Pimps, Johns, Prostitutes, Police in Spain

BY NICK SNELLING

In 2003, Spain’s Institute of National Statistics (INE) showed that just over one in four Spanish men under the age of 49 had experienced sex with a prostitute – with one in fifteen having done so within the previous year.  This was backed up by Maribel Montano of the ruling PSOE party who claimed in 2007 that: ‘every day 1.5 million men pay for sex’ in Spain.  In fact, there are an estimated 300,000 prostitutes working in Spain possibly turning over around 40 billion Euros per year, which roughly equates to the country’s education budget.  For good reason, Spain is sometimes dubbed the ‘Brothel of Europe’.

Certainly, the openness and extent of prostitution can be a surprise to north Europeans who still cling to the myth of Spain as a prim and proper, old-fashioned, hard line, Catholic country.  This notion is swiftly dispelled as you drive at night along any main road out of a large town or city.  In the outskirts, and often close to industrial estates, you will come across brightly lit buildings that normally have a garish neon sign pronouncing ‘Club’.  These are brothels in all but name and house, sometimes, up to a hundred or more prostitutes.  Called Clubes de Alterne (socialising clubs) by the Spanish, their location and nature are openly known and tolerated by the police, authorities and local population.

The clubs, of course, vary hugely and span the whole spectrum of prostitution from its lowest depths to a brothel system that is reasonably fair and transparent within a deeply emotive industry.  At their worst, the Clubes de Alterne are controlled by criminal gangs who have trafficked women from Third World countries on the promise of conventional work.  Deprived of their passports and physically intimidated, the women are forced to work as prostitutes, whilst earning their bosses huge sums.  Indeed, the International Labour Organisation in 2005 calculated that a forced sex worker would earn 67,200 Euros a year in an industrialised country.

Yes, our security is at risk

The kidnapping of MLB player Wilson Ramos is an example of why allowing "special rich people" to bypass our elevated TSA screenings will not work. I am sure Ramos was told his family in Venezuela would be harmed if he does not help the gang who kidnapped him. He may even have had childhood dealings with current gang members. Who knows what really happened. He could have been a message for other players, that the gangs can successfully kidnap at will. Three other MLB baseball players from Venezuela have already had family members kidnapped. Will Ramos have to testify in court about hie kidnappers...and will he? In many countries, the police will aid the gangs for cash. Yes, we are less safe in the US - thanks Congress.
Below is an AP article on the kidnapping.
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CARACAS, VENEZUELA (AP)
Venezuelan police rescued Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos on Friday, two days after he was kidnapped, officials announced.


UNSAFE AT HOME
Ramos rescued, authorities say
Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami said on state television that Ramos was ''safe and sound'' and that he was rescued by police. He said the circumstances weren't immediately clear.

Information Minister Andres Izarra initially reported the rescue via Twitter, saying Ramos was ''found alive by security forces in mountainous zone.''

Armed men seized Ramos at gunpoint Wednesday night outside his home in a working-class neighborhood in the city of Valencia. Authorities said Thursday that they had found a stolen SUV used by the kidnappers abandoned in a nearby town.

The abduction was the first known kidnapping of a major league baseball player in a country that has dozens of players on big league rosters in the US, and it brought a renewed focus on worsening violent crime in Venezuela.

Security has increasingly become a concern for Venezuelan players and their families as a wave of kidnappings has hit the wealthy as well as the middle class. Relatives of several Venezuelan major leaguers have previously been kidnapped for ransom, and in two cases have been killed.


INSIDE SCOOP
An american ballplayer talks to Jon Paul Morosi about his experience playing baseball in Venezeula.
Bodyguards typically shadow major leaguers when they return to their homeland to play in Venezuela's winter baseball league, but it was unclear what precautions, if any, Ramos was taking while at his family's home.

Major League Baseball officials said it was the first kidnapping of a major leaguer that they could recall.

