An unemployed Syrian national was arrested in Dubai for trying to summon the spirit of murdered Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim, press reported Saturday. The 56-year-old man, who claims he can talk to the spirits of the dead, was seen lingering around the area where Tamim was murdered, the UAE's 7Days reported.
According to residents of the luxury apartment block the man was seen burning incense and holding Tamim's picture while mumbling incomprehensible words, the paper said. The man was also seen carrying books about delusion and witchcraft and had pictures of the Egyptian tycoon Hisham Talat Mustafa who is accused of paying a hitman $2 million to murder Tamim.
Tamim was murdered in July at her apartment in Dubai's upscale Jumeirah Beach Residence; her murder sparked a media frenzy.
Tamim rose to fame after winning a Lebanese talent show in 1996 but her life had been marred by domestic disputes, including a rocky marriage with her second husband and agent who had accused her in 2004 of being behind an attempt on his life.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/12/2008 00:00 ||
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All this so called " sorcery happening in the News In Arabia is all about how humans are evolving their minds to perform little magic tricks, to enhance Life... It's only humans evolving...
Arabia should embrace those people with love, for they are the ones who can stop wars and keep their kings and peoples safe from the crazy things happening in the world...
Great pic at site!
Aledo High seniors pick classmate with Down syndrome as homecoming queen
Never has the selection of a homecoming queen sent so many tears falling so freely.
Kristin Pass, an 18-year-old senior with Down syndrome, became Aledo High School's homecoming queen Friday to a joyous standing ovation and the flutter of a thousand tissues on a remarkable night for an amazing young woman.
Her grandfather, Dr. David Campbell of Corsicana, escorted her onto the field and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as Kristin joined eight other young women in the Homecoming Court to await the results of the vote, cast by the 360-plus members of Aledo High's senior class.
"Oh my gosh! I was sitting in the student section and everyone stood up, crying and cheering for Kristin," said longtime friend and fellow senior Meaghan Geary, 17, who first met Kristin in the third grade. "It was great!"
Carolyn Pass stood at the edge of the football field, taking pictures of her daughter and friends' daughters in the court, when the stadium erupted.
"It's just something you can't even imagine," she said. "And afterward, everyone was just running down to her, congratulating her. And the other girls in the court, they're all just beautiful girls, inside and out."
Ms. Pass said she spoke later with a friend. "She said the only mistake anyone made was not handing out crying towels."
The vote may have been a surprise, but no one who knows Kristin doubts her popularity, her mother said.
"Kristin has a lot of friends she likes everyone. It doesn't matter if you're tall or short, pretty, not pretty, smart, not smart she likes everybody. She has great friends. And Aledo is a great community."
"She's just the neatest kid in the whole wide world," added her aunt, Chari Hust of Houston, "and everybody sees that."
Clay Gilmer, who works in the stadium press box, running the scoreboard and clock, said people pushed toward the windows as the young women were introduced.
"They were all pulling for Kristin," Mr. Gilmer said.
When she won, he was thrilled. "This has been such a special time, a special week for Kristin," he said. "And I was really taken by the maturity and the love shown by her friends, her peers, her classmates.
"That makes this a double blessing."
Kristin pronounced the evening "exciting" and "awesome."
She was so thrilled, her mother said, that she took her crown to bed with her.
"She's real proud of it," her friend Meaghan added.
Kristin and her family, including sister Kendall, now a freshman, moved to Aledo when Kristin was in the third grade. She was embraced by the people in town through good times and bad, including the death of her dad, J.T., two years ago.
"We've always had great experiences here," her mom said. "We've been blessed, and I think Kristin brings a lot of blessings to the people she knows."
Her selection as homecoming queen was a wonderful surprise. But Meaghan seemed to have an inkling that it could happen.
"Everyone loves Kristin," she said, "and I didn't know for sure, but in class everyone was like, 'Who are you voting for?' and everybody was like, 'Vote for Kristin, she's so good.' "
Kristin doesn't care what's on the outside, Meaghan said. She's friends with everyone, and everyone admires that.
"She's the person we all want to be," Meaghan said.
#1
sounds like a school and community to be proud of. God bless em
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/12/2008 14:17 Comments ||
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If only congress was half as mature as these kids are.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
10/12/2008 14:35 Comments ||
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#3
Let the dems chew on that for a while. Everybody can bring some kind of good. Kristin brought a lot of good. She brought out the best in people. Now think about Sarah Palin's baby with Down's Syndrome, Trig. What will he influence with his life?
There is a bit of God in every one of us. And if you are not a God believer, it is something higher and beyond mere humans. And it transcends politics, especially US national politics. And the sh*tbag political parties we are stuck with.
