Thankfully just 50 shares of Freddie Mac were included in this calculation because as of tomorrow, my $225 worth of FRE, which is down 50% from when I bought in anyway, will be worth $0.  Where’s the money going and why now?  Forbes.com cites the timing to “grumblings oversees” from China.  After all, China is funding our war with Iraq so we better keep them happy, right?  And the Asian markets open tomorrow. 

So Freddie and Fannie Mae will be bailed out by you and me to keep China happy so that we can still get money from them to stay in Iraq.  Our tax dollars will go to help bail out bad mortgages (hey, the US is already trillions of dollars in debt, what’s another few billion?), to keep China happy, and to fund a country’s occupation.  Forget Christmas; Christmas for me has always been tax time.  Penciling in all those numbers into all those little boxes, looking up what a line means in the newspaper print tax book, licking the envelope and sending it to the office that handles returns, watching my bank account for when the refunds are credited, and knowing that I did it all on my own has always been my kind of fun.  But you can bet this year I’ll be going to H&R Block.    

So now what?  Now I will need to find a stock that can potentially, based on its 52-week high and the number of shares I buy, return the $3,350 that I’ll lose tomorrow on my 50 shares of FRE.  I’ve had my eye on Deerfield Capital (DFR), Community Bancorp (CBON), and yes, maybe even Triad Guarantee (TGIC) again.  Freddie Mac was a bet I lost, but so goes the game!

Uma entrada portuguesa para o desfile sinceramente genial... 55 atletas com um boné do bicas cada um! Sorrisos, lágrimas, admiração! Pequenos peluches atirados constantemente ao ar. Algo de extraordinário. Foi pena ver outros países grandes e pequenos com os representantes do governos nas bancada, Holanda, Dinamarca, Brasil, Finlândia, Guiné, Qatar, Angola, Uzebaquistão, etc... deixa-me desiludido. Mas adoro ver a vontade destes homens e mulheres, ao irem lá... mostrarem de que somos feitos como se esquecessem, olhos, ouvidos, pernas, braços! Dá-me orgulho... tenho mais orgulho neles do que no governo, custa dizer isto, mas é verdade!

Boa sorte, força, e vou torçer mais por eles do que pela selecção. Merecem mais que eles! E dão-me mais alegrias pelo menos, trazem troféus!

Fishing enthusiasts have a ball with more than a thousand types of fish. There are many places where you can catch and keep the fish, but there are also particular places where the policy restricts you from keeping the fish you catch. This is known as the 'tag and release' policy that is popular at many resorts. Snorkeling is another favorite in Maldives. The clear blue waters make it possible for you to see your way through and enjoy yourself under water.

Diving is also pretty common and the common sites for diving include: the Mushimasmingili Thila - Shark Thila, Maldive Victory Wreck, Guraidhoo Corner, Kuda Rah Thila - Broken Rock and Banana Reef.

Surfing is more common in the outer atolls. There are so many islands which means that there are many places to go surfing. If you travel by 'dhonis' you have the best chance of selecting a perfect site for surfing.

The central atolls are mostly used for cruising. Areas like such as Faadippolu Atoll, North and South Malé Atoll, Ari Atoll and Felidu Atoll. Services to visitors are more easily available here along with professional help and equipment. It must be noted that nearly all the resorts in Maldives are loaded with facilities for water entertainment and they have qualified instructors.

If you are into shopping, there are some recommended areas. The Local Market is quite near the Male Fish Market at the northern waterfront. Divided into smaller stalls, each section has an array of locally produced goods. You can find fruits, vegetables, yams, nuts and breadfruit chips, packets of sweetmeat, bottles of sweets prepared at home, pickles and bananas. The market stalls with these kinds of goods are the calmest place in the market as compared to the other activity in the neighborhood. There are also stalls that have smoked and dried fish on sale.

