Morning Papers - It's Origins

The Japan Times

Japan looks to slash spending on U.S. forces
Japan plans to ask the United States to approve a further reduction in the amount of money Japan spends on supporting the presence of U.S. troops here, according to Japanese government sources.

http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20050212a1.htm

Wyeth rheumatoid arthritis drug causes fatal side effects in 134 users
Rheumatoid arthritis drug Rheumatrex Capsule caused fatal side effects in 134 people between March 1999 and November 2004, according to a manufacturer's report.

http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20050212a2.htm

Blaze at 'onsen' drilling site extinguished
A fire at an "onsen" hot spring drilling site in Kita Ward, Tokyo, was extinguished Friday, more than 24 hours after it broke out, local firefighters said.

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire Friday morning at a hot spring drilling site in Kita Ward, Tokyo.
Nobody was injured in the blaze, which began around 4:50 p.m. Thursday and was put out around 5:15 p.m. Friday. About 40 local residents have taken refuge at a community center and other places.

http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20050212a5.htm

Immigration frees Kurdish asylum-seeker
By MASAMI ITO
Staff writer
A Kurdish asylum-seeker, recognized as a mandate refugee by the United Nations, was released from the Immigration Bureau in Tokyo's Minato Ward late Thursday evening after having been detained for four days, his lawyer said.

http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20050212f2.htm

Taking play therapy to Sri Lanka tsunami orphans
By ANGELA JEFFS
Dr. Akiko Ohnogi is a vision in red. She is wearing red from top to toe -- from earrings to handbag and shoes -- because, put simply, "It's my favorite color."

http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fl20050212a1.htm

Just one step from oblivion
In May of 1985, British mountain climbers Simon Yates and Joe Simpson made what almost turned out to be the last decision of their lives: They attempted to scale Siula Grande, an ominous 6,400-meter peak in the Peruvian Andes that had never been climbed before. Not only that, they decided to do it "Alpine style" -- in what Yates called "one big push" -- with no supply camps along the way, just the packs on their backs.

http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?ff20050209a1.htm

ICELANDIC SURPRISE
DNA 'flip' highlights our ongoing evolution
By ROWAN HOOPER
Stung by the phenomenal success of the "Harry Potter" books, some people like to preach about the infantilization of culture, and some critics worry that adults are wallowing in childhood.

http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fe20050210rh.htm

The New York Times

Japan Urges North Korea to Rejoin Disarmament Talks
TOKYO, Feb. 11 - The day after North Korea declared that it possessed nuclear weapons, Japan's prime minister urged the North to re-engage in disarmament talks. He spoke as the clock was running down toward a new law that will put economic pressure on North Korea by barring most of its ships from Japanese ports starting March 1.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/12/international/asia/12korea.html

Mounting Discontent in Russia Spills Into Streets
MOSCOW, Feb. 11 - A month ago a small crowd of elderly men and women briefly blocked the highway to Moscow's main international airport to protest changes in pension benefits. It seemed insignificant then, but in retrospect it seems to have been the first stirrings of something long considered dead, or at least dormant, in Russia: the public protest.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/12/international/europe/12russia.html?hp&ex=1108270800&en=73ab03849012dd2f&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Rare and Aggressive H.I.V. Reported in New York
By MARC SANTORA and LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
Published: February 12, 2005

A rare strain of H.I.V. that is highly resistant to virtually all anti-retroviral drugs and appears to lead to the rapid onset of AIDS was detected in a New York City man last week, city health officials announced on Friday.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/12/health/12aids.html?hp&ex=1108270800&en=4d5d2b3eeae367e9&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Too Angry or Fearful to Vote, Sunni Iraqis Are Marginalized
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb. 11 - Abdullah Muhammad al-Ajili was standing next to his old Toyota pickup on the dusty road from Baghdad to Tikrit, simmering with resentment, the sleeves on his dark blue dishdasha rolled up on his forearms.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/12/international/middleeast/12sunnis.html?hp&ex=1108270800&en=51c5ba3d9d4dbd85&ei=5094&partner=homepage

'01 Memo to Rice Warned of Qaeda and Offered Plan
By SCOTT SHANE
Published: February 12, 2005

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 - A strategy document outlining proposals for eliminating the threat from Al Qaeda, given to Condoleezza Rice as she assumed the post of national security adviser in January 2001, warned that the terror network had cells in the United States and 40 other countries and sought unconventional weapons, according to a declassified version of the document.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/12/politics/12clarke.html?hp

CNN Executive Resigns Post Over Remarks

Eason Jordan, a senior executive at CNN who was responsible for coordinating the cable network's Iraq coverage, resigned abruptly last night, citing a journalistic tempest he touched off during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, late last month in which he appeared to suggest that United States troops had deliberately aimed at journalists, killing some.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/12/business/media/12cnn.html?hp&ex=1108270800&en=33f12fe86d93f7b2&ei=5094&partner=homepage

The Cheney Observer

MANCHESTER - By getting off to a fast start, the Cheney Tech boys basketball team made sure it wouldn't need a furious finish.

The Beavers jumped out to a 19-2 lead after one quarter and cruised to a 65-42 Charter Oak Conference victory over Portland.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13939984&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=161561&rfi=6

For those living with the disease, every day is HIV/AIDS Day
Originally printed 2/10/2005 (Issue 1306)

In 2004, Dick Cheney wasn't aware of the extent of the AIDS epidemic among Black women.

In 2005, George W. Bush doesn't care.

How else can we explain a proposed 2006 budget that flat-funds the Ryan White Act while simultaneously increasing funding for abstinence education programs that have led to an increase in sexual activity among teenagers in Bush's home state of Texas? Especially since, according to former Chair of the Federal Committee to the CDC Health Resource Services Administration on HIV & STD Prevention and Treatment Dr. Robert Fullilove, those very policies will lead to even more infections?

http://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=11697

About the Filibuster and the "Nuclear Option"
What is the Filibuster?
The filibuster is one of our democracy's oldest and most important checks on the power of the majority. It preserves two of our bedrock values: protecting the rights of the minority and promoting compromise.

http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=17707

Iraq likely swapping dictatorship for Iran-like rule
Robert Scheer
In a heightened display of saber rattling, President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have been saying nasty things about Iran’s “unelected mullahs.”
This is apparently so we can tell the difference between the theocracy in place in Tehran and the one coalescing in Baghdad. Although things are looking slightly brighter for Iraq after its debut election, it is still not clear why the United States has spent incalculable fortunes in human life, taxpayer money and international goodwill to break Iraq and then remake it in the image of our avowed “axis of evil” enemy next door.