Polls consistently say rampant crime is the top worry of Venezuelans. The country has one of the highest murder rates in Latin America, and the vast majority of crimes go unsolved. The number of kidnappings has soared in recent years.
baseball
Fans in both Venezuela and Washington had held candlelight vigils and prayed for his safe release

"Are We Less Safe"- Article

Here is an article which talks about how to bypass airline security. I discussed this in my "Are We Safe" article.

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By Dan Weikel and Richard Simon, Los Angeles Times

November 10, 2011

Tired of waiting in line and taking off your shoes, coat and belt at airport security checkpoints?

If so, and if you are willing to answer some pre-flight questions, a new federal program to be added at Los Angeles International Airport next year will allow you to move more conveniently through the screening process.

The program is called PreCheck, and John S. Pistole, who heads the Transportation Security Administration, announced at a congressional hearing Wednesday that it will be expanded to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas in December and LAX and Minneapolis-St. Paul in early 2012.

At LAX, the program will initially be limited to American Airlines passengers, but it is expected to be expanded to other carriers serving U.S. cities.

PreCheck allows U.S. citizens and members of the federal "Trusted Traveler" program to be questioned by federal officials before domestic flights. If qualified, passengers become eligible for expedited screening at the terminal, TSA officials said.

"Because we know more about these passengers," Pistole said, "TSA PreCheck travelers are able to divest themselves of fewer items, which may include leaving on their shoes, jackets and light outerwear as they proceed through security screening."

Pistole, who addressed the Senate Commerce Committee, said PreCheck will allow the TSA to devote more resources to checking high-risk passengers and travelers the agency knows little about.

He said, however, that PreCheck travelers would still be subject to TSA's random searches and unpredictable security measures throughout the screening process.

At LAX on Wednesday, Monica Casperino said she has traveled from her home in Maui to Cancun, Virginia and Los Angeles this year with her two young children and all their gear. She knows the inconvenience of removing her kids' shoes at checkpoints and pushing their stroller through airport body scanners.

Expedited screening, Casperino said, would "give us more time and less stress."

In October, TSA began testing PreCheck at four airports across the country: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Dallas/Fort Worth International and Miami International. American and Delta Airlines are participating.

TSA officials said about 45,000 passengers have gone through the process, and the initial experience has been favorable.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, (D-Calif.), a member of the Commerce Committee, welcomed the expansion of the program, saying it could help boost tourism in California at a time of high unemployment.

"In California," Boxer said, "the travel and tourism industry employs more than 800,000 Californians. A 2010 survey found that more than 60% of travelers would take two to three more trips a year if the hassles and screening could be reduced without compromising security."

Los Angeles Times staff writer Ricardo Lopez contributed to this report.

dan.weikel@latimes.com

Brain out

Poor Governor Parry. He knew he wanted to fire all the people in the departments of education and commerce, but, try as he might, he could not remember that he wants to fire the people in the Dept. of Energy too. This was probably just a mind lapse due to the stress of the situation. But, if you are getting fired, you want the boss to have considered it hard and to know who you are and what you do. Republicans are starting to feel more confident in Romney.

The end of non-corporate medicine?

It is not news that stores want to control health care, as we see with the flu shot clinics and other medical programs popping up. Since people already go shopping, should "medical centers" be in the big shopping locations? Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and more, say yes. Remember, they will be claiming your insurance money and your tax money. Doctors will all become employees who can be terminated, if the boss is upset. Because foreign doctors will work for less, you may find American doctors unemployed and your new doctors may all be foreign. Corporations will have access to all of your private information. And if you have a dispute, you, as an individual, may be fighting Walmart.

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Walmart -- the nation's largest retailer and biggest private employer -- now wants to dominate a growing part of the health care market, offering a range of medical services from basic prevention to management of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, according to a document obtained by NPR and Kaiser Health News.

