A Hand Up

16 February 2008

by HRM Deborah

The overwhelming response not just by individuals, but also by several governments for me to return, I must admit was very overwhelming for me and I thank everyone for their kindness.

The head of the government that did originally have this page shutdown, accusing me of hate and racism, came to an understanding that was never my intention nor to do I believe in such things, but instead to try in the best way I could to help everyone in the world, including them.

It must be understood, I was sent in the best way this government could a formal apology and I will say, I respond with a positive heartfelt response in their behalf.

I will even go further to say, that the fire bombing to my cousin’s store a few weeks ago, while it did make me sad and going so far as to say that the vandalism a few days later. Which to my understanding, did completely shut down the store for good, is not being held against the government, but it is sad that a single person that ordered such a single terrorist act to frighten me and again this government when they found out responded with trying to do the right thing. Again, I say thank you to them.

All the years, that many negative things that have been done to not just myself but my family, while it has made me sad and sometime’s I still shed a tear once in awhile. I have never had animosity against anyone, but always had the hope that everything would get better and I believe in my heart much has and yes, while it still a work in progress, I know one day a common ground will be met where everyone involved will actually appreciate each other and all will be good.

Something, I hope will make people understand me better, is I have always been a positive person even when I do endure extreme conditions, but I never for once had negative thought’s towards anyone. I will say, that often time’s that which did happen, made me understand I wanted it better for other’s because I never for once wanted anyone to ever have to endure my hardship’s. I will even further say it did help me learn more in the need for human compassion.

Furthermore, what come’s to mind, "a hand up brushing someone off is always better, then kicking a person down." I wish we could all in the world, give each other hands up.

Bush Attempts Intimidation Towards Congress

President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush wave from Air Force One as they board the aircraft Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, at Andrews Air Force Base en route to Benin, the first stop on their five-country, African visit. (White House photo by Chris Greenberg )

For Immediate Release
February 16, 2008

Audio

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. At the stroke of midnight tonight, a vital intelligence law that is helping protect our nation will expire. Congress had the power to prevent this from happening, but chose not to.

The Senate passed a good bill that would have given our intelligence professionals the tools they need to keep us safe. But leaders in the House of Representatives blocked a House vote on the Senate bill, and then left on a 10-day recess.

Some congressional leaders claim that this will not affect our security. They are wrong. Because Congress failed to act, it will be harder for our government to keep you safe from terrorist attack. At midnight, the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence will be stripped of their power to authorize new surveillance against terrorist threats abroad. This means that as terrorists change their tactics to avoid our surveillance, we may not have the tools we need to continue tracking them -- and we may lose a vital lead that could prevent an attack on America.

In addition, Congress has put intelligence activities at risk even when the terrorists don't change tactics. By failing to act, Congress has created a question about whether private sector companies who assist in our efforts to defend you from the terrorists could be sued for doing the right thing. Now, these companies will be increasingly reluctant to provide this vital cooperation, because of their uncertainty about the law and fear of being sued by class-action trial lawyers.

For six months, I urged Congress to take action to ensure this dangerous situation did not come to pass. I even signed a two-week extension of the existing law, because members of Congress said they would use that time to work out their differences. The Senate used this time productively -- and passed a good bill with a strong, bipartisan super-majority of 68 votes. Republicans and Democrats came together on legislation to ensure that we could effectively monitor those seeking to harm our people. And they voted to provide fair and just liability protection for companies that assisted in efforts to protect America after the attacks of 9/11.

The Senate sent this bill to the House for its approval. It was clear that if given a vote, the bill would have passed the House with a bipartisan majority. I made every effort to work with the House to secure passage of this law. I even offered to delay my trip to Africa if we could come together and enact a good bill. But House leaders refused to let the bill come to a vote. Instead, the House held partisan votes that do nothing to keep our country safer. House leaders chose politics over protecting the country -- and our country is at greater risk as a result.

House leaders have no excuse for this failure. They knew all along that this deadline was approaching, because they set it themselves. My administration will take every step within our power to minimize the damage caused by the House's irresponsible behavior. Yet it is still urgent that Congress act. The Senate has shown the way by approving a good, bipartisan bill. The House must pass that bill as soon as they return to Washington from their latest recess.

At this moment, somewhere in the world, terrorists are planning a new attack on America. And Congress has no higher responsibility than ensuring we have the tools to stop them.

Thank you for listening.

END

World's 'oldest' person in Israel

15 February 2008

By Martin Patience

With an arm wrapped round her great- great-granddaughter, Mariam Amash bathes the latest addition to her family.

She offers Islamic blessings for the week-old baby - a traditional Arabic custom.

It is a ritual that Mrs Amash has performed many times in her life.

According to Mrs Amash, she was born 120 years ago - a claim, if confirmed, that would make her the oldest person in the world.