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/editorial/10875241.htm

Halliburton's lost radioactive cargo is found
Associated Press
Published February 11, 2005
WASHINGTON -- A Halliburton Co. shipment of radioactive material that landed in New York in October was lost en route to Texas and was not found until Wednesday, when it turned up in Boston.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0502110271feb11,1,3105405.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

Moneymakers
Operations chief worked his way up at Halliburton
Andy Lane, 45, the chief operating officer at Halliburton, first worked for the company as an intern and has moved through the ranks to the No. 2 job at one of the city's highest profile companies.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3034335

Mixed Messages and Flip-Flops as the SEC Director Nomination Rule Stagnates
by William Baue
While the SEC retracts its promise allowing shareowners to file director nomination resolutions before rule enactment, lawsuits secure shareowner rights to nominate directors.
(SocialFunds.com) - Investors, particularly those holding Ashland (ticker: ASH), Microtune (TUNE), and MCI (MCIP--formerly WorldCom), as well as Halliburton (HAL), Qwest (Q), and Verizon (VZ), are getting mixed messages regarding shareowner nomination of director candidates. On the one hand, lawsuit settlements in cases involving corporate governance failures require the first set of companies to allow institutional investors to nominate directors. On the other hand, this week the staff at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Division of Corporate Finance allowed the latter companies to omit resolutions calling for shareowner access to the proxy to nominate directors.

http://www.csrwire.com/sfarticle.cgi?id=1636

Analysis: Cuban oil finds may bring change
By Les Kjos
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
Published February 11, 2005
MIAMI -- An oil discovery off Cuba and continued exploration by a variety of international interests could set off a series of changes in the energy and political landscape worldwide.

http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050211-033608-5711r

Profiteering from the Iraq war
Burhanuddin Hasan
February 10, 2005 - As President Bush entered the second term of his office, he said in a newspaper interview that his re-election proved that Americans endorsed his decision to go to war against Iraq, and had given him a mandate to pursue his other foreign policy objectives, which include pre-emptive attacks on Iran and Syria. He repeated this frightening theme in his inaugural address on January 20 and his State of the Union Address. He broadly hinted that he would not hesitate to use force to spread democracy, freedom and liberty in regions under tyranny because "the survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world."

http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m9604&l=i&size=1&hd=0

Bush Threatens to Veto Medicare Changes
JENNIFER LOVEN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - President Bush, faced with complaints from Republicans as well as Democrats about higher cost estimates for a new Medicare drug benefit, said Friday he would veto any attempt to change the law.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/10879721.htm

Bush appeal on Social Security draws ire of black leaders
BY NAFTALI BENDAVID
Chicago Tribune
WASHINGTON - (KRT) - President Bush and his supporters, as part of their all-out effort to push Social Security reform, have been quietly making the argument that African-Americans would particularly benefit from Bush's proposals - a message that is proving highly controversial.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/10879989.htm

Bush Nears First Win of Term With Class-Action Bill (Update1)
Feb. 11 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. President George W. Bush is poised to claim the first legislative victory of his second term following Senate approval of a bill to move most class-action lawsuits from state to federal courts.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a_k.akCUqR1o&refer=us

Cano Petroleum Chosen as Lead Sponsor of All Outdoors TV
FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- All Outdoors TV, anational television show airing on DISH Network, DirectTV and SportsmansChannel as well as local stations in Texas, Louisiana and Arizona, is pleasedto have Cano Petroleum, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CAOP) as its lead sponsorfor the 2005 season. The show has an 18-year history, a loyal followingacross the country, and broadcasts to some 80 million households.Cano is fortunate to have been chosen as a premier partner of All OutdoorsTV. By sponsoring this popular television show, Cano highlights itscommitment to maintaining a healthy environment for America's families andfuture generations.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/02-11-2005/0002995006&EDATE=

Cano Petroleum to purchase Texas-based Square One for undisclosed sum
Exploration and production independent Cano Petroleum said it has signed a letter of intent to acquire Square One Energy, a Texas-based oil and gas operating company, for an undisclosed amount of cash. Square One’s assets include a 100 percent working interest in 11,000 acres of mature oil fields in....

http://www.petroleumnews.com/pntruncate/284465844.shtml

Portrush Petroleum Drilling in Alberta to Proceed
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 11, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Portrush Petroleum Corporation (TSX Venture Exchange:PSH) (OTCBB:PRRPF) announced today that Canadian Imperial Ventures has committed to a drilling program on the assembled land package covering approximately 50 sections (gross) in the Cranberry/Botha region of Northwest Alberta. Portrush earned its interest in these lands by participating in four exploratory wells drilled in 2001. The company earned up to 30% interest in a significant portion of these lands and will be carried for 40% of its current interest on any well drilled on its acreage.

http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/?d=72576

Terror, Fear, Nukes, Sports, Sex and a Little Business

This is what happened today (February 11, 2005) on "the most popular business show on the planet," Your World w/Neil Cavuto.

Some of Bush's poll numbers on Iraq and the Iraq war are sagging fairly substantially. For example, Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll released yesterday showed:

Sharp divisions remain on the question of whether going to war with Iraq was the right thing for the United States to do. Today 46 percent think the action was the right thing to do, down from 50 percent in June 2004, and 49 percent now say it was wrong, up from 42 percent.

Therefore, I thought it was interesting that Cavuto led with three segments about Sarin gas and fear today. Bush's poll numbers go up when he is painted as our protector-father-terror-fighter, fending off people who are out to get us, so what better way to help shore-up his numbers than to remind people that they still need to be afraid? To that end, and despite all the proof that Saddam had no ability to cause us harm, Fox still equates the Iraq war with the "war on terror." As a matter of fact, frequently when Fox goes to a report about Iraq, they show a full screen graphic saying "War on Terror" before cutting to the report.

http://www.newshounds.us/2005/02/11/terror_fear_nukes_sports_sex_and_a_little_business.php

Bush budget angers some city officials
New Haven may face significant reductions in grants for law enforcement, housing and community development next year if the recommendations contained in President Bush's recent budget proposal are followed.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=28362

3 now seeking Bush's job
As Republicans bide their time, a third Democrat, U.S. Rep Jim Davis, jumps into the race to replace Jeb Bush when the two-term governor leaves office.
BY LESLEY CLARK
lclark@herald.com
U.S. Rep. Jim Davis, a Tampa Democrat frequently mentioned as a potential gubernatorial candidate, took the plunge on Thursday, declaring that he will run for governor.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/10871030.htm

Profiteering from the Iraq war
Burhanuddin Hasan
February 10, 2005 - As President Bush entered the second term of his office, he said in a newspaper interview that his re-election proved that Americans endorsed his decision to go to war against Iraq, and had given him a mandate to pursue his other foreign policy objectives, which include pre-emptive attacks on Iran and Syria. He repeated this frightening theme in his inaugural address on January 20 and his State of the Union Address. He broadly hinted that he would not hesitate to use force to spread democracy, freedom and liberty in regions under tyranny because "the survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world."

http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m9604&l=i&size=1&hd=0\
Cold weather forecast, OPEC fears cause uptick in oil prices
NEW YORK (AFP) - Crude oil prices drifted higher on global markets as traders turned skittish in the face of fresh forecasts calling for colder US weather and renewed fears about a production cut from the OPEC cartel.

http://www.turkishpress.com/business/news.asp?id=050208232319.6p1c0i78.xml

Oil Installations Are Secure, Says Naimi
Raid Qusti, Arab News

RIYADH, 9 February 2005 — Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi said yesterday that terrorist attacks in the Kingdom over the past two years had neither targeted nor harmed any oil plant in the Kingdom.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=58741&d=9&m=2&y=2005

Fight for Oil Wealth Fuels Violence in Delta
IN Nigeria's oil-rich Niger- Delta, the struggle among local leaders for oil revenue, oil smuggling routes and government funds, has fuelled violent clashes between rival armed groups, Human Rights Watch said in a report released at the weekend.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200502081003.html

STOCKS: As yen and oil decline, shares of exporters rise

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/02/08/bloomberg/sxstox.html

Bush budget will hit city housing
BY GLENN THRUSH AND GRAHAM RAYMON
STAFF WRITERS
February 8, 2005, 6:26 PM EST
The city's affordable housing programs face devastating cuts under President George W. Bush's new budget, city administration officials and advocates said Tuesday.

