An excerpt-

…There’s scarcely a bishop in the 26 Irish dioceses who hasn’t issued a statement in the past fortnight explaining how dismayed/distressed/shocked/bewildered he’s been to discover the extent of the depravity perpetrated by priests and the failure of some of his fellow bishops to alert the civil authorities. Some of the more plausible performers have been wheeled out to widen their eyes for the cameras in displays of wonderment….“I cannot begin to understand the mentality…” They still take the people for fools.

Complaints of clerical abuse of children in Ireland have been in the public arena for at least 25 years. Occasionally, flurries of allegations have resulted in spates of publicity. But these tended to be short-lived. The local bishop might even apologise in the local paper. The response of the Northern as well as the Southern Irish State ranged from the inadequate to the inert. But you could bet the Lenten Collection that the Church itself was paying attention throughout, tracking every complaint, monitoring reaction, clucking with satisfaction that the faith of the people remained strong and resistant to any radical conclusion.

Now they ask the people to believe that they didn’t have an inkling of the full extent of the criminality until very recently. They never discreetly enquired of one another during prayer breaks at their conclaves at Maynooth or All Hallows, How’s that business with Fr. So-and-so going? Any more word about that wee girl from such-and-such? Is the mother in that other case still on-side?

Pull the other one, your Lordships, it’s got church-bells on.

The Church’s enmeshment with the State helps explain this confidence. On December 1st, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowan claimed in parliament that the Vatican had “acted in good faith” in refusing to cooperate with Judge Murphy. The authorities in Rome and their representative in Ireland, the Papal Nuncio, had refused even to answer letters from Murphy asking for access to their files on abuse allegations.

A State which had genuine concern for its children would have responded to the report by taking decisive action to remove the Catholic bishops as patrons of primary schools. Three thousand of 3,200 primaries in the Republic have bishops as patrons – with the power to hire and fire and complete control over the school’s “ethos”. No less appropriate category of men could be imagined to have such power over the moral formation of children. But not a single member of parliament – not one! – has urged the Government to take this obvious action.

Control of education is at the heart of the matter. A ferocious determination to secure the right to train the consciousness of the next generation dictated the Catholic hierarchy’s attitude to the emerging Irish State in the early years of the last century. Give us your children and we’ll give you our backing against the British and help shore up your State. The State was born in the embrace of the Church and hasn’t fully recovered from its origins

In the North, the Church did its dirty deal with the anti-Catholic Unionists. Control of the education of the children of Catholic parents in return for a commitment to keep the Catholics as docile as possible. The arrangement lasted at least into the 1980s, when the Northern bishops told the British government that if it proceeded with a plan to integrate teacher training the Church would be unable to restrain the anger of the faithful. That is, Lay a finger on our control of teacher training and we’ll stop condemning the IRA from the pulpit. And it worked.

Not that the IRA – now transmogrified into Sinn Fein – has proven any more useful that the other useless parties to the raped children of Ireland.

Consider a case from the North: A priest is transferred from the South into a Derry parish. The night before he arrives, the priests in the parochial house are visited by an emissary from the bishop who tells them to “keep an eye” on their new colleague, and specifically to ensure that he is not left alone with children. Over the next few months, despite two curates taking turns to follow him around, he rapes two little girls. The family of one of the girls informs the bishop. He ignores them. They then write to the Cardinal, the most senior Churchman on the island, describing the assault on their daughter in heart-rending terms and the shattering effect both on her and the family. The Cardinal acknowledges the letter, expresses sympathy – and assures the family that he will remember them in his prayers. The rapist is moved out of the parish and hidden in a monastery in the South. When he is traced there and exposed, the bishop lies in public that the Church had earlier informed the civil authorities of the allegations. The priest is eventually jailed.

The bishop concerned has been among those seen on television in the past fortnight explaining that the situation in his diocese regarding the handling of allegations of child sex abuse has always been tickedy-boo.

Bastards.

And then some. I was listening to an Irish radio call in show (we receive some here on the edge of the Irish sea) while waiting to drive my mother back from a hospital appointment and 99% of the calls, emails, texts were disgusted at the church, but what was interesting was the DJ tried to moderate the rage and people were calling for resignations, few made the conceptual leap to demand prosecutions (and given the state collusion this might mean an international court as the domestic legal system is less than open). Most callers were middle aged and older, I think the church is dreading when they have to rely for support on a younger generation, that bigoted old vampires at the top are probably hiding away the money even now. One caller had an idea for direct action for parishioners, simply stop putting money in the collection until the church’s conservative pro-abuse ruling faction is removed, all the way to Rome. So it was interesting that although they were rightly outraged the limits of the reaction were not too radical (was that how the show screened?), although what is radical about demanding a paedophile rapist and the people who covered up for him be tried I don’t know. Unless we define radical as demanding the same standards be applied to the powerful as to the powerless, it’s clever when we are convinced of that definition by the elite, works out just great for them.

by: Saifullah Shaikh

News are emerging from Sindh that Sindhi Nationalist Parties (under leadership of Awami Tahreek) has decided in a meeting at QASIMABAD that they are willing to take part in General elections in greater benefit of Sindh/national rights because present PPP Govt: is not successful in achieving such rights!!??—-they are also of the opinion that if present Govt: would collapse than Prime-minister have option to announce mid-term elections!and they will participate in such election process?. Well as a student of politics, I have few Questions to ask about this kind of Nationalism.

1. At the end of AwamiTehreeks Long-march in Karachi, Why their leadership allowed pro-Musharaf anti-democratic/anti-Sindh elements like Tahreek i insaf and Jamaat i Islami to use their stage for speeches —– what was their purpose?

2. A lot of Sindhis would question the timings of such pro-active role of Sindhi nationalists When PPP is preparing a case for Sindh in terms of NFC AWARD and for Balouchis in terms of Balouchistan Package (as a new initiative for Balouch Rights). Keep in mind the on-going war, PPP is fighting with Taliban, and other forces in this regard. PPP is also facing Media Propaganda and attacks against Sindhi culture as well.