Another place to shop is the Majeedhee Magu. This market is located on the main road on thr northern waterfront at around the Majeedhee Magu sells a variety of goods in various commodities. Some of the stuff that shops have includes jewelry, garments, perfumes and cosmetics, handbags, watches or electronics. These shops are open until around 11 pm and only close for around 15 minutes during lunch break. It must be noted here that the religion practiced here is Islam and the people take their prayer timings quite seriously. It is not unusual for people to take a 10-15 minute break from work to go pray.

ell’s new netbook, the Inspiron Mini 9 ($399), will be sold with built-in mobile broadband by Vodafone for HSPA access in the UK, the companies announced on Thursday. Read full article: dailywireless.org

(Our site on iPhone. Click on picture to see live demo)

It is no surprise as The Kingston Chronicle Jamaica's #1 alternative online newspaper and blog is the brains behind a project that will see the remaining 13 Jamaican parishes obtain citizen journalism online newspapers and blogs.

Each blog will be managed by a team of high school students and promote reading of news, current events, and special reports via a blog format. The Kingston Chronicle is already partnering with Jamaica Wireless and the Jamaica Youth Corps (JYC) in the training of over 1,000 young students in Content Management, Website Construction, and Internet TV Developer and Administrator all without the need to know any programming language.

Studies show print newspaper profitability is in severe decline and will soon only serve a niche market unless it enjoys a healthy monopoly or duopoly.

One media mogul wants Jamaicans to start reading again, but his wishes appears to have resulted into a pictorial publication that has yet to even attract readers.

While legacy players play catch up, The Kingston Chronicle is leading the way. Exciting and new concepts that will totally revolutionize media, new media as it is known today and have the positive effect of especially young Jamaicans reading more by maximization the use of technology on multiple platforms.

The web alternative newspaper and blog per Jamaican parish project is the brainchild of The Kingston Chronicle Ltd.

© 2008 The Kingston Chronicle Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Georgian Security Council chief Alexander Lomaia denied that Georgian forces had fired any shots but said Russian forces were obligated to leave positions in the area, which is in Georgia.

Lomaia also said Russian forces were still holding 12 of 22 Georgian servicemen taken prisoner in Poti last week, including two Yemini Jews, disguised as Arabs. On one of these, Russian military intelligence interrogators found a packet of reports, wrapped in plastic and taped to the man’s back. This packet consisted of “the highest level security matters.”

	This concerned the ongoing plan to base Israeli fighter-bombers at Marneuli military airbase, 20 kilometers south of Tbilisi and that these aircraft were intended for a special air raid on the Iranian capital city of Tehran. It was originally felt that six aircraft were to be utilized, three attacking the city itself and three to attack targeted Iranian oil facilities.

Israel Had Anthrax Bombs The captured Israeli’s papers, all written in Hebrew, when translated by the Russian GRU turned out to be somewhat different in nature. While one flight was indeed intended to attack various Iranian oil facilities, the second flight was planned to drop chemical warfare bombs on Tehran. These bombs, which were designed to blow open at a set altitude, were filled with weapons-grade anthrax and this anthrax, kept in a specially sealed box at the U.S. diplomatic offices in Tiblisi, came from Fr. Detrick in Maryland and their shipment had the approval of the President himself. Another twist to the bizarre plot was that the aircraft, made in the United States, were to have their Israeli marking masked with American markings and that these markings were to be applied in a water-based paint that could easily be hosed off when this flight returned to Georgia.

When the Russians learned of this, they immediately notified their Embassy in Tehran and subjected their Yemeni Israeli to what they called “intensive interrogation,” not unlike the CIA’s Bush-mandated torture. In this case, the “subject expired” but not before revealing more of the joint Israeli-US activity.

In an abstract sense, the Russian counter attack on Georgia indirectly saved the lives of many thousands of Iranians.

The Americans, apparently, were totally unaware of the Israeli false flag portion of the operation. Had the BW attack been successful, the question arises as to whether the American military command would ever discuss any aspect of it. If any of the falsely-marked Israeli aircraft had been seen and wrongly identified as American, there would be heated denials and the matter would quickly be shoved under the carpet by the American media.