I am proud of the young people at Aledo High School.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/12/2008 15:30 Comments ||
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#4
If the Dems had their way this would never have been possible. Young Miss Pass would have been aborted and flushed down a waste disposal long ago.
Clara Meadmore, a retired secretary, who still has her own hair, teeth, and sharp wit, never had time for a family and lived alone until going into care. She said: "I've always had lots of platonic friendships with men but never felt the need to go further than that or marry."
Miss Meadmore, who was born in Glasgow, and lived in Canada and New Zealand, before settling in Cornwall 40 years ago, also added that she had never had any interest in sex. "I imagine there is a lot of hassle involved and I have always been busy doing other things," she said. "When I was a girl you only had sex with your husband and I never married. I grew up in an era where little girls were to be seen and not heard so I had to learn to stand up for myself and earn my own living.
"Some men don't like that in a woman and before long I was too old to marry anyway."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: john frum ||
10/12/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Miss Meadmore has never owned a television.
Quite obviously a lack of nookey had nothing to do whatsoever with her longevity.
#4
Hey kids, there are 71 more just like her waiting for you in PARADISE! What? You really should have read the small print before you blew yourself. No it is too late to request raisins. Besides you knew the job was dangerous when you took it.
Posted by: bruce ||
10/12/2008 18:16 Comments ||
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#5
"no sex the key to long life"
and what's the point of a long life then?
Posted by: European Conservative ||
10/12/2008 20:25 Comments ||
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#6
Guy goes up to a Guru on a mountaintop in India and asks, "What is the secret to a long life?".
Guru looks at him and says... "Do you smoke?"
"Yes, I occasionally have a cigar"
"No more smoking!"
"Ok - I need to quit anyway".
"Do you drink alcoholic drinks?"
"Well.....yes I occasionally have a social drink with the guys."
"No more Drinking!"
"Well... ok, if it would bring a longer life and all I guess that's ok".
"Do you eat meat?"
"Yes. I love an occasional steak!"
"No more meat!"
"Hmm... well that is going to be kind of hard. But if I live a longer life I guess it might be worth it"
The Guru looks him up and down and asks, "Do you have sex?"
"Of course. Me and my wife have an occasional roll in the hay.."
"No more Sex!"
"Well... hmm.... are you sure this will lead to a long life? That is a lot to ask..."
The Guru looks him in the eye and says, "Don't know. But it will seem like an eternity...."
Two robbers were killed in a gunfight with the law enforcers near DM College at Padamdi under Shailakupa upazila of the district early yesterday.
The identity of the robbers could not be known as of 6:30pm yesterday.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team from Shailakupa Police Station set out for Padamdi where a gang of robbers was felling a tree on Kushtia-Jhenidah road for committing robbery in night coaches.
As the police team reached near DM College at around 2:00am, the gang opened fire, prompting the law enforcers to retaliate.
Police said two gang members received bullets during the shootout while others escaped unhurt. The bullet-hit bandits were taken to Shailakupa Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared them dead, they added.
The officer-in-charge (OC) of Shailakupa Police Station said two constables--Faruk and Saidulreceived injuries during the gunfight.
Police recovered a foreign made gun, two light guns and 19 bullets from the scene.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/12/2008 00:00 ||
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The brother of murdered hostage Ken Bigley has made a plea to Iraqis to find his secret grave. Phil said it is "a last chance" for his 90-year-old mum Lil to get Ken's remains back and bury him in Britain before she dies. He asked for prayers and an appeal to be read in mosques last week on the fourth anniversary of Liverpool-born Ken's death, to persuade those with information to help.
The 52-year-old from Ipswich, Suffolk, added: "We have kept in regular contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office over the last four years. We jointly came up with this idea to have prayers read out across Fallujah as we believe that is where Ken rests."
Civil engineer Ken, 62, was held for 19 days after being kidnapped in Baghdad before he was beheaded by the Tawhid al-Jihad terror group.
President Alan Garcia announced Saturday that he has appointed a leftist governor to become Peru's chief Cabinet minister, a day after the minister's predecessor resigned along with 16 colleagues amid a brewing oil-kickbacks scandal.
Longtime politician and veterinarian Yehude Simon, 61, will replace outgoing Cabinet chief Jorge del Castillo in the position, Garcia said.
...
Simon has had a lengthy political career, serving as a lawmaker for the United Left party from 1985 to 1990 during Garcia's first administration.
He served prison time for alleged links to leftist Tupac Amaru guerrillas, but was pardoned in 2000 and elected governor of Peru's Lambayeque province in 2003.