3.Could it be the same old tactics of Sindhi Nationalists which reminds us their opposition to MRD Movement during 1980’s!? or Can we consider this move (BY ESTABLISHMENT as their long-awaited planning) to dilute PPP majority in Sindh in order to benefit MQM and Nawaz-League and their Chauvanism in long-term fashion. I think these are legitimate Questions which need satisfactory explanation— other people may disagree on this analysis also.

by: Tausif Kamal

..The power-hungry elements in our security establishment haven’t learned their lessons. They still want to call the shots; they still want the security forces to assert its hegemony over the democratic, civilian Government; they still want to grab power.

Kamran Shafi’s house was fired upon because he was advocating the appointment of a civilian chief of the country’s premier intelligence agency, as is the norm in all democratic countries worldwide. This shameful and brazen act of intimidation must be condemned by everyone.

Similarly , security establishment’s manipulation of public opinion and attempts to intimidate and harass the civilian Government over the Kerry-Lugar Bill and reports of security establishment’s undertaking an investigation of commercial matters of petroleum companies (under whose orders and under what law?) indicates that some elements in the establishment wants to create an impression in the country that the security forces controls the civilian Government and that the security establishment is still the final arbiter in affairs of the country. I think all our political parties and civil society should set aside their differences to curb and whittle down this dangerous threat once and for all lest the sordid history of security forces’ power grabbing in Pakistan is repeated yet again.

Courtesy: Tausif Kamal and crdp@yahoogroups.com

Courtesy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puujGyKeiHw

As usual, our friends at HillBuzz have hit on a provocative idea.

If you’re not a regular reader of HillBuzz you are missing out on some great reading. I discovered this group during the 2008 election cycle. The guys over there a lifelong democrats who got really fed up with the direction the party has gone. As the site’s name implies, they are huge supporters of Hillary Clinton, but let me tell you, you won’t find any stronger a group of Sarah Palin supporters out there.

I enjoy HillBuzz because they bring an entirely new perspective to the debate, a while different line of critical thinking. Classify the group any way you wish, but they certainly understand Conservative principles and values, and articulate them in they own unique style.

Anyhow, they have a very interesting idea here that many on our side would not have thought of: Michelle Bachmann as Speaker of the House. Now if you are a strong Conservative, you’re a fan of Micelle Bachmann. Like Sarah Palin, Bachmann is a tough, strong woman. Bachmann is absolutely fearless in her position as a Congresswoman. She has zero reservations when it comes to standing up for the Constitution, and taking on those who would run afoul of it’s intent.

Here’s what HillBuzz has to say:

Today we had an interesting breakfast at Nookie’s Tree (pumpkin pancakes, yo) with a friend of ours deeply involved in local Democrat politics here in Illinois. He’s a firm backer of Governor Quinn, and wants Hoffman to win the Dems’ Senate nomination (and is working hard behind the scenes to take corrupt mob banker Alexi Giannoulias down before he can win the Dem primary next year). Because of our support of McCain/Palin and the other stances we’ve taken since the takeover of the Democrat Party and its occupation by Utopian radicals, we’ve had little contact with this friend because the lot of us here have become “toxic” in Dem circles in Chicago. That’s fine with us, honestly, because we can’t in good faith work for a party that behaves the way it does, and treats women and gays the way it so enjoys doing.

But, our friend is a great conversationalist, and enjoys scrying into the future as much as we do. He believes Democrats will hold the Senate in next year’s midterms, but that Harry Reid will be defeated, by Sue Lowden most likely, and Dick Durbin will be installed as the new Senate Majority Leader (which will be a Christmas present to Republicans, since Durbin is a truly stupid and bumbling man, worse than Reid if that is even humanly possible).

He also thinks Democrats will indeed lose the House, as he’s hearing of more House members deciding not to seek re-election, knowing their votes on Utopicare will doom their careers. They have all been promised highly lucrative post-government jobs by Nancy Pelosi, however, so many of these Dems are willing to take the bullets for Utopiacare so that they can make millions in the coming years by working as “consultants” and then lobbyists, with Pelosi and the DNC’s employment agency placing them into golden parachutes (more like golden showers, if you ask us. Google it.).

What’s unclear to us is who the GOP has lined up to take Pelosi’s place if they get control of Congress.

Someone like Michelle Bachmann would be incredible, but our friend insists she’s not even on the long list, let alone the short list for the job. “Remember, Republicans are all about “whose turn it is” and “who has been waiting longest for the job”. There is no sense of timeliness with them, and never any consideration for who would be best to lead the party. They just get in a line and years later it’s their turn to be the nominee or the Speaker or whatever. That’s how Republicans do things, and that’s why they are so beatable usually”.

Every day, we want to know more and more about Michelle Bachmann because, like Sarah Palin, we are witnessing someone at the start of her national career who will be around for a very long time, with the potential to change American politics as we know it.

The Tea Parties could install Bachmann as Speaker, we believe, if the Tea Party Movement itself grows, buckles down, and becomes a larger force to be reckoned with going into 2010.

Palin herself could help deliver Bachmann unto the Speaker’s chair, if the candidate Palin campaigns for next year mostly win, and the next Congressional majority owes a lot to Palin. It appears Palin and Bachmann are friendly, if not already allies. Palin would be well-served with one of her own as Speaker. That could help Palin’s groundgame in 2012 immensely.

Speaker Boehner seems to be the way Republicans would go, because he looks like he’s next in line, but he’d be such a bad choice in our opinion. He’s not bold enough, not gutsy enough, and not memorable enough.

Whoever replaces Nancy Pelosi needs to be a firecracker. We also think the GOP needs to put a woman in that Speaker’s chair. Because of the misogyny the Democrats have wallowed in for the last two years, many women are open to voting Republican for the first time in their lives. Republicans, thus, have the once-in-our-lifetime chance to be seen as “the party for women”. Some of you might not like identity politics, but a great deal of independents sure do.

Independents decide elections…and many former Democrats are now independents who would like to see a woman succeed Pelosi.

Bachmann would make a dynamic, relevant, and capable Speaker, in our opinion.

A firecracker like that tossed into the top spot in the House would light a fuse that could blow Dr. Utopia from office in 2012, taking the rest of the Liberals in Congress with him.

What are your thoughts on Speaker Bachmann? Could it happen? Should it happen?

What happens if it happens?

Obviously, I have to echo their questions to the reader. Could it happen? Should it happen? And, what happens if it happens!