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/politics/nyc-bud0209,0,3260619.story?coll=nyc-homepage-breaking2

California's rice, cotton groups aim to fight Bush subsidy cuts
JIM WASSERMAN
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO - California's cotton and rice farmers, who receive more than $500 million a year in federal crop subsidies, are preparing to fight President Bush's proposed subsidy cuts.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/10848766.htm

Yemen Petroleum Company relies on Microsoft technology to streamline new business processes
Yemen Petroleum Company (YPC) has announced that it is set to deploy a whole new IT infrastructure based on Microsoft technology, which will give it complete control over its financial management and business processes.

http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/53535.html

Report faults Hanford contractor, DOE for failing to adequately study cost savings of project
By SHANNON DININNY
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
YAKIMA, Wash. -- A contractor at the Hanford nuclear reservation failed to adequately analyze the economic benefits of using a still-standing building to dispose of some nuclear waste, the U.S. Department of Energy's inspector general said Tuesday in a new report.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&slug=WA%20Hanford%20Canyon%20Report

Aircraft Carrier Fight Pains Gov. Jeb Bush
President Bush's defense blueprint calls for eliminating an aircraft carrier, and that's making life difficult for his brother Jeb, governor of Florida where the USS John F. Kennedy is based.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2005/02/08/national/w140833S12.DTL

Amid sweeping cuts in US budget
Bush plans renewed assault on Medicaid
By Joseph Kay
8 February 2005
Use this version to print Send this link by email Email the author
At the center of the sweeping domestic spending cuts unveiled by the Bush administration Monday is the proposal for a major assault on Medicaid, the main government program that pays for health care for the poor and disabled in the US.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/feb2005/medi-f08.shtml

Michael Moore Today

WMD FINALLY FOUND
North Korea Nuclear Timeline
No Good Option As N. Korea Seeks Nuclear Acceptance
Bush Doctrine Gets Nuclear Reaction
George W. Bush's Split Vision

http://www.michaelmoore.com/

Iraqis Frustrated by Shortages in Oil-Rich Country
BAQUBA, Iraq ( CNN) -- "No gas, no fuel. This is destruction, not freedom!"
It is just another morning at the pump at a fuel station in Mansuriye, northeast of Baquba, where tempers of the weary civilians waiting for gasoline in oil-rich Iraq are flaring.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=1403

Despite Record of Atrocities, U.S. Moves to Normalize Ties with Indonesia Military
By Jim Lobe / OneWorld.us
WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb 11 (OneWorld) - U.S. human rights groups are expressing concern over reports that the Bush administration is preparing to renew the Indonesian armed forces' eligibility to participate in a key training program despite continuing reports of abuses committed by the army in the tsunami-devastated province of Aceh.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=1405

9/11 Report Cites Many Warnings About Hijackings
By Eric Lichtblau / The New York Times
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 - In the months before the Sept. 11 attacks, federal aviation officials reviewed dozens of intelligence reports that warned about Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, some of which specifically discussed airline hijackings and suicide operations, according to a previously undisclosed report from the 9/11 commission.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=1377

The China Daily

US rejects one-on-one North Korea talks
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-12 09:28
Arguing it was burned before in one-on-one talks with North Korea, the United States said Friday it had no interest in resuming direct discussions on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/12/content_416201.htm

Trade surplus hits US$6.48b in January
(xinhua)
Updated: 2005-02-12 11:56
China's trade surplus for January reached a record high of US$6.48 billion while its export rise by 42.2 percent over the same period of last year, customs statistics showed on Tuesday.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/12/content_416227.htm

Japan action severe violation of Chinese sovereignty
(chinadaily.com.cn/Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-12 09:17
Officials with the Department of Asian Affairs under the Chinese Foreign Ministry has solemnly raised the issue of Diaoyu Islands with the Japanese side, the website of the ministry said.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/12/content_416200.htm

China to host World Botanical Garden Conference
(xinhua)
Updated: 2005-02-11 12:50
The Third World Botanical Garden Conference will be held in Wuhan, an industrial and commercial metropolis on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, in September of 2007.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/11/content_416163.htm

China projects 8 percent annual growth
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-11 09:18
China should keep up its strong economic expansion over the next five years, with annual growth of 8 percent driven by abundant labor and a big domestic market, the State Council Development Research Center says Thursday.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/11/content_416115.htm

G7's unfulfilled duty
Updated: 2005-02-07 09:22
The London meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors will be dominated, if the host, UK finance minister Gordon Brown has his way, by the issue of the relief of poverty in developing countries, with the emphasis on Africa.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-02/07/content_415771.htm

The Los Angles Times

ALSO KNOWN AS "Will someone else continue to fund North Korea?"

U.S. Refuses One-On-One North Korea Talks
WASHINGTON — Arguing it was burned before in one-on-one talks with North Korea, the United States said Friday it had no interest in resuming direct discussions on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/ats-ap_top11feb11,0,710853.story


CIA Operation in Iran Failed When Spies Were Exposed
WASHINGTON — Dozens of CIA informants in Iran were executed or imprisoned in the late 1980s or early 1990s after their secret communications with the agency were uncovered by the government, according to former CIA officials who discussed the episode after aspects of it were disclosed during a recent congressional hearing.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-cia12feb12,0,5143074.story?coll=la-home-headlines

OTHERWISE KNOWN AS "Who gets the research grants and who doesn't!!"

NIH Chief Calls for Ethics Summit
Dr. Elias Zerhouni, who banned drug company payments to agency scientists, wants a wider discussion on conflicts in medical research.
BETHESDA, Md. — The director of the National Institutes of Health — describing consulting payments from drug companies as a "systemic problem" that threatened the integrity of his agency — has called for a summit of government and academic leaders to address conflicts of interest throughout American medical research.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-nih12feb12,0,7388584.story?coll=la-home-headlines

The World According to Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart looms over P&G, Gillette
Chain's private labels challenge famous brands
By CONSTANCE L. HAYS
New York Times
Did Wal-Mart's power and the proliferation of store brands have anything to do with Procter & Gamble's decision Friday to buy Gillette for $57 billion?

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3014599

Wal-Mart narrows January sales view
By Carla Mozee, MarketWatch

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Wal-Mart said Saturday it expects same-store sales growth in January of 2.5 percent, which would be at the lower half of its forecasts.

http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B1146948D-E819-4119-AFDC-643A0A8A1BA7%7D&siteid=google&dist=google

Ruling OKs union vote at Wal-Mart
By Kristi Arellano
Denver Post Staff Writer
Workers in the tire and lube section of Loveland's Wal- Mart Supercenter have gotten the OK from the National Labor Relations Board to vote on whether they want to unionize.

