Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome to SDA Late Nite Radio. Tonight, for your delectation and pursuant to our Saturday night distinguished lecture, documentary & interview series, here is David Elieser Deutsch, Visiting Professor in the Department of Atomic and Laser Physics at the Center for Quantum Computation, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, presenting his talk On The Fabric of Reality (2005, 19:46).
In our previous shows in this series, we took a look at physics at the largest scale and at the smallest scale. In tonight's talk, David takes a look at the relationship between the largest scales and the vast emptiness at those scales, the smallest scales and the non-emptiness at those scales, and our relationship to those scales, as cognitive beings, thus providing us with our turning point from matters metaphysical to matters epistemological, to humans, and to the matter of the inevitability of problems v. the matter of the solving of problems.
One of my favourite parts of this talk is where David says:
"Now, the first of those two things that everyone knows, is kind of saying that we're at a very untypical place, uniquely suited and so on, and the second one is saying that we're at a typical place, and especially if you regard these two as deep truths to live by, and to inform your life decisions, then they seem, a little bit, to conflict with each other.
"But that doesn't prevent them from both being completely false. And they are."
Your Reader Tips are, as always, welcome in the comments.
Calling all video creators working in the underground economy - here's a YouTube Video contest for you from the Government of Canada taxman:
The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of National Revenue, invites Canadians to speak up about the underground economy on YouTube
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is inviting Canadians to tell how the underground economy is affecting them and their communities by participating in the Underground Economy - Not your Problem? YouTube video contest.
Visit the CRA's YouTube channel to find out why the underground economy is a problem for all Canadians. Then create a video, and tell us what you think about the underground economy and how it's a problem for you, your family, or your business.
Submit your video entry to the CRA's YouTube channel. The winner will be honoured with the CRA Independent Video Producer Award at a special screening to take place in Ottawa during the spring of 2009. The videos may be used in CRA outreach initiatives.
LInk: www.cra.gc.ca/contest.
" The videos may be used in CRA outreach initiatives."
Translation....thank you,comrades,for informing on the evil dissidents who dare to try and find a way out of paying their hard earned monies to us so that the socializing of the Repulick of Canucikstan can continue. The CRA(Canuckistani Reeducation Association)appreciates your continued efforts against the sheeples!
Underground Economy?
Once again, I must thank you Vitruvius.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article5581225.ece
Britain now relies on government spending for 1/2 of it's economic activity.
60-70% in some parts.
And that's before the effect of their financial collapse, with the nationalization of some of their biggest banks, has hit.
No different than at the time of communist Europe.
Anyone know what the stats are for Canada? I couldn't find this on a brief Google search.
Lori - I know one stat about Canada that $34 BILLION is approximately 1.5% of our GDP and that our debt payment ratio on the $600 BILLION we STILL OWE is approximately 24% of all government (federal) expenditures.
This is apparently down somewhat since Harper paid off $38 BILLION off the principal in the past three years (that's what the Liberals call the Conservative's "reckless spending" Heh.)
In comparison Japan's debt payment ratio is 90%!!!! Can you imagine. 90% of all government revenue goes to paying interest on debt.
Does anyone remember when a Million dollars was a lot of money?
This massive planned deficit is horribly depressing. Now who is a fiscal conservative supposed to vote for? Harper is being incredibly stupid and short-sighted. Better to fall to this "coalition" nonsense than renege on promises and principles.
Belisarius - Harper committed Canada to an additional injection of 2% of GDP alopng with all of the other nations in the G20 at their meeting in December.
Every country committed to this - it is planned stimulus - not overspending.
Should Canada back out of this agreement and let the rest of the world take care of the problem for us?
The Most Merciful, The Messiah, Barack Obama, picks a fight with a private citizen:
"You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done."
http://tinyurl.com/bf56lu
To which Rush responds:
"If I can be made to serve as a distraction, then there is that much less time debating the merits of the trillion dollar debacle."
Rush is standing up for conservatism like no other. I'm with him all the way!
Watch the fireworks next week, as Rush takes on The Messiah.
http://tinyurl.com/1xln
Canada's debt,UK's debt, America's debt,and all thes other countries debts. WHO DO THEY MAKE THE THE PAYMENT TO?? Can anyone give me names and where do these "obvious moneybags"get their money form to lend to the world??
