Mathew Hoh, a 36 year old in the employ of the State Department in the Foreign Service, has resigned his from his position, working as a diplomat in Afghanistan, resigned earlier this month citing a complete loss of justification of the continuing war in Afghanistan.  He is the first person that is known to have resigned out of protest of continuing the war, as, according to sources, he felt that the continued occupation was only fueling the insurgency.  (Articles on it here from MSNBC and here from the Huffington Post.)  He may need a cash advance to get home and a new job, but it’s still a very brave thing for him to have done.

Reconciling costs and benefits of war are very hard, if not impossible

On September 10th, he posted a 4 page letter to his superiors and stated “I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purpose of United States’ presence in Afghanistan” and that “my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end.”  He felt that Afghans weren’t resisting the US presence because of the removal of the Taliban, or of Al Qaeda, but because the US military was simply there.  It is not the first time that someone has stated this position, and it will not be the last, not even close.

Adamantly not some “pot smoking hippie”

Matthew Hoh has a long and distinguished career of service.  Before his employment with the State Department, Hoh was in the United States Marine Corps, and served on the front lines with Iraq.  He’s made it very clear, if you read statements, that he emphatically believes the Taliban and Al Qaeda to be evil (which they are), but that the presence of Al Qaeda is virtually exclusive to Pakistan and that the Afghan conflict with the Taliban is a civil war in which it isn’t necessary we be engaged in, and his resignation letter (which can be viewed at the Huffington Post article) cites the Vietnamese War as precedent – an internal conflict which we shouldn’t interfere with.  The Afghan conflict has gone on for 8 years, 2 years less than the Vietnam War.  (10 years, from 1965 to 75, accounting for major troop presence in 1965, but the first advisers were there in 1950.)

Perhaps this is justification for pause

This is an odd tangent, but it’s not without precedent – in the infamous but nontheless influential treatise The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli posited that military occupations must either swiftly crush everything in sight and then cease, or make conquered territory the new capital.  No one can totally justify no action having taken, or taking action to combat terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda, or the Taliban, or any facistic or totalitarian group of any kind.  That would be ludicrous.  However, as Matthew Hoh points out, the conflict there is internal, which very well may be true.  He also states that the billions of extra cash going into our continued conflicts our mortgaging our future.  Perhaps there’s something to that.

Tom Cruise, famous Scientologist. Image from Flickr.

The French government has never recognized the Church of Scientology as a religion. It has always viewed it as a “sect” or simply a commercial operation. Now, after two women filed complaints against the Church of Scientology, the French court has said the Church of Scientology is guilty of fraud.

Now, several French Church of Scientology leaders and two branches of operation in France have been fined. Prosecutors also asked that the Church of Scientology operations in France be dissolved.

Church of Scientology not banned … yet

BBC News reports that the court stopped short of banning Church of Scientology operations from the country. However, BBC also reports that a ban on the Church of Scientology is still possible, though it does not say where it got that information. France has always taken a stance on the Church of Scientology, saying it was only out for quick cash and has never been a legitimate religion. BBC News says:

Unlike the US, France has always refused to recognize Scientology as a religion, arguing that it is a purely commercial operation designed to make as much money as it can at the expense of often vulnerable victims, the BBC’s Emma Jane Kirby reports from Paris.

Church of Scientology has more troubles

In the U.S., a Hollywood connection has yet again brought the Church of Scientology to the forefront of the media. The director of the Oscar-winning film “Crash” has left the Church of Scientology after 35 years. Paul Haggis says his reason for leaving the church  is its stance against gay marriage and its position on gay rights.

Paul Haggis wrote a letter to the Church of Scientology’s Celebrity Centre, saying he could no longer be part of an organization that tolerates “gay-bashing.” The Church of Scientology officially supported the Proposition 8 ban in California, which made it illegal for same-sex couple to marry after the supreme court declared it legal.

Scottish Thistle; photo from Flickr.com. Did we mention the painful spines?

Onopordum Acanthium

Onopordum acanthium, or the Scottish Thistle or Cotton Thistle, is a hardy plant, known for both a deep root structure and a plethora of spines, making it unpleasant to handle. Anyone who has had one of these plants in a garden, lawn, or pasture, knows how bothersome they can be to remove and would give quick cash to get rid of them altogether. The species is native to Europe, and has been transplanted to every other continent as an invasive species. It’s part of the daisy or sunflower family, and produces large hairy leaves, spikes, and a distinctive purple flower.

The Flower of Scotland

The cotton thistle is known as the Flower of Scotland, and is a national symbol of the Scottish Nation. According to legend, an invading contingent of Vikings were sneaking up on a Scottish encampment at night, and when a Viking warrior stepped on a thistle without shoes and cried out in pain, their approach and position were given away, and then they were routed and the Vikings driven out of Scotland soon after. The legend dates back to sometime around the 12th and 13th centuries, and has been a cultural symbol ever since.

The Flower of Scotland is also a song, significant to many Scots, written in 1965 by Roy Williamson and Peter Dodds McCormick.  It was adopted as a sporting anthem of Scottish teams of several sports. It is sung at Scottish Association Football (association football = soccer) international matches, but it was first popularized by Scottish rugby players on the 1974 British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa. The British and Irish Lions, for those who don’t know, are a touring team comprised of the top rugby players of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The 1974 tour is the stuff of legend, famed for a rough South African team, bench clearing brawls, and players of legend, such as Willie John McBride of Ireland, Phil Bennett and JPR Williams of Wales, Ian McGeechan of Scotland who coached the 1997 and 2007 Lions tours of South Africa, and Fran “Mudman” Cotton, the legendary English prop forward. It has been since adopted as the unofficial anthem of the Scottish national rugby union team; much like Waltzing Matilda for the Wallabies.  (The Wallabies, for the low and uninitiated, are the Australian National Rugby Union team.  If you couldn’t gather that from it being Waltzing Matilda…here’s your sign.)

Trends turns up some stuff out of left field

Google Trends showcases some interesting searches, and this is one of them. So there you go, you lucky devils that read this site – you get a little bit of knowledge about interesting trivia for free – no need for a cash advance for an encyclopedia set or anything to find out stuff about the Scottish Thistle, the Flower of Scotland.

Obama wins the Nobel Prize: For world peace or Miller Time? (Photo: flickr.com)

Theodore Roosevelt (1906), Woodrow Wilson (1919) and Jimmy Carter (2002) preceded him in winning. Now President Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize. This time, however, some people are skeptical. The Norwegian Nobel Committee says he won due to his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” but it remains to be seen whether his nuclear disarmament efforts will bear fruit. And with the rate at which taxpayer dollars are being used to bail nearly everything and everyone one, we may need a short term personal loan or two to fund the missile disposal.

Jump the Shark Lately?

If you ask the Taliban (and I know they’re the first people most of us consult in matters of peace), Obama’s choice as the Nobel Peace Prize recipient is questionable. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid exclaimed to Reuters via telephone, “The Nobel prize for peace? Obama should have won the ‘Nobel Prize for escalating violence and killing civilians.’” Of course, you can’t please everyone all the time. But perhaps we should have waited to see if peace is the actual result before giving President Obama the award. That’s reasonable, and I’m not Taliban.

Some World Leaders Agree

Japanese President Yukio Hatoyama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel appear to look at the Obama Nobel Prize from the standpoint of possible future gains. They think it should encourage other nations to assist him in achieving the nuclear disarmament goal.

Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat sees it as a sign for the Middle East that peace in their time is possible. He’d like to see a return to the Israel/Palestine borders that existed in 1967, where Israel would withdraw and Palestine would be left to exist as an independent state with Jerusalem as the capital city. As Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak sees it, the Obama Nobel Prize should enhance the America president’s ability “to contribute to establishing regional peace in the Middle East and a settlement between us and the Palestinians that will bring security, prosperity and growth to all the peoples of the region.” Just exactly where the lines in the sand would be drawn with such a settlement tends to fuel the flame of conflict, however. We’ll see what Obama can do there, if anything.

Hamas Has a Bone to Pick

What a shocker! Despite Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck’s contention Barack Hussein Obama is a pal of radical Islam, Hamas is up in arms over the Obama Nobel Prize. I hope Glenn doesn’t see what they’re saying about Obama’s policy, because he may not have enough tears to go around. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh told Reuters that “(Unless U.S. policy changes regarding) recognizing the rights of the Palestinian people, I would think such a prize would be useless.”