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~33~2680398,00.html

More than 1,000 mourners bid farewell to slain Wal-Mart clerk

TYLER, Texas A 19-year-old Wal-Mart clerk who was kidnapped and killed was remembered today as a beautiful, compassionate woman with a bright smile.
More than one-thousand mourners turned out for Megan LeAnn Holden's funeral in Tyler, Texas. Photos of Holden in her softball uniform, at her sister's wedding and being silly with friends were shown on a large screen behind her coffin.

http://www.wboc.com/Global/story.asp?S=2875358

Suspect in Wal-Mart clerk's death balks at extradition

Associated Press
BISBEE, Ariz. - An ex-Marine charged in the kidnapping and killing of a Texas college student and sought by authorities there declined to be extradited today from Arizona.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3008273>

Nickel's 3-Year Rally May End as Ikea, Wal-Mart Reduce Demand
Jan. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Nickel, the best performer on the London Metal Exchange since 2003, may record its first annual drop in four years as buyers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Ikea use cheaper alternatives in products ranging from coffee tables to desks and mirrors.
Nickel for immediate delivery will probably drop to an average of $13,000 a metric ton this year from $13,741 in 2004 on the LME, based on the median estimate from 20 analysts surveyed since Dec. 15 by Bloomberg News.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=ahDiG22AKZck&refer=top_world_news

Critics Say Wal-Mart Vote Had Political Cost
POSTED: 10:45 am EST January 25, 2005
NASHUA, N.H. -- Critics said that voting against a proposed Wal-Mart store in Nashua cost two leaders of the city's Conservation Commission their jobs.

http://www.thewmurchannel.com/news/4127523/detail.html

Wal-Mart, the bank?
By 2010, you may be able to open Wal-Mart accounts, visit Wal-Mart dentists, rent Wal-Mart cars.
January 26, 2005: 4:05 PM EST
By Parija Bhatnagar, CNN/Money staff writer
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - It's already the king of retailing. Give it another five years or so and Wal-Mart may be on its way to conquering other valuable little nuggets of the business world.
For instance, why shouldn't the world's largest retailer open its own Wal-Mart banks? The opportunity is clearly there given that 20 percent of Wal-Mart shoppers currently don't have their own bank accounts, according to market research firm Retail Forward.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/01/26/news/fortune500/walmart_future/?cnn=yes

Devil demands pride of place on Wal-Mart shelf

VIVEK SINHA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
[ THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2005 01:13:17 AM]

NEW DELHI: Mirc Electronics — the second largest Indian manufacturer of colour televisions— has initiated the first step towards a deal with Wal-Mart for putting made-in-India televisions on the shelves of the largest retailer in the world.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1001992.cms

Ill wind for Wal-Mart
As managers meet in KC, retail giant faces angry squall
By RANDOLPH HEASTER
The Kansas City Star
“There's a downside to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart hurts people, communities and democracy. It's about more than just low prices.”
Mary Lindsay, Kansas City organizer for ReclaimDemocracy.org
More than 6,000 Wal-Mart managers today wrap up their annual meeting in Kansas City, where they reviewed performance and analyzed the coming year for the world's largest company.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/10732756.htm

Wal-Mart prices trump image
David van den Berg
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 27, 2005 12:00 AM
Wal-Mart has launched a nationwide campaign to boost its image, but that effort had no impact on Brandy Geary's decision to shop at the company's new Supercenter in Gilbert on Wednesday, its first day in business.
Geary, a stay-at-home mom, said the only thing that might affect her decision to shop at Wal-Mart would be if prices increased.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/0127gr-walmartopeningZ12.html

Wal-Mart to Pay Retired Coughlin for 2 Years
1/27/05 11:57:49 AM
By Lance Turner, Arkansasbusiness.com Daily Report
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of Bentonville said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday that it will continue to pay retired company Vice Chairman Thomas M. Coughlin for the next two years, and it outlined Coughlin's no-compete agreement with the company.

http://arkansasbusiness.com/news/headline_article.asp?aid=39748

Wal-Mart January sales come up short
By Jennifer Waters, MarketWatch

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s sales for January slightly missed Wall Street's expectations Thursday after results at Sam's Club fell well below forecasts.

Total sales for the Bentonville, Ark.-based behemoth rose 9 percent from the year-ago period to $19.80 billion. Sales at Wal-Mart Stores tallied $13.17 billion, up a robust 10.7 percent, while Sam's Club sales were $2.51 billion, up 1.4 percent over last year. International sales grew 8.6 percent to $4.12 billion.

http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7B05E1DC6C-71A2-42B6-8A2D-C01713AC54AE%7D&siteid=google&dist=google

Wal-Mart hearing goes into overtime
Jody Paige
Published February 3, 2005
LOCKPORT -- More than 100 residents turned out for a public hearing on a controversial proposed Wal-Mart store that began at 7 p.m. Tuesday and continued until well after midnight before being adjourned until Wednesday evening.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/southsouthwest/chi-0502030404feb03,1,5780985.story?coll=chi-newslocalssouthwest-hed

Wal*Mart Employee Thwarts Criminal
Williston, Vermont - February 3, 2005
Police are crediting Wal-Mart employees in Williston with thwarting a potential homicide.
Police say 29-year-old Shawn Wood tried to steal a gun from the retailer Wednesday. Police say Wood arrived in Burlington from California a few days ago.

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=2899964&nav=4QcSVxye

THIS IS GROSSLY SAD.

Thousands Apply for Wal-Mart Jobs
23 Newsroom
Wal-Mart held a job fair there over the past three days. The first day about 2,700 people applied.
Wednesday, 1,300 job seekers interviewed, and Thursday about 450 people applied. The thousands who do not get hired will have another chance.
Hiring for the new Super Wal-Mart store on East State Street in Rockford will begin in early March. There will be 150 open positions for that store.

http://www.wifr.com/home/headlines/1227802.html

Wal-Mart Wins Appeal in Overtime Ruling
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will get another chance to argue its case that it shouldn't have to pay millions in overtime to pharmacists after winning its appeal.
The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new hearing in the case, saying a federal judge that ruled the company had violated the law by failing to pay overtime acted too quickly and should reconsider the evidence.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rup3.6feb03,1,3452619.story?coll=la-headlines-business

Union Plans to Sue Wal-Mart Canada
Associated Press
TORONTO - A union Friday said it will file charges against Wal-Mart Canada for exhibiting "bad faith" during its first-ever contract talks by secretly planning to close the affected store.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/financial_markets/10879357.htm

Council looks to keep Wal-Mart out

BY LAUREN WEBER
STAFF WRITER
February 11, 2005
City Council members promised yesterday to seek legislative ways to keep Wal-Mart away, or to make it so inconvenient for the giant retailer that it abandons plans to enter the city.
"I'm interested in some kind of legislation that could help out," said Councilman Joseph Addabbo, a Democrat, citing his support for the union leaders who attended the Civil Service and Labor Committee hearing to protest Wal-Mart's labor practices.