In the same week in late October that Walmart announced it would stop offering health insurance benefits to new part-time employees, the retailer sent out a request for information seeking partners to help it "dramatically ... lower the cost of healthcare ... by becoming the largest provider of primary healthcare services in the nation."

But by midafternoon Wednesday, the retailer issued a statement saying its own request for information was "overwritten and incorrect." The firm is "not building a national, integrated low-cost primary health care platform," says the statement by Dr. John Agwunobi, a senior vice president.On Tuesday, Walmart spokeswoman Tara Raddohl confirmed the proposal but declined to elaborate on specifics, calling it simply an effort to determine "strategic next steps."

The information request begins with the exact wording that Agwunobi says is incorrect, saying Walmart “intends to build a national, integrated, low-cost primary care healthcare platform.” The request goes on to ask firms to spell out their expertise in a wide variety of areas, including managing and monitoring patients with chronic, costly health conditions. The goal it says is for Walmart to become “the largest provider of primary healthcare services in the nation.”

The document spells out a tight timeline. It was issued to an unknown number of “strategic partners” on October 21 and final vendor selection is set to take place on January 13.

Analysts said Walmart is likely positioning itself to boost store traffic -- possibly by expanding the number of, and services offered by, its in-store medical clinics. The move would also capitalize on growing demand for primary care in 2014, when the federal health law fully kicks in and millions more Americans are expected to have government or private health insurance.

"We have a massive primary care problem that will be made worse by health reform," says Ian Morrison, a Menlo Park, Calif-based health-care consultant. "Anyone who has a plausible idea on how to solve this should be allowed to play."

In-store medical clinics, such as those offered by Walmart and other retailers, could also be players in another effort in the health law: encouraging collaborations of doctors and hospitals who want to win financial rewards for streamlining care and lowering costs. Such collaborations, known as "accountable care organizations," might contract with in-store medical clinics, says Paul Howard, a senior fellow with the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. He has studied retail clinics, some of which have recently expanded to offer services beyond simple tests and vaccinations, such as helping monitor patients with diabetes or high blood pressure.

Walmart's request goes even further, asking possible partners to provide information on how they would oversee patients with complicated chronic conditions, including asthma, HIV, arthritis, depression and sleep apnea

While Walmart's efforts to partner with others on health care could help lower costs for some patients and increase access to primary care services, health policy experts also say it raises questions.

Will expansion of in-store clinics, for example, further fragment care in the U.S. by drawing patients away from their established primary care doctors?  Would patients who need specialists fall through the cracks? Will patients seen by nurses or physician assistants at in-store clinics have just as good outcomes as those seen by doctors in more traditional practices?

"Maybe Walmart can deliver a lot of this stuff more cheaply because it is an expert at doing this with other types of widgets, but health care is not a widget and managing individual human beings is not nearly as simple as selling commercial products to consumers," says Ann O'Malley, a physician and senior health researcher at the Center for Studying Health System Change, a nonpartisan Washington think tank.

And will it save money?  Because primary care services are not the main driver ofhealth care costs in this country, "I would be surprised if this were a model that could truly attack cost problems," says O'Malley.

Whatever it does to health costs, it may also be a way to boost foot traffic and sales in Walmart stores, says Colin McGranahan, a retail analyst for Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.

"Their traffic has been declining for over two years and they've been losing market share," McGranahan says. "If you get someone in the door, you can also sell them milk and a shotgun."

CVS/Caremark, Walgreen's, Kroger, Target and others have recently reinvigorated efforts to open in-store medical clinics. The first such in-store clinics opened in 2000, but growth took off later in the decade.

Until recently, Walmart was the nation's leader in opening such clinics, but has dropped to third place with about 140 such clinics, well behind industry leader CVS Caremark's nearly 550 Minute Clinics and Walgreen's 355 Take Care clinics, according to data tracked by Tom Charland, CEO of Merchant Medicine, a Minnesota-based research and consulting firm. About 1,300 store-based clinics are open nationwide, he says.

