Missouri the Show Me State

John Ashcroft, the former attorney general, was from Missouri. Was he not? Indeed, he was. A two term Governor.

I've been through Missouri. The Gateway to the West. I know everyone is tired of my stories, but, that is too bad.

I had children with me. We stopped to look at the big McDonald's arch. Their observation, not mine.

There must be something about Missouri men that drives them to modesty of every measure. Left is the picture of the former Attorney General. It was this picture that caused him to put statues in a burka.

So, it would seem as though modesty plays well among Missourians. He had this 'thing' about his hair, too. Let me see if I can find the video. Hopefully it is still out there somewhere.

At any rate, I think Ashcroft did regret called our current President Osama. There was no comparison and John Ashcroft wrote the Patriot Act. At least I think he did.

The impression I've always gotten about Missourians is there seriousness. They are definitely serious about life. The mean it, when they declared their state "The Show Me State." They are a very sober bunch.

They don't like deception and they don't like games. They like life served up straight and don't have time for anything else.

Currently, Real Clear Politics has McCaskell leading by 5.3%. But, being the dedicated Missourian she is and knowing how she loves the people she serves she is not taking polls as a real measure of the outcomes. I think she is correct to be as sober and serious about the issues facing Missouri.

The state of Missouri (click here) can be divided into five basic political divisions. The Democratic base is in central Kansas City and St. Louis.  Republicans run strong in the rural southwest, which has long been Republican, as well as in the band of counties stretching up the Missouri River from St. Louis to Kansas City, which were settled by Germans in the 1800s. The fourth division is found in the Republican-tilting suburbs, while the fifth division is basically the rest of the state, which is essentially a salient of the South jutting into the heart of the state. Democrats' successes are normally dictated by how well they run in these latter two areas....

A strange thing though. For as serious and religious as one would expect such extremism as Akin professes, I would expect that to be everywhere. Not so. And this is an odd one.

Religion in Whiteman Air Force Base (zip 65305), Missouri (click here)

I am not sure when this survey was taken, but, only 19.20% are religious at Whiteman. I am curious if Senator McCaskell has visited the military in her state lately. She should address the serious problems they face and what she has done and WHAT SHE PLANS TO DO to help them and their families.

This is a recent editorial by Phill Brooks in "The Joplin Globe." 

By Phill BrooksSpecial to The Globe (click here)

Nearly every election season, I am surprised at the disconnect between what politicians are debating versus the real issues that have been at the center of attention for government leaders.

Even issues that dominated the legislative session just a few months earlier usually appear forgotten when the campaign season begins.

Let me highlight the top issues in Missouri’s state government that likely will be at the forefront of attention for the next few years.

Education: The state’s formula for allocating state funds among Missouri’s public schools is broken....

Missourians are tired of the rhetoric. They want something from their leaders. They want to hear how their problems are being addressed. And according to Phill here, Education (Arne Duncan) is at the top of the list.

See, rhetoric is SAFE for any politician. It is standard jargon of which says to people "I am you." Remember that video from a Delaware race?  People need to know they have representation that is REAL, not rhetorical. They need to know their representative is solidly appreciative of their concerns, problems and strife. There is real strife in the USA. There is profound poverty.

If I were Senator McCaskell I would be touring the military bases to shake hands and LISTEN. I would be visiting Joplin and listening closely for healing hearts and success in moving forward. I would be listening and speaking the words of my constituents and talking seriously about the future.

Missourians do not want to hear promises. They don't want to hear how the government is going to control child birth. They don't want to hear about science and whether or not Akin is correct. Missourians want to hear from their Senator how she HAS solved their problems, how much she takes them seriously and how much she believes in herself to move Missouri forward. 

Is Senator McCaskell married, because, if I were her spouse I would not appreciate what Mr. Akin has said about my wife, either. If she is unmarried, like other women in DC who dedicate their lives to serving people, then she needs a male champion. Whoever that might be to come forward in her defense. It isn't right a wonderful woman like Senator McCaskell be talked down to by a man with little kindness in his heart toward all women. But, someone needs to speak up and defend her dignity. It is correct to do that.