Del Castillo led 16 other ministers in a mass Cabinet resignation on Friday in the wake of an ongoing oil-kickbacks scandal. ...
Posted by: ed ||
10/12/2008 10:37 ||
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I take it this means someone undid the zipper on the suit the New Alan Garcia was wearing, and the Old Alan Garcia stepped out?
Two populist parties appeared poised for a strong showing Sunday in parliamentary elections that could usher in a governing coalition aligned more toward Russia than Europe.
The vote also features a nonbinding referendum on whether to keep a flawed, Soviet-era nuclear plant operating beyond its scheduled closure. The Chernobyl-style nuclear plant's design flaws scare EU members, who insist that it be closed on its scheduled date in December 2009. Many Lithuanians claim that shutting down the Ignalina plant, which gives them energy independence, will leave them vulnerable to Russia, an unreliable energy supplier.
One recent poll indicated more than 70 percent of Lithuanians support a postponement of the closure. All major parties favor extending the life of the plant.
The governing Social Democrats, who have held the post of prime minister since 2001, appeared to be struggling to pass the 5 percent barrier needed to make it into the 141-member parliament.
A poll published Sept. 25 of 1,001 voters by Lietuvos Rytas, the country's top daily, showed that Rolandas Paksas' Order and Justice and Viktor Uspaskich's Labor Party parties could muster more than 20 percent of the combined vote, while the right-wing Fatherland Union, a ferocious rival to both parties, can expect 12 percent.
The remaining share of the vote appeared to be split between smaller parties. Twenty percent of voters were undecided. The margin of error was 3 percent. Election officials said that by 1200GMT, five hours before polls closed, over 25 percent of registered voters had participated.
If victorious, Paksas, an impeached former president, and Uspaskich, who made his fortune in Lithuania selling jarred pickles, could form the backbone of a populist coalition that would likely talk tough to the European Union on the nuclear plant and improve relations with neighboring Russia.
A victory for the populists would be a tremendous blow for President Valdas Adamkus, who has fought bitterly with both Paksas and Uspaskich and has appealed to the electorate not to vote on an emotional impulse.
Lithuania, which regained independence in 1991 amid the collapse of the Soviet Union, experienced an economic boom after joining the EU 2004. However, the economy overheated and like its Baltic neighbors, Lithuania is now struggling with high inflation and slumping growth.
Paksas was impeached in 2004 for violating the Constitution and abuse of office, making him the first European head of state to be impeached and removed from office. Though he is constitutionally barred from occupying public office, he could wield tremendous influence on the sidelines.
Uspaskich was forced to resign from the economy minister's post after coming under investigation for a conflict of interest case involving Russia, where he was born.
Posted by: ed ||
10/12/2008 10:21 ||
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The roar was visceral: a gutsy grunt of defiance. For a few heady minutes on Friday afternoon, traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange cheered aloud as they briefly heaved the stock market into positive territory.
The effort was Herculean: a dwindling band of optimists pouring billions of dollars into a few selected shares in the hope of encouraging others to rally round. Twice they succeeded, only to see the forces of panic overwhelm them each time.
Finally, New York closed for the weekend, once again in the red: bringing temporary relief to a global rout that has reduced the value of most international markets by a fifth in just five brutal days.
Listening to the animal language of the trading pit, it is easy to forget that securities trading is just a mathematical invention -- nothing but the abstract agglomeration of pricing data.
The sober Reuters wire service wrote on Friday of investors being "castrated". Scandinavian bank Enskilda warned clients that markets were "at riot point". "It's like someone cancelled gravity yesterday," added one London trader.
#1
"it's like there was an avalanche of metaphors"
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/12/2008 6:42 Comments ||
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"nothing matters only yield"
"nothing matters only yield"
"nothing matters only yield"
"nothing matters only yield"
"nothing matters only yield"
"nothing matters only yield"
"nothing matters only yield"
#3
It will be interesting to watch the Asian and European markets on Monday since the American market is closed. Will they react to Friday after 2 days to think about it? Or, will they sit on their hands and wait 2 more trading days until Tuesday when the American markets are back? Plus the American markets get to see what the G7 came up with in Paris. My guess is that the bottom feeders have been bleary eyed chart readers the last few nights and days and there will be a surge of buying up future goodies like pharma and consumables as well as transportation. I am willing to bet we get back to 9k by end of the month and possibly 9.5k by Christmas. Of course it all depends on the election - as long as Obama has the lead the market is susceptible.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
10/12/2008 10:44 Comments ||
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#6
BP is right. Yield determines how profitable it is for banks to lend.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
10/12/2008 14:24 Comments ||
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#7
I was (thanks to my broker) able to fish some really solid stocks out of the hands of panicked sheep. They are going to look VERY good in 5 years or more.