“Waiting For Deeds, Not Words”

That’s what Lebanese Hezbollah parliament member Hassan Fadallah had to say about the Obama Nobel Prize. Unfortunately, that’s what many Americans are saying about President Obama on the domestic front so far, but I’m willing to give him more time. Being president is just among the toughest jobs imaginable, and for that reason I’m not quite so willing as some to jump on the “bash George Bush” bandwagon as others. President Obama certainly doesn’t lack in oratory skills, but I believe we need to let the sand of time pass before we even begin to talk about his legacy. I still think he’s in his “probationary period,” to use corporate talk. There’s much to do in a world gripped by financial difficulty.

But Expectations Are Rising

Will the Obama Nobel Prize raise the pressure on America’s president? Irene Khan of Amnesty International thinks so. “We look to him for decisive action to pursue peace with justice in the Middle East, end the rollback on human rights in the name of counter terrorism and reinforce the fight against poverty at a time of economic crisis,” she said.

Other notable world figures like Poland’s Lech Walesa and South Africa’s Desmond Tutu see promise in Obama, but they tend to agree that we need to see how things play out.

What Won Obama the Nobel Prize?

To cast so levity on the Obama Nobel Prize situation, humorist Andy Borowitz wrote that it was “Beergate” that tipped the tap. The beer summit between President Obama, Henry Louis Gates and James Crowley (invite Aleister and you would have had a different summit altogether) supposedly swayed the Nobel Prize Committee. In Borowitz’s version of events, a Nobel official claimed that “someone brought up the beer summit, and we all agreed that that was awesome.” Not only that, but it was “a tribute to the healing power of beer.”

So long as you aren’t going to drive or operate heavy machinery and you have a vital political summit to host, perhaps the healing power of hops can set you to stepping. If recessionary economics set upon your budget, perhaps a short term personal loan can help with the morning after.

Related Video:

Rio de Janeiro is a beautiful city, so long as you don't wander into the wrong part of town. But I suppose the same thing can be said for Chicago (minus perhaps the beautiful part) (Photo: 02varvara.wordpress.com)

After a heated battle between Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has selected Rio de Janeiro as the home for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Brazil’s former capital city and hot tourist spot beat out Madrid in the final round of voting in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Obama Wasn’t Enough to Secure it For Chicago

Like other nations whose presidents appeared to bid for the honor of the Summer Games, President Obama helped make the case for his hometown of Chicago. I imagine he was as charming as he typically is, but perhaps he was a bit worn from his health care reform battles to give that 110 percent. Or maybe Rio had more exotic bribes to offer the IOC (see http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h2MTy8-tvDAsr4SConcrsoV3C3KQD9B2PGOG0) than a Blagoesque coiffure.

Of course bribes can’t be condoned. If the IOC members actually needed money, they should look into personal loans.

The last time the Summer Olympic Games appeared in the United States was in 1996, when it appeared in Atlanta, Georgia. The 2002 Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Rio Delivered “A Passionate Appeal”

According to the Huffington Post, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told the IOC members that it was time the Olympic Games “belonged to people of all continents.” Rio 2016 campaign president Carlos Nuzman, who addressed IOC members as “dear friends,” urged the committee to “inspire 400 million South American people.”

“Rio is ready,” President Silva exclaimed. “Give us this chance and you will not regret it, be sure.”

An Economy Grown Strong

In a 45-minute multilingual presentation, Brazil promised the IOC that Rio de Janeiro they would deliver a “safe Olympics, and that the Brazilian economy could guarantee financial stability.” The city’s government planned to spend $14.4 billion on venues and infrastructure for the 2016 Summer Olympics. That is reported to have been the highest amount among the finalists.

Henrique Meirelles of Brazil’s Central Bank concurred that the country’s economy is strong. In fact, Rio 2016 pointed out that Brazil is the only country among the world’s top 10 economies that has never hosted an Olympic Games. By 2016, they estimate they’ll be the fifth largest.

What About Education and Social Services?

Some are calling for the $14.4 billion to be put to better use, such as for improving education across Brazil, or to improve living conditions for the out-of-control poverty found outside the city center. However, Rio 2016 argued that granting Brazil the Summer Games would create a cash infusion that would “transform the city.” This is apparently in concert with one of the IOC’s closely held ideals of transformation through the unity of athletic competition. If you’ve ever seen the movie “City of God,” I’m sure you can imagine how happy the slum dwellers must be. You won’t be able to find them during the Olympic “street sweeping,” however.

But They’ll Be Back

I hate to rain on Rio de Janeiro’s parade. Hosting an Olympic Games is a great thing. However, the reality is that social injustice will continue. A sporting event of any size won’t change that for long.

It Wasn’t All Roses For Rio

Early in the consideration process, Rio is reported to have scored low marks when it came to being able to meet the technical aspects of hosting the 2016 Summer Games. However, once IOC members actually visited Rio de Janeiro five months ago, the city leapt back into contention. I’m sure the IOC members had a great time and were well-lubricated.

A Near Centenarian Played His Part

Rio was already a front runner in the waning moments of the vote for the 2016 Summer Olympics, and the input of the IOC’s longest-standing member may have helped seal the deal. Joao Havelange, who will be 100 years old just weeks before the Rio Olympics open, said that “I dream of seeing history being made in 2016.” Havelange has been an IOC member for 46 years.

A Summer Olympic Games presents a tremendous cash advance for a city. For an individual, personal loans are similarly helpful when there’s a financial emergency that requires quick cash.

Related Video:

Image of the baseball-sized 530 carat Star of Africa from Wikimedia.

An independent diamond mining company near Pretoria, South Africa, has found a 507 carat diamond. The large stone was found in the Cullinan Mine last week. After a rough year in the diamond business, Financial Times reports this discovery could single-handedly improve the finances of Petra Diamonds.

Even though the collapse of diamond prices in the past year pushed Petra Diamonds to a pre-tax loss of $93.9 million, the 507 carat diamond could be one of the 20 largest known diamonds in the world. The gem is about the size of a chicken egg, and it could keep Petra Diamonds in business. Perhaps Petra won’t need a cash loan to get out of debt now.

Independent diamond mining companies

Petra Diamonds is one of many small, independent diamond producers that have popped up recently. Petra employed a strategy of buying up old, African diamond mines from De Beers.

Petra greatly increased its production because of this strategy. In the past year, Petra mined 1 million carats of diamonds. However, as production spiked, diamond prices collapsed. Also, reports Financial Times, “Much of the loss arose from a $75.3m impairment charge relating to the closure of exploration programs in Angola and Botswana.”

More about the big diamonds

The Recently discovered 507 carat diamond weighs 1bout 100 grams, which is roughly 3.5 ounces, less than a quarter of a pound. Reports say the diamond is of exceptional color and clarity. The 507 carat diamond is still being analyzed to determine its worth.

This 507 carat diamond was found in the same mine as the largest known diamond in the world, which is called the Cullinan Diamond. The Cullinan Diamond was 3,106 when found. In order to be finished, the Cullinan Diamond was split into several pieces. Now the largest piece of the Cullinan Diamond is part of the British Crown Jewels and is set in the Imperial Scepter. The piece, called the Star of Africa, is 530 carats and about the size of a baseball.

Petra’s best friends

Along with the 507 carat diamond, three other exceptionally large diamonds were found. One was 168 carats and the two other stones were 58.50 and 53.30 carats. No estimated value has been published yet, but most reports are saying it is a white diamond, which means it is at the tope of the clarity and color scale. That also means it’s at the tope of the pricing scale.

Petra earlier this fiscal years sold a 27-carat blue diamond for more than $9 milllion. No doubt we will see some astronomical figures for a 507 carat white diamond.

Now that's a shofar! Image from wikimedia.

The summer of ‘69 is over. Most of you are probably thinking that I am a little behind the times, but my Jewish friends know what I am talking about. Tonight at sundown begins Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year.

On the Hebrew calendar, tonight marks the beginning of the year 5770. A common saying on Rosh Hashanah is “L’shana Tova,” which is to wish someone a good year. Similar to New Year’s Day on the Christian calendar, Rosh Hashanah marks a time of introspection and new beginnings.