Poverty is not a minor issue in Missouri. There has been a lot of hardship, too. Wasn't there some significant floods? I am getting that right? How is the recovery going?

September 16, 2010 9:00 pm

The number of Americans living in poverty (click here) rose sharply last year. It rose even faster in Missouri.

Since 2000, the percentage of Missourians living in poverty has nearly doubled, new figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show. That number grew at more than 3.5 times the national average.

Also up sharply: The number of uninsured. Nationally, about 51 million people had no health insurance in 2009. That’s the largest number since the Census Bureau began collecting data on the uninsured in 1987....

Senator McCaskell can have a photographer take pictures, but, don't do photo ops. The visits to any place in the state has to be real. People suffering at this level have little patience for insincerity.

McCaskill Votes to Advance Bill to Help put Veterans Back to Work (click here)

Senator: Today’s vote a step in the right direction towards helping our veterans and their families

September 11, 2012

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, the daughter of a World War II veteran and a founding member of the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus, today voted to advance a bill that would help put more military veterans back work.

"After standing up and serving our country with honor, our veterans are returning home to find their unemployment rate is higher than the national average-and that's unacceptable," McCaskill said. "Today's vote is a step in the right direction towards passing legislation that will give our veterans and their families the help they need to find work. I'm determined to keep up my fight for expanded job opportunities for our returning veterans and I'm hopeful my colleagues will work together and pass this legislation into law."

The Veterans Jobs Corps Act of 2012 would establish a veterans jobs corps to expand local job opportunities for veterans as firefighters and police officers, and employ veterans to maintain, protect, and preserve our public lands...

Senator McCaskell has every reason to be proud of her voting record to help Missourians. She might even talk about how the Senate was unable to pass the American Jobs Act which was paid for and would not add a burden to the national debt. She might point out that many returning veterans might be finding jobs now if that bill had been passed.

Missouri Farmer Today (click here) I read this as often as I can get my hands it, don't you? No one is going to believe this either, but, I was once a farmer (produce primarily) that grew 40 acres of soybeans every year. No lie. Just fact.

...Biodiesel (click here) is made through a simple refining process called transesterification. The process involves mixing methanol with sodium hydroxide, then mixing that with an oil such as soybean oil. The final products are methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerine. Glycerine is a valuable material used in the manufacture of soaps and other products.

Methyl or ethyl esters can be produced from vegetable and tree oils, animal fats, and/or used oils and fats....

Now, of course, everyone wants to know what transesterification is. Please don't talk down to them and say it is a strange name for a woman. Bring an expert that can explain the darn thing. But, more than understanding the process of biodiesel (which I believe is a great invention actually) lets talk about the price of soybeans. Okay? Let's talk about drought, the cost of fuel and the increased cost of food because of the high cost of fuel, but, most of all talk about alternatives and how it makes a difference and how much more it can make a difference.

Talk about forming cooperatives for farmers to GROW THEIR OWN fuel. Talk about how the federal government stands by our farmers and how much they DESERVE all the attention they need. 

There is a lot for Senator McCaskell to talk about. There is more for her to listen to. I think the Missourians are going to be fine. She needs to stay away from the rhetoric and insults and let Mr. Akin prove how he can insult a wonderful Senator without the consideration of her honor.

Good luck, Senator. They need you in the Senate. It is up to you to let them know how much. OH, and if I can quote the Late Senator Edward Kennedy, "You have to ask them for their vote." Remember that. People like to be asked.

It wasn't hair combing that caught the imagination of others, it was this one.

I think it was Ashcroft, too, not just Wolfowitz. Let me see. It's got to be there somewhere.

A real gentleman would not make such a statement.

I suppose a legitimate rape can only happen if it occurred to a lady. A lady could shut down fertility of her egg from hostile sperm.

See, even if a lady were assaulted and inseminated she would be sooooo, very traumatized she would abort the fertilized egg.

