Dumb idea

How many different ways are there to foolishly spend tax money? Anatoly Perminov, a Russian pseudo-scientist has come up with one. He wants to have several nations fund a project which he dreamed up. He needs several hundred million dollars, he said. hehehe The project involves coming up with a way to deal with an asteroid which might hit Earth sometime in 2029. The asteroid is about the size of a city block. American scientists who have calculated the trajectory of the asteroid have stated that the worst case scenario is that the thing will miss Earth by 18,000 miles. Perminov, in the meantime, wants to start working on his foolish idea immediately. He is getting on in years and wants to make sure he has time to enjoy some of the funding. Of that I'm absolutely certain. Please. Even this topless woman knows better.

Old secrets

England has started declassifying government documents from 30 years ago and a few interesting details are coming out. It is common knowledge that hardly anyone wanted the dying Shah of Iran to establish residency in their country after he was deposed by the revolution. That included England. Evidently, the British government wanted to look good in the eyes of the new regime. What a bunch of ungrateful goats, especially as the Shah had always been a good friend to the English. This topless woman is not English - I have no idea what she is. Swedish?

Executed

Well, it looks like the Chinese could not be persuaded to let this guy off - Akmal Shaikh was executed on Tuesday. In China, the penalty for drug smuggling is death. They consider it a very serious crime because it destroys the fabric of society - slowly but surely. The Chinese tend to think as one. They protect their economy too - in the same way. They have executed some men who stole money from investors. They also executed people involved in manufacturing poisoned milk and defective toys. They do not execute topless women. Topless women are not a threat to anyone. On the contrary.

Akmal Shaikh

Some English diplomats have gone to Beijing, China to ask for clemency for Akmal Shaikh, the person convicted of smuggling drugs into China about two years ago. It was reported that China executes more criminals than all other nations combined. Shaikh is scheduled to be executed tomorrow, December 29, 2009. The diplomats are saying that Shaikh didn't know what he was getting into. It will be interesting to see what the Chinese do. They are not negotiating this at all. This topless woman could intervene but she won't.

Sinking again

Another ferry has been washed away in the Philippines. About 20 people are dead. This country is the most prone to passenger ship catastrophes than any other. I wonder why. They do not maintain their ships (ferries) and almost always overload them with people. Irresponsibility yields bad results. Will they ever learn? Nope. Not even this topless woman could ever convince them.

Money exchange

OK. Here we go again. It seems like the brother of the guy who is about to be executed for importing illegal drugs into China is appealing for mercy. He sent a letter to the Chinese Ambassador begging for mercy for his brother. That, of course, is naive. He knows nothing about diplomacy and is getting bad advice from people who are anti-capital punishment. If he wants his brother released, he should think about sending this topless woman with a briefcase full of money (perhaps $10-20 million pounds sterling) to the Chinese embassy in London as a goodwill or humanitarian gesture. Diplomacy without money or guns is worthless. To think otherwise is simply naive.

Odyssey Marine

A judge has ordered the return of half a million dollars worth of gold coins to Spain. A company named Odyssey Marine Exploration found the coins in a sunken ship. The ship had been carrying the loot to Spain from Peru when it was sunk in the 1800s. If the Spaniards wanted the treasure, why didn't they look for it? Now that someone else has done the hard work, they start whining. The Spaniards are famous for looting other countries. To this day, nobody knows what they did with all the gold that arrived safely from Mexico, the Carribean, and South America. Finders keepers I say or return it to Peru. Maybe we should ask this topless woman - she might know a couple of things about gold.

The Popes again

It seems that Pope Benedict has again annoyed some Jews - this time over his decision to have the late Pope Pius considered for election to sainthood. On a prior occasion it was due to his lifting of the excommunication of a bishop who was forever denying the Holocaust. Then, there was the deal with the Latin Mass. And his visit to some Jewish site (where he did not mention the murders at the concentration camps or something to that effect) also annoyed them. In the meantime, Benedict has perfected a way of just brushing the complaints to one side and pushing forward. One of these days, Benedict will propose a merger of Church and State as a realistic solution to tensions around the world. That might annoy everybody, except perhaps this topless woman.

Going to the moon

A recent report from the Pan American Development Foundation says that about 225,000 children in Haiti live as unpaid household servants. These kids come from households that are too poor to care for them. In other parts of the world, people clamor for more funding for space exploration programs. This topless woman does not care either way. She did not create this problem.

Death penalty

A man named Akmal Shaikh is scheduled to be executed on or about December 29, 2009. He smuggled 9 pounds of heroin into China and was caught. He was sentenced to death back in October of 2008. The case has gone all the way up the chain in the Chinese justice system. The British Prime Minister has personally asked the Chinese government to show clemency. He was ignored. If he sends this topless woman with a pile of cash, they might listen, no?

