There are times when I sincerely wonder about the IQ of the Murdoch media. Sincerely.

President Obama just held a news conference and in wonderful eloquent manner explained the need for passage of the START Treaty with Russia.  He spoke of all the past Presidents since Ronald Reagan that have brought treaties to Congress and received overwhelming support as Russia is more an ally than an adversary.

Was there something DIFFICULT to understand about that at the Murdoch media service?

Because Orrin Hatch was asked by Blond Bomb Shell Number 999 if he trusted Russia.  

Hello?

Was there something NOT explained by President Obama that HAD to be REPEATED by Senator Hatch in order for Blondy to understand what was going on?

Honestly.  Talk about dense and stupid or at least willing to play the role.  A real boost for the female gender with that interview.  So much to be proud of.  Dear God where has national pride and dignity gone?  Come to think of it, she could have sounded like Palin.  Actually.  Contagious.  

Perhaps, President Obama needs to reach into the 'gutter' of life and explain YES, HE AND MANY OTHERS, INCLUDING MY REPUBLICAN FRIEND ORIN HATCH  TRUST RUSSIA before explaining why.  Perhaps sinking to their level may actually mean something.

The beauty of the American Economy is The Middle Class.

The American Economy is like a pyramid.  It is best 'stabilized' by a strong and broad 'base' of support from its Middle Class.

If the top two percent of the nation was the only survivor to the American economy rather than a pyramid, the economy would be a pillar.  The Middle Class would be virtually non-existant as the competition for labor would create dirt cheap income similar to the Louisiana ? Independent Contractors ? to BP.

What is occurring at GM is a re-invigoration of the work force.  By calling back laid off workers the unemployment rolls are being reduced and a real income with benefits of all kinds is being returned to the work force.


What does that mean on a broader scope since this is only 600 workers?


It means those workers are no longer 'subsisting,' but, will be out purchasing higher end gifts for the holidays and CREATING jobs when demand for services and products are increases.  It is a small amount with 600 workers returning, but, the PROPORTION of burden on the USA government in its deficit spending is also relieved. 


There are a lot of perks for each worker that is re-engaging the economy.  This SMALL increment grows exponentially.


The tax breaks afforded GM to establish its presence in that city will be returned to the city in taxes from other venues.  


It is all good and it should continue in every sector of the economy.

There might be a real 'heart beat' at GM again.

We all know about the IPO. 

But.

It is also accompanied by hiring. 

Interesting.  It isn't completely emply of moral standards regarding RE-ENGAGING the American workforce.  It is only 600 jobs, but, they are jobs.  It might actually be safe to purchase the stock.  Hm.

BUY  AMERICAN !

GM adding 600 jobs in Lansing to build new Cadillac (w/ video)  (click title to entry - thank you)

$190 million investment announced today

Melissa Domsic

mdomsic@lsj.com

October 28, 2010

From LSJ.com

LANSING - Demand for a new Cadillac is driving General Motors Co. to hire hundreds of workers in Lansing.

As expected, the Detroit carmaker this morning said it will invest $190 million in the Lansing Grand River plant and create about 600 jobs as it gears up to make a new small car likely to be called the Cadillac ATS.

The move capped a months-long effort that included the city of Lansing granting GM $9.8 million in tax breaks.

Under a national agreement with the United Auto Workers union, GM must first offer jobs to laid-off workers in the surrounding area, but there will likely be new hires, said Mike Green, president of UAW Local 652, which represents hourly workers at the Lansing Grand River factory.

GM did not release a timeline for hiring or production, so the number of new hires has not been determined....

Namibia Police intercept bomb attempt.

'Bomb' found on Germany-bound plane in Namibia, police say  (click title to entry - thank you)

A suspected bomb was discovered in a suitcase checked on a German-bound plane in Namibia, Germany's Federal Crime Office said on Thursday.

10:19AM GMT 18 Nov 2010

Namibian police intercepted a suspicious object with a detonator and a running clock in the luggage on an Air Berlin plane from Windhoek to Munich.

Authorities in Namibia were investigating whether the device found during the loading of the Airbus jet on Wednesday could have exploded.

"A subsequent X-ray (of the luggage) revealed batteries that were attached with wires to a detonator and a ticking clock," the German authorities said in a statement....

It doesn't matter, although interesting, if the bomb couild explode.  We know for a fact, many devices used by the 'modern day' al Qaeda are ineffectual.  So, this was definately AN ATTEMPT, but, it was intercepted by very astute security officers.  Well done.