Todd Akin must be a vampire with his orientation in the past where science hasn't existed yet. There is no other logical explanation for his estrangement from reality while holding so many in the population of Missouri voting captives.

That aside, the Republicans don't care about women. They care about power and Akin is the only game they have so of course they are going to back peddle on everything.

The Devil is in the details. Ah, ha, ha, ha. I kill myself.

The angel sure didn't seem to be in the outcome though.

It appears Israel received its response to the 'Red Line.'

MOSCOW, September 28 (RIA Novosti)

Russia hopes (click here) to see the next round of six-party talks on Iran take place soon, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Friday.

“We believe it is necessary to agree on the time and venue of the next round,” Ryabkov said, stressing the need for the meeting to be held as soon as possible, in October.

Russia would like the talks to be unaffected by the electoral process in Iran and the U.S., he added.

“The negotiating process should continue in any event, regardless of the outcome of elections in Iran or the United States,” Ryabkov said.

Iran and the group of countries comprising Britain, China, France, Russia, the US and Germany, known as P5+1, have held several rounds of talks over the Iranian nuclear issue....

Iran urges P5+1 for "clear response" over nuclear stand-off (click here)
English.news.cn   2012-08-03 16:38:42

TEHRAN, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili has demanded a "clear response to ideas put forward by Tehran" in the nuclear negotiations with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1), satellite Press TV reported On Friday.

In a telephone conversation with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Thursday Jalili said," A clear and specific response (from the P5+1) to the Islamic Republic of Iran's sensible ideas is a logical request," said the report....

China underlines need for immediate continuation of Iran-P5+1 talks (click here)

...“The relevant parties should remain committed to a diplomatic solution and begin a new round of dialogue as soon as possible,” Yang said in a speech at the UN General Assembly on Thursday. 

China has always supported efforts to continue to work with parties concerned and play a constructive role in seeking a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear energy issue through dialog and negotiation, he added....

What does every Plutocratic Billionaire want?

Answer: To be a Trillionaire.

Why not prepare to abandon a planet no one can save? And exploit every dime out of it before it is too late to do so.

What populous needs an education or culture if they aren't going to be around forever?

The question is do they believe in the future 'for all' or 'just a few?'

Anyone can guess what this is about. 4% Growth and Privatized Space Travel.

Both Branson and Bush are looking for Venture Capital for their purposes and the private equity firms are looking to make a lot of quick money. Branson is more or less a longer term investment, but, after Romney is elected, Bush's plan is far more short term than anyone could realize.

Bush's plan will find Gingrich child labor focus helpful as a family survival tool. Welcome the India paradigm to the USA.

...Former president George W. Bush (click here) isn’t exactly doing Mitt Romney any favors on the messaging front. As the current face of the Republican party, Mitt’s single biggest challenge has been distancing himself from his image as a business tycoon who got rich by outsourcing American jobs and then keeping big chunks of his fortune in Swiss bank accounts and invested in the Cayman Islands.

On election week, George W. will rub the sketchy Cayman Islands playboy image right in Mitt’s face....

Voter ID Laws are expensive.

The problem is people age, they have accidents and plastic surgery. The voter 

ID laws rely on the photo as a means to providing proof. The frequency of

which a photo ID has to be produced is yet to be determined.

I have a passport I am about to renew. It is ten years old. I look different on 

my current passport than I do today. I was told by a TSA employee about 3

years ago I should have a back up ID as my physical features had changed 

enough to challenge the validity of the passport. I don't lie. It occurred.

..."What I'm thinking is blocking (click here) implementation of one '

specific section that contains disenfranchisement language," Simpson 

said from the bench.

"The provisional ballot seems to be the sticking point," he said. "It's not the 

smoothest part of" the voter ID law....


The voter ID laws have to be challenged as a poll tax. They also have to be

challenged as an inaccurate way of providing identity for voting.


If the state provides free Voter ID cards that does not end the problem. The

Voter ID legislation has to provide for BUDGET provisions in any state's

budget. So, in the case of free voter ID cards it will be an ongoing budget 

problem which will have to provide for replacement cards whenever there is 

a problem with the ID matching the facial features of the voter.



