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur in today's Le Monde:

Europe at 27 is doomed to confusion and failure. It suffers from problems that the Lisbon Treaty has failed to correct. Lack of authority: the 1950s structure, with the [European] Parliament, the Commission and the European Council, being too heavy. We will witness conflicts between the Parliament-Commission duo and the European Council in the future. Lack of realism: the 4 or 5 countries representing the 2/3 or the 3/4 of Europe's population and wealth have indeed special responsibilities. Lack of coherence: the 27 member states have very different social and juridical regimes. We pay the price of an enlargement which was decided too hurriedly.

So the Lisbon Treaty didn't fix all this? What a shocking revelation!

A Picture Says it All

1. We're having fun in church. 
2. Jesus is our friend, and so are all of God's children.
3. Jack is either about to blink, or he needs to get a lot more sleep. (Maybe both.)

--Jack Lohr, Interim Pastor

PS: Thanks to Angie Kung for sharing the photo!

War News for Monday, September 27, 2010

NATO is reporting the deaths of two ISAF soldiers from an IED attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, September 26th.


Helicopter Attacks Militant Meeting in Somalia

EXCLUSIVE-Virginia veteran report shows high depression rate


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: An anchorman for Iraq’s state sponsored al-Iraqiyah television was seriously injured when a bomb attached to his car exploded, the broadcaster said. The attack on Alaa Mohsen took place today in the al- Sayidiya neighborhood of southern Baghdad, al-Iraqiyah said.

#2: Unknown gunmen on Monday used guns with silencers to kill an Iraqi cop working for the police academy in Baghdad. “The policeman was killed in the Salah al-Din Intersection, western Baghdad, when he was on his way to work,” a local police source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Kurdistan:
#1: Kurdish rebels fighting Iran's government from bases across the border in Iraq are denying that Iranian forces carried out a cross-border raid. Iran's state television reported Sunday that Revolutionary Guard forces crossed into Iraq and killed 30 fighters from a group involved in a bombing last week of a military parade in northwestern Iran. Iranian officials have blamed the attack on Kurdish rebels. Sherzad Kamanger, a spokesman for Iranian Kurdish rebels based in Iraq's Qandil Mountains, said Monday that there have been no recent battles with the Iranians, though there was some Iranian artillery shelling late Sunday on four border villages that injured one civilian.


Tikrit:
#1: A roadside bomb went off today targeting a police officer’s car in the al-Qaddissiya neighborhood, 15 km north of Tikrit, wounding him, his wife, and their 6-year old daughter,” a local police source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: “Another roadside bomb went off today within the first blast’s area targeting the car of a local businessman, wounding him and damaging his car,” the source added.


Baiji:
#1: Three bombings targeted an awakening force patrol wounding three members, in Al Risala District, central Baiji. Unknown gunmen detonated bombs early Monday near the house of police major Faez Jalili and the house of his brother, a traffic policeman, seriously wounding the police major, his son, his brother and his wife. The houses were subject to major damages.


Kirkuk:
#1: In a separate incident, unknown gunmen shot dead Dr. Mohammed Anan Saleh while he was leaving his house in Tiseein District, central Kirkuk.

#2: Kirkuk Rescue Police Chief was wounded along with three of his bodyguards and a boy in a car bomb explosion that targeted his convoy in southern Kirkuk, a security source told Alsumaria News.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: NATO helicopters in eastern Afghanistan launched rare major airstrikes into Pakistan, reportedly killing more than 50 militants, officials said Monday. The first strike took place Saturday after insurgents based in Pakistan attacked an Afghan outpost in Khost province, which is located right across the border from Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal area, said U.S. Capt. Ryan Donald, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. "The ISAF helicopters did cross into Pakistan territory to engage the insurgents," Donald said. "ISAF maintains the right to self-defense, and that's why they crossed the Pakistan border." The strike killed 49 militants, said U.S. Maj. Michael Johnson, another ISAF spokesman. The second attack occurred when helicopters returned to the border area and were attacked by insurgents based in Pakistan, said Donald. "The helicopters returned to the scene and they received direct small arms fire and, once again operating in self-defense, they engaged the insurgents," Donald said. The strike killed at least four militants, Johnson said.

#2: international forces began a key combat phase to drive out Taliban fighters around the southern city of Kandahar. International and Afghan forces in the south, meanwhile, were moving into two or three areas around Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan at once to pressure the Taliban "so they don't get the chance to run away," Shah Mohammad Ahmadi, chief of Arghandab district northwest of the city, said Monday. NATO said militants have fought back with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. It said no Afghan or coalition troops have been killed in the operation.