Get your budget balanced

Even if you’re not Jewish, Rosh Hashanah could be a good opportunity to give yourself a little kick in the pants when it comes to getting your finances in order. I will tell you what my resolution will be: never again will I pay $105 in bank fees when I could have gotten a short term loan for a tiny fraction of that.

It has been quite a while since I overdrew my account, but last week I had an automatic credit card payment go through two days before payday, and it sapped my account completely. Meanwhile, I was out using my debit card, none the wiser. I got charged a $35 overdraft fee three times. All I can do is shake my head. I have a friend who took out a short term loan for $150 and the fee was $17. I could have saved a lot of money if I’d been more careful. But back to Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah begins High Holidays

Rosh Hashanah is the first of the Jewish High Holidays, which end with Yom Kippur. During the High Holidays — also known as the Days of Awe or Days of Repentance — Jews are asked to focus on forgiveness and repentance. The Washington Post asked a rabbi to compare Rosh Hashanah to the Christian new year:

“Whereas in Rosh Hashanah, the look is not forward — ‘How can I be a better me?’ — but a look back: ‘How did I not realize my potential this year, and what do I need to do to correct that shortcoming and make sure that I am better able to fulfill the purpose for which I am in this world?’ ” said Rabbi Jack Moline of Agudas Achim Congregation, a conservative synagogue in Alexandria.

A Rosh Hashanah of a different kind

Rosh Hashanah is observed by taking a day of rest, and usually it is customary to blow the shofar when Rosh Hashanah begins. A shofar is an instrument made from a ram’s horn. However, on this Rosh Hashanah there will be no shofar blown because it is also Friday, which means the Jewish sabbath, Shabbat, begins this evening.

So the High Holidays begin simply by resting and usually blowing a ram’s horn. It’s 10 days from now when things get difficult. On Yom Kippur, the last High Holiday, observers must fast for 25 hours, meaning they have to refrain from both eating and drinking. Also, on Yom Kippur, people are supposed to go without using lotion and perfume, wearing leather shoes, bathing and s-e-x.

Si vis pacem para bellum. If you wish for peace, prepare for war. (Photo: commons.wikimedia.org)

That’s the translation of that Latin phrase. I’m not talking about obtaining pre-emptive payday advances to prepare your budget for war. I’m talking about being prepared to live by the sword.

This Roman saying may prove to be what Israel is preparing for against Iran. At the G-8 summit this past July, Iran was given a September deadline to begin negotiating the stand down of its nuclear program. Just last week, Iran officially responded with a resounding “no.” They produced a document that criticizes other nations’ “ungodly ways of thinking prevailing in global relations” and discusses democracy, human rights, disarmament, terrorism and respecting other nations. Shutting down the nuclear program is off the table, according to Ahmadinejad and Ali Khameni.

Is Obama doing enough to avert war?

That’s the question a recent Wall Street Journal editorial asks. As a sovereign nation, Israel appears ready to protect their interests; they appear poised to live by the motto “si vis pacem para bellum” by the end of 2009 if peaceful negotiations are unsuccessful. Yet the writer questions whether the Obama administration is taking a strong enough stance against Iran’s nuclear proliferation.

If you were Israel, what would you think of this?

1. President Obama has decided to drop Iran from the agenda at an upcoming U.N. Security Council he’s slated to chair.
2. U.S. Defense Secretary Gates has spoken out against the possibility of military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
3. Russia has said they won’t support sanctions against Iran anymore.

They have the right to defend themselves

Considering Ahmadinejad’s well-publicized rhetoric about “wiping Israel off the map,” it’s understandable that Israel might feel that they need to take matters into their own hands. They are a mighty military power, so they may well have the capability to execute a successful “pre-emptive defensive strike.” Israel hasn’t wanted to jump into such an action; in fact, they’ve hoped that their ally the United States would be the first to jump in.

But the Obama administration has consistently indicated that their interest is in diplomatic solutions. Vice President Biden’s comments (see video below) indicate that the United States would not stop Israel from protecting itself, but that it would also “defend its own interests.” If full-scale war erupts between Israel and Iran, it doesn’t require much of a leap to see Iran retaliating against American targets in the Middle East. Furthermore, America’s oil interests in the region are sadly still tremendous in scope. Thus, America protecting its own interests could translate to a si vis pacem para bellum of its own.

Israel has been very public about their fears

This creates a very different climate than what existed before they carried out secret strikes against an Iranian nuclear reactor in 1981 and against one in Syria in 2007. Now, Israel is making very public practice maneuvers and crying loud about the danger Iran poses. That danger may indeed be quite real (in light of the nation’s Anti-Semitism and the scarred history of violence in the region), yet Obama simply won’t bite.

Will diplomacy work? Will the U.S. be able to talk Israel down from a potential pre-emptive defensive strike? Or does the U.S. want Israel to be their personal cleaner, eliminating a problem for them? The WSJ editorialist throws all of these ideas about. He even suggests the U.S. “isn’t really paying attention,” but I don’t see how that’s possible.

Israel is paying close attention

A report by the Bipartisan Policy Center indicates that by 2010, Iran will “be able to produce a weapon’s worth of highly enriched uranium… in less than two months.” Iran is also expecting anti-aircraft weapons from Russia in the near future, which could speed up Israel’s timetable to react. Significantly, President Obama has left Iran policy up to Prime Minister Netanyahu. They are in the driver’s seat, so to speak.

America wants to part of a Middle East arms race

Thus, a disabling strike by Israel on Iran’s nuclear facilities would avert that disaster. However, reciprocity would present other challenges that would lead to Americans losing their lives. As George C. Scott exclaims in “Dr. Strangelove,” “I’m not saying we won’t get our hair mussed.” Is that an acceptable political strategy? It seems that no matter what the United States does, we will be involved in this mess. As callous as it may sound, it may come down to what path minimizes the damage. Such is the inescapable path America set itself on, dating all the way back to the “big stick” policies of President Teddy Roosevelt. Only now, the stakes are much higher and the weapons are unimaginably more destructive. No payday advances, no acceptable losses or anything else. Pain will be the everlasting legacy.

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Image: ABC News

Charles Gibson, who has worked for ABC News for 34 years and currently anchors “World News” has announced that he will retire at the end of this year. At age 66, the former Congressional correspondent and co-host of “Good Morning America” will retire. Charles Gibson said:

“It has not been an easy decision to make” Gibson said in his email to colleagues. “This has been my professional home for almost 35 years. And I love this news department, and all who work in it, to the depths of my soul.”

He didn’t really give a reason for why he is leaving “World News” and bringing his career to a close, but if I had to guess I’d say it’s because he is old. Given his position, he probably has plenty of money to live off of for a while, without even needing a low rate personal loan.

Diane Sawyer to take over “World News”

The new “World News” anchor will be “Good Morning America” host Diane Sawyer. There’s no official word yet on who will replace Diane Sawyer on “Good Morning America,” but rumor has it that Elizabeth Vargas, one-time “World News” anchor and current “20/20″ anchor, is a serious candidate.

Diane Sawyer previously was anchor on “60 Minutes” and “Prime Time Live.”

Charles Gibson’s 35-year career

Charles Gibson first started working for ABC News in 1975. At that time, he was a political reporter. He covered the House of Representatives and the White House, and served as a reporter for “World News with Peter Jennings.”

From there he moved on to host “Good Morning America” before ending up in his spot on “World News,” which he took over in 2006. Charles Gibsaon moderated the 2008 Democratic debate in Philadelphia, and he was first to interview Sarah Palin after it was announced she’d be John McCain’s running mate.

Charles Gibson family life

Now that Charles Gibson is retiring, perhaps he will spend more time with his wife, Arlene, his two daughters, Jessica and Katherine, and his grandchild.

Want to check out Charles Gibson’s Facebook page? Who doesn’t? I have to warn  you, though, he has not updated his status since March. Of 2008.

Charles Gibson’s goodbye e-mail

The e-mail that Charles Gibson wrote informing his coworkers of his decision has been published all over. Here it is:

I have always been taught you should never bury the lead _ so I write to tell you that I have told David Westin I want to step down as anchor of World News, and retire from full time employment at ABC News.

It has not been an easy decision to make. This has been my professional home for almost 35 years. And I love this news department, and all who work in it, to the depths of my soul.

I have received much comment, and quite a few emails and letters referring to the signoff Eddie Pinder convinced me to use – wishing that everyone has had a good day. But the proudest part for me has been saying “…for all of us at ABC News…”, since those words signify in my mind that I have been in a position to speak for an entire news department that I consider second to none.