Melting ice so what

Well - Al Gore and a few other people are saying that there might be no ice on the Arctic pole (in the summers) as soon as 2014. I told them this was bound to happen given the number of autos and factories spewing heat into the atmosphere. Did they listen to me? No. However, what do we want ice for anyway? Would it not be nice if the entire Earth were tropical year-round???? Let Nature take its course please. This topless woman knows better than to express an opinion on the matter. I think she likes warm temperatures.

Right wingers

They say that Chile could not decide (in recent elections) on whether it wants a new right wing or an old left wing party to govern. They will have to schedule a runoff election for January, 2010. I was surprised to learn that Chile is the most prosperous country in South America - thanks to copper. The Middle East has its oil and Chile has its copper. The poverty rate there is only 13%. It used to be 40%. Other countries should learn from it. How did they do it? Who did they learn from? Nobody is born knowing anything so they had to learn it from somewhere. I want to know. This topless woman might be from Chile - if I find her, maybe I can ask her.

Sorry Tuvalu

It seems that Tuvalu, an island nobody knows (it is not too far from Australia) will have to find other digs for its inhabitants. The people meeting in Copenhagen over the turmoil regarding global warming ignored its pleas to make the global warming agenda more restrictive. It seems that if things continue as they are, the little island will be covered by water in the near future. After all, the oceans' water level is rising and, for them, there is nowhere to run except to one of the continents. They do not want to have to relocate. Things are pleasant there. Sorry, but Saudi Arabia said no, we cannot be too restrictive because then we won't sell as much oil as we do now and then what??? We have to be serious about climate change but too much. This topless woman is not concerned - she does not live in Tuvalu.

Executed for stealing

China today executed a securities trader for stealing money from his company. It is what we call a white collar crime - non-violent. There is still money missing - about ten million - and he would not say where he stashed it. What would be the point of telling the authorities where the loot was and then letting them execute you??? Maybe he gave it to some charity? This topless woman knows nothing about this, by the way. I wonder what the Chinese would do to American Wall Street executives, such as Bernie Madoff. Ask them.

A hoax

So global warming is all a hoax - oh my. I just read some report about some emails sent among pseudo scientists working at some joint called the CRU. I should not be surprised. It turns out they have been faking the data on temperatures in order to.... In order to.... I have no clue what these pseudo scientists are up to. It can't be good if they are all a bunch of hooligan liars. Oh my!!! I think I trust this topless woman more. Scientific research nowadays is all a big scam - it is just about money. Nothing more. A big fraud.

A little dilemma

Swiss voters amended their constitution on Sunday to outlaw the construction of minarets, the Moslem church symbol - like the spire in a cathedral. They did not outlaw the Moslem faith, just the minaret. It so happens that the Swiss courts cannot rule the amendment unconstitutional because the amendment is now part of the constitution itself. What to do? I suppose the European Union could make a case of it if they want to. I have no clue and neither does this topless woman.

Rich but poor

It came out suddenly that one of the richest countries in the world, Dubai, is having money troubles. Everyone has read from time to time that very ambitious and expensive projects have been underway in Dubai for many years. That country is like an exclusive club but on a global level. The news reported that Dubai might default on its debt of approximately 60 billion (it's probably much more.) That sent negative ripples through world money markets. hehehe Remember to live within your means - even very rich people go broke. This topless woman looks like all she has left is her necklace.

Value of pie

We all know money has value - you can buy stuff with it - necessities as well as luxuries. However, something much more valuable is time. If you don't have money and you want to acquire it, you will need time. Without time, one is truly dead. In fact, dead people are those who have run out of time. What would a dead person give in exchange for an extra five years or so??? Not so long ago, a young man died in a cave because he somehow got trapped in a very small space. The people trying to save him could not get him out in time, so he died. This topless woman has absolutely no clue what I'm talking about. In time, she will get it. If you allow a person enough time, they will eventually wise up, get educated, and learn to use time to their advantage. Perhaps not all, but most will. If I owe you two trillion dollars, I can pay you back provided you allow me enough time, no? When some scientist figures out how to slow the aging process, he will make a lot of people very rich. We hope we live long enough to see that happen.

Education is expensive

In California, some students are making a fuss because the cost of education just went up since the Golden State can no longer afford to subsidize college tuition as much as it used to. It is laughable because these students aren't smart enough to realize that education is now big business. Universities now keep the kids in school as long as they possibly can - like a doctor who keeps a patient coming back over and over again or who encourages a patient to have back surgery when all they really need is to relax a bit. My view is that a child should be done with school by age 18 - all of it - out of high school at 14 and out of college by 18. Out of graduate school by 20 - tops. Many years of productivity are wasted by keeping children in school forever. Who benefits? Certainly not the children since they know very little upon graduation anyway. That's why this topless woman is smirking.