Rob C ...My bet is the money comes from the unions around the world.
Is there nothing that Obama can't do?
Now he's being credited with raising the test scores of African Americans.
Apparently, Obama has such magical powers that just watching his speeches is enough to raise test scores.
However, during the height of the Obama media frenzy, the performance gap between black and white Americans was effectively eliminated. In addition, researchers pinpointed that black Americans who did not watch Obama’s nomination acceptance speech continued to lag behind their white peers, while those who did view the speech successfully closed the gap.
I had to keep checking to make sure I wasn't reading this on The Onion.
From above:
Does anyone remember when a Million dollars was a lot of money?
I do. I remember when there was a major scandal in the 1950s or 60s when some MP asked in parliament "What's a million?".
Today, the question is: What's a trillion?
I also remember when I dreamed someday making at least $10,000 a year, so I can be set for life.
“The trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money” –Margaret Thatcher"
...-
Bankrupt Britain: Could it happen? Yes. The answers to the question everyone is asking
For the first time in more than 30 years, the old fear is stalking us once more, the anxiety we hoped had been dumped in the skip of history along with secondary trade-union picketing, Sunday afternoon pub-closing and The Smurfs.
The name of this spectre is the fearful question – is Britain going bankrupt? More pertinently, can Britain, or any other country, ever actually become insolvent? The short answer is – yes.
In recent days, sterling’s slide, plus spiralling Government deficits and a stubbornly wide trade gap, have combined to raise once more the phantom of national insolvency.
Can Britain, or any other country, ever actually become insolvent? US investment guru Jim Rogers did his bit to frighten us when, last week, he advised that Britain has major problems and that wise investors would drop sterling like a hot brick."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2171248/posts
Hope and Fear.
Wretchard*:
"I would rather take my chances with a grizzled sergeant of marines than one of these disciples of Hope who’s suddenly had a lightbulb come on in his head."
...-
Elia, aka Charles Lamb:
"Hope is charming, lively, blue-eyed wench, & I am always glad of her company, but could dispense with the visitor she brings with her, her younger sister, fear, a white liver'd-lilly-cheeked, bashful palpitating, awkward hussey that hangs like a green girl at her sister's apronstrings & will go with her whithersoever she goes.**"
(**The Letters of Charles and Mary Anne Lamb)
*"In the year our lord"
http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2009/01/23/in-the-year-our-lord/#comments
Al-Frosty the Camel was a ...
...-
"Snow falls in the United Arab Emirates
24 01 2009
Yes more anecdotal evidence of a colder winter in the northern hemisphere. This is the second time in 5 years. A USATODAY story says it was “the first time ever” in 2004. Even the BBC reported it. There seems to be some confusion on the precendence between news organizations. In the 2004 stories, USATODAY says “first time ever” while BBC says “every 20 to 30 years”. I would tend to believe the Abu Dhabi local newspaper (over the BBC) who now says “second time in recorded history” in their story below. - Anthony
This is the frozen north … of the UAE
by Anna Zacharias of The National, in Abu Dhabi
Snow settles on the Jebel Jais mountain in Ras al Khaimah yesterday. Courtesy of Ras al Khaimah government
RAS AL KHAIMAH // Snow covered the Jebel Jais area for only the second time in recorded history yesterday.
So rare was the event that one lifelong resident said the local dialect had no word for it.
According to the RAK Government, temperatures on Jebel Jais dropped to -3°C on Friday night. On Saturday, the area had reached 1°C.
Major Saeed Rashid al Yamahi, a helicopter pilot and the manager of the Air Wing of RAK Police, said the snow covered an area of five kilometres and was 10cm deep.
“The sight up there this morning was totally unbelievable, with the snow-capped mountain and the entire area covered with fresh, dazzling white snow,” Major al Yamahi said."
http://wattsupwiththat.com/
"CRA outreach initiatives"
Like all government agencies, the CRA doesn't present their case well. Still, the underground economy is a real and growing threat.
This is, however, a problem of the governments own making. And dare I say it, multiculturalism and unfiltered immigration are largely the cause.
According to the Toronto Star, immigration is costing taxpayers in Canada $4.6 billion a year. And that's just what they know about.
Immigrants from depressed countries bring their culture here and are in fact encouraged to do so. Besides the food, drink and music, for some immigrants, these practices include tax evasion and the forming of criminal cabals.