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzlabo114141423feb11,0,2925933.story?coll=ny-business-headlines

Unionized Wal-Mart employees fear second Quebec store to shut
By INGRID PERITZ
With reports from Rhéal Séguin in Quebec City and from Reuters
Friday, February 11, 2005 - Page A7
SAINT-HYACINTHE, QUE. -- There were shrugs of resignation in the housewares aisle and whispers of fear over in sporting goods. Wal-Mart, a store known for its greeters, yellow smiley faces and the famous Wal-Mart cheer, was not an especially happy place yesterday.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050211/WALMART11/TPNational/TopStories

UFCW Rejected Again By Wal-Mart Associates; Tire and Lube Associates in New Castle, PA, Say 'No' to Union Representation
Distribution Source : PRNewswire
Date : Friday - February 11, 2005
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Feb. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wal-Mart associates have once again voted against union representation in a democratic election that took place today in New Castle, Penn. Seventeen associates who work in the Tire and Lube Express department cast their votes in a secret- ballot election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.

http://press.arrivenet.com/bus/article.php/585878.html

Union rips Canada Wal-Mart
Bad-faith action could be filed
Frederic Tomesco
Bloomberg News
Feb. 12, 2005 12:00 AM
TORONTO - The United Food and Commercial Workers' Canadian arm said it plans to file a complaint against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for bargaining in bad faith after the retailer said it would close its first unionized outlet in North America.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0212walmart12.html

Wal-Mart Agrees to Pay Fine in Child Labor Cases
By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Published: February 12, 2005
al-Mart Stores, the nation's largest retailer, has agreed to pay $135,540 to settle federal charges that it violated child labor laws in Connecticut, Arkansas and New Hampshire.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/12/national/12wage.html

Council looks to keep Wal-Mart out
BY LAUREN WEBER
STAFF WRITER
February 11, 2005
City Council members promised yesterday to seek legislative ways to keep Wal-Mart away, or to make it so inconvenient for the giant retailer that it abandons plans to enter the city.

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzlabo114141423feb11,0,2925933.story?coll=ny-business-headlines

Wal-Mart Might Open a Store in NYC

By Ketan Tanna & Jeff Miller
Posted: 2/11/2005 12:44 PM

(Rapaport…February 11, 2005) Retail giant, Wal-Mart Inc., is hoping to open a store within city limits of New York, about as far from downtown as the map would allow, in Rego Park, Queens.

http://www.diamonds.net/news/newsitem.asp?num=11388

WE SHALL OVERCOME !!

Judge denies Wal-Mart opponents' suit
By JOSEPH DEINLEIN
Times Herald
A St. Clair County Circuit judge ruled today the Marine City Planning Commission and City Commission followed the law when they rezoned a parcel that could become home to a Wal-Mart store.

http://www.thetimesherald.com/news/updates/11292.html

Wal-Mart: What About the Little Guy
by Chris Motola
As more and more familiar logos pop up along the Route 104 corridor, so do the concerns of smaller "mom and pop" retailers who fill the shops in Oswego's downtown. The question is: are the horror stories about Wal-Mart and similar companies driving the little guy out of business true, at least as far as Oswego and its neighboring communities are concerned?

http://www.oswegocountybusiness.com/issue76/76LittleGuy.html

Louisville woman held for forging checks at Madison Wal-Mart
By: Wayne Engle
Checks stolen from a car parked at a rest stop in Oldham County, Ky., were forged and used to purchase items at the Madison Wal-Mart Supercenter, resulting in the arrest of a Louisville, Ky., woman on 22 felony charges.

http://www.madisoncourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=253&ArticleID=22246&TM=57440.66


Wal-Mart "buy"
NEW YORK, February 8 (newratings.com) - Analysts at UBS maintain their "buy" rating on Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.NYS). The 12-month target price is set to $64.
In a research note published this morning, the analysts mention that according to media reports, Wal-Mart Stores is in talks to purchase Migros of Turkey or its Russian locations. Wal-Mart Stores has also recently set up a Hungarian subsidiary, the analysts say. The company is likely to use this subsidiary to enter the Hungarian and Russian markets, UBS adds.

http://www.newratings.com/new2/beta/article_685433.html

China Sales Soar for Wal-Mart, Carrefour in 2004

By Ketan Tanna
Posted: 2/8/2005 9:56 AM

(Rapaport...February 8, 2005) The world's top two retailers, Carrefour and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., posted sales of $1.9 billion and $7.63 billion respectively in China for 2004, according to the China's Ministry of Commerce.

http://www.diamonds.net/news/newsitem.asp?num=11352&type=all&topic=all


The Moscow News

104 Dead in Russian-Crewed Afghan Plane Crash
By Anna Arutunyan and Oleg Liakhovich

Early Monday, NATO-led rescue teams reached the crash site of the Afghan plane that crashed into a mountain 30 kilometers south-east of Kabul on Thursday. The wreckage was spotted on Saturday but efforts to reach it were thwarted by bad weather. The rescuers have found at least three bodies, Afghan army general Ahmad Pia Yastali was quoted by AFP as saying.

http://english.mn.ru/english/issue.php?2005-5-10

Bush States US Ambitions
By Robert Bridge The Moscow News
US President George W. Bush laid out plans for his next four years on Wednesday night, where once again the stress was placed on the need to "stay on the offensive" against America's enemies

http://english.mn.ru/english/issue.php?2005-5-14

Moscow Is Becoming More Attractive to Foreign Tourists
By Anna Arutunyan and Oleg Liakhovich

A forecast made by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) envisions Moscow making it into the top ten of the most popular tourist directions in the world by 2010. The Moscow City Tourist Committee's annual review also allows for optimism, revealing a significant growth of tourist inflow in comparison with past years.

http://english.mn.ru/english/issue.php?2005-5-12

The Moscow Times

Protests Spread to Transport, Defense Staff
Transportation and civilian defense workers on Thursday became the latest groups to take to the streets in protest, with transportation industry associations staging nationwide rallies against gasoline price hikes and poor quality gasoline, while the defense workers demonstrated in Moscow for a salary raise.

http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/02/11/002.html

$125M Hotel Deal Sets Record
In the largest-ever Russian property deal, British luxury hospitality chain Orient-Express Hotels has snapped up a 93.5 percent stake in St. Petersburg's historical Grand Hotel Europe as part of a $125 million investment plan.


http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/02/11/001.html

Summit Soul Mates in Slovakia
By Gregory Feifer

Don't expect much from the upcoming summit meeting between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush in the Slovakian capital, Bratislava, on Feb. 24. That's not because the two won't agree on key issues, but because they understand each other all too well.

http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/02/11/006.html>

Xenophobia Is All the Rage
By Georgy Bovt
It seems symbolic that these kinds of things happen on NTV, of all channels. NTV, once considered a bastion of freedom in the Russian mass media. A channel founded not only by an oligarch but -- even more symbolically -- by the head of the Russian Jewish Congress at the time, Vladimir Gusinsky. Yet it was NTV that honored that consummate anti-Semite, Albert Makashov. It all happened last week on the political debate show, "K Baryeru!" The show's host, Vladimir Solovyov, admitted his Jewish heritage on live television, which is still a bold move in 21st-century Russia. It all happened only a week after the world marked the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, at which President Vladimir Putin publicly apologized to Europe for the anti-Semitic petition to the prosecutor general initiated by 19 State Duma deputies, who called for a ban on all Jewish organizations.

http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/02/10/005.html

Foreigners to Lose Access to Licenses
Russia will not allow foreign companies to bid for some of the nations largest reserves deposits, Natural Resources Minister Yury Trutnev said Thursday.
Only companies that are at least 51 percent Russian-owned will be allowed to participate in auctions for exploration and development licenses, Trutnev said, Interfax reported.