The Guinness Book of Records currently lists 114-year-old Edna Parker of Shelbyville, Indiana, as holding the title.

But Mrs Amash - who lives in the predominantly Arab town of Jisr az-Zarqa in northern Israel - views her rival as a relative youngster.

Huge family

"Yes, I am the oldest person in the world," she says, her family crowding around her.

"I eat, I drink, and I take showers. I hope to keep going for another 10 years."

Mrs Amash has 10 children, 120 grandchildren, 250 great-grandchildren, and 30 great-great-grandchildren, according to relatives.

The discovery that she may be the oldest person in the world came by chance when she applied for a new Israeli identity card.

The Israeli authorities say they issued the identity card based on a birth document issued by the Turkish authorities who ruled the region at the time.

Mrs Amash, of Bedouin descent, says that the secret to her longevity is a healthy diet - she eats lots of vegetables.

For all her years, she is remarkably sprightly.

A devout Muslim, Mrs Amash has made five pilgrimages to Mecca, the last trip in 1990, relatives say.

Long-term memory

"She rises every morning around five for prayers," says one of her grandsons, Majid Amash, 46, an engineer.

"She then goes for a walk and then spends most of her day with the family. She recognises all of us."

But, he adds, her grandmother's long-term memory is fuzzy.

For her part, Mrs Amash has one piece of cautionary advice for younger generations.

"They drink too much Arak (an Arabic alcoholic drink)," she says.

In order for Mrs Amash to be officially declared the oldest person in the World she must submit documentation to the Guinness Book of Records.

A spokesman in London for the publication says the family has yet to do that.

Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

7 - 13 February 2008

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

10 Palestinians, including a school teacher and 3 brothers, were killed by IOF and an 11th one died from a previous wound in the Gaza Strip.

40 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 9 women and 8 children, were wounded by the IOF gunfire in the Gaza Strip and 2 others in the West Bank.

IOF conducted 31 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 6 into the Gaza Strip.

IOF arrested 77 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, and 5 others in the Gaza Strip.

IOF waged a harsh campaign against money exchange shops; they confiscated at least 3 million NIS (approximately US$ 830,000) and closed a number of shops.

IOF razed 20 donums[1] of agricultural land in Wadi al-Salqa village in the central Gaza Strip.
IOF continued to shell Palestinian civilian facilities.

IOF destroyed a refrigerator, a factory and 2 workshops.

IOF damaged dozens of houses.

IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.

IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and property.

IOF demolished a house in Jerusalem.


Summary

The Zionist Forces Launched an Extensive Campaign

13 February 2008

The Zionist occupation forces launched last night and today at dawn, a widespread campaign of arrests in the cities and villages of the West Bank. The result was the arresting about 56 of the Palestinian citizens under claiming of security reasons. The Zionist army claimed that he had discovered ammunition during the arrests.

The Zionist army announced that the Zionist forces arrested twenty-eight Palestinian in the village of Beit Ummar in Al Khalil city. The Zionist army claimed that it found, in the one of the houses in the village of Umm Rashrash in Ramallah city, an AK47 rifle, a quantity of ammunition and a night vision means. The Palestinian sources assured that the arrested men are not known and they were kidnapped to unknown destination.

The Palestinian sources have said that the Zionist occupation forces arrested citizens after more than twenty military vehicles invaded the village of Kafr and Balata refugee camp east of Nablus. The sources confirmed that the detainees are: Mohammad Rashid Nassar Mansur, 18 years, and Muayad Hashash, 24 years, from Balata camp.

According to the Palestinian sources in Al Khalil city, more than 30 Zionist military vehicles raided the town of Beit Ummar north of Al Khalil city, and raided several houses in the village since the dawn today. The forces launched a campaign to break into homes. The Zionist forces imposed curfews on the town, and arrested until the moment 43 Palestinians.

The Palestinian sources in Jenin said that a military force consisting of 10 military vehicles stormed the city of Jenin at dawn today, Wednesday, and detained the citizen Anas Sami Ka'aqur, 20 years. In Bethlehem, the Zionist occupation forces arrested five citizens from the town of Al Khader southern of Bethlehem. Those detained were identified as: Mahmoud Saud Sobeih (22 years), Mahmoud Mohamed Saleh (22 years old), Youssef Mahmoud Moussa (21 years old), Ahmed Sobeih (22 years), Ahmed Ali Musa (21 years).

Midday (Avoid the City after Dark)

Yusuf Islam

Doing good towards others and avoiding the pitfalls that come from Satan, for it is always good to live an upright life. Because life can be so beautiful sometimes, beyond what one could possibly imagine.

Furthermore, living a good life is too many times most enjoyable, along with the extraordinary beauty.