After the Bernanke Bailout, comes Retribution to benefit cronies. Now, Mr. Boner is sincerely corrupt. Hello?

Time to play through, huh, Boner?  It seems as though defunding NPR will increase the unemployment rate, not decrease it.  If Boner and his henchmen make draconian cuts to benefit cronies, it is called CORRUPTION.  End of discussion.  Ah, oh.  To JUSTIFY the cuts, Boner has to prove NPR is in violation of Federal Requirements in regard to Williams.  No, they weren't.  They were seeking to stop the bigotry Williams insisted on speaking about.

It doesn't take long, does it? Cronies start getting thei PAY OFF as soon as the elections are over.  The RANT among the Right Wing Extremist Network at Murdoch is CRYING they are being SHUT UP.  They are so worried about being SILENCED.

Well.

This is really interesting considering the evidence. 

...House GOP Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) and Rep. Doug Lamborn (Colo.) said that cutting funds to the publicly subsidized news organization was the winner of the conference’s weekly "You Cut Contest," in which the public votes online on spending items they want eliminated.
“When NPR executives made the decision to unfairly terminate Juan Williams and to then disparage him afterwards, the bias of their organization was exposed,” the two Republicans said in a statement. “Make no mistake, it is not the role of government to tell news organizations how to operate. What is avoidable, however, is providing taxpayer funds to news organizations that promote a partisan point of view. Eliminating taxpayer funding for NPR is precisely the kind of commonsense cut that we have to begin making if we want to fundamentally alter the way business is conducted in Washington.”
Republicans had indicated that they sought to take action against NPR after it dismissed Williams for making controversial remarks about Muslims....

This is such a joke.  In order to receive FEDERAL FUNDING the public stations, which relies on these funds, have to uphold the values of NON-DISCRIMINATION.  Juan Willians is completely guilty of religious-bigotry.  So, the CHOICE by the GOP regarding the WEEKLY WINNER isn't even possible to enforce or defund without breaking the laws of the USA requirements for the funding. 

I believe the "Frum Forum" is David Frum the former Presidential Speech Writer that was attacked by the 'Old Men' of the GOP.

Where are the LD50 studies for the Airport Full Body Security Scanner? There is absolutely NO 20 year study.

When are the media and the public going to start using EFFECTIVE language to facilitate discussion about full body scanners?

I believe it is the FDA that tests X-Ray equipment for safe operation to protect consumers.  Where are the reports? 

Every Full Body Scanner OPERATOR / SECURITY OFFICER should be wearing radar badges no different than X-Ray Technicians in any clinical setting.

There is also no reason why FREQUENT Flyers or any consumer that are patients of radiation therapy or have X-Rays recently aren't issued X-Ray badges either at their own discretion and/or by order of their MD.

There is also the issue of 'radiation leaking' in the 'vacinity' of the unit.  It IS a clinical setting, not just a security area where 'pat downs happen.'

What has been completely astounding to me is the willingness of consumers to comply with scanners that are not fully explained to them OR have signed consents no different than consents signed in a clinical setting.

What is occurring is a 20 year study among consumers.  In 20 years from the 'mass' use of these scanners, there will all kinds of information regarding disease processes resulting from their use.  What is "W"rong with people these days?  Is money and movement EVERYTHING?  It should not be.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO OSHA AND POSHA?  They need to regulate the operations of these units.

Corruption on Wall Street will also impact the economy. When crime sprees occur, even White Collar crime sprees, the economy always takes a hit.

...The Complaint alleges that, (click here) from June 2009 through at least September 2010, the defendants raised approximately $5.6 million from 74 investors who invested in promissory notes issued by an Isle of Man company. Although investors were told that their money would be used to repay certain debts of the issuer's parent company, and thereby release assets that would be used to secure their promissory note obligations, the Complaint alleges that nearly all of the offering proceeds were transferred to BIG and its subsidiaries. According to the Complaint, in addition to misrepresenting the manner in which the offering proceeds would be used, the defendants failed to tell investors that BIG and its subsidiaries were in a precarious financial state....

The Complaint

UNITED STATES SECURITIES : CIVIL ACTION  (click here)
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, : FILE NO.

Plaintiff

v.

STEVEN BREWER, :
ADAM ERICKSON, :
BREWER INVESTMENT GROUP, LLC, :
BREWER FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC, and :
BREWER INVESTMENT ADVISORS, LLC :
:
Defendants, :

The United States of America needs a new tax. Called. "The Simpleton Tax."