Sean Hannity calls Michelle Bachmann the “second most hated Conservative woman in America,” a title she seems to relish. (We ALL know who the most hated Conservative is!)

Michelle will be a featured speaker at the first annual National Tea Party Convention. Sarah Palin, of course, is the Special Keynote Speaker at this event.

I’m not sure just how well Sarah and Michelle know each other, but the folks over at HillBuzz are certainly on to something with this idea. People already mention a Sarah Palin/Michelle Bachmann ticket for 2012 often. If you spend any amount of time on Conservative websites, you’ll see this mentioned constantly. I think what HillBuzz is saying though makes a lot of sense, and would certainly be beneficial to Sarah Palin, and a Palin presidency.

Look, I like John Boehner. I also like my own Congressman, John Carter, he’s a great Conservative leader. But the idea of someone bold like Michelle Bachmann as Speaker of the House is fascinating. And bold leadership is what we need right now. Ronald Reagan used to caution against the temptation to “paint in pale pastels.” Reagan always championed “painting with bold colors.” What Reagan meant was we need bold leadership, bold leaders who will strive to do great things.

Sarah Palin is obviously someone who fits the bill, but what of Michelle Bachmann? I think one has to look no farther than the dressing down she gave Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to see she is all business:

Here Michelle gives an impassioned speech on the House floor in which she takes to task our new “total gangster government.”

Look, I have been one of those who has been on the Palin/Bachmann for 2012 bandwagon. I think it would be a superb ticket. You have two strong, bold women. Both mothers who are raising a large family.

Michelle, like Sarah has 5 children, and has also been a foster parent to 23 other children. Personally, I think motherhood has given both of these great women a perspective the “good old boys” will never have on things. And I say this as a typical, old fashioned “good old boy.”

Here’s where it makes sense to have Michelle Bachmann as Speaker, rather than Vice President to Sarah Palin. If Sarah runs, and I know all of us will do everything in our power to encourage her to, she is going to want to bring sweeping changes to government.

We all know her philosophy. We all know she wants to shrink government, cut waste, and usher in great reforms. Sarah will also have a strong domestic energy agenda, as well as an economic growth agenda, and a very aggressive national security agenda. Michelle Bachmann would be a strong ally. She could easily help Sarah’s agenda, which is America’s agenda.

Having a strong, bold leader like Michelle Bachmann as Speaker of the House would be of great benefit to a President Sarah Palin, and of great benefit to the nation. Our next Congress and next President are facing the herculean task of dismantling the failed democrat/communist quagmire that has been created by allowing “progressives” to have a foothold in government. Budgets will have to be slashed, certain programs eliminated.

We need a bold energy policy, one that actually creates energy, and makes America independent from the whims of other nations. We also must retake our rightful roles and responsibilities as the world’s only superpower.

Both Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann get it. They both know what lies ahead. Most Conservatives think these two would make a great team, and now, thanks to our friends at HillBuzz, we see just how that team might look!

And todays missing words from this report are ‘framed‘ and ‘lied‘, as in- the government, police, FBI and CPS framed Lotfi Raissi and lied about the evidence. Yet as we know the powerful do not have the such words used about them that’s just for the likes of us guv’nor. Even the prospective covering up of a massive war crime is called a whitewash. Yet one word appears frequently ‘independent‘ in respects to all manner of official doings, no words are missing here but we must remember definitions change, independent means- a really super extra special effort at Public Relations to convince the chumps we didn’t do the crimes we did.

Apparently the ‘retiring’ (yep there’s another) Met Chief Blair is getting more as a pay off (warning D**ly M**l) than the family of the man he had killed, Jean Charles de Menezes. After an independent inquiry pressed no charges in a whitewash. Always worth a re-read, LRB- ‘Make sure you say that you were treated properly’ Gareth Peirce writes about Torture, Secrecy and the British State & The Framing of al-Megrahi.

Dies abans de la notícia d’avui en què, com podeu llegir, els qui no combreguen amb la tesi oficial del canvi climàtic ja poden anar plegant veles, que ben se n’ocupa l’establishment científic de què no publiquen, vaig quedar astorat de llegir aquestes dades que presentà n’Arcadi Espada. Resulta que, després d’anys d’haver estat induïts a pensar que a Ciudad Juárez es mataven dones, i només dones, i només pel fet de ser-ho, u se n’assabenta ara de les xifres. Les corresponents a enguany mostren que han mort 114 dones, i sorpresa: 1386 homes. A El Pais hi deuen haver llegit n’Espada, perquè avui, curiosament, posen feminicidi entre cometes.

Rompoy and Ashton have no legitimacy. When they spend our money and speak on our behalf throughout the world there will be no way for us to hold them to account for what they do.

Queen Elizabeth is an unelected, unaccountable head of state, not just of the United Kingdom, but of dependencies and former colonies scattered across the globe; the remnants of a long gone empire.

The monarchy has a place in history, but no legitimacy in a modern democracy. All that could be said for the monarchy is that its powers have been effectively removed.

This is not the case for the unelected and unaccountable members of the House of Lords, including the bishops of the established church, who happily lie about where they live to collect massive ‘expenses’
 while passing laws to interfere ever more in our lives. This affront to democracy is an even greater anachronism than the monarchy.

Monarchy, aristocracy, state religion and a secretive, establishment judiciary all have the excuse of history and tradition to justify themselves. That is a weak excuse which freedom lovers should reject.

When it comes to the United Nations, which is a clique of the victorious powers of 1945, having no democratic legitimacy; the EU, which has been cobbled together in an authoritarian way, to prevent the re-emergence of German nationalism and then to consolidate the victory in the cold war we have anti democratic affronts growing up in our own times and we should be far more ashamed of that.

To cap it all, our daily lives are run by 800 quangos spending £35 billion pounds every year. Appointed by cronies, accountable to nobody, these people are the embodiment of the snooper, nanny state that steals our money and controls our lives.

Rompoy is a parasitic nonentity put in place by a cabal of Euro oligarchs. Give him the respect he deserves. At the same time help us get rid of the unrepresentative parasites on our doorstep who really control our lives.

I’ve certainly been busy since the last time I posted something! Where to begin with what I’ve been doing?