In the case of a requirement for a Voter ID not paid for by the state, it

definitely is a poll tax. Absolutely. And if voters have to repeat the expense 

frequently it will oppress the vote. A state could require Voter IDs as current

as a month before any balloting. If the voter has to pay for those IDs it will

be a cost they may not be able to afford and will be obstructive to any

balloting.


Voter IDs are a new toy to oppress the vote. This is not the end of it. It will

morph into permission to cause chaos year after year. This dynamic of a 

Voter ID is prohibitive to our democracy.



I have a suggestion.



If a state wants to prove positively a voter is who they say they are

throughout their balloting lifetime, then technology has to be put in place.

It has to be put in place at the time of balloting.

The only way to secure a person's identity 

with any assurance and without 

manipulation is through the electronic 

ready of a thumb, finger or toe print.


A simple mechanism whereby any person 

lightly presses on its surface is then 

matched automatically to a data base. 

First time IDs can be registered at the 

polling station as people enter for 

balloting. That print can follow them

everywhere forever. 


It only requires the current balloting system 

and technology in place to start the process.


It is the only valid means of providing proof of identity without changing 

circumstances beyond the first data grab.


The Photo Voter ID is insufficient in its ability to assure the integrity of

balloting today or in the future. It is far too costly and will cause tampering

with balloting integrity. Voter ID laws will require trained personnel at the 

balloting stations who are certified to read the Voter ID card or photo ID.


The Voter ID Laws provide no assurance of accuracy of the personnel at the 

polling station to ascertain a positive identification of an individual to cast

a ballot. Voters will be turned away by people with challenged eyesight and 

the inability to understand how to look at the ID picture and then the voter.


The Voter ID Laws can allow bigotry, racism and discrimination with a new 

procedure never proved to be effective and fool proof.

We are killing their leadership on a regular basis. That is why attacks are up.

Previous to President Obama taking office there was little to no war in Afghanistan that amounted to anything. Afghanistan was abandoned for Iraq's oil.

During that time, Bush never acted in Afghanistan to kill Osama bin Laden or destroy the Taliban, they were reconstituting.

This report, while significant, can't stand alone as the only analysis of the dynamics of Afghanistan. 

The reason there are more civilian deaths is two fold, really. One, there are more attacks period. So, with fighting increasing there the result is more civilian deaths. Two, al Qaeda are using civilians as human shields to protect themselves why Karzai is screaming at NATO that they are killing civilians.

At this point, with Afghanistan, one has to assess the gains made and the national securities of NATO. Were there significant gains made to justify the ongoing occupation of Afghanistan? To some extent that can be subjective and political, too. Oddly though, even though Karzai is screaming citizens are being killed, he hasn't kicked NATO out regardless of having trained 325,000 sovereign troops. So, when is Afghanistan going to be able to stand on its own?

Then there are the drone attacks which is the primary vehicle of enemy deaths. But, while they are killing the enemy, they are also killing the human shields used for protection.

The real question and the ONLY justification for remaining in Afghanistan to continue the training mission is, "Will the USA be safe once NATO has finished its mission?" If the answer is no, then we don't belong there anymore. The only purpose for a war in Afghanistan is to increase national security of member nations. If that is not happening and our troops are dying there is no reason to be there.

Homeland Security has to take over the role of protections against these attacks.


By THOMAS JOSCELYNSeptember 25, 2012

NATO's (click here) International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has released its monthly data trends report for August. ISAF's data show that while the number of enemy-initiated attacks (EIAs) thus far this year has decreased slightly, as compared to the first eight months of 2011, the number of civilian casualties increased dramatically. And the overall level of violence in Afghanistan, as measured by ISAF, remains worse than prior to the 2010 surge of American forces....

"Mother Jones" does it again. Thank you. (for article click on title of entry)

There are a lot of reasons to be grateful David Corn and Mother Jones have become a trusted company for those seeking to tell the truth about Bain and Romney's activities.