#3: In another volatile section of the nation, British officials said Monday that they were in contact with Afghan authorities about the disappearance of a British aid worker and three of her Afghan colleagues. The four were ambushed Sunday as they traveled in two vehicles in northeastern Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan. Police fought a gunbattle with the kidnappers near the attack site before the assailants fled, Kunar police chief Khalilullah Zaiyi said.

#4: Seven Taliban militants were killed in two separate incidents Sunday night in country's eastern Paktika province, spokesman of provincial administration said Monday. "In the first incident, four militants including a group commander Gul Mohammad were killed as warplanes of international troops pounded their position in Mata Khan district late Sunday," Mukhlis Afghan told Xinhua. He said, Gul Mohammad was a homemade and roadside bombs expert and was involved in organizing of dozens of roadside bombings targeting security forces in the province. Three other militants, in separate incident, were killed in Waza Khwa district, he further said. "A group of militants stormed police outpost in Waza Khwa district but police repelled the attack, killing three rebels," Afghan added. No police or civilians were injured in the incidents, he emphasized.


#5: Two US drone strikes targeting vehicles killed seven militants on Sunday in Pakistan's rugged tribal region near the Afghan border, officials said. Both attacks took place in Asar village of Datta Khel town, some 50km (31 miles) west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district known as a hub for Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants. "The US drone fired three missiles at the militants' vehicle, killing four rebels," a senior security official in the area said of the first strike, adding that the nationalities of those killed were not immediately known. Another senior security official in the area confirmed the strike and toll. The second strike, also targeting a vehicle, killed three rebels in the same village. "Four missiles fired from a US drone on another vehicle which was going to the site of the first attack for rescue work, killing three militants," a senior security official in the area said.

#6: Swedish documentary filmmaker Pål Hollender fled Afghanistan on Sunday night to seek medical treatment in Dubai after he was shot in the arm while filming a new documentary in the country.

#7: Seven Taliban militants were killed Monday as Afghan and NATO-led forces raided their hideouts in Deyak district of the southern Ghanzi province, provincial police chief said. "Troops with Afghan National Army (ANA) and police backed by NATO-led forces conducted a cleanup operation in Alo Khil village of Deyak district this morning as a result seven insurgents have been killed," Zarawar Zahid told Xinhua. The operation launched at 9 a.m. local time is still going on to wipe out insurgents and ensure viable peace there, the police cheif further said.

Money transfers could face anti-terrorism inspection

The Obama administration wants to involve U.S. banks to report all electronic money transfers into and out of the country, a theatrical expansion in efforts to counter terrorist financing and money laundering.

Officials say the information would assist those spot the sort of transfers that helped finance the al-Qaeda hijackers who carried out the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. They say the expanded financial data would allow anti-terrorist agencies to better understand normal money-flow patterns so they can spot irregular activity.

Financial institutions are now required to report to the Treasury Department transactions in surplus of $10,000 and others they deem doubtful. The new rule would require banks to reveal even the smallest transfers.

Treasury officials plan to post the future regulation on their Web site Monday and in the Federal Register this week. The public could comment before a final rule is published and the schedule takes effect, which officials say will probably not be until 2012.

Scotland Baltacha Tennis Player Withdraws From Commonwealth Games

Elena Baltacha, a tennis player selected to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in India, said she has pulled out of the event because conditions in New Delhi comprise a health risk for her.

"After a lot of thought and discussion, I have taken the distressing decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth Games. I am extremely disappointed because I was really excited about playing for Scotland but conditions in Delhi are such that going there would pose too high a risk to my health," she said in statement.

"I suffer from a liver condition which is linked to my immune system and makes me vulnerable to picking up infections. At the age of 27 and after many years of hard slog, I am now playing the best tennis of my career, and I cannot afford to jeopardize that by getting ill," Baltacha added.

Organizers are scrambling to pull mutually the Commonwealth Games, set to start October 3 in New Delhi. They take place every four years among members of the former British Empire.

India's ability to host the games has been questioned following a bridge collapse that wounded some two dozen people at the Games' site and criticism of the athletes' village as uninhabitable and filthy.

Concerns about conditions for the games have provoked some teams including Canada and New Zealand to delay their departures and some athletes to cancel their trips altogether. Other teams, like Scotland and Wales, departed for the games after getting assurances from organizers.

English diver Peter Waterfield on Saturday became one of the newest athletes to withdraw, citing security fears and conditions at the village.