Guaranteed to keep Republicans and Tea Baggers out of office.

...It all sounds so easy during campaign season. (click title to entry - thank you) This year the mantra of those who would govern by sound bite was this: When the federal and state governments cut taxes and spending, the economy will rebound with jobs for all.

If only it were so simple.

Some people label campaign time a silly season, but I think these days it's more accurate to honor autumn's dominant species by calling it Simpleton Season....

99% him, 1% her, she should have been out of the competition weeks ago !

It is another 'political media' event STAGED for Palin.  No doubt about it now.  Everyone knew from the beginning this would be the outcome.  It's fixed and I don't care if it is 'fixed' in an audience vote.  It isn't about dancing, technique or perfection.  It is a political POPULOUS show and like Sarah Palin's political credentials, there is no substance here either. 

...Some studio audience (click title to entry - thank you)  members booed in the final minutes of Tuesday's results show when host Tom Bergeron announced that pop singer Brandy was out and Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol had made it through to the final round of competition next week....

The people suporting Palin will point to Brandy's partner as the problem and the correogrpahy as insufficient.  It's bullshit.  If Brandy's partner was the problem then it was intentional.  Just that simple.  The program was never worth my time of day and it continues to earn that priority.

Corruption within a police unit in Belize. Ah, oh. You know, besides Mexico's civil war there is the instability with Guatemala as well.

The broken wing of the drug laden aircraft in Belize.  Now, the shipment has been found and it is believed there is corruption within a law enforcement unit in Belize.

...And there was a plentiful supply of plastic fuel containers (click title to entry - thank you)  here at the scene and many more hidden in the bushes three and a half miles down the road between miles 59 and 60. 

And while B-SAG guarded the plane at mile 56, twenty-one miles north - Independence police intercepted a white van occupied by 4 veteran police officers and one customs officer - all believed to have participated in landing and offloading the plane. They had muddy boots and wet Anti Drug Unit uniforms. 

Police kept searching and at around 5:00 in the evening, they went to mile 65 - 10 miles from where the plane landed - near the Genus Saw Mill, and about a ¼ mile in they found 80 Bales of COCAINE and 17 loose packs of suspected Cocaine - which we estimate to weigh about two thousand kilos - a street value of 38 million us dollars - again unofficial estimates. 

 

It's a tremendous job of detection by police and just processing the crime scene at mile 56 took extraordinarily long blocking off the only artery to the south for almost 12 hours - causing an especially long queue of traffic to be stalled on the road for hours...

Representative Rangel has to serve his conscience and his district well.

Representative Rangel knows the truth regarding all these findings.  He made a compelling statement at the beginning of the proceedings with the House Ethics Panel.  While he knew of the allegations long ago, he only received the actual information a week ago and after being re-elected to his seat.

This is an eighty year old gentleman with many years of service to his constituency and the country.  He deserves respect for his accomplishes, but, the findings stand for what is believed to be the truth regarding all this.  I find the ? fact ? he received the information only a week ago suspicious and underhanded.  I don't approve of what has happened in regard to this and there needs to be an investigation of the activities of the Ethics Panel and the willingness of those members to provide a fair hearing.

Representative Rangel has just finished a very difficult election cycle and was not preparing for this hearing except for what he knew regarding these charges before returning to the Capital Building. It all seems a bit unusual to say the least.  He stated he has spent $2 million US to date to try to satisfy the committee and he has no residual monies to bring council to the hearing.  That is a worry.  Two million is a lot of money and to realize more had to be spent is more than most people can be expected to provide.

I happen to think he did the right thing by leaving the hearing as it was all overwhelming to him and he is not a lawyer.  I don't blame him for taking the back seat to what in and of itself appears to be somewhat corrupted.

Representative Rangel knows the truth.  I would expect him to reflect on the outcome to date and find a way of addressing it adequately to protect 'the truth' while serving Congress and his constituency well.  

...Mr. Rangel, an 80-year-old Democrat (click title to entry - thank you) who has represented Harlem for four decades and was the longtime head of the House Ways and Means Committee, had been accused of bringing dishonor to Congress by accepting rent-stabilized apartments from a Manhattan developer, failing to pay taxes on a rental income from his Dominican villa and raising charitable donations from companies and corporate executives who had business before the committee he led....

We know the handicapped American worker has the highest unemployment rate and the lowest percentage of worker in the country.