And what about welfare?
It's a corrupt lottery where those who know how to play the game automatically win. And those who don't are taught by government social workers.
The current state of immigration and the programs supporting it is corrupt and non-sustainable. Compounding the problem will be a growing number of formerly honest taxpayers who will no longer foot the bill. And the economy will collapse as it is in socialist Britain, where, as Lori pointed out, "Britain now relies on government spending for 1/2 of it's economic activity."
Socialism is indeed a disease that kills countries dead.
Belisarius - Harper committed Canada to an additional injection of 2% of GDP alopng with all of the other nations in the G20 at their meeting in December.
There is no sign that economic stimulus actually works. If you spend more than you make does it make you better off? The whole Keynsian thing might have worked in the days when government spending was only a few percent of the economy but it does not work when it is already more than 50% of the economy.
After governments have run up the debt, they get rid of it by printing more money, which has the effect of making, the debt, and your life savings worthless. Governments have done this all through history in all places and they are doing it again. One of the stupidest things that people have ever done, is given the government a monopoly on the money supply, because the first thing they do is debase it. If you have any savings put them ito gold or silver or some other hard asset, because there is no point in saving it.
David Warren has a good article up about Guantanamo and the realities of the situation...
http://www.davidwarrenonline.com/index.php?id=965
The natural end result of socialism >>> communism.
"A communist firebrand" with the Red-Green Shift touted/promoted by Dionky, Taliban Jack, ulianov, lberia, et al.
Hope and "her younger sister, fear" on the shining path of communism.
...-
"Left seizes control of South Africa’s ANC
A communist firebrand has shifted the ruling party to the left"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article5581272.ece
Weird.
http://www.crispyontheoutside.com/
"The most outrageous recipe I found was from an antique French cook book – although I’d be amazed if anyone actually made it. You pluck a chicken while it’s still alive, brush its skin with a wheatgerm-and-saffron dripping, then tuck its head under its wing and rock it to sleep.
Then you put it on a serving platter between two cooked chickens, bring it to the table and wait for someone to try to carve it – at which point this apparently roast chicken wakes up, squawks and runs down the table. You then take the poor bird, kill it, stuff its neck with mercury and sulphur, stitch it up and roast it, and as you bring it back to the table the chemicals in its neck are still making a clucking noise – as if it were alive."
Times UK: 'tough love' is re-defined.
But, it's OK now.
Obama airstrikes kills 22 Muslims. It's gonna be a quagmire.
It's not George's fault.
...-
"Obama airstrikes kill 22 in Pakistan
Islamabad is the first to get a taste of the president’s ‘tough love’ policy after airstrikes on suspected terrorist hideouts"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5581084.ece
(Via SWJ; NYT warning) Radio Spreads Taliban’s Terror in Pakistani Region
Every night around 8 o’clock, the terrified residents of Swat, a lush and picturesque valley a hundred miles from three of Pakistan’s most important cities, crowd around their radios. They know that failure to listen and learn might lead to a lashing — or a beheading.
Using a portable radio transmitter, a local Taliban leader, Shah Doran, on most nights outlines newly proscribed “un-Islamic” activities in Swat, like selling DVDs, watching cable television, singing and dancing, criticizing the Taliban, shaving beards and allowing girls to attend school. He also reveals names of people the Taliban have recently killed for violating their decrees — and those they plan to kill...
This headline is not from The National Enquirer, it is from the front page of The Vancouver Sun, January 24 2009.
- In November, 600 narwhal whales died in Canada's Arctic ice when they got caught in the winter freeze up. Scientists wonder if global warming is to blame for their demise.
- http://www.vancouversun.com/Life/News+stories/1214208/story.html
To follow the syllogism on this theme, if it gets any warmer, the equatorial regions are set for a freeze up.
Reading that kind of scientology ™ gives pain to a certain part of the anatomy.
Suppose, as Posted by Kate at 7:12 AM illustrates, no sooner said than done.
Dutch correspondent, H. Numan, on why the internet may win the Wilders case:
"It’s Time for a Change!"
Our expatriate Dutch correspondent H. Numan contributes the following essay on the political situation in the Netherlands as reflected in the trial of Geert Wilders.