Well, for starters, I was given the chance to act in a college film. I was there for 8 hours of filming, and I only acted for about 2 hours at most in it. But, it was fun anyway. I learned that my college does not have digital video cameras. We have the 16mm film cameras (the first design to have a zoom button!). I learned that actors need to find a way to keep themselves entertained between scenes. There is a short period of movement and action, accompanied by long moments of nothing.

An interesting note about this filming experience was that I was nearly arrested. Our director had found ‘the perfect spot’ to film the movie. (I will be saying ‘our’ and ‘we’ because there were about 5 or 6 people working on this film every moment I was there.) So, we all crammed into the pack of gum he calls a car and went off to this dirt lot on a fairly busy road next to a liquor store. (Needless to say, my claustrophobe self was more than happy to get out of the car.) Now, the story has a homeless man in it. So, one of our actors set himself up as a homeless man. We were recording for about an hour before the liquor store owner came out. Man, the owner was seriously P.O.ed. He was angry because we were recording a ‘bum around his establishment.’ Our director told him that his store wasn’t on the film. We couldn’t prove it to the owner because we were using the old 16mm film. He said that we had to prove to him his store wasn’t in the film, or he was going to call the police to arrest us. We didn’t want to get into trouble with the police, and we couldn’t prove to him that his store wasn’t in the film, so we had to leave. It really orally evacuated that we had to move. That dirt lot was an awesome place to shoot, and was better than the place we had to go to film the movie.

I saw Celtic Thunder when they came to San Diego! They were only here for one night, but it was a beautiful night. I fell deeper into love, had my heart broken, and fell in love with them all over again. I’m convinced that only a Celtic Man can pull such emotions from me. I had so much fun. I couldn’t hear properly for a day (due to my own screaming), and my throat was a bit sore from the event for about 5 days after they event. I can’t wait for them to come back to San Diego, though. I just hope that I can get better seats next time!

I also had the chance to see The Lion King in the theatre!  Alright, I had nosebleed seats (what do you expect for $28?), but I still saw it!  I took my aunt with me to the show, as she’s never been in the audience of a theatre, only on stage.  She, for some reason, wasn’t as impressed with everything as I was.  She was expecting the actors to be in more of an animal-looking costume.  We had the chance to go with the Director behind the scenes of The Lion King.  I learned so much information from there.  Apparently, there is 2 of everything for the traveling show.  There were two traveling shows in the USA, and when it became 1 show, that show ended up with both sets of props, costumes, and equipment.  The show I saw had the most South Africans  then any other Lion King show being played in the world.  6.  6 South Africans in the USA Touring Show.  That doesn’t seem like a lot to me, but it appearently takes at least that many to keep everyone in the show on track!  There are about 5 differnt African languages spoken in the show, which I found to be fascinating.  The one spoken the most is Zulu.

On the school front, I have been working on two group projects, a midterm, and a couple of essays. I think that my group projects are going well. One is going to be a Civic Engagement speech on the Ugandan Children, and the other is 10 minute play for my Theatre class. Our play is going to be a comedy of the LA judge that refused to marry an interracial couple. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s an article about it on CBN News.) I think that my midterm went well – it was in math. I hope that I passed it! I need all the good grades I can get in that class.

I’ll probably be putting the theatre project and play up onto Youtube when I get a copy of them. I’ll post the links/put the video on here when I get the chance to.

Well, now that I’m done telling you all about my life, I’m off to do some school work. Group projects really take all possibilities of having a life away from you.

Brightest Blessings,
Sockgirl

Zardari attempting to fend off maneuvers by military, intelligence

[(Extract from the article)...The prospect of a military takeover — long an option in Pakistan — is overblown, say officials in both the government and the military. Kayani is indeed ambitious but he understands the consequences of a military takeover, particularly with regard to continued U.S. military aid, said one official...On the other side, Pakistani officials say Zardari understands the very real and dire consequences of firing Kayani]

By Robert Windrem, Senior investigative producer

Courtesy: NBC News, Mon., Nov . 16, 2009

Pakistan’s civilian and military leaders are tangling in a series of political confrontations that could lead to a constitutional crisis or worse after the New Year, officials in both Islamabad and Washington tell NBC News.

With the tenor and volume of debate rising over America’s commitment to Afghanistan, that struggle is complicating U.S. strategy to stabilize the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

It’s not only that dozens are dying every week in suicide bombings or that there are concerns that the Pakistani military will not be able to hold the territory it has won in hard-fought battles in South Waziristan. The more profound issue, say Pakistani and U.S. officials, is the fate of President Asif Ali Zardari, who is engaged in a seemingly never-ending battles with the country’s powerful military and intelligence establishments.

In recent weeks, say officials, opponents of Zardari have begun raising the stakes, setting up what some are calling a “soft coup … a legislative coup” – an attempt to force Zardari out.

End to amnesty

On Nov. 2, legislators opposed to Zardari, along with the military and intelligence community, thwarted an attempt by his Pakistani People’s Party to hammer through an extension of the National Reconciliation Ordinance.

The innocuously named law, pushed through at the behest of the U.S. in 2007, froze criminal prosecutions against Zardari, his late wife, Benazir Bhutto, and their allies. Without the NRO, Bhutto would not have returned to run for president. Not long after she did return, she was assassinated, and her husband succeeded her as head of the PPP, winning the presidential election last year. Parliament has until Nov. 28 to renew the NRO. But on Nov. 2, other parties in the PPP-led coalition, along with the parliamentary opposition and the military, thwarted Zardari. Analysts in Pakistan and the U.S. say there is no chance the NRO will be renewed by the deadline, and in fact, Prime Minister Yusef Reza Gilani said this week it’s dead.

As a result, say Pakistani officials, several cases involving Zardari cronies — some of them high-ranking officials — are likely to move forward. One Pakistani official familiar with all the parties said that while he can’t see the president stepping down, he expects a constitutional crisis early in the year, as the prosecutors close in first on his aides, then him. “Nothing before (next year), but almost certainly by then,” said the official.

One potential issue is whether Zardari has presidential immunity for any crimes committed before he was elected. He may have it for his time in office, but it’s uncertain that he does for any crimes alleged before he assumed office.

Deep rift in power structure

U.S. officials are said to be alarmed by the development. It cannot have come as a surprise, however.