http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2005/02/11/041.html

The Boston Globe

Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Actress Catherine Zeta Jones received this year's Hasty Pudding Theatricals Woman of the Year award at Harvard University on Feb. 10, 2005. Known as much for their drag queen couture as their acting abilities, the group annually honors an actor and an actress for their contributions to the entertainment industry. Here, Zeta-Jones gets the traditional kiss from Hasty Pudding Theatricals President Mathew Ferrante (left) and Vice President of the Cast Sam Gale Rosen

http://www.boston.com/ae/events/gallery/zetajones_hasty_pudding/

AG backs legalizing same-sex marriage
Reilly says he'll oppose any constitutional ban
By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff February 12, 2005
After playing a key role in the efforts to fight legalization of gay marriage a year ago, Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly said yesterday that he now favors allowing legalized same-sex marriage in Massachusetts and that he will oppose any efforts to ban them.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2005/02/12/ag_backs_legalizing_same_sex_marriage/

Iraq's hard-line Shi'ites vow to resist US agenda
By Thanassis Cambanis, Globe Staff February 12, 2005
BAGHDAD -- A vociferous and well-organized faction of extremist Shi'ite Muslims is mobilizing to challenge the new government that emerges from Iraq's recent election and to push for a hard line against the United States.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2005/02/12/iraqs_hard_line_shiites_vow_to_resist_us_agenda/

Celtics roll over Knicks 111-94
February 12, 2005
BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics already had the Atlantic Division lead. Now they have a winning record to go with it.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/02/12/celtics_roll_over_knicks_111_94/

North Korea Plays for Hard Bargain with Nuke Boast
By Jon Herskovitz February 12, 2005
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has taken a calculated bargaining risk by announcing for the first time it has nuclear weapons, a South Korean official said Saturday, after the United States rejected North Korean calls for one-on-one talks.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/02/12/us_rejects_nkorea_demand_for_2_way_talks_on_nukes/

The Chosun Ilbo (South Korea)

Prolonged Nuclear Impasse Favors U.S. Hardliners
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government is downplaying the significance of a North Korean statement claiming possession of nuclear weapons and declaring its indefinite withdrawal from six-party talks on its nuclear program. Washington says Pyongyang’s statement contain "nothing new" and will only to isolate the Stalinist country further.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200502/200502110019.html

Seoul Must Urgently Rethink Its N. Korea Strategy
Pyongyang's announcement that it has developed nuclear weapons has significantly limited the diplomatic position of the Seoul government. It makes it difficult for the government to side with North Korea on the international stage. It will also become difficult to try and intervene should the United States have something drastic planned for the North.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200502/200502110023.html

North Korea Declares ‘Indefinite Suspension’ of Six-Party Talks
North Korea on Thursday said six-party talks aimed at resolving its nuclear issue had been “suspended indefinitely” over U.S. hostility, scuppering hopes of their early resumption. Experts on the Stalinist country view the statement as negotiation rhetoric, but the talks, which had shown signs of being close to a fresh start, now seem a way further off.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200502/200502100012.html

Nuclear Brinkmanship From Pyongyang - Again?
North Korea has declared it is indefinitely suspending participation in six-party talks on its nuclear weapons program. With a Foreign Ministry statement also announcing that Pyongyang has built nuclear weapons for “self-defense”, the North Korean nuclear crisis has come to yet another head.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200502/200502100025.html

Did a Bodyguard Kill First Lady Yook Young-soo?
An academic on Friday said first lady Yook Young-soo, who was killed in 1974 during an assassination attempt on her husband President Park Chung-hee, probably died from a bullet fired by a boduguard. Prof. Bae Myeong-jin of Soongsil University’s Electronic, Electrical and Information Department announced research indicating the first lady was not killed by her husband’s would-be assassin Moon Se-kwang, as had been widely believed.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200502/200502110020.html

U.S. Analyst Blows Gaff on 3,000 ‘Trivial’ Codenames
U.S. military analyst Bill Arkin has revealed about 3,000 codenames and details of U.S. Defense Department and CIA operations, MSNBC reported Thursday.

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200502/200502110031.html

Forbes

Connoisseur's Guide
Most Expensive Lingerie

It's the most romantic time of the year again--or so the folks at Hallmark tell us--and with it comes the annual rush of harried gentlemen and love-struck suitors desperate to show their wives and girlfriends that they really, really do care.

http://www.forbes.com/2005/02/09/cx_ns_0209feat.html?partner=lifestyle_newsletter

continued with picture later ...

Happy Valentine's Day 

Genetic Correctness

Do you believe in dreams, Nicholas?

Many, many people do. There is cultural affection for understanding dreams in most societies.

The ancients thought they were visits from other spirits or premonitions about the future.

Dream Interpretation is still today believed to be a 'key' to one thing or another.

We know for a fact that the brain runs on biochemistry. There is no thought without brain activity whether the body is a living vegetable or corpus. There is absolutely no thought in those instances. EEGs will tell you that.

Much to everyone's shagrine who would like to believe that dreams are magical and bad ones mean something. Dreams are nothing more than a process that happens as the biochemistry of one days activity is cleared out for yet another day to awaken so we feel refreshed and ready to meet the challenge of yet another day.

Dreams happen in the late and light stages of sleep called the REM sleep. It is the time that occurs just before we wake up. So that is why we remember some dreams and not others.

The point here Nicholas is that you addressed a genetic link with spirituality as if somehow every person was born to be spiritual. I think that is dangerous because soon after the summit the NIH is holding there will be scientists that will be out there to prove exactly that and not only that but to prove the correct spirituality is Christianity.

Genes are genes Nicholas and DNA is an interesting study in understanding disease and it's potential cure but to seek specific genes for specific aspects of PERSONALITY is wrong. Just plane wrong. You are then confronted with nature vs. nurture and that isn't really proved out in twins. The 'twins' issue only proves both children were similarly limited. Genetic.

I personally like to understand spirituality as it is LIVED by people and what it means to them. One of the most fascinating spirituality is from the Native Americans.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/nataspir.htm

I think, that if one is to measure spirituality of Americans and assign a gene for the correctness of application for Americans we should first seek the purest of the native Americans and adjust all others to match that and bring America under one spiritual gene. I mean after all, Mr. Kristof, Christianity is not an American religion. It dates back to I think it was Darwin.

Or perhaps more correctly, the British Thrown before it was imported to America.

Paul Revere rode his midnight ride "One if by land, Two if by sea" not to continue the oppression of religion but to be freed of that oppression and practice at will. The Salem Witch trials were conducted in fear and not in enlightenment.

Spirituality, Mr. Kristof is an aspect of personality.

I believe what your editorial lacks is the question, "Which gene is the one that belongs to the SOUL?"

What would North Korea do?