 This is an Executive Order by President Obama.  And who is it that has a PROBLEM with his idea of IMPORTANT ?  

HUH ?  

WHO EXACTLY !!!!

Model Strategies for Recruitment and Hiring of People with Disabilities as Required Under  

Executive Order 13548  (click title to entry - thank you)

On July 26, 2010, President Obama issued Executive Order (EO) 13548, which directs Executive departments and agencies to improve their efforts to employ Federal workers with disabilities and targeted disabilities through increased recruitment, hiring, and retention of these individuals. OPM, in consultation with the White House, the Department of Labor (DOL), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has developed, as required by the EO, model recruitment and hiring strategies for agencies to use to increase their employment of people with disabilities. That document is attached to this memorandum....

I have said it over and over and over again. The Right Wing Media Extremists will 'pull stunts' to attack attention for their wealth. Advertisers.

They post extremist views regardless of content and don't care.  They lie about sincere problems, like the 'gang' behaviors of children due to racial activism by those in the media that transcends the populous because they find power they didn't have before in a political theater and where IT DOES NOT belong.

The Right Wing Extremists are everything that DESCENT people are not and they enjoy the PROFITS of being abusive, unkind and CONTROLLING.

Every OTHER media service, that cares to, has stated this is racist.  It is racist. 

APOLOGIES?

NO?

Oh, apologies are only EXPECTED from the victim of their abuse, such as Middle School administrators.

Got it.

Victimize the victim.  That is the oldest 'methodology' in the book.

What the Middle School administrators SHOULD HAVE DONE and WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE if in their shoes was to call the local police and sheriff departments if needed and disband the protest and arrest those that threatened UNREST on school property.  

There are proper RULES for children and there are PROPER venues of concern by parents.  Exercise them !

END OF DISCUSSION. 

Kate Middleton consents to marry. I don't know what she saw in the guy.

Prince calls in lawyers to bring shutters down  (click title to entry - thank you)

Andrew Alderson, London
January 8, 2007

LAWYERS for Prince William's girlfriend, Kate Middleton, plan a "three-pronged" attack over persistent harassment by photographers.

Harbottle & Lewis, the firm that acts for Prince Charles as well as Ms Middleton, is reported to be about to take civil and criminal action against those they say make her life intolerable.

Ms Middleton has been given increased police protection, fuelling rumours of an imminent engagement....

Let's just get this straight. This is not about anyone being OFFENDED.

The Right Wing Extremist Media is 'at it' again.  This morning, all of a sudden, the issue regarding the SAFETY of children turned into one of racist bias/bigotry by the Right Wing Political Extremists.

That is not the case and never was.  The reason rules exist to LIMIT behavior in any instance when it is a child is for safety of themselves and others.  It has absolutely NOTHING to do with anyone being offended.

(11-16) 04:00 PST Denair, Stanislaus County (click title to entry - thank you)

A Stanislaus County school official has apologized to a student who was told to remove an American flag from the back of his bicycle.

Last week, a supervisor at Denair Middle School told 13-year-old Cody Alicea to remove the flag over concerns for the teen's safety. Officials say some students had made threatening remarks amid racial tensions stemming from the display of a Mexican flag during Cinco de Mayo....

So, because the Superintendent's switchboard could not handle a barrage of calls from all over the nation, spawned by extremist activists, the school district was made to apologize and change the rules.  That's the correct way of doing things?  No.  That is intimidation and mob behavior and does NOT resolve any of the safety problems for any of these children.

Something will happen.  The city will probably have to step up police patrols, pay overtime and try to handle problems that were exacerbated by yesterday's strong arming of people simply trying to do their jobs.  I am sure there are plenty of veterans that work in the schools administration and value their jobs, the children they serve, the parents that entrust them with their jobs and their paychecks.  

Why is it that extremists always cause problems after the 'best measures' have already been employed?

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/16/BACT1GCFRD.DTL#ixzz15S5ZUdJt

The war is over for them, it is why they are veterans and they need to stop solicitus behavior that endanger children's lives.

There is a reason why schools have policies and they are usually to protect all the students.  The veterans are out of line and involving a child in a statement when all he needs to do is attend school.  I believe riding rough shod over a school administration that is trying everything they know how to equalize all the factors in preventing violence is abusive.  Are the veterans going to be body guards from now on?

Flags have become a 'demonstration' content among children and it needs to stop.  There is too much violence in our schools at nearly every grade and there needs to be sincere understanding to the 'idea' that children's safety comes first.