The top of the Pakistani power structure is riven by deep, personal and professional animosity between military and civilian leaders. As one senior Pakistani official reports, Zardari and Army Chief of Staff Ashfaq Parvez Kayani “hate each other” — and each is trying to ensure that other can’t threaten him, often against U.S. interests.

The stalemate over the NRO extension is just the latest move by the military. What Zardari will do to counter that is uncertain, but he is certainly trying to get help from his allies in the U.S. government.

The prospect of a military takeover — long an option in Pakistan — is overblown, say officials in both the government and the military. Kayani is indeed ambitious but he understands the consequences of a military takeover, particularly with regard to continued U.S. military aid, said one official.

“This government does not believe we are trying to be supportive,” said an officer in the Pakistani intelligence community. “There are no political ambitions in the army. The past relationship between the army and government … the previous experiences have been very bad … This government still does not believe that a transformation has occurred.”

“We want them to do their jobs, we want to do ours,” he concluded.

But does Kayani want to be a kingmaker? Under one scenario, he eschews a coup but instead maneuvers to have a “government of national unity,” populated with technocrats, replace Zardari.

Both fear Sharif

On the other side, Pakistani officials say Zardari understands the very real and dire consequences of firing Kayani. So there is a stalemate and no clear leadership. Both sides fear Zardari’s chief political rival, the charismatic but more religious Nawaz Sharif, and would band together to thwart any power play he might attempt. At least, that’s long been Zardari’s plan. (Sharif is banned from serving as head of government under a constitutional amendment pushed through by former President Pervez Musharraf. Zardari promised to remove the ban but hasn’t followed through.)

But the NRO stalemate, say officials in Pakistan and the United States, is just the latest in a string of crises. Only last month, there was the controversy over whether the U.S. had put onerous burdens on Pakistan in return for a $7.5 billion aid package.

With Congress unhappy about reports that previous counterterrorism aid had been diverted to conventional forces and fearing that some of the money might be funneled to Pakistan’s nuclear weapons development, the bill laid out restrictions and requirements on how the money was to be spent.

The military began a public relations campaign assailing the restrictions. The officer in the Pakistani intelligence community told NBC that clauses in the bill were believed to be “instrusive,” “derogatory” and a “legislative indictment – assumptions we’re not doing all we can against militants.”

So the military leaked the details of the U.S. objections. In a particularly telling choice of words, the intelligence officer said the leaks occurred because Kayani is, “in some ways, leading a political party. His public has to know why he does what he does.”

Not meant ‘to cause trouble’

The officer said it was not done “to cause trouble for government. It was to show rank and file (in the Pakistani military) that that army is taking a stand for what’s best for country, and to make clear these clauses we felt were detrimental to the long-term security of the country.”

Specifically, the officer as well as others in the Pakistani government friendly to the army said none of the three drafts of the U.S.-Pakistani agreement “were ever discussed with anyone in the Army or ISI” (Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence directorate).

Zardari’s people deny that. One official said Kayani was briefed “in full and in person” on the details of the bill and is playing the “babe in the woods” claiming to be blindsided for reasons that are unclear. He said that under Musharraf, who is also a former army chief, the previous aid bills had similar language and “no one cared.” This time, it’s a bigger deal because of the rift and lack of trust between the two leaders.

If that was the case, however, why didn’t Zardari leak the communications showing the military was briefed? asked one military official. Indeed, the military feels confident it will emerge as the survivor in all this, with Zardari’s popularity now measured in the teens in almost every Pakistani public opinion poll.

Courtesy and Thanks: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33893960/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

Ezra Klein gives us some of his famous Washington Post logic in a recent post regarding the deficit. He says:

I’ve got no problem with the White House making some real moves to cut the deficit. But the devil is in the details. It would be insane, for instance, to sharply cut spending in the midst of a recession. But it makes sense to build out policies to increase revenues in 2012 or after.

Similarly, there are good ways of decreasing the deficit and bad ways. Cutting Medicaid spending, for instance, would be a bad way. But I’d be glad to see the estate tax restored. Or relatively more of the Bush tax cuts left to expire. Obama should have the courage to say that the promise to avoid raising taxes on people making less than $250,000 was made before the economy collapsed, and that tax rates might have to rise in a couple of years.

His post, of course, begs the question: What about “defense” (war) spending? Would it also be “insane” to cut that in the midst of a recession? The question is not trivial; President Obama signed last month a $680 billion (680,000 million) defense bill while ludicrously lauding the fact that he happened to shave “tens of billions of dollars” from it.

Come to think of it, is it not equally “insane” to be spending such unthinkable sums on murder and deceit in Afghanistan “in the midst of a recession?” Klein, the Post’s resident wunderkind, has absolutely nothing to say on the matter. Instead, he waxes philosophical on the estate tax, and has the audacity to suggest that the middle class (those making less than $250,000 per annum) ought to pony up some more cash to relieve the deficit – which really means they should cough up some dough to fund these ill-conceived wars. I believe the phrase for this sort of logic is “missing the forest for the trees”.

“Economic and Domestic Policy, and lots of it” indeed!

This output:

• strengthens the economic and budgetary benefits from granting permanent residence visas to skilled and business migrants
• addresses key and emerging skill shortages, particularly in regional Australia
• expands business establishment and investment.

Performance

In 2008–09, the department issued 114 777 Skill Stream visas, compared to 108 542 in 2007–08.

Regional migration and state-specific initiatives now account for 29.2 per cent of the Skill Stream of the Migration Program. The Australian Government works with state and territory governments to encourage Australian employers and potential overseas applicants to use these programs.

During 2008–09, the department issued 33 474 state specific and regional migration visas, an increase of 27.9 per cent over the previous year. Since the introduction of these programs in 1996, a total of 169 328 visas have been issued.

Regional migration continues to be a priority under the Skill Stream. Through their sponsorship of skilled migrants, state and territory governments have a direct influence on the number and skill sets of migrants who settle in their jurisdictions. The number of visas granted to people sponsored by states and territories was 14 055 in 2008–09. 

Read more go to  :  http://www.immi.gov.au/about/reports/annual/2008-09/html/outcome1/output1-1-1.htm

 

 

Description

Under this output, the department manages the entry of skilled and business migrants. State-specific and regional migration programs help employers and state and territory governments fill skill shortages that cannot be filled locally. These programs are targeted to address existing and projected skill shortages and help in the development of local communities.