It had been my intention to step down from my job at Good Morning America in 2007 but with Peter’s illness, Bob’s injuries, and Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the job at World News came open in May of 2006, and David asked me to step in as anchor. It was an honor to do so. The program is now operating at a very accelerated, but steady, cruising speed, and I think it is an opportune time for a transition _ both for the broadcast and for me. Life is dynamic; it is not static.

I have told David I would like to continue in some capacity contributing occasionally to ABC News. He has been receptive to the idea – and we will be discussing what that role might be.

They laugh, but caning is no laughing matter (Photo: flickr.com)

Corporal punishment has a tradition that can be traced back into the governing history of many nations. Some claim to find enlightenment and “grow out” of the process, while others cling to it because they either believe that it is an effective deterrent against crime, are “authorized” to do so by religious dogma or certain individuals are in some way thrilled by the nature of the dominant/submissive power relationship.

Let’s assume a person is in dire need of money; they truly need cash until payday, but none is forthcoming. Rather than pursuing the safe course of taking out a cash until payday loan, let’s say the individual falls prey to the impulse to steal what they need to feed themselves or their family. In nations where corporal punishment is widely practiced, the punishment may vary from heavy caning to having the pilfering hands cut off. Generally, the severity of the punishment varies in proportion to the severity of the crime.

Muslim law in non-Muslim nations

Rafia Zakaria writes for Altmuslim that while such methods of corporal (and in some cases even capital) punishment remain a constant in Muslim society, there is concern that Sharia law is spreading into areas that non-Muslims and reform Muslims don’t want it to go. By nature of its persistence in Muslim societies and the spreading of these groups, acts like caning and other forms of corporal punishment begin to appear in world media, particularly against women. This outrages millions.

As Zakaria puts it, “It’s been an eventful summer for Muslim women around the world.” Recently, Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed off on the Shia Personal Status Law. What was once religious practice is now official law. This currently makes it legal for Afghan men to starve their wives if they do not grant them sexual intercourse. Sudanese journalist Lubna Ahmed Hussein faces forty lashes for having worn dress slacks in public. And on the caning front, Malaysian model Kartika Shukarno faced the rattan cane for the sin of consuming beer in a nightclub.

What else does the Shia Personal Status Law do to women?

It legally eliminates them from being able to claim child custody or leave home without a husband or father’s permission. It also happens to make it legal for men to marry children. It is staggering to note that Shinkai Karokhail of Afghan parliament claims that the law as it stands now is “still an improvement.”

Was it an improvement for Lubna Hussein? She was among a group of 19 women arrested in July for wearing dress trousers. While she has yet to receive her 40 lashes (she refused to plead guilty on the spot like the others), Hussein is blacklisted and cannot leave the country.

Notice where the "X" is (Photo: flickr.com)

What about for Kartika Shukarno? Malaysia is a form of democracy, so how can Islamic laws be applied? The answer is that Malaysia has Islamic courts in addition to more standard civil courts. Since Shukarno is Muslim, and Muslims are forbidden from consuming alcohol, she was fined $1,400 and sentenced to caning – six strokes of a rattan cane, to be specific. Shukarno has received a reprieve from the caning for the time being, but has been given no assurance that Islamic authorities won’t attempt to carry out the punishment at a later time.

Oh, but it’s not about pain. None other than the President of the Sharia Lawyers Association of Malaysia said, “It’s not about causing pain, it is about educating others and about teaching the person a lesson.”

Patriarchy and robotic Muslims

Post-colonial Muslim societies in places like Afghanistan, Sudan and Malaysia fall sway to the idea that religious piety must be displayed publicly if it is to mean anything. Considering the patriarchal nature of Islam, it isn’t surprising that women are subjected to the brunt of law. But what is equally disturbing here – as Zakaria points out – is that the need for individual conscience is being phased out by fanatical enforcement of corporal and capital punishment against all potential sins. Once individuals are removed from the need to think for themselves about what is appropriate within their culture, they cease to be individuals. They cease to be thinking human beings.

While other religious groups may have less severe ways of dealing with those who commit infractions, it is largely impossible to disprove that the same patriarchal system that seeks to regulate away the rights and humanity of women is not present in the bulk of religions around the globe. Dress it in humility and protection all you like, removal of rights is removal of rights.

Do not understand. Obey.

Robotic obedience does not make a good Muslim, Christian or member of the Cult of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. And yet to varying degrees, this is what religions either openly teach or subtly imply through one avenue or another. Taking away one’s humanity is a debasement. There can be no meaningful service without the presence of free will. Zakaria wonders whether Muslim tenets like zakah (charity), abstaining from drink and abhorring sexual promiscuity are practiced out of genuine love for those concepts, or out of robotic obedience and fear of reprisal from state authorities.

Removal of free will does not pave the way for nations to thrive. On a lesser but similar scale, if American politicians find a way to extend President Obama’s credit card crackdown to legitimate industries like cash until payday loan distributors, then cash until payday will become a thing of the past as regulators take away or narrow consumers’ right to choose where they obtain financing. Hardly corporal punishment, but still a terrible idea in a society founded upon the concept of individual freedoms.

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Recently, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sat down for a town hall-style meeting at the Congolese capital of Kinshasa. According to the Syracuse Post-Standard, her stop is part of an 11-day tour through Africa to promote “development and good governance, and to underscore the Obama administration’s commitment” to aiding the African continent. In particular, her visit to the Congo was meant to focus upon women in the country who are raped during genocide wars.Speaking of the Congo, there’s a country that could use short term loans and payday loans with no faxing…

And she’s upset over one question a student asked her

It appears that the reason for this is that there was an erroneous translation made by the translator onstage with Hillary Clinton, who was angry. The translation given of the student’s question involved what “Mr. Clinton” thought about a foreign policy issue. Here was Hillary Clinton and her angry response:

You want me to tell you what my husband thinks? If you want my opinion, I will tell you my opinion, I am not going to be channeling my husband. My husband is not secretary of state, I am.

Pronoun trouble?

(Photo: mangdiddles.blogspot.com)

Assistant Secretary P.J. Crowley revealed later that it was not the student’s intention to make it sound as though he was asking for Mr. Clinton’s opinion. The fact is that the student was attempting to ask Mrs. Clinton what President Obama’s views were on a deal between China and the Democratic Republic of Congo – NOT Bill Clinton.

But Hillary Clinton was angry

It’s a telling response. Perhaps it’s the limelight Bill Clinton has recently received for his diplomatic mission to North Korea, the mission that freed imprisoned journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee and possibly restarted nuclear talks. Perhaps that has her a bit on edge. However, she has nothing to be jealous about. Bill was working a diplomatic channel that had been established during his own presidency; it was not a slight to Hillary that she wasn’t the one to participate in the meeting with Kim Jong Il. And Hillary has an impressive list of accomplishments in her own right, and she is fully capable to serve as the United States Secretary of State.

Let’s look at the exchange

From the viewpoint of this Examiner piece, “the only thing more offensive to her might have been if the reporter asked her to make some cookies for her husband.” So clearly, there are gender issues here, particularly when it comes to sex roles. Is this something that we’re going to have to cover until the end of time? Men and women have similarities in terms of what they are capable of, but there are also differences. We need to celebrate those differences instead of continuing to use them to separate.

Is Hillary Clinton angry about what Bill was able to accomplish in North Korea? She shouldn’t be. Her State Department did most of the heavy lifting behind the scenes, indicates the Examiner. Bill was simply sent in to close the deal because he’d already established relationships with dignitaries in North Korea. Yes, it is true that Bill Clinton is receiving the credit in the media for having busted open the Ling/Lee situation and being charming old Bill with Kim Jong Il, but Hillary Clinton worked hard to achieve the gains we have made with North Korea.

What’s next?

While it is definitely a low blow, I’m amused by what the Examiner writer suggests could be in the works:

She may truly lose her mind if Monica Lewinsky personally gets Iran to give up on its nuclear program. Judging from her anger in this video I do not think any of us wish to see Secretary Clinton truly lose her temper.