What is always interesting to me in this video, is Satan is portrayed as a bald headed man in a long black leather coat, with what appears as a constant smile at the young man’s constant failings.

Home Foreclosure Runaway

An Epidemic that keeps rising!

Home Foreclosure Rate Soars in 2007
By ALEX VEIGA
January 29, 2008

The number of U.S. homes that slipped into some stage of foreclosure in 2007 was 79 percent higher than in the previous year, a real estate tracking company said Tuesday. Many homeowners started to fall behind on mortgage payments in the last three months, setting the stage for more foreclosures this year.

About 1.3 million homes received foreclosure-related warnings last year, up from 717,522 in 2006, Irvine-based RealtyTrac Inc. said. Foreclosure filings rose 75 percent from the previous year to 2.2 million.

More than 1 percent of all U.S. households were in some phase of the foreclosure process last year, up from about half a percent in 2006, RealtyTrac said.

Nevada, Florida, Michigan and California posted the highest foreclosure rates, the company said.

The filings included notices warning owners that they were in default, or that their home was slated for auction or for repossession by a bank. Some properties may have received more than one notice if the owners had multiple mortgages.

A late-year surge in the number of properties reporting foreclosure filings suggests that many are in the initial stages of the foreclosure process and could end up lost to foreclosure this year unless lenders or the government steps in, RealtyTrac said.

"It does appear that we're seeing a new batch of properties enter the process," said Rick Sharga, RealtyTrac's vice president of marketing.

RealtyTrac is forecasting that the pace of foreclosure filings will remain steady, rather than accelerate during the first half of 2008.

"Assuming nothing else bad happens economically ... we will have exhausted the bulk of the worst-performing loans by the end of June," Sharga said, referring to adjustable-rate mortgage loans made to borrowers with poor credit.

Many of these subprime loans defaulted last year, triggering a credit crisis and saddling major financial institutions with losses.

More than 1.8 million subprime mortgages are scheduled to reset to higher interest rates this year and next.

Last year's explosion in foreclosure activity came amid a worsening housing downturn, as falling home values ate into homeowners' equity, making it harder for many to refinance into more affordable loans or to find buyers. Those options had helped keep troubled homeowners from sliding into foreclosure.

"We went from a sort of buying frenzy to a foreclosure frenzy in the last two years," Sharga said.

Recent efforts by government and mortgage lenders to help homeowners at risk of falling seriously behind on mortgage payments have had a marginal impact on the U.S. foreclosure rate so far, Sharga added.

In December alone, foreclosure filings soared 97 percent from the same month a year earlier to 215,749. It was the fifth consecutive month in which foreclosure filings topped more than 200,000, RealtyTrac said.

In the fourth quarter, filings rose 86 percent from the prior-year quarter but only 1 percent from the third quarter.

Nevada had the highest foreclosure rate in the nation last year, with 3.4 percent of its households receiving foreclosure filings. That was more than three times the national average, RealtyTrac said.

The state had 66,316 filings on 34,417 properties in 2007, up more than 200 percent from 2006's total.

Florida had more than 2 percent of its properties in some stage of foreclosure last year. The state reported 279,325 filings on 165,291 homes, more than twice the previous year's total.

In Michigan, where job losses are pressuring many homeowners, 1.9 percent of all households received a foreclosure filing last year. In all, 136,205 filings were issued on 87,210 properties, up 68 percent versus filings in 2006.

California led the nation in total foreclosure filings and the number of homes in some stage of foreclosure last year.

A total of 481,392 filings were issued on 249,513 properties, more than triple the number of filings in 2006, RealtyTrac said.

In all, 1.9 percent of households in California received foreclosure filings.

Many of the homes receiving foreclosure filings in the state were in the inland markets, where new construction and more affordable prices helped fuel a spike in sales toward the end of the housing boom.

Other states in the 2007 foreclusure top 10 were Colorado, Ohio, Georgia, Arizona, Illinois and Indiana.

No Love is More Worthy

No love is more worthy than the love for all humanity. To carry the weight of human sorrow and grief upon one’s shoulder’s, as a man beaten to the point of death, so they may find peace.

For in this way, Satan has no place to lay his hold upon humanity.

-Deborah

Bush's Legacy: Damage to American Image?

President George W. Bush delivers his State of the Union Address Monday, January 28, 2008, at the U.S. Capitol. (White House photo by David Bohrer)

Did Bush find the right message in his address? How will history judge the past seven years of the Bush administration? Story...

(The video presented is not necessary the opinion of the Blog Administrator.)



After this speech, Bush's efficiency rating plummeted from 29% to 17%!

As American grows deeper in economic woes, with most American’s having shaking knee’s as people try to make up their mind if the country is in a recession or not, as people fall deeper in the collapse of the housing market to how to make end’s meet for basic needs.