Bakery

 

Bakery – It is an establishment that sells baked products chiefly and exclusively.  Wealth and success is the meaning of bakery in you dream.  It also indicated the potential of your  happiness and good future.

Visual source:  hungrychicken

You May Just Be An Entrepreneur if… Written By: Darren Bocksnick @2009

1) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If you are driven by a burning, insatiable desire for something better and something more: The entrepreneurial spark innate within you is not doused by disappointments nor snuffed-out by setbacks; rather, it grows moment by agonizing moment until it completely engulfs you and the flames of potential consumes you to action. This pioneering seed latent within you may have been dormant, hidden and undiscovered or worst, it may have been covered by layers of neglect yet it fights for life and for the light of a new day to dawn.

Some may perceive or label you as overly-ambitious and others may be intimidated, even jealous over your drive but what they cannot perceive or possibly know is that you must act upon your entrepreneurial instinct to press on toward new heights. For, to the entrepreneur, to do anything contrary is tantamount to being stripped of his or her potential.

Such is the angst of an entrepreneur; they must continuously strive to satisfy that hunger for success until something gives and the situation turns to their advantage.

2) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If you are never completely satisfied or contented working for someone else: To the entrepreneur, working for someone else is a temporal, transitional obstacle at best; and an utter, unresolved disappointment at worst. Entrepreneurs make both the best and worst employees. They are some of the best employees because they have a natural proclivity toward business and their modus operandi is fueled by principles of success that tend to place them in a category unto themselves.

However; they make the worst employees because they know what opportunities await them and what unfulfilled dreams still vie for their undivided attention. In this respect, they are never truly passionate about another company’s product, service or vision since invariably, it is not their own. If left unresolved, those with an entrepreneurial nature become indifferent and intolerable as employees, to the point they are difficult to deal with…

Such is the struggle of the entrepreneur; they are like square pegs trying to be fit into society’s round mold and are never quite able to adapt. They are forced by reason of job status to make the transition to mere employee but deep down know they must heed their heart’s calling to chart their life’s course and chip out their niche.

3) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If you are a perfectionist or have a low tolerance level for ineptitude, incompetence and inefficiency: Entrepreneurs are by nature, achievers. The entrepreneur’s desire to achieve goals and see their dreams come into fruition is unparalleled. When dealing with individuals who don’t seem to possess the same drive or determination, entrepreneurs become annoyed and impatient to the point of being unbearable. Since seeking perfection in all they do is the gage by which they measure and thereby, scrutinize a matter or an individual, ineptitude and incompetence are indicative of failure and they will thereby, avoid or keep at bay those exhibiting such characteristics.

They will spend countless hours researching opportunities, reviewing start-up business ventures and interviewing other successful people in the hopes that somehow, amidst it all, to find that single product or idea that best embodies their ambitions. They are seldom satisfied though with what they discover and their search is never quite complete until they create their own opportunity or modify an existing one to their own liking.

Such is the lot of entrepreneurs; they are always seeking out that perfect situation be it in an opportunity or a relationship but are never quite able to find what they’re looking for until they create it for themselves.

4) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If your thoughts are constantly at work “brainstorming” and “master-minding” on ideas for helping improve existing processes or for the development of new products: In other words, the entrepreneur epitomizes the Japanese ideal of Kaizen or “continuous improvement”. When an entrepreneur-at-heart is present at a typical, company-wide or departmental brainstorming session, others sitting near will sometimes cringe with uncertainty and trepidation over what the entrepreneur among them will say or do next since, entrepreneurs are by nature, a bit unpredictable.

Yet, their ideas are over-the-top and revolutionary. Therefore, entrepreneurs typically visualize what others overlook or have not completely thought-through. Their imagination is constantly at work; analyzing and theorizing possible conclusions or solutions until a resolution occurs or a resignation follows. Though they are often criticized in public for their “wild notions”, it is the entrepreneur who is typically called on in private for his or her conclusions in such matters from an almost, consultative stand-point.

Such is the case with entrepreneurs; their minds and thought processes typically out-pace that of their peers in the discovery of new ideas or paradigms and as such, must slow down till others catch up or worst, separate themselves altogether until they do it themselves.

5) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If you are constantly in “create mode”; conceptualizing new product ideas, dabbling in the arts, playing musical instruments and/or tinkering with gadgets in an effort to figure out how things work: It is no coincidence that the movers and shakers of society past such as the DaVinci’s and the Benjamin Franklin’s of their time were inventors, artists and / or proficient musicians. There is a direct correlation between the creative faculties of the mind and higher levels of intelligence. This creative stroke of genius is what beckons the entrepreneur forward in his or her quest for success and sustains them when all has not occurred according to plan.

Entrepreneurs by interpretation are creators; they create innovative products, they create companies from ground-floor on up to top-tier and they create opportunities for others to benefit from in terms of their effort and labor. Innumerable are society’s advancements and conveniences that could safely be attributed to the work of an entrepreneur. Their noted mark of influence is shared by all and is routinely experienced on an ongoing basis.

Such is the plight of the entrepreneur; their efforts often go unnoticed and worse, are accredited to others. Their crowning achievements are typically so frequent and routine that others capitalize off of their works and take credit for the entrepreneur’s efforts.

6) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If you don’t accept paradigms as routine; but rather, you break them and create new ones: Paradigms are established patterns of thought that become the standard norm for how individuals function and carry out their daily duties. These paradigms are “safe-zones” for many since they represent a form of tradition that’s been accepted and adapted as standard rule. Yet, to the entrepreneur; their inquisitive mind questions the establishment, bucks up against tradition and compels them to map out a new set of rules; their own!

Since, the entrepreneur by instinct is a trend-setter, a rule-breaker, and in most cases, an over-achiever; he or she cannot be boxed in or made to fit into society’s mold. Rather than making the pivotal mistake of attempting to tame the entrepreneur to become society’s civilized pet, society rather needs to release the entrepreneur out into the wild where he or she can roam, rule and run their course, uninhibited.

Such, however is the role of the entrepreneur; to leave his or her indelible mark on society by setting certain changes in motion that usher in a new paradigm shift in forward thinking and yet, be forced in many ways to watch from a distance as well as to savor the satisfaction of what they’ve accomplished in silence.