They have different business models. Walmart leases space to independent vendors, for example, while CVS owns and staffs its Minute Clinics.  While a few centers operated by retailers have doctors on site, most hire nurse practitioners or physician assistants to provide the care.  In 2007, Walmart CEO Lee Scott announced the firm would open 400 clinics by 2010.

But early efforts backed by venture capital money faltered and the firm failed to reach that number, says Charland. Walmart then switched strategies and began leasing to hospital systems primarily and it began to grow again. Still, last month, the firm appeared to be struggling: Walmart opened three in-store clinics, but closed 10, says Charland.

"This is an industry where people haven't figured out how to make money," he says.  Hiring nurses isn't cheap - and business can be seasonal:  more people come in during the cold winter months and business can slow to a crawl in the summer.  "My guess is the whole purpose of [Walmart's] request for information is to find someone to help them because they've not been able to pull it off."

CVS, which has run Minute Clinics since 2006, expects to break even for the first time this year, says Helena Foulkes, a CVS executive vice president in charge of strategy and marketing. It plans to keep opening clinics and is doing so at a clip of about 10 a month.

"We think the market will evolve so this will become a more important model," says Foulkes.

Kristian Foden-Vencil of Oregon Public Broadcasting, and Chris Weaver, Sarah Barr, and Christian Torres of Kaiser Health News contributed to this story

Israel prepares

Israel is now investigating whether to initiate an Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear plants.
This is probably an effort to keep US troops and military supplies in the area and defeat the US deadline for troop withdrawal.

US Embassy military orgy

Will things get worse with "don't ask, don't tell" revoked? I have more stories to share.

SEX SCANDAL IN KABUL VIDEOUS embassy security staff in perverse naked games

The American embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan has become embroiled in a sex scandal after it was revealed that guards took part in perverse naked games.

Staff held parties with prostitutes, heavy drinking and kinky naked games in Camp Sullivan, the workers’ accommodation.

“One supervisor boasted about the fact that he had hired a prostitute for his birthday,” Danielle Brian from the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) said.

And you can see what was going on in the pictures…

Naked men grabbing each other by the testicles in perverse sex games, drinking vodka from a butt crack and eating off a naked back – many of those involved were obviously forced to do it by their superiors!

The scandal in Afghanistan came to light because of the concerns by staff of the private security firm, which was hired to protect the embassy.

Some of the victims of the bizarre games reported the abuse to POGO.

One guard said: “It was degrading and embarrassing.”

Whoever didn’t want to take part in the orgy was gambling with their chances of promotion – or even the risk of losing their job!

The organisation has denounced the sordid activities in a letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who reacted swiftly and promised “zero tolerance” would be shown if the accusations were proved to be true.

Philip Crowley, a State Department spokesman, said: “The behaviour shown in these pictures is unacceptable.” Those involved in it have reportedly been removed from their posts.

“It potentially endangers the important work of the US embassy in Kabul. We find it all abhorrent,” he added.

Secretary of Defence Robert Gates said: “If those allegations are true, those activities are not just offensive to Afghans and Muslims.

“They’re offensive to us and inexcusable.”

Meanwhile, an alcohol ban has been issued in Camp Sullivan and staff have been assigned to oversee the private security personnel

Beating the kids

Judge William Adams admitted he beat his 16-year-old daughter with a belt as seen on a publicized video. The reason for the beating was unknown and how often the girl was beaten was not revealed. The girl said she planted the video camera because she knew she was going to be beaten. This is a problem because her actions may be more acting than real distress.
In any event, the girl is 16 and knows her parents have house rules that she must follow. If she finds she is at continual odds with her parents, she should consider an alternative living arrangement. The father and the daughter are fighting for control of the house. She knows her father is explosive about some issues. Wonder what she did???
Anyway, beating older kids does nothing to help the situation. The daughter's personality is set and the family needs counseling. If the daughter's problems are significant, a professional therapist can help. Planting cameras can erode trust and make a resolution more difficult.
Sherrie on "The View" says she hits her son, Jeffery. Now, Sherrie has often said her son is "retarded" and has control problems. I do not believe in hitting disabled children.