Of course it is a political trial. What else can it be? If Wilders is prosecuted for inciting hatred, why aren’t all the imams that do so on a daily basis on trial, imam Fawaz leading the line? If one can compare the Bible with Mein Kampf, why not the Koran? If a book, religious or not, is above criticism, we are in effect setting up a totalitarian regime.
I will go even further: compared with a common telephone directory the Koran is worthless. A telephone directory doesn’t contain as many errors and is much better organized. Also, a telephone directory is based on verifiable facts. Not fairy tales and horror stories. Nor does it promote hatred.
But I think our multicultural friends have bitten off far more than they can chew. For, can we change? Yes, we can! And even better: we are already changing! There is a very good reason why the left can’t manage the Internet. Remember the times when a newspaper bluntly stated “this or that has a 95% approval rate”? You knew it was wrong. Everybody you talked with said so. But nothing was and could be done about it. Yes, you could write a letter to the editor. Usually it would not be printed. If it was, nine out of ten selected letters supported the approval rating. Yours was added for variety’s sake.
Enter the Internet. “Wilders will be indicted”. Headline in De Telegraaf. Within one hour (!) eight thousand comments adorned the article supporting Wilders. The blogging world, at least in Holland is currently almost overloaded. People investigate who are the judges, the accusers and the whole case. Facts that are normally hidden are suddenly published for everybody to see. The official plea (pdf) ‘magically’ dropped in somebody’s mailbox.
Suddenly the accusers as well as the judges are in the spotlight. And boy, how they hate it! Their agendas are open for everybody to peruse. The left hand touches another left hand. Dark liaisons between government subsidies, non-functional ‘art groups’ and judges who (surprise, surprise) are in their board of directors or trustees…
http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2009/01/its-time-for-change.html#readfurther
Artem Kroupenov, Radical Islam in Chechnya
Since 1989, radical Islam has gradually permeated the fabric of Chechnya’s socio-political environment. This process was aided by internal changes in the Soviet Union – the disintegration of the communist ideology and its supporting governmental structure; and the course of Perestroika, which allowed various factions to freely propagate their moral and religious values. The resulting ideological and political vacuum in Chechnya was rapidly filled by radical Islam...
The Islamic missionaries who infiltrated Chechnya were representatives of fundamentalist political Islam in its Salafi-Jihadi interpretation (the Russian media coined “Wahhabists” as a generic term for Salafi Islamists and Arab fighters in general in Chechnya). In the Early 1990’s these “Wahhabi” emissaries operated according to a simple scheme: local Mullahs and Imams were offered one-time grants of $1-1.5 thousand plus a monthly salary of $100-150 in return for their consent to join the Wahhabi sect. Thus, Sufi Chechens encountered for the first time active propaganda by members of the Salafi-Jihadi movement, who encouraged Chechens to reject Sufism and follow a radical interpretation of Islam....
'Went to the AGO yesterday and beheld, for the second time, David Altmejd's appalling installation titled "The Index."
Check out what Megan Williams, a "Canadian writer based in Rome" has to say when this piece of C-R-A ... er ART, was on display in Venice awhile back (and then you understand the collusion of crappy art with crappy criticism):
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/venicealtmejd.html
Among one of William's critical gems: "What’s most affecting in Altmejd’s work is the childlike aspect of it, which is where the tension lies. The mushrooms and logs and stuffed birds look like props from a grade-school play; yet placed alongside the mirrors and birdmen and body parts, the goofy innocence is both underlined and undermined, creepy and funny."
"Goofy innocence." PLEEZE. And, OMG, there's a book too: http://www.amazon.com/David-Altmejd-Index-Louise-Dery/dp/2920325183 The Globe and Mail's Sarah Milroy called Altmejd "the art world's latest sensation" (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070618.wvenice18/BNStory/Entertainment/home). Gag.
I'm sick and tired of the display of creepiness, genitals, body parts, vulvas, dildos, etc. being considered "daring," "avant garde," or remotely "artistic." Altmejd's installation is an appalling waste of AGO space and taxpayer dollars (as in providing space for this abomination).
Hassan Barari, Jordan's Intelligence Chief Sacked: New Policy Toward Hamas?
On January 2, in the midst of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, Jordan's King Abdullah removed General Intelligence Department (GID) head Muhammad Dahabi from his post and replaced him with Gen. Muhammad Raqqad, a deputy in the organization...