Such concerns also led to the Friday withdrawals of New Zealand cyclist Greg Henderson and four British cyclists -Peter Kennaugh from the Isle of Man, Geraint Thomas from Wales, and Ian Stannard and Ben Swift from England.

Water Taxi Hits Seattle Pier Injuring 5 People

A water taxi slammed into a pier Sunday in Seattle, Washington, in which at least five people were hurt, authorities said.

Rescue workers responded to the accident that took place shortly before noon, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement. Some 78 people were on board the water taxi that hit Pier 50, it said.

One person fell into the water and was without delay rescued, the Coast Guard said, adding that about five people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

"We seen people fly forward and in fact hit their heads into the glass -- blood everywhere," Leanna Hernandez, who was in the taxi. "It was really scary."

Authorities said the source of the crash is under investigation.

Levee Fails Flooding Wisconsin

As many as 100 homes could be pretentious by flood waters in Wisconsin as forecasters anticipate the total failure of a 120-year-old sand levee along the Wisconsin River.

The levee, close to the city of Portage in Columbia County, began failing Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service's Milwaukee/Sullivan office.

"Once the levee totally fails ... it is unknown how far south the flood waters of the Wisconsin River will travel," the weather agency said Sunday night.

The levee is situated on the south side of the Wisconsin River, just south of Portage. The weather agency urged residents to move to higher ground. Roadways, including parts of Interstate 39, could close.

Sunday Script

If you missed our service today, you missed;

• CROP Walk promo (Sign up and walk, or get involved as a sponsor for one of our walkers!)
• Women's Association Rummage Sale this Saturday (We need warm blankets, warm coats and warm bodies.)
• Dramatic intro to Oct. 22, 7 PM, Organ Recital (Put it on your calendar and invite Facebook friends.)
• Sanctuary Evacuation Drill (We joined the Church School in practicing what we'd do in the event...)

Here's the script I was working from today. We broke for the alarm in the middle of the quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.


September 26, 2010 Jeremiah 32:1–3a, 6–15 1 Timothy 6:6–19 “Future Matters”

I've rarely seen a church that talks about money so much! About not having it, about how we used to have so much, about saving it, about… Well, you know better than I!

One example. In detailing the mission of the church, the Church Information Form, presumably seeking to attract the right interim pastor for the job said this:

Brief Church Mission Statement:

The Presbyterian Church of Mount Kisco is a welcoming Christian community, proclaiming and enacting the good news of Jesus Christ. We believe in the importance of family, social justice, compassion for one another and spiritual values nurtured through our ministries of worship, education and fellowship.

One of the primary roles of our new Interim Pastor will be to assist the church to further discern the nature of our mission in this time and this place, including help in balancing competing demands for funds by the various programs of the church.


Back in September 2001, Ralph Milton wrote that Jeremiah is a perfect reading for a troubled time: "Here is Jeremiah under house arrest for saying unpopular things. The foreign forces are ready to tear down the city gates, and it looks as if Jerusalem will be totally obliterated. Then Jeremiah takes this marvelous symbolic action. He buys a field. It looks as if the world is going to hell in a hand basket, Jeremiah seems to be saying, 'But God says there is a future. Fields will again be bought and sold and planted and harvested here in Judah.'

Do a bit of remembering. “Have you heard a word of hope in the face of the disasters of life?”

Yesterday, I presided at the services for the interment of ashes for one of my friends… What we do in every funeral is to speak a word of hope in the face of the final disaster of our life.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer lived for many years imprisoned like Jeremiah and was executed by the Nazis for his part in an attempt to assassinate Hitler. He came to some bold conclusions concerning how believers might posture themselves toward this ultimate event. He argued in Letters and Papers from Prison that one could experience the miracle of life by facing death daily; life could actually be seen as the gift of God that it is. It is we ourselves, and not our outward circumstances, who make death potentially positive. Death can be something voluntarily accepted.

Actually, deciding to have a child may be one of the most courageous and hopeful things we can do in any age… Carl Sandburg: "A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on." I would say that a baby is the parents' affirmation of faith that the world will go on, and that it's worth populating it. The future matters. And our descendants are going to live it.

The cynic says, In the long run, we're all dead. The hopeful child of God buys a field when the real estate market is tanking, not in the hopes of making a killing, but as a gesture to encourage others that one day houses and fields will again be occupied.

Trust/faith in God, that no matter what, I can believe in a future. Treasure of a good foundation for the future. The message I hope we can take away: Nobody should sell PCMK short. We are a church that is poised to grow some more. The seeds are already in the ground. We are ready to rebound. Equipped to serve, and our calling today is to invest ourselves in the future of this congregaiton. The future matters, and is in capable hands. Amen.