7) You May Just Be An Entrepreneur If you live your life as if endowed with purpose and empowered by a higher calling from somewhere beyond… To some, the entrepreneur may seem indifferent, aloof or even a bit out-of-touch. This isn’t necessarily the case but their sense of quiet contemplation and reserve can be unsettling. Typically, people will mark them as different and place them in a category unto themselves. If the truth be told though, entrepreneurs ARE different in every sense of the word. Entrepreneurs are dreamers whose thoughts of grandeur and success keep them up long into the night and rising up early into the morning as if to seize the day. It is this desire for better things, this drive to break free from the status-quo that makes the entrepreneur stand out and easy to spot in a crowd.

 Entrepreneurs may initially cause unease and unrest to those closest to them but it is the impact the entrepreneur leaves behind that often drastically improves circumstances for those same individuals, though entrepreneurs are seldom credited for doing so. In this regard, it could indeed be said that entrepreneurs do live their lives as if endowed with purpose and empowered by a higher calling because, by their mere actions- they break society free from the routines that have kept her at a stand-still and in doing so, usher in positive changes that improve the lives of those they’ve touched.

Such is the legacy of the entrepreneur; he or she may positively impact the lives of many and improve society on a routine basis but will most likely, not see the full scale of their influence nor realize the part they have played in the grand scheme of positive change they have introduced to their world.

In conclusion, entrepreneurs have left their indelible mark on society through the roles they have played in the advancement of technology, scientific breakthroughs and in pivotal, paradigm shifts that have helped procure new phases in our development as a civilized people. No doubt, without the impact of the entrepreneur, society may very well still be stuck in the agricultural age or worst. In the final assessment of things, it will be said by future generations that the entrepreneurs; those daring enough to do differently than what society’s expectations had confined them to- were the true heroes and heroines of their day; not the politicians, the celebrities or the CEO’s of large corporations. Though they are few and far between, society can still breathe a sigh of relief knowing that there always has and always will be the entrepreneur among us working quietly behind the scenes; contemplating development, creating improvements and causing advancement in the world to which they’ve been assigned…

 Darren.Bocksnick@gmail.com

http://mySuccessfulThinkers.com/Darren-Bocksnick

 http://highercaliber.blogspot.com/

http://lifeascent.wordpress.com/

http://hubpages.com/profile/WordWielder

Facebook:  http://profile.to/darrenbocksnick/

http://twitter.com/wordwielder

by: Tausif Kamal

It seems that the GHQ and the right wing fundamental lobby in Pakistan are rattled by the pro- civilian, pro-democracy policy towards Pakistan of President Obama and this US Administration as indicated by the provisions of the Kerry Lugar Bill…The GHQ and its fundo lobby I think senses the power slipping away from their hands and hence they would do anything to weaken the democratic govt. and to overthrow President Zardari, for instance by playing the ‘national security’ card…Towards this end they would use the media and their reactionary columnists, editors, reporters and TV hosts to plant stories and write against Zardari for starters…They think once Zardari is gone, PPP will split and the elected govt will become impotent or it will be toppled and replaced by right wingers and fundoos (PML N, JI etc)….

Courtesy: Tausif Kamal & Pakistani e-lists.

Axelrod discusses in his book titled: Terms of Engagement, four approaches to change: i) Leader-driven approach, ii) Process-driven approach, iii) Team-driven approach, and iv) Change Management approach.

Leader-driven change is more suitable for small and medium enterprises with owner-managers. This approach works well when the manager or leader has all the necessary information and knowledge. Leader-driven changes tend to be directive and non-participative. Therefore this approach is less suitable when: a) the workforce is young and/or highly skilled, b) the business environment is complex and dynamic, and c) successful change requires active involvement of a number of people in the organization.

Process-driven changes are led by experts or outside consultants and supported by the leader; these changes are more common in large, bureaucratic organizations. This approach works well when the change requires technical or specialized expertise. Also being directive and non-participative, as in the case of leader-driven approach, this approach is therefore less suitable when: a) the workforce is young and/or highly skilled, b) the business environment is complex and dynamic, and c) successful change requires active involvement of a number of people in the organization.

Team-driven approaches are most common in large, manufacturing enterprises that have skilled and educated employees. Change management strategies—such as TQM, Quality Circles, and Six Sigma—exemplify this approach. These are highly participative change efforts that empower employees and provide them with involvement, participation and ownership of change. Team-based approaches that are properly executed can unleash enormous levels of employee energy and motivation. This can, in turn, lead to innovation and productivity gains. However, using this approach can also cause some discomfort for managers in an organization because they may not be used to sharing their power and authority with workers. Moreover, this approach requires managers to shift from a directive, authoritarian style based on power and expertise to a participative style based on persuasion, coaching and helping. More importantly, the team-based approach to execute change requires the establishment of a ‘parallel organization.’

The fourth approach to change is called the Change Management approach. This is a combination of expert-driven and team-driven approaches. Whereas the former provides a business and technical focus to change, the latter generates ownership, involvement and commitment. So as to gain this commitment, most specialists, experts and change management consultants have incorporated the parallel organization concept in their process-driven approach. The Change Management paradigm is the approach to change that most organizations use today. Although it seemingly seeks to integrate ownership of change with practical business focus, the Change Management approach has shortcomings. Instead of involvement and commitment, this approach breeds cynicism, bureaucracy and resistance. It actually disempowers employees, by reinforcing hierarchical top-down management.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, Lectures, Line of Sight

by Omar Ali

IF the US has already decided to get out no matter what, then they may feel the need to get Pak army cooperation for a safe exit from Afghanistan. Saleem Shahzad states that this has caused the US to dump Zardari in favor of the army and to dump Abdullah in favor of Karzai. The first is more believable, after all the US is not Zardari’s maternal uncle. If Zardari bhai is a liability, he will be dumped. But the second assertion may be spin on someone’s behalf..

Let me put on my optimistic cynical hat and make some counter predictions (not necessarily true, but I do think they are likelier than some of yours):

1. Pepe Escobar is not a reliable witness.

2. Modern Nation states are remarkably stable. Most have irrational boundaries (gifts of colonialism and accident) but only a couple have actually broken apart (Pakistan being one of them, but I think you will agree that East and West Pakistan was an especially irrational case). Pakistan and India will remain in present boundaries for the foreseeable future. Balkanization will be a threat, but will not actualize. There is too much holding the countries together, though “remote” areas will continue with insurgencies.