The GID director was responsible for opening relations with Hamas, and the move appears to have been influenced by several factors: first, Dahabi mistrusted Fatah, the dominant faction in the Palestine Liberation Organization, which Abbas heads, and was concerned that Fatah elites might negotiate a peace deal with Israel at the expense of Jordanian interests; second, the GID hoped Hamas would stymie those who saw Jordan as an "alternative homeland" for the Palestinians. Simply put, Dahabi sought to protect Jordan from the "Jordanian option."...
New from Brookings:
(PDF warning) Tamara Cofman Wittes and Richard Youngs, Europe, the United States, and Middle Eastern Democracy: Repairing the Breach
Fundamentally, European and American officials struggle with the same two challenges: whether and how to offer Arab governments significant incentives for democratic reform, and how to mesh the longterm objective of supporting democracy with shorterterm strategic objectives. In short, both actors share the same challenge of transcending the fundamental ambivalence about the “democracy project” that hampers their policy effectiveness...
Matthew Levitt and Michael Jacobson, The Iran-al-Qaeda Conundrum
Last week, the Treasury Department issued terrorist designations for three senior al-Qaeda operatives who spent time in Iran, including Usama bin Laden's son, Saad. But the action, which targeted individuals unlikely to have assets in the United States or to move money in their own names, appears to be linked more to Iran than to al-Qaeda. During the designation announcement, Treasury undersecretary Stuart Levey noted, "It is important that Iran give a public accounting of how it is meeting its international obligations to constrain al-Qaeda." For the Obama administration, understanding the complicated relationship between Iran and al-Qaeda will be key as Washington begins to forge a new path in dealing with Tehran...
The ME is complex and the West's interactions with it are equally complex. By complex I mean many-issues, many-actions, many-contradictions in both action and perspective.
Here's a 2002 article from the site Open Democracy, which I think has important facts for the West to consider. The author, from Madrid, outlines the urbanization of the Arab world, the impact of demographic change with a focus on urban youth and their marginalization in economic and political power, the failure of the tribal mode, a 'political culture based on patronage and clientelism, maintaining themselves in power by means of authoritarian practices", ...and she states..."the combination of demographic growth with political authoritarianism and inequality in the distribution of wealth is creating a vicious circle or political and economic alienation, marginalization and violent opposition".
That, is Islamic fascism's roots.
Arab States, Islamism and the West
I suggest interested readers should check out Open Democracy for more articles.
Here's one from Paul Rogers on the results of the current Gaza War. He is warning that the result is an increase in support for radicalism, both psychological and in actual activism. The tunnels are being rebuilt at this very moment.
Gaza War
And here's something from the Wall Street Journal on How Israel helped to Spawn Hamas - by its attempt to lessen the influence of the PLO.
Article
I've tried to post some links on Arab states and Islamism, but get sent to the corner, so I'll try again, the old way.
There's an excellent site called Open Democracy, which has very good analyses of ME situations.
There's a 2002 article by a Madrid professor, Gema Martin-Munoz, called 'Arab States, Islamism and the West', which discusses the post war urbanization, the dysfunctional political structure "a political culture based on patronage and clientelism, maintaining themselves in power by means of authoritarian practices which put the development of efficient and transparent economic reform" out of reach; and "the combination of demographic growth with political authoritarianism and inequality in the distribution of wealth is creating a vicious circle of political and economic alienation, marginalization and violent opposition".
That's the basis of Islamic fascism. Since I get sent to the corner for a 'href' link, I'll do the old way, which is the usual set up and then,
opendemocracy.net/faith-europe_islam/article_419.jsp
In the same journal, which is just the usual set up plus 'opendemocracy.net', you'll find a current article by Paul Rogers, on Gaza: the war after the war, which suggests that the Israeli objective failed and that Hamas, as many warned, has emerged in greater psychological strength and attracting more activists.
And one by Avi Shlaim on 'Israel and Gaza: rhetoric and reality'. I suggest that those who insist on the victim status of Israel read it.
Again, the ME is complex and simple black and white conclusions are not valid.
Experts say.
>>> "Smith, whose evidence sent innocent people to jail, was allowed to testify as an expert witness in 45 cases without being confronted with an early court finding that his evidence was not worthy of acceptance."