--Jack Lohr, Interim Pastor

Another Attempt to Expose Chemtrails

News of the day for Sunday, September 26, 2010

In this May 7, 2004 file photo, then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld rubs his eyes while testifying about Abu Ghraib prison before the House Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Fending off demands that he resign over the ensuing scandal, Rumsfeld told Congress he had found a legal way to compensate Iraqi detainees who suffered 'grievous and brutal abuse and cruelty at the hands of a few members of the United States armed forces.' (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) Cry me a river: as of today, zero compensation has been paid to any of the Abu Ghraib victims. See below.



Reported Security Incidents

Baghdad

An employee of the Committee on Anti-Corruption is flagged down on the airport road and shot dead. You may remember this highway as the site of constant attacks during the height of the insurgency in 2006.

An employee of the culture ministry is shot dead in Jami’a by assailants using silenced weapons.

A bomb near a gas station on al-Sadoun Street destroys several cars. Reports so far are unclear on casualties but the latest from Aswat al-Iraq says at least person injured. Update: Xinhua clears up the confusion: Six people are injured as an explosion apparently targets the car of Sa'id Ne'mah Jaiyash, head of the office of the Shiite politician Mowafaq al-Rubaie.

In what is evidently a separate incident, a bomb in Karradah targeting a police patrol kills one passerby and injures 7. There does not appear to be any Sadoun Street in Karradah but honestly, I can't find it anywhere. -- C

A member of Parliament from the Iraqiya bloc escapes an assassination attempt by car bomb in Mansour.

Roadside bomb injures 3 people near Beirut Square. Beirut Square is the intersection of Palestine and Thawra Streets. This clearly does not correspond to any other reported incident, but it is only mentioned by Reuters.

Two Katyushas strike the Green Zone, no information at this time on damage or casualties.


Mosul

Two brothers are shot dead in separate attacks. It is not clear whether this was politically motivated.

Falluja

Suicide car bomb attack on a checkpoint kills 3 police, injures 3 more police and one civilian. Fox News reports 4 police officers killed by I won't link to them. -- C

Abu Skheir, north of Basra

Police find and deactivate 3 rockets set to be launched. This report also mentions numerous arrests in Basra, but only 4 appear to have been of possible insurgents.

Other News of the Day

Iraq inaugurates a new fleet of patrol boats to police the Umm Qasr oil terminal. However, if you read down a bit you will learn that "Crews for the high-speed patrol boats are currently being trained in the United States, where they were manufactured, with 15 ultimately set to be delivered to Iraq." So in other words, they had a ceremony but they don't actually have the boats yet. Oh well.

The total compensation paid by the U.S. to victims of prisoner abuse in Abu Ghraib is, err, zero. Excerpt:

Fending off demands that he resign over the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, Defense Secretary Donald H Rumsfeld told Congress he had found a legal way to compensate Iraqi detainees who suffered "grievous and brutal abuse and cruelty at the hands of a few members of the United States armed forces." "It's the right thing to do," Rumsfeld declared in 2004. "And it is my intention to see that we do."

Six years later, the US Army is unable to document a single payment for prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. Nor can the more than 250 Iraqis or their lawyers now seeking redress in US courts.

Iraqi government to eliminate all visa fees for Iranians.

The Arab League is reportedly considering sending forces to Iraq to fill security role being abandoned by the U.S.

Afghanistan Update

Two NATO troops killed by an IED in southern Afghanistan, no further details at this time.

According to this Pakistani newspaper, a U.S. "tank" was destroyed by a bomb in Zarghoon village. No telling if this refers to the same incident, or even if it's true -- only a Taliban web site is offered as a source.

Four Afghan security police and two cars disappear in Ghazni. Taliban claim to have captured them.

The Independent Electoral Commission says 97% of ballots have been counted. The IEC has so far received 3,460 complaints of voting irregularities.

Quote of the Day

My brother-in-law had friends he was visiting in Waziristan. As he was a guest there - and as is the custom of the people - many of the locals gathered to welcome him into the area. He was sat with a group of these people from the community when everybody gathered to pray the evening prayer (‘Isha) together. The drone attack happened in the middle of the prayers and the entire congregation was martyred. . . . People who had witnessed the attack had come to tell us and described what they saw of the remnants and damage in the aftermath. They said the attack was so severe that they could not even distinguish the bodies from one another- even the bones of the people were completely blown apart. The dead were completely unrecognisable.

Haider. I cannot vouch for the source but this scenario is certainly plausible. -- C