Funny? Maybe. I certainly wasn’t one of those who laughed off Bill Clinton’s affair with Lewinsky back in the day, but I can laugh at this sentiment. After the translation problem was rectified in the Congo, there was no longer an issue. “Hillary Clinton angry!” went the way of “Hulk smash!” It’s a cartoon, not real news about our Secretary of State. What would be news is if short term loans and payday loans with no faxing were instituted in that war-torn country. Apply here if you need that kind of help…

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Thank you, Mr. Clinton. (Photo: thefrisky.com)

Not that Hillary couldn’t have gotten the job done. She’s more than capable. But Bill had already established a relationship with the North Korean government; they’ve even requested to meet with him specifically a few times over the past 15 years.

What job am I talking about? After “exhaustive conversation” with Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, Bill Clinton has managed to secure amnesty for American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Ling and Lee had been detained in North Korea since March. The women allegedly crossed the China-North Korea border inadvertently, but in crossing without authorization, they violated North Korean law. Their sentence was 12 years of “reform through labor.”

For amnesty, a special pardon

Heejin Koo reports for Bloomberg that not only did Mr. Clinton’s negotiations with Kim Jong Il secure the freedom of the American journalists, but it may have made headway toward deescalation of North Korea’s growing nuclear weapons program. Despite the fact that negotiating terms of amnesty constitutes an acknowledgment that Ling and Lee violated North Korean law, the results will no doubt be more than satisfactory for their friends, family and anyone else concerned with freedom from oppression.

Yu Ho Yeol of Korea University in Seoul said that Bill Clinton’s successful exchange with Kim Jong Il “will certainly serve as a turning point in the U.S.-North Korean dialogue.” I’d like to suggest that they import cash advances and payday loans with no faxing, but one thing at a time. If you want them, however, apply right here:

What made the difference?

It is true that Bill Clinton is an excellent speaker and negotiator. His previous exchanges with North Korea may have made the difference, but there is a rumor circulated by North Korean Central News Agency that Clinton had been empowered to deliver a “special message” from President Obama. However, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs denied this.

This is not the first successful visit a former U.S. head of state has made to North Korea, however. In 1994, former President Jimmy Carter met with Kim Jong Il and was able to negotiate a freeze of the country’s nuclear activity at the time. This was followed up by visits from President Clinton in 2000 and then Secretary of State Madeline Albright, both of which were for the same purpose as Carter’s visit. However, it was revealed in 2002 that North Korea had resumed their nuclear program in secret, and testing commenced by 2006. The testing culminated in at least a dozen missiles being tested this year, despite international pressure against such action. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton obtained U.N. sanctions against North Korea as a result.

Calling the “New York channel”

Bill and Il (Photo: Bloomberg.com)

Kim Jong Il and North Korea had stated openly that they would not return to the table for nuclear talks with the U.S., China, Russia, South Korea and Japan. But just last week, they expressed interest in negotiations involving Bill Clinton or “a high-ranking Obama administration official,” according to South Korea’s Yonhap News.

Apparently much like the Bat Phone, Kim Jong Il’s administration had a kind of hotline that may have been established through Bill Clinton.  They used it to contact Congressman Bill Richardson on multiple occasions. Richardson had previously been President Clinton’s contact at the United Nations, and he was able to negotiate the release of an American pilot who’d been shot down, as well as the release of a U.S. citizen who’d been accused of crossing into North Korea in 1996. Much like Laura Ling and Euna Lee, this citizen had been accused of spying.

Does Bill Clinton have the magic touch when it comes to amnesty? Depending upon who you ask, he definitely has something that’s magical…

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Traveling through an ocean garbage dump the size of Texas (Photo: seacat.wordpress.com)

In the Pixar film “Wall-E,” pollution has run rampant, to the point where the Earth is uninhabitable. Much of this pollution comes straight from the waste inherent in our high-speed consumer culture of convenience. As a result of their sloth, humankind have been forced to evacuate the planet and live a complacent life among the stars.

And what should we learn?

The movie is meant to draw our attention to the responsibility we have to maintain our world for future generations. There will come a time when we must take to the stars and look for new places to continue the spreading of our race. I’m not saying it will be exactly like “Wall-E,” “Dune” or any other science fiction stories we’re familiar with, but astronomic events will eventually rob Earth of its ability to sustain life. There are numerous astronomers and scientists who believe this, so I’m not a lone voice in the wilderness here. I’d bet short term loans and payday loans with no faxing on it, if I were a betting man…

But let’s not rush to muck things up!

That’s exactly what the Great Pacific Garbage Patch represents: our lack of care, moving us ever closer to the day when life will be choked away by all the garbage. I include apocalypse/”Rapture”-type cults among this garbage… it’s just garbage that chokes out the intellect instead of birds, plants, fish and asthmatics.

Paul Rogers reports for MercuryNews.com that scientists are doing all they can to learn more about “one of the most glaring examples of waste and environmental pollution on Earth,” the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. For those of you who don’t know what this is, it’s a place 1,000 miles west of California and north of Hawaii where all the trash from our sewers and storm drains flows. It’s “a massive vortex of floating plastic trash estimated by some researchers to be twice the size of Texas,” says Rogers.

It’s everywhere

Mary Crowley, co-founder of the nonprofit expedition Project Kaisei, believes that it’s high time something be done about this serious threat to life in the Pacific Ocean.

“More and more now, you see signs of marine debris and plastic everyplace. You can be at very remote beaches, and you’ll see plastic bottles, barrels, toys and a lot of plastic fishing nets,” she said.

I say more effort should be made to clean up such waste and recycle it, whenever possible. If you want to start such an effort in your community, take that first step. It may take a little bit of money to get it off the ground (biodegradable advertising signs, a Web site, etc), and if you need a cash boost to get that going, payday loans with no faxing and short term loans are available right here.

Find a new use for plastic – fast!

It’s unclear exactly when the Great Pacific Garbage Patch began to form or what its exact boundaries are, but it is know that the plastic that forms the bulk of it will not decompose in the traditional sense. Exposure to sunlight will eventually break it down into small pieces, but that could simply make it more difficult to clean up. Truly, many scientists believe that cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will be impossible. The last hope may be that it can be converted into some sort of fuel.

Studying the harm done

Crowley and other researchers like Miriam Goldstein aim to study the size of the garbage patch and how it affects ocean wildlife.

“We are going to try to target the highest-plastic areas we see to begin to understand the scope of the problem,” said Goldstein. “The team of graduate students will be studying everything from phytoplankton to zooplankton to small midwater fish.”

The danger of confetti

That’s what the plastic essentially breaks down into. According to Rogers, there are billions of pieces of tiny plastic floating just below the surface of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Not only are the smaller pieces much harder to collect, but they’re much more likely to be consumed by wildlife like sea birds and fish. The plastic then fills their stomachs without providing nutrients. This often leads to death of the animal. Furthermore, plastic pieces can absorb toxic chemicals, which migrate up the food chain and eventually make it to humans.

And more frightening bits

Plastic fishing line, some of them from drift nets that are several tons in weight, entangle thousands of sea turtles, whales and marine mammals each year. In addition to this, plastic junk carried by the currents of the North Pacific Gyre include cigarette lighters, floats, toothbrushes, bottle caps and more. Some of the junk is decades old.

To put the amount of waste in perspective, scientists point out that for every pound of plankton in the center Pacific Ocean, there are as many as six pounds of marine litter as seen in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. That’s about 46,000 pieces of plastic litter for each square mile of the oceans, according to a 2006 United Nations study.

What can we do?

Full cleanup may be impossible, so in the time we have left on Earth before space travel makes a mass exodus possible, we must be responsible. Try to recycle your plastic waste, or only use products that break down in the environment. Dispose of waste properly, too – don’t just chuck it down the drain or into the ocean. Also, whenever the opportunity comes about to help fund scientific studies and projects designed to help combat such problems, donate if you can.

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Robert McNamara, once president of Ford Motors and World Bank and Secretary of Defense under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, has died in his sleep. He was 93 years old.

He did not describe himself as being rich, but McNamara did say that he “didn’t have to do things” he didn’t want to do. Thus, it seems unlikely that he didn’t utilize unsecured loans and pay day loans to aid his personal budget. However, he was once the president of Ford. For most of us, $100 to $1,500 in a pinch can go a long way.