Leadership Exploits of Kim Jong Il LaudedPyongyang, February 11 (KCNA) -- Romesh Chandra, honorary president of the World Peace Council, issued a statement on Feb. 4 on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il, highly praising his leadership exploits. Since he embarked upon the road of revolution in his young years with the far-reaching intention to take upon himself the future of Korea, Kim Jong Il has created a new history of socialist Korea through his wise guidance for scores of years, Chandra said, adding: He has developed and enriched the Juche idea founded by President Kim Il Sung and is successfully carrying forward the revolutionary cause of the President to accomplishment. Under his Songun politics the friendly Korean people are firmly defending socialism and achieving great success in the efforts to build a great prosperous powerful nation and reunify the country while frustrating all the moves of the U.S.-led imperialism to stifle the DPRK, he said, adding: They, with Kim Jong Il as their leader, will surely emerge victorious in accomplishing their just cause in the future, too.

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING. IT IS CULTURAL EXCHANGE. IT IS A STEPINTO THE PEACE PROCESS. AN APPRECIATION OF EACH OTHER'S CULTURE IS FREQUENTLY A STEPPING STONE TO MORE UNDERSTANDING. SAID IN OTHER TERMS: WE CAN FINDA WAY KNOWING WE BOTH WANT THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR OUR POPULOUS. THE QUESTIONTHAT ALWAYS HANGS IN THE BALANCE IS 'GOOD FAITH AND ARE THERE FALSE AGENDASHIDDEN IN ANY AGREEMENT.' If false agendas exist then it is still anotherinitiative to find out why and how to resolve the misunderstanding until common ground is truly common.

http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm

Korean Book, Photo and Handiwork Exhibition Opens in Russia Moscow, February 9 (KCNA) -- A Korean book, photo and handiwork exhibition opened at the Cultural Centre of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation named after Frunze in Moscow on Feb. 8 on the occasion of the birthday of leader Kim Jong Il. On display are works of Kim Jong Il, photos showing his leadership of Songun revolution, books praising his greatness, books and magazines introducing socialist Korea and the friendly relations between the two countries and Korean craft works. Waleri Shutkin, director of the centre who is professor and merited cultural official of Russia, in his speech at the opening ceremony said the exhibition would help many visitors gain a better knowledge about the soldiers of the Korean People's Army and the people of the DPRK who are making a vigorous drive to build a great prosperous powerful socialist nation, upholding with loyalty the Songun politics of Kim Jong Il and about the emotion and talent of the people distinguished from olden times.

I AM NOT worried about North Korean nukes. What do the 'alarming' countries have to have to be 'unalarming?'

STABLE GOVERNMENTS.

All the nations in the world in my opinion wih questionable status due to nuclear proliferation via Bush's Neocon push for world and cultural domination are North Korea, Pakistan, India and Iran. Of those four which one is the one to worry about the most?

PAKISTAN.

The other nations have stable governments. Pakistan's Musharraf's government started the nuclear proliferation about periphery countries. In addition, the Musharraf government was established by a coupe. President Musharraf has not given up the status of military leader as well as political leader. In addition, "Mushy" is always under assassination attempts in a country frequently dominated by al Qaeda with a potential for occupation by Osama bin Laden. The country Don Rumsfeld calls an ally is actually the country the world should be most concerned with in regard to stability of government to prevent accidental launch of a nuclear weapons should Musharraf be assassinated.

NO, I AM NOT WORRIED ABOUT North Korea being stupid enough to be annihilated.

continued...

Missile Defense Fails Test;

BUSH HAS PUT THE WORLD into conflict with each other while possessing a grandeous idea that a missile defense shield could be quickly and efficiently deployed. Cheney escalated the arms race with complete disregard for the fact MDS was a defunct system when this regime took office as testified by MIT's Lincoln Labs. This regime 'terrified' the world to incite war for profit. At no time did Cheney/Bush stop to consider the fact world balance of power was at stake when their conspiracy would be discovered. The 'rant' regarding Iran is too much like that of Iraq to deny this is not an agenda for wealth garnered in the fallacy of religious purity.

Earth hangs in the balance as Global Warming thunders ahead killing vast amounts of
people already. Cheney in his desperation to save himself from his liability with Halliburton, Rumsfeld in his glamorized concept of spreading freedom and Bush in his ruthless desire to satisfy 'his base' has turned a world with promise for peace into a nightmare.

The Bush/Cheney White House at this point has no way of returning to the peace tables anywhere because they are too invested politically to admit either defeat of their agenda or wrongful death of innocent people in exchange for profit. The continued 'march' toward aggression regarding 'nuclear weapons' in countries not friendly to the West is political, out of control, unrealistic and flat out dangerous. Look what they have done to Japan alone so they can achieve an end that was never fully planned. What was the statement by Senator John Kerry? "They never had plans to secure the peace." AND THEY STILL DON'T. I wouldn't blame Japan if they never looked at the USA in favor again.

No decision yet on missile system

OTTAWA -- Canadian participation in the U.S. missile-defence program is still a live issue, despite opposition within the Liberal caucus and among rank and file in the party, Defence Minister Bill Graham said yesterday. "The decision hasn't been taken, yet," he said.

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/EdmontonSun/News/2005/02/11/927840-sun.html

Missile support plummets54 per cent favour staying out of Bush administration's missile shield program

Issue has become a potentially troubling one for Liberal government

BRUCE CAMPION-SMITHOTTAWA BUREAU

OTTAWA—The federal Liberals have probably lost their chance to join the U.S.-led missile defence program without the risk of paying a big political price, according to a Toronto Star poll.

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1108163415275&call_pageid=970599119419

CALL ME A FOOL, BUT, THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN INCENTIVE FOR JAPAN TO COOPERATE BUSH WAS MISSING BEFORE HIS 'AXIS OF EVIL' SPEECH. Peace is not what Bush has in mind. He wouldn't have gone here in the first place if peace is what he is planning. Bush purposefully endangers the balance ofpower to achieve an agenda yet undisclosed. He is doing this with completeknowledge that the Space MDS Program is not achievable. I imagine The Carlyle Group doesn't mind the escalation of 'fear' around the planet regarding missile launches due to increases tensions. It is still the best stratgey to achieve peace within the Internatioanl Community.

U.S., Japan begin talks on developing missile defense system

Tuesday, February 8, 2005 at 02:04 JSTWASHINGTON — Japan and the United States have started talks to move the ongoing joint development of a missile defense system to the development stage, a U.S. Defense Department official said Monday.

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=327106

'Ronald Reagan and His Quest to Abolish Nuclear Weapons': In a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Republican presidents should be grateful for the scorn of liberal elites.After they leave office, their reputations have nowhere to go but up. Thistendency first became apparent when historians transformed Dwight Eisenhower from a doddering golfer into a political wizard. Then it picked up steam as Richard Nixon went from war criminal to the last great liberal Republican president. Now it's threatening to reach epic proportions as Ronald Reagan, famously dismissed by the Washington insider Clark Clifford as ''an amiable dunce,'' comes in for a reappraisal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/13/books/review/13HEILBRU.html

U.S. Deploys Missile Defense System

Installation goes forward despite latest test failure THE ROCKETS MAY NOT GLARE and bombs may not burst in the air—to rephrase part of the U.S. national anthem—but the Bush administration is forging ahead with construction of what it terms an "operational" missile defense system. The official objective was to have a rudimentary system up and running by last December, but after a key interceptor test rocket failed to fire from the Marshall Islands on 14 December, the Pentagon's Northern Command said the system would not become operational until early this year [see photo, "Rollout"].

http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/resource/feb05/0205nmiss.html

Pentagon may never publicly declare missile defense system fully ready

By Robert BurnsASSOCIATED PRESS2:32 p.m. January 13, 2005
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon may never publicly declare that its new missiledefense system is fully ready to defend against long-range missiles aimedat the United States, but it already has a limited capability against a small-scale attack, a Pentagon official said Thursday.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20050113-1432-missiledefense.html

Missile Defense Fails Test; System Remains Grounded Wade Boese

A long-range ballistic missile interceptor failed to get off the ground in a December test. So did President George W. Bush’s plans to declare the initial elements of a U.S. anti-missile system operational by the end of last year.

http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2005_01-02/MD.asp

continued...