3. The nascent capitalists in both India and Pakistan will continue to spout nationalist hate speech, but it is in their monetary interest to have a reasonable level of cooperation. Full blown conflict does not suit either of them. Of course, there may be other interest groups that ARE benefiting from conflict. In India, they are already no match for the massive “real economy” of industry and commerce. In Pakistan, the commercial sector is smaller and the army is RELATIVELY bigger, but the “rent an army” business model is on its last legs. Actually, if the Americans pull out in some reasonable manner and no longer pay the army to do their work, neither China nor Saudi Arabia can fill the gap. The army will have to adjust to new conditions. Instead of sending Jihadis into India, they will sell them Fauji cement and skim 13% off the gas flowing that way. Other more criminal enterprises (smuggling, kidnapping, etc) will no doubt be taxable in some form as well.

3. The real threat to stability in both countries is from the countless poor people whom the states shamelessly abuse but to whom they do not provide security or service. But these populations CAN be brought into the national mainstream. Not necessarily as nicely and justly as leftists would like (look at the harsh conditions of labor in China) and I am not saying it will necessarily work, but it CAN work. The poor have low expectations in the subcontinent. I will absolutely agree that even those low expectations are not being met in most of India or Pakistan (there is a reason we have 20 Maoist insurgencies in India) but unlike Arundhati Roy, I dont think Indian democracy will necessarily fail. In fact, I think even Pakistani democracy will not necessarily fail…

4. Afghanistan is the weakest link but even Afganistan will not break up (at least, I don’t think that is the likeliest scenario).

5. The truly sincerely RELIGIOUS fanatics are a tiny minority. The .. army and national govt can fight them off once they decide its in their interest. Of course, I expect it will be a nasty fight.

…comments welcome.

Courtesy: Omar Ali and crdp@yahoogroups.com

MQM Chief, Altaf Hussain

by Mir Raza

Mian Nawaz Sharif who has promised in London conference that he will never make any alliance with MQM chief Altaf Hussain has now welcomed Altaf Hussain for his announcement to oppose NRO bill, even Jamat e Islami has issue a NRO for Altaf hussain, Munawar Hussain of jamat e islami has said that he salute Altaf Hussain for his announcement. Now Jamat e Islami is giving a shower of Aab e zam zam to him.

Every one can see a big board hanged on Nawaz League’s head quarter, saying:

AJ DEE TAZA’A KHABAR AAYEE HEY, TE ALTAF HUSSAIN SADA BHAI HEY.

and massacre of 12th May is forgotten by them…

Courtesy: Mir Raza and Sindhi e-lists/groups.

THUPPAN
His name is Subrahmanian. In namboodiri families we never say this name. It is either Thuppan, Unni, Kunjukuttan,Aniyan or Kuttan.
He is our neighbour just opposite our house. His wife is Radha, a school teacher. When she goes to the school, either he comes to our huse, or I go to him. He is a very interesting charactor and I am never bored in his company.
He first went to study Rig Veda at the Brahmaswam math at Trichur. He is well versed in it and all the rituals of our caste. Then he took diploma in Mechanical Engineering. While workig in some office, he had a heated argument with his supervisor, who said something which infuriated our Thuppan, who struck him with an iron rod, so suddenly and so violently that he fell down dead.

Actually, he was not dead, but fearing reprisals,our hero ran away and found some work in Bombay. There too he did not do well.
As the chela (disciple) of some Sanyasi, he went to London. There he fell foul of the Guru, who he says, was a fraud, and ultimately came home to Keralam. Fell in love with the fair Radha and settled in CS puram village. At that time, he was the sole namboodiri, in this village of aiyers. Afterwards Poduvaya Vasudevan, who married my cousin sister Parvathy, and myself joined the group.
The village has three temples with considerable responsibilities and enough money in the bank. So the president and the secretary and the committee members are elected. Thuppan sided with the younger, rebel group who never had enough strength to challenge the establishment, so there were always some one or other in his house, who belonged to the rebel group. His relatives at Palakad also came occasionally and I got acquaited with many of them.
Another intersting charactor was Gas Murthy. No one in the village would go to the town. Tell GM, who has custody of all documents of us, his customers, and maintains liaison with the offices concerned, and he will give you a cylinder the same day. He has always twenty or so cylinders ready in his stock. He is short and looks as if he never takes bath or changes his cloths.

For all my purchases, including oils, which we bought five k.kg. each of coconut oil and thil oil at a time, I went to the big bazaar at Palakad, where things are available at wholesale rates. I just enjoyd the outing, even though during rainy season it becomes cumbersome, what with your bag and umbrella, and money in various pockets, holding the steel rod of the bus for support, as invariably I have to travel standing, and giving money to the conductor, when he demands, keeping a watch all the time, lest you may miss the point where you must get down.
We had more than enough coconuts and once I took it to the mill, where oil is extracted. It was on the other bank of the river and I had to ask many people before I was able to locate it. It was a small mill, but I liked the smell of fresh coconut oil and it was the first time I saw such procedure. I am always eager to see something new.
In those days I used to visit Kadampuzha Devi temple. It has a romantic appeal. The pond inside the temple is fed by underground water, flowing through the rock hill above, over which a small temple township has developed and is still in the process of growing.

During the rainy season, the pond over flows with clear water and one can always enjoy the bath annd swimming. There are separate portions for men and women, demarcated by a partition wall.
 After the evening pooja at about 7.30, the rice-jaggery pudding offered to the deity, standing at a level below that of the devotees, is distrbuted free to those present there; and the temple is locked and the whole area deserted. If I had a car, I would have stayed on till about ten, enjoying the moon light, filtered through the big tree leaves !
An European has establishhed a good dairy farm in the forest beyond the town.Visitors are not allowed inside.
Whenever I go to Kadampuzha, I would go to my sister Savithry’s house, only an hour’s journey from there, before returning home.
There are some KSRTC buses running direct to Kadampuzha which is famous in the Malabar region. Normally we go via Pattambi and Vallancherry.