In his obituary, the Washington Post calls upon the harsh analysis of David Halberstam from his book “The Best and the Brightest”:

A prisoner of his own background… unable, as indeed was the country which sponsored him, to adapt his values and his terms to Vietnamese realities. Since any real indices and truly factual estimates of the war would immediately have shown its bankruptcy, the McNamara trips became part of a vast unwitting and elaborate charade, the institutionalizing and legitimizing of a hopeless lie…

(McNamara) did not serve himself or his country well. He was, there is no kinder or gentler word for it, a fool.

The smartest fool in the room

Thomas Lippman writes for the Post that McNamara was a “brilliant student, compulsive worker and skillful planner and organizer.” Despite his business success, concern for the financial well-being of developing nations and stance against nuclear proliferation, McNamara will always be remembered for “McNamara’s War,” complete with the deaths of over 58,000 American lives. The country has still not fully healed from those wounds, and we may just be repeating the same tragedy for future generations. McNamara’s legacy has been carried on in the work of former Sec. Donald Rumsfeld. The mistakes are too large to ignore.

McNamara was a key figure in such major American crises as the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban missile crisis. During the Cold War, he advised the development of the multiple-warhead missile. This helped drive a firm wedge through foreign relations between the United States and Communist nations and created the arms race… and yet McNamara himself said that it was “a gross oversimplification to regard Communism as the central factor in every conflict throughout the underdeveloped word… The United States has no mandate from on high to police the world and no inclination to do so.”

Not even in Vietnam?

Many Americans held McNamara responsible for the military quagmire in Vietnam. Despite revealing in his reports – backed up by meticulous charts and graphs – that “every quantitative measurement we have shows we’re winning this war,” there was a disconnect between numbers and reality. In a sick form of denial, participants in Washington briefings at the time refused to grasp what was happening in the jungles and rice paddies. Once news of the 1968 Tet Offensive hit America’s airwaves, people began to see that what the government was trying to feed them was a lie.  McNamara was no longer in office, but it didn’t matter to the angry masses.

“I used to sleep at the foot of Old Glory
And awake in the dawn’s early light
But much to my surprise
When I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the great compromise.”

- From “The Great Compromise” by John Prine

It was not until his 1996 Vietnam memoir “In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam” that McNamara admitted it was “wrong, terribly wrong” to conduct the war as they did. In particular, the fact that the war went on long after McNamara realized it was futile because he couldn’t change President Johnson’s mind weights heavily in America’s assessment of McNamara.

Advancements in military bureaucracy

Once President Kennedy named then Ford Motors President Robert McNamara the Secretary of Defense, McNamara immediately set to work. According to a Washington Post account in 1961,

He shook all five floors of the Pentagon in his search for the tools he needed to get a firm grip on the biggest military establishment in the world… McNamara brought in computers to help with the spade work, hired systems analysts to comb through the technical points and then list the pros and cons for the generalists, reassessed the war plans, regrouped weapons into programs.

What he did was no doubt revolutionary, and it changed the way the Pentagon operates. But again, what good he did tends to be forgotten. Unfortunately, there’s good reason for that.

See “The Fog of War”

Robert McNamara is survived by his second wife Diana and three children: Craig and Kathleen McNamara and Margaret Pastor. For more information on Robert McNamara and his involvement in the Vietnam War, check out the brilliant film documentary by director Errol Morris entitled “The Fog of War.” It’s not hard to find and isn’t so expensive that unsecured loans or pay day loans are necessary. If you want to understand the politics of American war, it’s a must-see.

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President Obama has a lot of things on his plate these days, what with an economy in shambles, multiple wars being fought and post-election rioting and death in Iran. What did he have to save in today’s press conference? Helene Cooper and Sheryl Gay Stolberg live blogged the Obama press conference for the New York Times. Click through and you’ll also find a transcript of the president’s opening remarks, too.

What I have here for you is highlights and comments. Considering that Cooper and Stolberg considered the president to have appeared “angrier” than he normally does, I’m sure you’ll want to know why. Perhaps coming to him right now with a bill that would remove restrictive caps on payday lending and same day loans. I’ll bide my time.

Iran dominated the opening statement

The president opened up with comments on what’s happening in Iran, saying that “The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings, and imprisonments of the last few days. I strongly condemn these unjust actions, and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost.” That definitely makes his position clear, but he added that the U.S. respects Iran’s sovereignty, which seems to indicate that America isn’t going to swoop in and force them to do a recount. That is as it should be. But Obama calls Iran’s bluff when they say that the U.S. instigated the post-election protests: “This tired strategy of using old tensions to scapegoat other countries won’t work anymore in Iran.”

After addressing an upcoming clean energy bill, the president addressed healthcare. While he is “very optimistic about the progress” Congress is making, there’s still a long way to go. Responding to anti-socialized medicine critics, Obama reiterated he wants to hold on to what works in our current system, so people who like their current doctor or plan should be able to keep them.

Any questions?

• Iran

Jennifer Loven of the AP opened questions by inquiring as to whether we plan to engage Iran She asked him if he still plans to engage with Iran’s regime, given the crackdown on protesters. Obama focused on his desire to make sure they do not develop a nuclear weapon, but left what kind of response we make up to Iran. The president clearly wants them to sort the election mess out themselves.

Another Iran question from the press gallery challenged Obama on why it “took so long” for him to respond with comments. “I don’t think that’s accurate,” the president argued. “The United States will not be a foil” for the Iranian government to accuse of meddling.”

• Healthcare

I say let’s ‘em crash. They couldn’t do the job on their own.

So will Obama make the public health plan mandatory? Jake Tapper of ABC wanted to know. Obama replied that “it is too early to say,” but I don’t see how he’ll be able to do anything else. A hybrid system seems to be on the way, one where insurers “can’t cherry-pick” healthy customers as they typically do now. Health will be the primary issue, not money.

Speaking of health, the new smoking ban was mentioned. Obama claims he has quit and is “95 percent cured.” He also claims the smoking bill wasn’t about him.

• Another stimulus?

Will the American economy require another stimulus package in order to keep the wheels of progress turning in the right direction?

“Not yet,” was Obama’s reply. That certainly isn’t a definitive “no,” is it? The president wants to wait and see how the economy evolves before re-scaling that mountain. “I’m not suggesting I have a crystal ball,” the president said.

Dark clouds continued to manifest. Unemployment rates will go over 10 percent, he claimed. April Ryan of American Urban Radio cited reports  that it will hit 20 for African-Americans, a troubling statistic. Will this bloodletting be allowed to continue?

It isn’t just a minority problem was President Obama’s response. The top priority is to “get the economy as a whole moving.” Proven jobs programs need more support from the government as opposed to building new ones. “Part of what we want to do is to find tools that will give people more opportunity, but the most important thing we can do is lift the economy overall,” he concluded.

• Concluded?

That’s right. The Obama press conference ended without one mention of Iraq or Afghanistan. As he was leaving the briefing room, one reporter tried to call the president on the omission, but there was no response. I do not like what this means for the men and women – many of them with families – who are in the field serving. Obama doesn’t come across as a warhawk, but these two wars have become a quagmire from which any president would have difficulty navigating out.

If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all. Payday lending and same day loans weren’t on Obama’s mind, either. Clearly we have a struggle ahead of us on that front.

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From Mousavi's Facebook page

While not all politicians in America agree that the people should have the right to choose whether payday loans for quick cash is right for them, we do have reasonable assurance that if we disagree with their decisions, we will not be maimed or shot in public view. Unfortunately for the people of Iran, there are no such guarantees as riots continue to blaze on the streets of Tehran following the recent election farce. State controls have attempted to suppress news surrounding incidents, but they weren’t powerful enough to keep the rest of the world from finding out about Neda Soltani. She is the Iranian girl shot, and it is proving to be a shot heard ’round the world.

John Presta reports for the Chicago City Hall Examiner that Neda Soltani has, in effect, become a symbol of the brutality of Iranian leadership. The woman was murdered by Iranian security forces, and her final moments were captured on video. Click here to see, but be warned that it is graphic material. Not only has much of the world seen this video, but the incident even has its own Wikipedia page. And through the work of Mir Hossein Mousavi via Facebook (as well as others), the world will not be allowed to ignore or forget what has happened.

The movement against Ahmadinejad and his regime has not died since the election results were announced. Now it has its tragic martyr in Neda Soltani.