This whole crisis is due to risk not being priced properly. And in large part that was due to the belief that large systemic risks no longer existed.
The market was of course incredibly prescient because governments are now taking those systemic risks over (ie they no longer exist for the market).
While governments can take on much larger risks than businesses, some risks are even to large for some governments as we see in Iceland as the country goes bust.
The Treasury is prepared to take controlling stakes in Britain's biggest banks and to put government representatives on their boards to halt the financial crisis, it was disclosed. The Government will do "anything it takes" to prevent the financial system collapsing, including taking more than 50 per cent stakes in banks, sources said.
The radical proposals go significantly further than Gordon Brown's original bail-out unveiled last week. It will spark suspicions that the Prime Minister may have to take more drastic action, even going so far as to nationalise the entire banking system. Nationalize the entire English banking system?
The development came after the Group of Seven (G7) leading finance ministers pledged to follow Britain's lead and part-nationalise vast sections of the Western banking system in their latest effort to bring the crisis to a close.
At their summit in Washington the G7 promised to buy shares in struggling banks if necessary in the coming months. With shares in major markets plunging by a fifth last week, ministers hope that the commitment will boost confidence in the coming week.
Following the talks, US President George W Bush said: "We must ensure the actions of one country do not contradict or undermine the actions of another.
"In an interconnected world, no nation will gain by driving down the fortunes of another. We are in this together. We will come through it together."
Mr Brown will fly to Paris on Sunday to urge European leaders to follow the "British model" of handling the credit crunch by propping up their ailing banks with taxpayers' money. The Prime Minister will deliver his message in an unprecedented appearance at a meeting of leaders of the "eurozone" countries in the French capital. Britain -- which retains its own currency and is outside the eurozone -- is normally excluded from such gatherings but Mr Brown has been invited to the emergency session to discuss how to save stricken lenders and stave off another meltdown next week on European markets.
#1
The upside here is that when they sell these banks, whoever buys them is going to get them cheap.
Posted by: Mike N. ||
10/12/2008 1:52 Comments ||
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It's hard to find succinct descriptions of what is going on. Here's something I found on the "Infectious Greed" blog:
People keep talking about the perils of nationalizing the banking system. Newsflash: There currently is no banking system, if by that you mean a network of organizations lending to one another and to quality companies in a predictable way. ... Instead, there are a bunch of paralyzed deposit-hoarding institutions stuck in a game theory experiment that no-one understands or can exit.
Kashmir's forest train service inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh became an instant hit on the very first day of its commercial operation, forcing the railway authorities to refund the tickets to many who could not board the train due to heavy rush.
"The train is already full with all the eight coaches packed .... most of the passengers have bought tickets upto Anantnag which makes it unlikely for passengers from other stations to board the train," a railway official at Srinagar railway station told PTI. Asked how many tickets would need to be refunded, the official said it was too early to say anything about the numbers. "We will refund tickets of all those passengers who have not been able to make the journey from Srinagar to Anantnag due to the paucity of seats on the train," he said.
He said it would be impossible for passengers to board the train from other stations between Srinagar and Anantnag. The train service, which become commercially operational from today, runs four times a day between Rajwansher in Budgam district and Anantnag district with a maximum seating capacity of 720 persons per train. There is already a demand from general public that the frequency of the train be increased so that the service can be beneficial for people.
Posted by: john frum ||
10/12/2008 14:16 ||
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The first commercial train in Kashmir chugged on the tracks of the valley today with thousands of people turning up at the eight railway stations to experience the ride.
People were seen at almost all railway stations between Rajwansher in Budgam district and Anantnag district from very early in the morning to get the tickets and be among the first ones to witness the historic moment.
Ali Mohammad Wani had reached Srinagar Railway station at Nowgam at 7.00 am although the train was scheduled to arrive much later.
"Before this we had seen trains only in Jammu, Delhi and other parts of India. This is the first time that it has come to our backyard and I wanted to be the first to savour the moment," Wani told PTI after his return journey from Anantnag.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav inaugurated and dedicated the train service to people on Saturday in which ordinary residents were kept away from the function due to security reasons.
Wani, a carpet dealer residing in nearby Bagh-e-Mehtab area, gave thumbs up for the train service and facilities provided in it but wished that the frequency be increased so that it becomes more practical than symbolic.