There have been issues within the USA that are surrounded with danger.  Illegal immigration is one of them.  It is not a topic for a child and wearing 'flag emblems' are becoming a source of 'gang' behavior.

It is that behavior and what danger it elicits for children creating the problem,  NOT the fact everyone is proud to be an American.  Children are NOT to be put in the middle of conflict, they simply have to FIRST grow up and learn their school lessons, do their homework and respect their teachers and parents.

Cody Alicea, 13, is now a victim.  It is just that simple.  

He is the focus of anger and hatred and people are taking up sides.  Shame on every adult involved in the opposition demonstration of the school policy.   Shame on all of you.  You need to grow up FIRST and then attend School Board Meetings.  His parents did not use good judgment in allowing a 13 year old child to become the center of a national debate.  It was some of the poorest judgment I have witnessed and I sincerely don't care what Palin or any other political figure has to say about it, Mother Grizzly or not.  It is poor judgment and this is going to become a harassment issue of someone.  Either Cody or a classmate that is Hispanic or of another ethnicity.


There is an American flag flying over every public school in the country.  There is an assignment daily of students to raise the flag at the beginning of the day and take it down at the end of school.  This is not about respect for our nation or the flag.  This a political stunt and a child has been victimized.

The PROPER way of handling this is for parents to attend School Board meetings and defend their child to the administration and ELECTED officials.  If children are allowed to wear flag emblems there needs to be an understanding that it isn't going to result in a 'gang' behavior that will result in injury of a child or worse.  


Now, if PARENTS feel strongly about the topic they need to attend school board meetings and stop brow beating administrators that are simply doing their jobs and attempting to protect every child in their school.  Attending school board meetings and PTA meetings isn't glamourous, or doesn't get national media attention, but, it gets LOCAL issues settled.


ATTITUDES is not what a mentally healthy child needs in learning and growing.  Shame on everyone, including the media that wants to make a child a 'darling' for no clear reason at all.

An aspect of the Health Insurance Reform Bill passed last year was the exclusion of genetic information in acquairing insurance.

It is to protect citizens from any pre-existing conditions according to some obscure genetic disease that never manifests into anything.

It also opens up citizens to be categorized according to genetic code, is an invasion of privacy and could result in all kinds of investigation where none is needed  As far as I am concerned, investigation into any disease process of the human body has to be conducted based upon APPARENT symptoms, function, quality of life and longevity.  If there is a genetic 'anomaly' it might be interesting to investigate it and track it, but, with private funds and not government funds.  Anomalies don't constitute 'definitive' threats to qualify of life and longevity.  But, simply anomalies.

The EEOC enforces Title II (click title to entry - thank you) of GINA (dealing with genetic discrimination in employment). The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury have responsibility for issuing regulations for Title I of GINA, which addresses the use of genetic information in health insurance....

Genetic Testing: Further Debate with Richard Epstein (click here)

posted by Daniel Solove

...With insurance, there’s the issue of how equal a risk distribution one wants to achieve. We could have health insurance, for example, that is prohibited from charging people extra based on pre-existing conditions. In other words, we all bear the cost of health insurance equally. Another model is for those who are more at risk to pay higher premiums and those who are less at risk to pay lower premiums. I generally support insurance that is more equal – even if that means I pay more. The primary benefit of insurance, I believe, is to spread risk throughout society so as to eliminate certain contingencies in life. Society as a whole absorbs these losses, rather than particular individuals. Unfortunately, insurance only partially functions in this way today....

Insurance premiums are supposed to be distributed among a pool of citizens / subscribers.  The 'idea' is to realize that disease process is not 'fixed' in any person's life.  Trauma, cancers and other diseases such as heart disease and COPD are based in lifestyle and environmental factors.  So, the concept that a person should have health insurance rates that are defined on these particular aspects of life is unrealistic.  People live their lives spontaneously and there is no accurate way of determining when the next trauma event is going to occur, while weather frequently increases those odds.  So, if one applies for insurance in an area of the country where snow occurs should they pay more for health insurance?  No. Why?  Because people in these regions of the country become accustomed to these events and have better skills at protecting from them.  So, the possibility of controlling health insurance rates based on trying to determine 'chaos' is a hideous concept.  Any statistician worth their salt know that the larger the pool in any statistical analysis the likelihood all the chaos is absorbed into a very small margin of error.  It is better to determine a health insurance rate on a national populous than on a small pool of people.  It just works out better for everyone.