It’s a landslide, alright

According to UPI reports from Iranian election insiders, “ballot discrepancies were found in some cities, but the inconsistencies didn’t violate the country’s election laws. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the “landslide winner” of the June 12 election over his nearest challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi, who is a moderate. Mousavi and other candidates have called fraud and demanded another election.

That the Ahmadinejad regime has not acknowledged the almost certain nature of the voting irregularities is not surprising. It has served to pour gasoline on the flames of revolt. Addressing the people with violence instead of through discussion and just action has drawn the attentions of the world to Iran. Is an overthrow on its way? Will the religious leaders of the country make the right political decision and overrule the power grab of this despot? Stay tuned… the fire is well full to blazing.

Following the timeline

We know about what has happened to unfortunate souls like Neda Soltani primarily because of online social media. The Iranian people have relied on audio-visual technology and spread word via services like Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia and Facebook. Not only does this introduce people to the tragic events in the broad sense, but it keeps it open as a continuing conversation. This is where technology becomes most human. Services like Twitter allow those who have seen, heard and felt the fires to engage one another in dialogue, as opposed to a static news report.

Ben Parr has compiled an excellent timeline on Mashable of social media in the Iran election crisis. Here are some of the highlights:

From the Wikipedia entry “Iranian Presidential Election, 2009″:

On Friday, June 12th, Iran held its Presidential Elections. According to the official (but now disputed) vote tally, Ahmadinejad secured 24.5 million votes, or 62.6 percent, while Mousavi garnered 13.2 million votes, or 33.7 percent.

Protests begin

While the results were known not long after the polls closed, it really wasn’t until June 13th and 14th that the protests picked up steam.

As it turns out, #CNNFail appeared on Twitter at this time, condemning that news network for not covering Iran protests sufficiently. And the protests were vehement. Culled from Twitter: Twitter Search, #IranElection, June 13-14June 15-18: A Week of Turmoil

In what was dubbed the worst civil unrest in Iran in over a decade, clashes broke out between police and groups protesting the election results from early Saturday morning onward. Protests were initially mostly peaceful but became increasingly violent. Demonstrators chanted phrases such as “Down with the dictator”, “Death to the dictator”, and “Give us our votes back”. Mousavi urged for calm and asked that his supporters refrain from acts of violence.

But violence could not be stopped

According to the Wikipedia page “2009 Iranian election protests, June 15 to June 18,” events on the ground became bloody. Under direction from Iran’s Supreme Ayatollah, Ruhollah Khomeini, a partial recount was ordered. Green arm bands of protest are everywhere. Even the Iranian national soccer team was wearing them. By request of the U.S. government, Twitter moved its downtime so that concerned individuals could follow events uninterrupted. Facebook offered a Persian translation so that Iranian citizens could more easily use the service in Farsi.

Vast rallies that some reports estimate at “over 100,000″ people voiced their opposition in the streets. It was just such a rally that led to the shooting death of Neda Soltani, at the hands of the Basij police guard. The death occurred on camera and was posted to YouTube, a cry against the Iranian government’s brutality (From Twitter: Twitter Search, #IranElection, June 15-16 and June 17-18June 19-21: Violent Escalation and Neda Soltani).

At least 10 killed, over 100 injured

Photo by Ben Curtis / STR (Associated Press)

And there appears to be no immediate end in sight until Iran’s government makes some important decisions. Thanks to social media, Iranians have been able to communicate with each other and the outside world (despite government attempts to throttle bandwidth and otherwise block the flow of information). The outside world has been able to talk back to the resistance in Iran. This is helping to redefine the role and source of journalism, for information isn’t quite so easy to control as it was when newspapers were the only game in town.

There is sympathy and sadness for Neda Soltani, her family and all the people of Iran who wish for their voices to be counted accurately. Perhaps one day there will also be hope for oppressed peoples like them worldwide. Learn a lesson from this, non-voters of America. The people of Iran are willing to place themselves in danger in order to save their country from dictatorship. Are you willing to get up off your couch and vote when called upon? Not caring is a kind of death of its own… and it is not deserving of sympathy.

The more we lose our rights in this country, the more I wonder when people will be shaken from their indifference. Payday loans for quick cash is an important right that goes lock-step with other, larger financial freedoms. If you fear a socialist regime in this country, let your elected officials know what you think.

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For the average American, it can easily be argued that the most pressing though is whether the current recession is going to let up. For some, that thinking includes “When am I going to get a job?” These concerns are very real and very important. For those who are working but find themselves falling short on their bill payments because of unexpected things like car repairs, pay day loans and cheap loans are there to help. If you’re looking for information on those and want to apply, you’ve come to the right place.

But there are other crises that poke into our bubble. Like this one: “What should I think about North Korea’s missiles reaching Hawaii?” According to the BBC, it could happen. Thankfully, the U.S. military claims we are “prepared.”

Our protectors are “in a good position”

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has told BBC News that we are “in a good position” to protect ourselves against a potential North Korean missile strike. His ominous comment on the heels of a report that claims that North Korea was “considering launching a missile towards Hawaii.” In fact, Gates even told the BBC that “we do have some concerns if they were to launch a missile to the west in the direction of Hawaii.” Apparently, missile and radar systems are at the ready to “provide support” in the event of attack.

Admittedly, North Korea’s nuclear plans have been cause for concern. But is this just saber rattling by Kim Jong Il and North Korea? Or should we take this threat seriously. Judging by Gates’ statements, America plans to be prepared. However, I do hope that everyone keeps in mind that there is indeed no such thing as a winnable war, particularly if nuclear arms are involved. Diplomacy is always desirable over loss of life.

Weaseling around sanctions

North Korea has performed tests that could indicate that short-range missile delivery of nuclear warheads is in their plans. On May 25, they conducted an underground nuclear test. Since then, they’ve test-fired numerous short-range missiles. According to BBC sources there is currently a North Korean ship under surveillance to ensure that it does not violate United Nations sanctions.

On the financial front, North Korea may be preparing to find ways around financial sanctions. Reportedly, President Obama has warned all U.S. banks that attempt to “engage in deceptive practices” in order to get money in and out of the country. This would be in response to UN Security Council-imposed sanctions that followed North Korea’s nuclear tests. Considering that even their traditional allies – China and Russia – are demanding that Korea return to anti-nuclear proliferation negotiations, it seems that the odds are stacked against Kim Jong Il’s regime. No pay day loans or cheap loans can bail North Korea out of their sanction prison… and that’s the way it should be until they’re willing to play non-violent ball with the rest of the world.

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Bert will NOT sell his bottlecap collection to fund terrorist activities! Please stop asking.

We want to hear good financial news, but the world has for the most part been uncooperative. Will we be able to take time out from our frontyard lemonade stands to apply for payday loans and fast cash, or has the grand old government taken that choice away from the public now? Patriots wouldn’t stand for the removal of their freedoms, would they?

OK, settle down. Here’s some financial news you won’t hear about on the 10 o’clock news, and it is indeed great news. “Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving bunch of jihadis,” says Rachel Maddow. Al Qaeda is broke!

A heartwarming story we can all get behind

Maddow calls the headline – “Al Qaeda is Broke” – “the single best financial headline anyone in the whole world has seen all year.” But there it is. The Bucharest Herald reports that Al Qaeda has gone on record as saying that they are “short of funds” to be able to complete their Afghanistan jihad. The recession has made the purchase of explosive devices and other essential tools for the hit-and-run militant on-the-go too cost prohibitive.

Have they tried bake sales? Bunco parties? Wait, sorry – religion won’t permit that, because it could be considered a form of gambling. However, I’d consider eating Osama’s muffins to be a gamble in itself. Fatwa nothing – I want to know exactly how long has that Easy Bake batter has been sitting in the back of that cave…

“Need help. Please send money if you hate capitalist infidels and little kittens.”

Do not drink the milk of infidels

Al Qaeda’s chief in Afghanistan, Sheikh Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid, has made an audio recording that has been conveniently intercepted by the American news media (here’s a written transcript for those of you who don’t speak Arabic). In his message, Al-Yazid tells it like it is for Al Qaeda: times are tight.

Apparently, the audio was not supposed to be released to a mass audience, but technology has made the world much smaller, so perhaps Mr. Al-Yazid should have thought of that before opening up the books, so to speak. At least it makes for a refreshing change from the usual propaganda found on jihadist chat rooms and forums. The Herald reports that Al-Yazid is begging “an unknown contact in Turkey” for the financial support Afghanistan’s Al Qaeda faction so desperately needs.

“Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?”

“We are lacking funds here in the Afghan jihadi arena,” he says. “The slow action in the operations here nowadays is due to the lack of funds, and many Mujaheddin could not carry out jihad because there’s not enough money.”

“It’s to the point where there are many martyrdom-seekers here who wish to sacrifice their lives for the sake of Allah, but we don’t have the means to equip them,” Al-Yazid indicated. Since he is reportedly a qualified accountant who allegedly handled that 9/11 plot finances, he most likely knows the real story that’s on the books in blood red.

They’ve already spent the money we gave them

As most people know who are familiar with what’s been happening in Afghanistan and Al Qaeda, the bulk of the money for activities (including monkey bar competitions) came from Osama bin Laden himself. The elusive one had a private jet at one time, as well as “agricultural lands in Sudan the size of Bahrain,” according to The Herald.

Where did bin Laden’s money come from? Two sources commonly named is Islamic charities and wealthy individuals from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations. It has been reported that Al Qaeda’s 2000 budget tipped the scales at a whopping $30 million. But there’s another source that some folks consider to be a tad controversial, and that’s the United States government. Because at one time, the Mujaheddin was fighting the Russians. That’s back when U.S. presidents still referred to Russia as an “evil empire” and were willing to fund Afghani “freedom fighters” in their struggle against Communism. See more in the video below.

These days, however, the funding sources Al Qaeda used to be able to rely upon have dried up as the more is subjecting them to more intense scrutiny. The U.S. government, European Union and most of the rest of the international community have their eyes on when big money flows and suspected terrorists are involved. I’m sure Iran and similar-minded countries aren’t on board with that entirely, although the recent elections in Iran may change that a bit. Payday loans and fast cash may not be on the way, considering Islam’s view of lending money, but since Al Qaeda is broke, perhaps they’ll find another way.

Don’t come to our humble establishment for help, however. We support the troops and stand against terrorist activities anywhere in the world, including domestic terrorism. Hear that, you twinkle twins Von Brunn and Roeder?

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The expression “freedom isn’t free” means a lot to me. The sacrifices service men and women have made (and continue to make) in service of their country are worthy of recognition to the extent that they are helping to protect the rights and way of life of people they’ve never met. In short, I “support the troops.” But let’s follow the story here, a quick loan from the pages of history, a loan that President Obama should repay with interest.

The ties of duty and the promise that he would make sure people would know what transpired at Buchenwald concentration camp have driven retired Army intelligence officer Albert Rosenberg for over 60 years. Now 91 and living in El Paso, Texas, Rosenberg collected evidence at Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald back in April of 1945. His directive was to “investigate what really happened in that particular (liberated) camp,” Rosenberg said to Darren Meritz of the El Paso Times. “The allied governments wanted to know what happened in those camps.” The report Rosenberg and his colleagues produced was quickly classified because it contained the names of Communist foreign officials from nations with which the United States was attempting to form diplomatic ties.

Now Rosenberg’s copy has resurfaced

And he’s “looking to the White House for help in what may be the last mission of his life,” writes Meritz.

This coincides with President Obama’s recent visit to the site of Buchenwald concentration camp. Rosenberg remembered a list of 321 captured U.S. Army and British Royal Air Force men who had been held at Buchenwald. He sent that list to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel with a handwritten note explaining how these men needed to be identified. The wounds needed to heal.

Unfortunately, Rosenberg still has not heard back from Washington.

Discovery!

“What became of these fliers, we could not determine in 1945,” Rosenberg wrote to Emanuel. “It can be assumed that many may have perished or moved in death transports to the interior of Nazi-held territory.”

Those that were found had been subject to starvation and other forms of cruelty that the fog of war cannot conceal. The Nazis had attempted to conceal records when they left Buchenwald concentration camp behind, but some evidence has unintentionally left behind after their hasty retreat.

“Among my papers that I have kept, I came across typewritten pages that were part of our original report, which lists the name, rank and serial numbers of American pilots who had been shot down during the war by the Nazis and who had been prisoners at the concentration camp,” Rosenberg said. “They no longer were at the camp. I have no idea what happened to them.”

Searching for answers

If President Obama’s visit to Buchenwald concentration camp will shed some light on Rosenberg’s list, the veteran will be happy.

After all of these many years, Albert Rosenberg has never learned whether the Buchenwald report has been declassified. He does know that the original copy had been kept at a National Archives depository in Virginia, in box 149. Unfortunately, a fire during the 1970s destroyed the report.

Stand up

At the time, that was believed to be it. Experts thought that all of the remaining copies of the Buchenwald report had disappeared. That is, until Rosenberg emerged with his own copy. In 1995, all of the material he had collected – both the first-hand testimonies and the other evidence – was collected and translated from German to English. Then it was published in book form for all the world to see, so that the questions could be answered. That name of that book, fittingly, is “The Buchenwald Report,” written by David Hackett.

Tear down that wall

“For decades people had been looking for that report,” Rosenberg said. “I do not know, have the families of those prisoners, American fliers, ever been identified? Did they survive? I don’t know.”

Buchenwald concentration camp “represents a painful gap in (Rosenberg’s) knowledge,” writes Meritz. But he has not forgotten what sacrifices men and women like them have made in the pursuit of freedom. President Obama’s visit to the camp is a start, but more can be done to make sure that families who have gone decades without knowing what exactly happened to their loved ones during that horrible war deserve closure. The system of classifying documents is questionable to say the least (Dick Cheney and his cavalier attitude toward classified memos on waterboarding is just one example). But too much time has passed. The walls must come down and America must do what is right by humanity. No more can a mere trickle of information here or there suffice. No quick loan, a loan that will never be enough until the floodgates are opened will stand. President Obama, tear down that wall of institutional ignorance.

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(You are on Hime Island. There will be time for work, time to live. CLICK HERE if you’ve forgotten what happened in the beginning of your stay. If you’re looking for quick payday loans and debt consolidation, you can find that here too. But that would probably mean that you’re a capitalist. Not to be pejorative; just making an observation.

This is a close-knit, friendly place. According to Fackler, “Islanders cheerfully greet passing strangers. Roads, parks and even public toilets are immaculate. Doors are left unlocked, and the island has only one policeman.” Hime is about half the size of Key West, Florida.

Mr. Fujimoto has been elected to seven four-year terms as mayor of Hime. The lack of change can be attributed to an election held in 1955 that split the island right down the middle politically. It created “ill feelings that took a generation to heal,” writes Fackler. Since that time, the island has decided to elect its mayors by consensus, choosing the man everyone can agree upon ahead of time.

“My job is to prevent elections by keeping everyone equal, and thus happy,” said Fujimoto, 65. He claims he would “resign immediately” if a serious rival ever presented himself in a general election. “That would be a sign the village has lost confidence in me,” he said.

A triumph of liberalism to support conservatism?

How is it that Akio Fujimoto has remained in power for so long? Clearly it is not because he rules Hime with an iron fist. Fackler suggests that many islanders believe he has remained popular because they hold the previous mayor – his father, the subject of the island’s status – in high reverence. Post-World War II, Japan’s poverty reached extreme levels. Yet Fujimoto Sr. boosted Hime’s station out of poverty by allying it with the Liberal Democratic Party. This is turn brought a steady flow of public works projects to the island.

Outsiders in the Oita prefecture government (which Hime is a part of) are critical of Hime’s way of doing things. Keizo Nagai, the ombudsman for Oita prefecture, sees the island’s government as walled-off and non-transparent. He said this because Hime customarily refuses to make information like detailed budget records available to non-islanders. However, Nagai doesn’t see conspiracy in this. It is simply a reflection of the traditional closed culture prominent before Commodore Matthew Perry opened Japan to the west.

“Hime Island acts like an independent kingdom,” Nagai said.

If you’re happy, is it wrong?

One adopts a very different way of thinking than what is customary in America when they come to accept what a small pocket of humanity like Hime Island offers. The drive to compete would never work in such a place where time stands still. Yes, it is true that traditional Japanese culture failed to recognize women as being equal with men. I will not attempt to defend that, as I cannot agree. Yet the islanders are happy with the status quo because it’s comfortable.

“Everyone is basically satisfied,” said Shusaku Akaishi, 29, who works at his family’s fueling business. “This is a conservative place.”

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