Sex business grows - The New Spain

Spain is finding that allowing huge expansion of the prostitution business brings gangs, corruption and human rights violations.
One year ago, October 2010, Spain opened the world's largest brothel, just a short distance from the French border. Since then, prostitution has grown both inside the brothel, in homes and rooms, and on the streets. The sex trade includes both boys and girls. The prostitutes come from all over the world. Some are forced into prostitution. Children are taken into the brothel. Babies born to prostitutes will probably become part of the brothel. The prostitutes spend their days and nights servicing large numbers of men. In the end, they grow old and have nothing to show for their work, except an education about the sex business. The older or diseased workers will be more likely to find work in smaller clubs, apartments and on the street.
The winners of the sex business are those who own the businesses. The contracts with the workers and the customers hold the businessmen free from liability. Gangs take over or influence other businesses and government. Government officials who want to decrease the sex, disease and crime find themselves helpless. Spain has developed a huge sex business with customers from France, and all over the world - many do not want to give that up.
The full extent of the crimes are unknown.
Here in the Central Valley, we are also seeing an increase in prostitution, especially with the depressed economy. Schools encourage boys and girls to attend college, but many have no such goals. Instead, they opt for money via the sex business. We see it growing in our cities, truck stops and casinos. Our government officials ignore the trend, but as drugs and prostitution grow in the valley, more serious crimes will follow.

Cain accuser a prostitute?

Today a lady, Sharon Bialek, came out and made more specific accusations against Republican candidate Herman Cain. According to her story Cain's behavior showed that he considered her a prostitute, or some other sex worker. We certainly don't want have this sort of behavior going on in the White House by a president. However, I am sure many of the presidential and congressional candidates have done similar activities as Cain, but the accusations were not made public for various possible reasons.
I believe this woman has credibility, but the event is old and there were obvious mixed messages between the two. First, why would she fly in to meet Cain and stay in a room paid for by Cain, in order to ask him for a "job?"  She met Cain at night in a bar and had drinks (I find this unusual for a job 1st interview). Sharon Bialek calls Cain, Herman (I have worked for bosses for years and never called them by their first names - it is a sign of respect and acknowledgment of the employer/employee relationship). Then, she had a private dinner with Cain - why would this potential employer take Sharon out on an upscale dinner date? Next she consented to go off into the night to visit some vague empty restaurant offices. Why would she go to an empty building site late at night with a man she is asking for a job? She had no prior connection with Cain and Cain even asked her why she was there? We can only imagine her answer. She could remember all of Cain's remarks, but she left out her side of the conversations. She said she was sent to meet Cain that evening by her "boyfriend." Perhaps he is a pimp-like person.
Anyway, this lady has no common sense and seems like a "set-up," probably trying to get money from the event. She probably wanted the sexual advancements to occur in the Restaurant Association offices so she could sue for big bucks against Cain and the association. She says Cain took her home (the hotel room he paid for) the minute she protested (she never said how far they went before she protested).  Since they were not in the association's offices, Cain was not at work, Sharon Bialek was not an employee or client, she accepted a hotel room from him and they went out on a date (which she asked to fly in for at night), this becomes a bad date experience by a married man and a potential prostitute. I feel Cain was confused because she was acting like a prostitute. Cain actions can not be overlooked. If Cain is in a bad marriage, it will only get worse in the White House. Washington, DC is full of stories, going back generations, about political sex scandals and prostitutes. We need leadership, not more sex scandals.