There are the videos made by former employees of companies exploited by Bain and Romney that are finally vindicated for their activism.

Does Mitt Romney Care About Jobs or Just Making Money? (click here)

I am happy for them as there is now sound proof of their observations and claims. Who are the real Americans, huh? The ones at the lathe or the ones with monies in the offshore accounts?

The structure and methodology Bain worked with was obvious, but, there was no solid proof. There were no forthcoming records to prove the companies sold off and merged were ever in financial trouble. Employees could make their claims, but, there were 'the missing books.' There was 'doubt' allowing the claims of 'job killer' to wash away as insinuations. But, this is proof.

It is easy now to look at the companies involved and find the 'break points' where it was sustained for a short time (I consider labor for five to seven years a short duration. Work longevity is security for Americans. Work longevity is a reason to make the plant hum and invest in making products the best they can be. Work longevity is the reason for the suggestion box.) and then sold off for cash flow purposes at Bain.

Private equity is not about long term investment. By the very nature of the business whereby investors are looking for high returns on their investment there is little doubt the private equity companies are harmful to any economy, not just the USA. It is astounding to me they actually developed IPOs. Money, money, money in whatever way they can get it.

It makes all too much sense now and realizing how office supply companies in business for decades from the early days of the 20th century were simply merged into the highest profitability model creating Office Depot where imports are sold in volume.

It occurred again when sports stores, once purchasing Made in the USA goods for their enterprise suddenly changed hands and merged to create Sports Authority. 

USA companies that provided lives with good incomes were merged to create a store where today, the only employees making a living wage are the managers. 

The timeline exactly matches the 5 to 7 year methodology of Bain Capital.

The steel plant closed within that time frame. It never mattered that Romney left Bain before the plant was closed and dismantled with parts going to the highest bidder; 'the plans were in place.' Romney maintained control to be sure he got his fair share when it occurred.

I believe he stated, "Look, you guys are going to make a lot of money."

Retro-retirement is a new rule in the world created by Romney. Retro-retirement is a 'Make Your Own Rules' paradigm no different than when Romney pays taxes to game the system for a benevolent image to the public. 

It all fits. All of it.

Vindication, Mr. Corn. This is vindication for all those that came forward for so many years and time and again. They were not lying. They did not hate Mitt. They did not favor a Democratic outcome. They knew what they knew about him and it scared them to have him obtain the power of the USA Presidency.

Heroes is the word that comes to mind. You with the power of Mother Jones, the integrity you brought to others with that power and the power of the individual to be truth-tellers.

I think that was a good idea. I liked it.

The United Nations should know what the sovereign country of Israel considers 'The Red Line." The Prime Minister is correct in that he and his nation is the one to determine the tolerance of hostility.

There is no one at the United Nations who believes Israel does not see a two state solution.

...8:09 PM Netanyahu: (click here) there are some who claim that even if Iran crosses the red line we will know when and where the Iranians are building a bomb. But intelligence are not full (fool) proof.

8:07 P.M. Netanyahu draws a red line on his diagram.... with red pen....


The Mandate for Palestine has been an understanding regarding the existence of Palestine since The League of Nations. This mandate has existed since 1922. So any global leader making accusations regarding Israel's policies with Palestine cannot ignore the long standing understanding nations there is a right to a Palestine. I remind Palestine was a diffuse understanding due to migratory activity by the people.

This document has been superseded by formal negotiations and treaties between Israel and Palestine. But, it is a recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to their nation. An understanding of their heritage. Israel is not unilaterally calling off the effort for a Palestine.

President Abbas has stated at the United Nations this week, Israel is planning another "Nakba." The Nakba is commemorated within Palestine as the "The Day of Catastrophe" on May 15 of every year. I am quite confident that is not the case. President Abbas wants to have Palestine upgraded to a 'non-member state.'

The Palestinian people fear the Occupied West Bank containing Israeli settlements is a clear indication there is an understanding Israel will again expel Palestine from their current status.