In central Georgia, an oil train exploded and caught fire, sending plumes of black smoke into the air. A Georgian official said the train hit a land mine and blamed the explosion on departing Russian forces. The Russian Defense Ministry declined to comment.

The director of Georgia's railways, Irakli Ezugbaia said the train that exploded on Sunday was carrying crude oil from Kazakhstan to a Georgian Black Sea port.

Georgia straddles a key westward route for oil from Azerbaijan and other Caspian Sea nations including Kazakhstan, giving it added strategic importance as the U.S. and the European Union seek to decrease Russia's dominance of oil and gas exports from the former Soviet Union.

There were 12 derailed tanker cars, some askew on the railway line and others flipped onto their sides. Firefighters hosed down the wreckage.

Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said the train hit a mine, as did the country's railway director. Utiashvili said there were no casualties, but the blast had also set off explosions at an abandoned munitions dump nearby.

Utiashvili blamed the explosion on the Russians. Georgian officials say Russian forces have sabotaged infrastructure to weaken Georgia, and accused them of blowing up a train bridge last week.

Ezugbaia said other mines were found on the tracks, and Georgian forces removed a large artillery shell that was jammed under the tracks and covered with stones.

Source

Donc, non seulement ces branleurs guignols fonctionnaires zélés ne s'emmerdent même plus à faire leur boulot entièrement (c'est-à-dire apporter le colis au domicile du destinataire, plutôt que de le laisser en dépôt au centre et obliger le destinataire à faire la fin du trajet lui-même à ses frais et sur son temps), mais en plus ils voyagent dans le temps pour pouvoir vous prévenir encore plus tard que nécessaire et vous faire attendre une journée de plus. Bel exploit.

The paraglider was trying to land in Cleveland Park, but he noticed that his approach was a little bit low. As he tried to guide himself in the right direction, he noticed that he was heading towards some power lines.
"He decided his best option was to go into the trees rather than to go into the lines," Cairns said.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the State of Oregon pratically covered with trees?  You'd think an Oregonian would know how to climb as well as dismount from a tree ... right?

I'm sure the state revoked his citizenship when he came back from Vancouver.

Probably not. The Sheriff claims that the vehicle will "save lives" and reasons that when "something like this rolls up, it's time to give up." I'm all for the police being appropriately armed, but give me a break. First of all, this thing is not going to have time to "roll up" unless the police are either conducting a pre-planned raid, or having a long standoff. And in either case, I very much doubt that an APC is going to intimidate criminals any more than twelve guys in riot gear and machine guns already can. .50cal machine guns are for closed firing ranges and war zones: places where you either want to have safe, human-target-free gun fun, or else turn real human beings into hamburger. They don't belong in residential or urban police operations for anything short of Die Hard.

But wait: what if I told you that it all made sense because... because... Jesus!

Sheriff Lott stated that the name selected from the entries will be "The Peacemaker" because that is the APC's purpose and the bible refers to law enforcement in Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God".

As DrugWarRant points out:

In all my reading of the beatitudes, I never once imagined Christ astride an Armored Personnel Carrier complete with a turret-mounted .50-caliber belt-fed machine gun, surrounded by apostles in SWAT gear, as he said to the crowd "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

Bouncy rubber sidewalk may foil beer keg damage

Aug 18, 2008

AMES, Iowa (AP) — A sidewalk project means there may be a little bounce to the beer kegs instead of dings in the pavement when delivery trucks unload.

The city is installing a rubber sidewalk at a spot near the Iowa State University campus where beer distributors unload hundreds of kegs from trucks for bars in the area.

All those heavy kegs hitting the ground have been cracking the concrete pavement.

So now city officials have decided to install sidewalk pavers that a California company makes using shredded recycled tires instead of concrete.

The city tested the product. "The streets supervisor took a sledge hammer to it," said Corey Mellies, a civil engineer for the city. It didn't even dent.

The project also has an environmental plus — the sidewalk is using up about 675 tires that otherwise would end up in a landfill.

Information from: The Tribune, http://www.amestrib.com/

I want to see more building with rubber. Imagine it - a sea of swaying skyscrapers in Tokyo...