Rich invited to US

While many cry to keep illegal aliens out of the US, there are other pathways to US citizenship. Some use the old, come to the US for a few weeks and have a baby born here. The child will be a US citizen and can later come to the US for a free education. Others use the US investment angle. Just by buying a house in the US or starting a US business you can become eligible for a US visa and apply for permanent citizenship.

Many want to move to Miami. Miami has drawn significant interest from both the Latin American elite looking to escape political instability and drug violence — and the developers who want their money.Naturally, many rich criminals are interested in moving there too, as Miami has a reputation for drug trades. But, all states have their draw and immigrants are investigating the choices.

By investing $500,000 in a designated high-unemployment or rural area, or $1 million anywhere else, a foreign national and his or her family can obtain conditional EB-5 visas that become permanent if the investment creates at least 10 jobs for two years.

What’s more, experts say, is that the U.S. recession has contributed to a growing EB-5 industry as dozens of private companies seek permission to pool investors’ money in order to finance projects such as hotels and housing developments that can’t get traditional loans from banks. For the foreigners, applying through a so-called EB-5 regional center lets them live in the U.S., put their children through school here and sit back while somebody else manages their investment and worries about fulfilling the job creation requirements.

“It’s access to capital,” said Emilio González, a former director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under President George W. Bush. “It satisfies the U.S. need to create jobs and it satisfies an investor’s need to get a green card for whatever reason.”

In recent months, the Obama administration has promised to streamline the EB-5 process in order to encourage more foreigners to make investments that will create jobs. The program is estimated to have created about 34,000 jobs since its inception in 1990. Meanwhile, two U.S. senators recently proposed a similar program that would grant visas to foreigners who spend $500,000 on real estate as a way to bolster the housing market.

In the 2009 fiscal year, about 1,000 foreigners applied for EB-5 visas, according to USCIS. The number doubled in 2010. And, in just the first 10 months of the 2011 fiscal year, 3,355 foreigners had petitioned for the visa, of which about 1,400 have been approved.

More than half the applicants are Chinese. However, in the past two years petitions from Latin Americans rose by about 71 percent, with Venezuela and Mexico leading the way. Government statistics show that 95 Latin Americans applied for the program in the 2010 fiscal year. Another 163 applied in the first 10 months of 2011. Of these, USCIS approved 44 petitions in 2010 and 68 in 2011.

By Melissa Sanchez and Alfonso Chardy | The Miami Herald

Republicans Pass a Jobs Bill

Republicans said they wanted to pass H.R. 1904 because it was a jobs bill for Arizona. The Republicans stated the bill would create 500 jobs and up to 3,000 jobs later. The crux of the bill is that Arizona sells some federal  Indian land in exchange for a larger plot of non-federal land. The rights to the sold Indian land would go to two foreign countries, Britain and Australia and they would get the rights to the largest amount of copper known in the northern hemisphere. The issues about where the copper will be processed and whether the US had workers for this mine were poorly addressed. The large foreign mine operations will be digging over 7,000 feet below the surface. There was no mention as to how far down they could go (I assume to the center of the earth) and there was also no mention as to how far they could tunnel.
As a jobs bill, this seems pretty poor for the US, since I doubt we have 3,000 copper miners to fill these jobs. I assume foreign workers will come and get the jobs created. In addition, these foreign countries have the technology to use robots and exclude workers. There were no provisions in the bill that humans had to be employed. There was also no mention in the bill that the US got any of the copper profits over the many years to come. The Republicans did state the US has no facilities to process the copper, so all of the processing jobs will be abroad.
Oh, and the Indians who live on the land will not be consulted until after Congress gave the OK to go ahead with the project.
If we imagine that all was well with this bill and 3,000 jobs would be created, the jobs would not appear for years. we need jobs now. In one to three years, we should be in a recovery and all of this loss of our precious mineral resource will be too late to fit the alleged plan.
The Republican bill passed and now sits in the Senate.
Clearly, this was a payola scam on the American people.

Are we less safe?