...He blamed the attacks on Israeli government policy, (click here) which he said supports settlements and occupation and creates a "racist climate" and a "culture of incitement." He also accused Israel of committing war crimes, including "murder, torture and abuse of peaceful civilians."...

President Abbas is stating there are attacks by citizens of the Palestinian people and demolished buildings by Israel's government. It is a fairly strong statement he makes.

...Over the past few months, Abbas said, "attacks by terrorist militias of Israeli settlers have become a daily reality, with at least 535 attacks perpetrated since the beginning of the year." He added that Israel had demolished 510 Palestinian structures over the past 12 months, displacing some 770 Palestinians from their homes....

There has to be settlement on the borders between Israel and Palestine. (click here)

I realize Israel states to move its borders is to create indefensible borders. Then Israel and the USA have to agree on what exactly is meant by defensible. The USA has to be willing to stand by that definition and move forward. Israel cannot stalemate this agreement forever. It cannot allow citizen militias to exist assaulting Palestinians. Citizen militias have been a defense by many cities and towns in Israel, but, to use them to move borders and build build settlements is a new paradigm. I am sorry, but, Israel cannot tolerate citizen militias that seek to fight border wars.

There is also NO REASON for this ban on students attending universities in the West Bank. Students entering the West Bank from Gaza can be cleared by security and should, but to impose a permanent ban only raises tensions.

This was a decision by the courts. The Israeli legislature has to correct this error. If the current laws of Israel oppress deserving students it is time to change the laws governing the oppression.

Five students does make an army. Five students from Gaza cannot bring rockets and bombs with them. I cannot believe five hostile students would be accepted to the university in the West Bank because the Gazans don't sincerely have a peace with the West Bank. But, accepting students to their university is more than a generous way to offer opportunity and improvement of the quality of life of Gaza. This could unite the two factions of Palestine and should not be obstructed by Israel.

Israel upholds ban on Gaza students in West Bank (click here)

AP  / September 27, 2012

JERUSALEM (AP) —  Israel’s supreme court has upheld a ban on Palestinian students from the Gaza Strip studying in the West Bank.

Israeli and Palestinian rights groups petitioned the court to allow five students from Gaza to travel to the West Bank for a master’s program in gender studies. They argue the two separate Palestinian territories should be treated as a single entity.

Israel has treated Gaza as a hostile territory since 2007, when the militant group Hamas took control of the seaside strip....

Israel should be encouraging angry young men to become students with hopes of improving their country and the way of life of their people. Israel should be facilitating prosperous futures for these young people and have them understand Israel can be generous, too. It is a small act of greatness for Israel. They should take advantage of the opportunity for better relations.

I wish women were more concerned for their safety.

It is true in the USA, too. The country mouse comes to the city to be overwhelmed by a world moving faster than a white water river.

The Buddy System. Women HAVE to assume they are not safe in late hours when few people are around and opportunity presents itself. Safety for women is to recognize 'opportunity' for placing themselves 'at risk.' Opportunity that places women at risk has to be mitigated with smart thinking. If there is no one around to walk home with then call a cab. A medallion cab. 

Please.

I don't care if she is going a block from the pub, call some kind of escort home. It is completely silly not to. I believe a women should trust her instincts when it comes to her safety and not 'be brave' when it is prudent to feel otherwise.

In both these cases, there was a closed door opened which caused their deaths.

On one side of the door they were safe, on the other side they found death and neither expect it.

Man arrested over Jill Meagher case (click here)

9:17 PM Thursday Sep 27, 2012

...Detectives had been wanting to talk to a man in a blue hooded jumper seen on CCTV footage with Ms Meagher moments before she vanished in the early hours of last Saturday.

Police have not said if the man who has been arrested is the person in the hoodie.

Detectives hold grave fears that Ms Meagher, a 29-year-old who moved from Ireland to the city three years ago, was abducted while walking home alone last Saturday from a Sydney Road bar in Brunswick....