"The present frequency of operation I would say is not good. Just four trains a day will not benefit many as it limits the option of travelling more by train. The railways should think about it," he added.
Posted by: john frum ||
10/12/2008 14:18 Comments ||
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#2
Feel the tension, man, what a ride!
---Commander Cody, singing Hot Rod Lincoln
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/12/2008 16:02 Comments ||
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Dirndl-clad waitresses deliver frothy beers, the brass band has the oom-pah music in full drive and there are sausages on the grill.
Welcome to Iraq?
It may still be a far cry from the Oktoberfest party in Munich, Germany, that draws in 6 million people each year. But Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq is looking to cash in on the relative peace it is enjoying with new investment and -- despite the challenge of attracting foreigners to one of the world's most dangerous countries -- perhaps the beginnings of a tourism industry.
In Irbil, a city 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of Baghdad, German beer house owner Gunter Voelker wants to dispel the notion that Iraq isn't a holiday destination. In the north, at least, beer is bringing people together.
Posted by: ed ||
10/12/2008 10:26 ||
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beer is bringing people together
A wise German
Posted by: European Conservative ||
10/12/2008 20:29 Comments ||
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#4
Maybe he didn't hear that TVA passed the BIGGEST rate increase lately in it's history? Our bills went up like $15-20 bucks. And gas here is back down to $3.20/gallon and still dropping.
If you still don't understand all the relationships in CDO's this pdf from the Australian Institute of CPAs explains it all. A good chart of relationships. ht Belmone Club
#2
The Russian budget break even is when oil is in the $70s/barrel.
Posted by: ed ||
10/12/2008 8:41 Comments ||
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#3
Oil finds platform for high price
For all Opec producers, including the low-cost Gulf exporters for whom marginal costs barely register as a concern, the price floor is also determined in a large part by budgetary obligations, which have ballooned amid record prices. Investment in grand projects such as Saudi Arabias economic cities and Venezuelas welfare programmes was spurred by high oil prices, and Opec will seek to ensure that prices remain high for those projects to be completed.
According to a report by PFC Energy, a consultancy based in Washington, Saudi Arabia will need prices to stay above $62 a barrel to balance its budget next year.
The Saudis fiscal needs pale in comparison to other Opec members, however. PFC said the Venezuelan budget required a minimum price of $97 next year, while Nigeria will look for prices to stay above $71.
The UAE, Kuwait and Qatar have much smaller budgetary obligations compared to oil revenues, and analysts estimate they need prices to stay only in a range of $30-$50 a barrel.
...
In March, Ali al Naimi, the Saudi oil minister, estimated that oil prices would have to remain between $70 and $80 a barrel in order to make biofuels cost-effective. He characterised the price range as the absolute price floor of the oil market.
Posted by: ed ||
10/12/2008 9:31 Comments ||
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#4
Cutting production also takes a big wet bite out of their arses. So it seems they might be screwed either way. :)
#5
Production cut = higher price which in turn = lower demand which in turn = less revenue to the OPEC dummies. Look at 70's when Nixon and Carter both tried forms of price control. In a recessed or contracting economy they are cutting off their noses in spite of their faces.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
10/12/2008 10:48 Comments ||
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#6
So...if you are Iran and gas is $90.01 a barrel and you depend on oil revenue to maintain government stability. What could possibly happen to raise oil prices if OPEC won't cut production?
#10
Seems to me that $60/bbl is about right. When you look at the chart I posted yesterday, It looks like the equilibrium price. In turn, the cash flow dummies, like Iran, fold. It is not a bug, it's a feature. Petroleum energy independence destroys thugocracies without firing a shot. Good Sun Tzu. control the battle space. Alimentary, my dear Watson.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
10/12/2008 15:59 Comments ||
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Separately, the future of Morgan Stanley, the American investment bank, is also in doubt today following a sharp sell-off of shares and warnings of a possible credit downgrade from Moodys the ratings agency.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is reviewing the terms of a $9 billion (£5.3 billion) capital injection into the bank and may launch a takeover. HSBC, Citigroup, JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank are also assessing the situation. Morgan Stanleys market value has slumped to $13 billion.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Two robbers were killed in a gunfight with the law enforcers near DM College at Padamdi under Shailakupa upazila of the district early yesterday. 
The brother of murdered hostage Ken Bigley has made a plea to Iraqis to find his secret grave. Phil said it is "a last chance" for his 90-year-old mum Lil to get Ken's remains back and bury him in Britain before she dies. He asked for prayers and an appeal to be read in mosques last week on the fourth anniversary of Liverpool-born Ken's death, to persuade those with information to help. 