...-
"With broadened rights of cross-examination we reduce the impact of expert witnesses such as now-disgraced child pathologist Dr. Charles Smith and his ilk.
Smith, whose evidence sent innocent people to jail, was allowed to testify as an expert witness in 45 cases without being confronted with an early court finding that his evidence was not worthy of acceptance.
Key witnesses, including medical experts, who testify in criminal trials or personal injury actions may now be fiercely cross-examined based on critical findings in disciplinary proceedings and in previous lawsuits."
...-
"Getting rid of the bad apples
With broadened rights of cross-examination we reduce the impact of expert witnesses such as ... Dr. Charles Smith."
http://tinyurl.com/bfxsyy (sun)
WSJ Weekend Interview with Benjamin Netanyahu:
Bret Stephens, Iran Is the Terrorist 'Mother Regime'
Tom Coghlan, Tackling the heroin menace ... with pomegranates
A former homeless drug abuser from Swindon is the unlikely champion of an initiative that aims to fight Afghanistan’s vast narcotics economy – with fruit juice.
James Brett, 39, who once spent a year living rough before becoming a fruit juice magnate, is behind a scheme that aims to replace opium fields with pomegranate orchards...
Jack Layton is on Newsworld. Twice he has said that Canadians want "change and hope at the end of the day."
Is this guy for real?
Taliban Jack's brother socialist, aka Boob Rae (Hi! I'm Mao Stlong's nephew), wants "experts", a whole "panel of experts" to set up a Khadr DayCare Centre.
Save $$$: go for one expert.
Paging Dr. Charles Smith.
...-
"Rae calls for advisory panel to deal with Khadr
Liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae says Stephen Harper should appoint a panel of experts to advise the Canadian government on how to deal with the case of Omar Khadr..."
(nnw)
Kate, have you been to Labrador lately?
One cold winter day I returned to my North West River home to find a haunch of caribou waiting for me on my front step.
At first I thought it was something a neighbour left to thank me for snowblowing his driveway a couple of weeks earlier, but it wasn’t long before I discovered the meat was riddled with worms and parasites. It was unfit to eat. It stank. I realized that maybe it wasn’t a gift, but something else entirely: editorial comment from a reader, Labrador style.
Ever since Stephen Harper dodged a non-confidence vote by getting the Governor General to prorogue Parliament, I’ve been referring to him as “the so-called prime minister” to question his right to hold that office.
That offended Jim from B.C., who commented about a recent column on a newspaper website.
“So-called Prime Minister,” he wrote, to quote a moderated version of his message. “I think you should show some respect, if not for the man, then for the office. Shameful.”
Brenda, also from B.C., goes along with Jim.
“Have some respect when you’re talking about the PM, buddy. He is not the so-called PM. Just remember that if you prefer the Coalition of Losers to be in power, you are negating and insulting a huge section of the country and their voters. Looks like you went to the Danny Williams School for Jerks.”
That article was linked to from here in reader comments.
bryceman: Is Jack Layton for real?
No. Definitely not!
lenin = Vladimir Ulyanov, aka ulianov.
...-
"lenin vs. stalin on the national question
In his article “The Question of Nationalities or Autonomization,” in December 1922, Lenin opposed Stalin’s rationalization for his policies: ...
www.geocities.com/youth4sa/nationalities.html"
O follows in George's wake.
More US casualties? Is this O's quagmire?
Is O a neo-con?
...-
"Coalition Forces in Afghanistan Kill 15 Taliban Fighters
Sunday, January 25, 2009
American Forces Press Service"
(freerepublic)
...-
"Biden warns of higher US death toll Afghanistan
WASHINGTON – Vice President Joe Biden says the nation should expect more U.S. military casualties as the Obama administration plans to send additional troops to Afghanistan. Pentagon officials say they plan to send up to 30,000 additional troops to the Afghan war, where the Taliban is resurgent and violence has been on the rise. The request for more troops from military commanders was endorsed by the Bush administration and has been favored by the Obama government, too."
(freerepublic)
CIDA head and two aids blow $40,000 on first class flight to Africa;
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2009/01/25/8141821-cp.html
this "recession" is the result of over-excess.
as for a bubble, it's burst.
now get over it.
$34B deficits are "not sustainable".
Great scientific series Vitruvius. Very much enjoy these educational links.