When I was in college our Physical Education instructor gave us extra points on our grade if we took a self-defense course offered by the campus police. It was extremely helpful. The course was four six hour days of which only one was classroom to prepare for assault training, but, also to review how women are actually drugged in a bar resulting in date rape or worse. It was excellent. They taught me things I would never think of myself. The physical assault segment was excellent. It was two weekends and it probably saved lives. Young women being educated for careers to value. Smart girls.

In another case in New Zealand.

4:30 PM Thursday Sep 27, 2012

...Ms Portman, 33, has not been seen since she left a Mt Albert motel on June 20. (click here) She was four-months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Her car was found about two weeks after she was reported missing. Police are treating her disappearance as a homicide....


I loved my work at UMDNJ in Newark. But, our employer didn't like the idea of anyone walking through fenced in and monitored parking lots alone. If it was dark and / or few people around the University Police required us to call for escort. They were always at every door when the most people were arriving and leaving for the day. Without fail. 

It was an odd feeling to be escorted when alone because so much of what work required was complete honestly and trust, but, their understanding was, "The best employees in New Jersey cannot be replaced because in one instance in time the odds turned against them."

It was about 'having guts, being prepared or being strong and confident.' It about BEING smart.

Recognize the place? Some might.

This is a city in India, not far from Kashmir or the Pakistan border, in the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains.

Jalandhar ranks second in India in the rate of urbanisation and has the highest density of population at 598 persons per square km, as per the 1991 census.

To the left is Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar.

The Ramada to the right in Punjab City of Jalandhar is considered the best accomodations.

Jalandhar is the media and mass communication hub of the region having the regional headquarters of the national television and radio channels. Most of India's sports goods are exported to the United Kingdom, The United States of America, Germany, France and Australia. Rough estimates suggest that today Jalandhar has more than one hundred major industries and about 20,000 small-scale industries.

Interior of Viva Collage Mall, Jalandhar

List of Malls in Jalandhar

MBD Neopollis

The Galleria

Viva Collage Mall

Sarb Multiplex

Splendor Shagun

Ansal Plaza

PPR Mall

Best Price (Bharti Walmart)

Nazz Shooping Center

Ritu Wear's Big Life

The Metropolitan 

City Square

Most of India's sports goods are exported to the United Kingdom, The United States of America, Germany, France and Australia.

September 25, 2012

Ben Doherty

Sherrin (click here) has pulled all football manufacturing from its Indian subcontractors, after admitting some of its balls were made using child labour.

On Saturday, The Age/Herald revealed Sherrin balls were being hand-stitched by children as young as 10, for as little as 12 cents a ball.

The children, almost all of them girls, were being pulled out of school to stitch balls full-time, for up to 10 hours a day, seven days a week....

...Rajkumar warned public attention on the issue of child labour would cause brands to simply pull out of the market, and that they would leave nothing behind.

"You will affect the families, which completely depend on football stitching. You are snatching their livelihood."

While Sherrin says the use of child labour making its footballs was the work of one rogue contractor, The Age's 12-month investigation found that the use of child labour in the sports-ball industry in India was widespread and systemic.

The Age found child stitchers, as young as seven, in both the cities of Jalandhar and Meerut, stitching not only Sherrins, but other international sports brands such as Canterbury, and balls for India's domestic market....

Primarily girls. Education for girls is not sincerely important, even in India. This is what occurs when manufacturing is outsourced.

Syd only makes a limited amount of footballs each year as the process is a very meticulous one, making each football by hand with his dedicated skill and precision to detail. (click here)

ONLY Syd. I suppose the picture above is Syd.

Wow. Hand made with dedicated skill and precision to detail. 

Really?

Now that Sherrin has closed its child labor operations, people in Australia and India are complaining the former laborers will have nothing left for sustenance.

Really?

The country of India uses younger child labor than China. It needs to be outlawed. I would not worry about the children of Punjab City because their government is going to have take care of them and their families and act to support them. See, the girls have to go back to school so they can graduate high school and attend that very modern technical university.

India and Punjab City do not need sympathy, they need laws to protect innocent children from slavery!