Did you know Congress has approved that U.S. Homeland Security give out 70,000 Asia-Pacific Business Travel Cards to any Asian-Pacific businessperson who gets a visa and pays a fee for the card. This allows for frequent business trips into the U.S. in order to encourage international trade. After getting the card, the card holders can get expedited international treatment and can bypass some of the security lines. In addition, the U.S. has a similar program with 18 other countries, including Russia. There are over 180,00 current card holders. Next, Congress hopes to have similar cards available to American "important people" who travel for international trade. I'm sure every member of Congress and their family members will be applying for the American allotment of cards.
As I see it, this is a way around Homeland Security. While the TSA agents are frisking granny and the baby, the real potential terrorists will be bypassing security via the Economic Travel Business Cards.
It only takes a few terrorists to co-ordinate a plot against Americans. I feel Congress has let us down by risking American safety at home and in the air.

Middle East Caution

We must all face the probability that Iran, Iraq, China, or others will develop and hold nuclear weapons in the near future. The materials can be made, stolen or bought. The idea of using nuclear weapons was more remote in years past. But, when President Bush invaded the Middle East and used bombs, targeting "enemies," but also injuring non-enemy civilians, the picture changed. People never forget when a family member is killed. It may be 10 or 30 years, For some the pain is carried for generations. Hatred and anger unites the groups and covered by the cloak of "God's will," the threat will remain for generations.

Middle Eastern Islamic countries do not support the US way of life. In the Middle East, women can be beaten, jailed, and even killed for not being veiled and cloaked. Women can be burned or have acid thrown in their face. Why is it good to have women covered head-to-toe with cloth? Because they look less like humans. They appear to all look alike. It is a way of conveying that the women mean little and need to keep their ideas covered. Some may feel that the women are evil or devilish, so the coverings keep the demons inside and do not allow them to get out to infect others. I saw a family with an older mother, probably age 50's, at the dinner table. The older woman had to wear a lot of garb over her head and cover her mouth. Just navigating the food, without creating a mess, seemed difficult to me. Naturally, the woman said it was good to wear this garb and that she was honored. Did she have a choice? Older women, who are not supported by a male are thrown into the streets to beg. Naturally, with a lot of women, totally covered begging on the streets, they are easy victims for crime and abuse. Women can never go against the male of the household - she can be killed (and I mean stoned) and beaten. Freedom and choice are not welcome in the Middle East. We in America must recognize these differences and continue to protect our American freedoms and way of life.

Libya now wants Sharia law, tents, and for men to have as many as four wives. The killing of Qaddafi was a disgrace. Yes, Qaddafi was a miserable person, and his sons were raised in a similar manner, but I believe in human honor and rights. No human should ever die in that animalistic manner. Many Middle Eastern Muslims believe in mob beatings, and killing those who do not follow Muslim beliefs. Qaddafi's final moments will be a part of American shame. I expect many others are suffering in Libya right now - but we hear no words. We Americans are different and I say "Remember la Difference!!!" Americans are short-sighted. The Middle East looks to the future, the distant future, for their final goals. We must be vigilant and stand firm for American values, ideals, and the American way of life. Women must be especially active in protecting our liberties. We must ensure our money is going towards freedom-loving countries who we will work with as partners for hundreds of years to come.

The U.S. Coast Guard

I have met a number of people who are current or former members of the U.S. Coast Guard. I have been very impressed by their work ethics and dedication to serving and protecting the United States. It is an extremely dangerous job that they do. The work is continual and the pay needs to be improved.
If you know of anyone serving in the Coast Guard, please send them my love and thanks this holiday season. If you meet anyone serving in the Coast Guard or who served in the past, please give them a big smile, and thank them for all of the work they performed for all of us.
For those who are physically able and mentally able to do the work of the Coast Guard, I urge you to explore the opportunities available. As with all of the military, we will honor our military members and veterans this year and every year for their great work to keep us safe and to preserve our values and our way of life.