Mandela art a hands-down winner

Winning palm: The Mandela hand print - A lithograph of Nelson MAndela's right hand, with what appears to be a map of Africa in the palm


British collectors spend thousands on prints of the ex-President's right hand, which show an image of Africa on his palmAndrew Unsworth: London

A London art gallery was inundated with visitors, e-mails and phone calls this week after the Times newspaper published a front-page picture of a lithograph showing the hand print of former President Nelson Mandela.

The print shows a depression in the centre of his palm in the shape of the African continent.

The lithograph is being sold at the Belgravia Gallery, which also sells watercolours by Prince Charles. The gallery has previously sold works by Mandela depicting Robben Island to raise money for his charities.

Gallery manager Laura Hunter said she had had to employ back-up staff to cope with inquiries, and that the gallery had sold at least 200 prints in two days.
"It's real and it's spooky," she said. "I've met him, spent time with him in Johannesburg, and I'm absolutely convinced that the prints are real. I want to make one of my own hand to see if it shows England!"

The Times reported that the original print was created by Mandela in February while working on drawings of Robben Island. He was in his studio when he rested his hand on one of his paintings, covering it in acrylic paint. When he wiped his hand on a clean piece of paper, the image of Africa appeared on the paper.

The image of Africa appears only on Mandela's right-hand print.

North Korea: Ten Years After Kim Il Sung

North Koreans, from children to the elderly, commemorate late North Korean leader Kim Il-sung before Kim’s statute on the Mansudae Hill on Thursday. North Korean people paid tribute toward Geumsusan Palace where Kim Il-sung’s remains are in state, as a siren went off at noon for three minutes across the nation. Thursday marks the 10th anniversary of Kim’s death. /Yonhap

Pyongyang (The Government Seat), North Korea uses it's nuclar clout all the time to get assistance for it's people.

This is not unusual. If the North Korean's have and had nuclear weapons for some time now, then I am not surprised. In actuality, this is a defense for North Korea as an immediate threat to South Korea, possibly the west coast of the USA. It is a bargaining chip. Bush does a great job doesn't he? He has endangered and killed more people in his first term than any president on record. With every country turning back to the Cold War it is safe to estimate Bush's reach of potential for killing surpasses anything Nazi Germany could do. Then add to that uncontrolled Global Warming and the statistics really get interesting.

I am not worried about North Korea. They know they cannot launch and aggressive strike against anyone without complete annihilation of that country and those people. Pyongyang is not that stupid. They should accept the respect the world offers them and return to the negotiations to receive whatever the world can offer to assist an impoverished country the opportunity to improve their people's quality of life.

N Korea's statement in full

Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) - The DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement Thursday to clarify its stand to cope with the grave situation created by the US hostile policy toward the DPRK.

The statement says:

The second-term Bush administration's intention to antagonize the DPRK and isolate and stifle it at any cost has become quite clear.

As we have clarified more than once, we justly urged the US to renounce its hostile policy toward the DPRK whose aim was to seek the latter's "regime change" and switch its policy to that of peaceful co-existence between the two countries. We have closely followed with patience what policy the second-term Bush regime would shape after clarifying the stand that in that case it would be possible to solve the nuclear issue, too.

However, the administration turned down our just request and adopted it as its policy not to co-exist with the DPRK through the president's inaugural address and the state of the union address and the speech made by the secretary of State at the Congress hearing to get its approval, etc.

The remarks made by senior officials of the administration clarifying the official political stance of the US contained no word showing any willingness to co-exist with the DPRK or make a switchover in its policy toward it.

On the contrary, they have declared it as their final goal to terminate the tyranny, defined the DPRK, too, as an "outpost of tyranny" and blustered that they would not rule out the use of force when necessary.

And they pledged to build a world based on the US view on value through the "spread of American style liberty and democracy."

The true intention of the second-term Bush administration is ...

I KNOW THESE words by Pyongyang are sincere and I am confident the USA's words have been controlling and insincere. I don't blame them. Bush is a criminal.

World urges North Korea back to nuclear negotiations

TOKYO (AP) — North Korea's statement Thursday that it had nuclear weapons and would boycott talks on its atomic programs was seen as a possible negotiating gambit, and governments urged it to return to the bargaining table.

North and South Korea need to resolve issues without regard for Bush's America. They need to find common ground. I really think the USA is a hindrence to this situation and not an asset. Russia, China and Japan along with the neighboring countries on that peninsula are the only nations that belong at the 'PEACE Tables."

Yongbyon Nuclear Facility is the concern of so many. 

conti2005 is the name I used on the New York Times message boards. When they closed down the message boards, I stored my thoughts here.

January 23, 2005

By Thomas Friedman
Paris — There's only one thing you can say about the elections in Iraq (click here): They are either going to be the end of the beginning there or the beginning of the end.
Either Iraqis turn out in large numbers to take control of their own future and write their own constitution - and I think they will - or the fascist insurgents there prevent them from doing so, in which case the Bush team will have to move to Plan B. What's sad is that right when we have reached crunch time in Iraq, the West is totally divided. All that the Europeans care about is being able to say to George Bush, "We told you so." What happens the morning after "We told you so" ? Well, the Europeans don't have a Plan B either.
Ever since 9/11, I've argued the war on terrorism is really a war of ideas within the Muslim world - a war between those who want to wall Islam off from modernity, and defend it with a suicide cult, and those who want to bring Islam into the 21st century and preserve it as a compassionate faith. This war of ideas is not one that the West can fight, only promote. Muslims have to fight it from within. That is what is at stake in the Iraqi elections. This is the first great battle in the post-9/11 war of ideas....

February 10, 2005
By conti2005

The Revolt and the Revolting
In God I Trust, Everyone Else I Monitor You are too long winded, Mr. Friedman.

There was an illegal invasion. There are hostilities and rightfully so. The people of Iraq managed to pull off an election whereby a majority of the country was able to elect. The votes are counted and the new administration needs to be announced.

The New Iraqi Administration has a mess to contend with and the sooner they get started the better. A complete ethnic group has become estranged from the new government because Bush recklessly destroyed Fallujah. Now, the Sunnis are not only protesting but bombing and killing and destroying everyday. 

IF a Shi'ite majority loves the idea of an autonomous government so much that they are willing to lead their country, NOT OUR COUNTRY, into a peaceful resolve then it is time they got started without delay. The future of Iraq belongs to them and I find you 'extravagant' fawning/falling/drooling all over that country offensive. What's the issue? Control? The USA has no more control. The sovereign state of Iraq is awaiting the announcement of it's new administration. They know who they are, they need to have their agenda in order and move things along to bring everyone under one roof if not one ethnic worship.