Tuesday, Tuesday -October 19th

 

We have been at war for over 9 years now. Iraq is arguably beginning to enter the "end game"  but there is just no real end in sight for Afghanistan. In the interest of complete disclosure, I should probably point out that I support our troops, where ever they are and what ever they are engaged in. Having said that, my friends will remember that I was opposed to the invasion of Iraq but supported the action in Afghanistan. We were attacked and we need to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that does not happen again. There are 2 problems I continue to have through all of this. First is, of course, Osama Bin Laden. I am sorry but I do not understand why the United States of America, with all of it's vast resources, technical expertise and excellent manpower, can not catch or kill this jerk. I mean, really! It's been 9 years! Come on! Also, we keep talking about our being attacked by Muslims. Well that is technically true, but hardly accurate. That would be like saying that Buddhists attacked us at Pearl Harbor. The attacks on the United States, from the USS Cole to the two World Trade Center attacks, were the work of a single extremist sect of Islam. The inconvenient part of that truth is that the Wahabbi branch of Islam is based in, and funded by, Saudi Arabia, not Iraq, or Pakistan, or Afghanistan, or Yemen.So why, why is it that we have not been holding the Saudi's to task? We keep finding out about Saudi money being funneled into terrorist organizations. If the kingdom is as good a friend to America as we are told, why is this still going on a decade after the attacks? I don't have any answers, but I think we should be asking a lot of questions...

CNN has a series where they feature “heroes” from around the world. One such “hero” is an Indian man named Narayanan Krishnan and I entirely agree – here is a little about him: Narayanan Krishnan was a bright, young, award-winning chef with a five-star hotel group, short-listed for an elite job in Switzerland. But a quick family visit home before heading to Europe changed everything. "I saw a very old man eating his own human waste for food," Krishnan said. "It really hurt me so much. I was literally shocked for a second. After that, I started feeding that man and decided this is what I should do the rest of my lifetime." Krishnan was visiting a temple in the south Indian city of Madurai in 2002 when he saw the man under a bridge. Haunted by the image, Krishnan quit his job within the week and returned home for good, convinced of his new destiny. "That spark and that inspiration is a driving force still inside me as a flame -- to serve all the mentally ill destitutes and people who cannot take care of themselves," Krishnan said. Krishnan founded his nonprofit Akshaya Trust in 2003. Now 29, he has served more than 1.2 million meals -- breakfast, lunch and dinner -- to India's homeless and destitute, mostly elderly people abandoned by their families and often abused.

Belfast's mayor was sure he could jump over the giant tomato - but his efforts bore no fruit. Belfast City Council confirmed Friday it's paid a former employee more than 24,000 pounds ($38,000) after former Mayor Jim Rodgers tried to leap over her in front of press photographers three years ago. The victim, Lorraine Mallon, was dressed as a tomato to promote a city food fair and was sitting on the grass. She suffered a blow to the back of her head as Rodgers ran up from behind to try to leapfrog her but slipped at the last moment. Rodgers apologized, but Mallon suffered a slipped disc and sued for negligence. The council said Friday it agreed to pay her 24,021.75 pounds ($38,538.50) plus her legal bills. 

I am just saying… The rise of countries like China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia and Sri Lanka represent a shift in global balance that cannot be ignored. From Pakistan’s uncertain future, the growth of Chinese military power, African states teetering on the edge of failure, violent Islamic extremism and piracy, this region will be the true nexus of power and conflict in the coming years. The Indian Ocean area has become crucial to American power in the 21st century. It may very well be that this region – volatile, nuclearized, and plagued by weak infrastructure and young populations tempted by extremism – that the fight for democracy, energy independence, and religious freedom will be lost or won. The United States must focus far more attention to this area and make far more efforts to understand its culture in order to maintain our leadership position in this ever-changing world.

In 1968 the Golden Gate Bridge charges tolls only for southbound cars and in 1977 the Supersonic Concorde jet's 1st landing in NYC 


Live Long and Prosper....