B of A questions

I don't usually go to Bank of America, but last week I decided I wanted to do a transaction in person. As I entered the bank, I saw they had placed a large tripod in the middle of the bank with a camera facing towards the customer line and the tellers. This was in addition to the numerous cameras that hang every few inches over the ceiling and walls. It was a very uncomfortable experience because I felt that the bank was expecting a problem and I did not want to be there when it happened. A couple of days later I was notified Bank of America was transferring some of its debt to another bank. The bank has been threatened with a mass exodus of accounts because of the continual increase in banking fees. I decided to check B of A's stock prices and they were around $6.50.
The question is, are B of A executives getting ready to take the money and run? How affected will B of A be by the global financial plunges, such as seen with the Euro and Greece's problems? I feel B of A is hiding some important information that will probably hurt all Americans financially. I hope not, but time will tell.

Killer Dr Pepper

HOUSTON—A criminal investigator from the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday went to the house of a Houston woman who said she was sickened after drinking a tainted bottle of Dr Pepper.

The investigator talked to Amanda Womack about her experience. Womack said three weeks ago she had to be rushed to the hospital after taking a sip of Dr Pepper.  She said the 20-ounce soda was bought at T&W Quick stop off North Wayside and smelled and tasted like gasoline.

Tests by the city’s health department and an independent lab confirmed components of gasoline were found in the popular drink. Benzene and Naphthalene were among the components.

The health department and Dr Pepper now say that two dozen contaminated bottles were discovered.  All of the bottles came from the same store. Some of the tainted Dr. Peppers were found in storage.

“I want to get to the bottom of it because it’s really not fun,” Womack said.

Womack said she’s happy that the FDA is taking her case seriously.

“I’m happy because it was just like we were being ignored. No one believed us. They thought it was a joke. They thought it was a game. Playing with someone’s life is not a game,” Womack said.

The FDA told Womack it will send the contaminated bottles to a lab in Cincinnati, Ohio. It hopes the lab will be able to determine how the dangerous chemicals ended up in the 24 sodas.

B of A retracts

Good going! Bank of America has now stated it will  NOT charge a $5 monthly fee for using its debit card. We won this one, but the hungry tiger will be back. Caution.

Jackson's defense team has pretty good days

Today, in the Conrad Murray trial, the prosecution tried to say Michael Jackson was not addicted to drugs, in particular Demerol which was given by a dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Kline for Botox and Restylane injections of the forehead, cheeks and nose.
     As the medical reports were read, it appeared the small cosmetic injections were probably just a ruse to cover  giving significant amounts of Demerol to Jackson.Having dealt with addictive persons, I can attest that addicts always have more than one source for drugs. Who were Jackson's other suppliers, we will never know.
     The defense has been successful in showing Jackson was in need of drugs and due to his contractual obligations, would have been unable to attend regular detox, even if he had wanted to go. Another witness was a doctor who conducted the initial US research studies on Propofol. He stated Propofol was a better sedative then operative anesthetic, but the company wanted Propofol to be developed only for operations and medical procedures. I am surprised how well the defense team is able to defend the doctor.

Cut embassy costs

Here is an idea I like - a Virtual Embassy. Hillary Clinton says she wants to create a virtual embassy for Iran, since the US and the Iranian government can't seem to reach agreements. She states the embassy will be for people in Iran who have questions about the US or might want to travel here. The Iranian government said they will continue to disrupt electronic computer and phone connections. Hilary calls this the "electronic curtain."
Carrying this virtual embassy idea further, we could cut huge amounts from the US budget if we made a lot of the embassy services around the world virtual. We could still have a few American workers in these countries, but the costs could be cut dramatically. In addition, when a US embassy is targeted in an attack, there would be little in the actual embassy building and all information would be stored outside of the country, so little data would be lost and injuries greatly reduced.
I hope we explore further the virtual embassy.