The nation of India needs to compensate these children for the loss of schooling they suffered under with insufficient laws and governance to protect them. India needs to supplement the lost wages to their families and return the children to their studies. India allowed this. It is India's problem.

Farewell to Andy Williams.

Andy WIlliams singing "Moon River". Thank you Andy, for sharing your beautiful voice with us. You will be sorely missed x (1927-2012)

It is a great song. Love it.

Songwriters: DOZIER, LAMONT HERBERT / HOLLAND, BRIAN / HOLLAND, EDDIE

Moon river, wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style some day
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way

Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me

(moon river, wider than a mile)

(I'm crossin' you in style some day)
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way

Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after that same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me

The Football Commissioner needs to be fired.

The fans, the players and the team of the Green Bay Packers suffered unnecessarily over this damaging decision by part time referees.

By JUDY BATTISTA

Published: September 25, 2012

...To that end, (click here) Goodell has risked lawsuits over his tough punishments for a bounty scandal; he has suspended or otherwise disciplined some of the N.F.L.’s most popular players; and he brokered the deal that ended the long, bitter lockout of the league’s players last year....

Seriously, this is ridiculous. There is so much hype about instant replays and all kinds of electronic enhancements, to allow this call to stand is a gross injustice to everyone. If the commissioners authority and judgement has to be called into question, then it has to be.

There does not have to be retribution against part time referees, either. The strike should have been settled. This is a failure of the administration of these teams and the league. The owners and the commission allowed referees on the field who were not ready to assume this responsibility. It is not their fault they rose to the occasion to carry on the game. They actually crossed picket lines to do it. So, it isn't their problem, it is the commissioner's problem. I think the entire circumstance needs to be investigated, conclusions reached and appropriate action taken. It isn't the refs that were the problem. It is the commissioner standing behind an obvious bad call that is the problem and the fact he and the owners allowed less qualified officiating in the first place rather than settling the strike.

The electorate issues are not about winning. The media has it "W"rong.

The attack on minorities in this election ACROSS the country by Republican Governors is the issue. This is about Americans, legitimate minority voters, being removed from the ability to vote in 2012.

This is not the first time the Republican Party has STACKED THE DECK in recent history against minority votes. In 2000, an entire election was decided in Florida because of CORRUPTION targeting minority voters.

Americans vote. End of discussion. They vote WITHOUT barriers to their balloting. The day there are profound issues in impersonation and voter fraud THEN the entire country can take action against it. And I might add, the country doesn't sincerely know what EFFECTIVE action to take because it hasn't happened yet and we don't know the source of such fraud. 

There is NO research or PROOF anywhere to pin point the problem. The Republicans are stacking the deck based on Identity Theft Rhetoric. The fact of the matter is there is no way of knowing if Voter ID will even stop ALL forms of fraud. What the Republicans ARE doing is DEFRAUDING elections, not debunking identity theft.

The number of Americans that simply vote is a minority of the adults eligible. 

The Republicans are stacking the deck, just that simple. In the year 2012 we are seeing some of the worst non-violent bigotry this nation has ever witnessed.

The Republican Governors across the country are corrupt in their directives. They are corrupt in most of their dealings when it comes to civil rights, the rights of collective bargaining and education.

The TILT in all these areas and more is palpable. The Republican Party is a corrupt party and now they are blatant bigots.

Americans are being deprived of their rights and in no way can it be tolerated. 

The Republicans USE the electorate to achieve wins in the USA, that is not what this is about. This is about hard fought for rights stated in laws that have stood as the remedy to racism. This is about nullifying laws that have stood for decades of time and trampling the sacrifices of past generations. 

This isn't about winning, it is about justice.

Sep 26, 2012

Poll: Obama grows lead in Ohio and Florida  (click here)

...Obama leads Republican Mitt Romney by ten points -- 53%-43% -- in Ohio, according to the Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News survey.

Obama's lead is nine points in Florida, 53%-44%.

The president also leads Romney by 12 points in Pennsylvania, a state the Democrats have carried in five straight presidential elections....