Burmese flee homes as tensions increase (click title to entry - thank you)

Burma clashes: 30 dead as fighting continues  (click here)

By Edward Loxton

LAST UPDATED 8:29 AM, NOVEMBER 9, 2010

Rebel armies fail to link up in bid to tackle Burmese forces after sham election

urmese rebel hopes of creating a united front to tackle regime forces on the battlefield received a setback on Tuesday when the legendary commander of the ethnic army in southern Shan State said his 7,000 men couldn't be spared at this time to help Karen forces pinned down 100 miles south on the Thai-Burmese border.

The Karen soldiers - of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army's crack 5th Brigade - were desperately trying to hold on to regime positions they conquered in fierce fighting which began as polls closed on Sunday in Burma's sham election.

Claims by Thai authorities that the fighting had died down in the Burmese border town of Myawaddy were disputed by observers in nearby border areas of Thailand, where gunfire and explosions were still echoing in the mountains on Tuesday morning. At least 30 soldiers and civilians have died so far in the fighting.

Refugees continue to flood into Thailand, and aid organisations in the Thai border town of Mae Sot say they are now trying to care for at least 20,000. Thailand, meanwhile, says it is preparing to repatriate the refugees because the situation appears to be safe for them to return....

Fighting between the Burmese military and ethnic Karen rebels follows the release of pro-democracy leader Aung Sung Suu Kyi. (Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters)

That statement is a lie!  Aung Sung Suu Kyi has been under house arrest and the fighting has been going on the ENTIRE time.  She is NOT to be used as a scapegoat again for the poor leadership that cannot quell the rage of the people.

 

THIS did not happen overnight.  

WIPING OUT THE OPPOSITION

JUNE 18 2009 16:48h

Myanmar Troops Threaten Karen Rebel Bases (click here)

The army and their Karen allies were also threatening two bases of the Karen National Union (KNU), the largest rebel group in Myanmar.

Myanmar government forces captured three Karen rebel positions on Thursday in the latest fighting that has forced thousands of refugees to flee into neighbouring Thailand, commanders said.

The army and their Karen allies were also threatening two bases of the Karen National Union (KNU), the largest rebel group in the eastern former Burma.

"We captured 3 small KNU positions and are closing in on two main bases," said Captain Kha Koe of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), which joined government troops in an offensive against the KNU on June 3.

There were no confirmed reports of casualties....

 

Forced to serve … two Karen boys on guard in New Manerplaw - Karen rebel territory - in Burma. Children as young as 10 serve in the army and in the ranks of some 30 armed ethnic groups .
Photo: AP/David Longstreath

Childhood stolen for military  (click here)

Seth Mydans in Bangkok
November 1, 2007

ADD to the many hardships in Burma one more danger: being a boy. The military, struggling to meet recruiting quotas, is buying, kidnapping and terrorising boys as young as 10 to fill its ranks.

A report by Human Rights Watch says military recruiters and civilian brokers scour train and bus stations, markets and other public places for boys and force them to serve.

Some may simply disappear without their families' knowledge and spend years on the front lines of a brutal war against ethnic insurgencies.

"In recent years, the military has continued to expand while at the same time losing large numbers of soldiers to desertion," a co-author of the report, Jo Becker, said.

Recruiters and agents receive cash payments and other incentives for recruits, even those who fail to meet basic health and age requirements, said the report, which was based on interviews in Burma, Thailand and China.

The large number of child soldiers in Burma's army - and in the ranks of some 30 armed ethnic groups - has been known for years. But the report, coming at a moment of crisis in Burma, illustrates the kind of abuses that, combined with economic hardships, resulted in the anti-Government protests in August and September that were crushed by the military junta.

"Even before the recent crackdown, many young adults rejected military service because of gruelling conditions, low pay and mistreatment by superior officers," the report said.

In response to criticism, the Government formed a high-level committee in 2004 to prevent the kidnapping of under-age soldiers. "In fact, the committee is a sham," Ms Becker said....

What did she do "W"rong?

Other than being the best Speaker of the House in the Modern Era.  What did she do "W"rong?  See, no one really has an answer to that question that matters.  She was incredible.  Absolutely incredible and passed sweeping legislation nearly every day that the House was in session.  It is why the Murdoch Right Wing Media Extremists demonized her.  She is good at what she does.  When anyone comes up with a real answer, let me know.

She wrote the book, so to speak.  It can be purchased from Amazon beginning at $6.76 new and $2.10 used.  (click here)

Questions?