Bad, bad teachers

Teachers and the education system are constantly being criticized for bad performance by students. New York spends the greatest amount of money (on a per-capita basis) on students and yet, they have the worst students in the country. The solution is simple. We all know that great athletes make great sports teams, great musicians make great bands, great citizens make great countries, and good soldiers make great armies. Education is more about learning than about teaching. Discipline is something a teacher should not even have to worry about. You want good schools? Fill them with good students. Even this topless woman knows that makes sense.

Another suicide

It appears that another beautiful woman has taken her own life. Lucy Gordon did it a few months ago and now, according to reports, Daul Kim has hung herself. I'm sure she had many friends. However, if a person feels isolated and chooses to stay behind an impenetrable wall, there's very little anyone can do. Up until the last few days, she probably appeared perfectly adjusted and fulfilled.

What corruption?

They say that corruption is hard to quantify and that is probably true. The papers say that Somalia is the most corrupt country in the world. Afghanistan is not far behind. What exactly happens when corruption occurs? For one thing, it engenders more corruption. One rotten apple can turn a whole barrel full of apples rotten, no? But let's say that there is only one corrupt person among many honest ones. That corrupt person takes a bribe for a service not rendered or a product not delivered. It gets in the way of productivity and denies the economic equation its purpose - fair trade. The same can be said of greed. Greed is another form of corruption. But, how does one quantify greed? Ask yourself: do we really need to? How does one quantify hate or love or generosity or sincerity or honesty? Perhaps this topless woman knows.

Indebted to China

Someone said that China is now the U.S.'s unofficial banker. They hold more U.S. Treasury bills than any other country. People who work at think tanks must be worried about this, though they are not saying anything - at least not in public. What would happen if the Chinese decided to cash in their Tbills? It has been said that when you make a bank your partner, the bank cannot afford to see you go bankrupt. They will therefore not cash all their bills at once. Perhaps they will opt for 100 billion at a time? The Chinese also converted all of their bills to one-year notes - from thirty year notes. I would not pretend to know why they did that. This topless woman does not know either.

Cuban freedom

They say that the Cuban government is allowing its citizens a little bit more freedom to express themselves. That's all well and good. However, what they really need is a stronger economy. They need outside investors. Let the investors come in and stimulate the economy. The people are ready to work for very low wages. Let the government bureaucrats get out of the way with their red tape. Invite the Chinese to come pay a visit - the Koreans too. They seem to know a thing or two about stimulating the economy. Hire this topless woman as an interpreter - even if she does not speak Chinese - she can learn, no?

Quirky Science

I did not know until just recently that Albert Einstein, upon whom hangs practically all of the Atomic Age, was denied a security clearance for the Manhattan Project (which developed the atomic bomb) by J. Edgar Hoover, the fussy head of the FBI at that time. I found that really hilarious, not just ironic. I had to laugh out loud. Really loud. That's like telling the Pope he cannot enter St Peter's Basilica. hehehe It's like telling this topless woman she cannot go swimming in the French Riviera. What a contradiction, no?

Solar powered plane

Well, well - someone thought about building a plane powered by sunlight. Solar Impulse is a Swiss company which has just finished its prototype of a plane that will make its maiden voyage in the Spring of 2010. It is built to also fly at night. Figure that one out. Being the very first one, it will be able to carry a single person only - the pilot. It remnds me of the Wright brothers' first test flight. It weighs about 3,500 pounds but its wing span equals that of a big jet plane. I suspect it will glide much of the time. A round-the-world trip is planned for 2012. Now all they have to figure out is how to get it to carry 300 passengers. This topless woman would probably be brave enough to get on it.

Toyota

Did you hear? Toyota posted a profit in its most recent financial quarter of $242 million. It made the news because Toyota has recently been losing money - since about a year ago, in fact. Prior to the Great Recession, Toyota had never, ever had a negative quarter. It was simply expected that it would post a profit year after year after year. That's why this is news. Imagine Walt Disney all of a sudden deciding not to license the sale of Mickey Mouse merchandise. That would be unheard of. However, it probably makes absolutely no difference to this topless woman - she's on vacation in Bermuda.

Freedom or money?

Did you hear about the Gallup poll conducted in 165 countries? It asked the people whether they would like to live in another country if they had the chance. 10% of Asians said they would. 38% of Africans said the same thing. The countries of choice were the U.S., Canada, Spain, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Australia, and Britain. Were these people thinking about freedom and democracy or just prosperity? It is very normal for people to want to do well and to be given the chance to prosper. One wonders why most political leaders refuse to acknowledge that. For instance, this topless woman just wants to be left alone. She's not really bothering anyone.

Accessories to crime

It is not easy to carry out a crime all by yourself. You might be able to plan it, but executing the plan is a very different matter. David Friehling was Bernie Madoff's auditor for 17 years - 1991 to 2008. He recently pleaded guilty to securities fraud but he also said he was never aware that Madoff's business was a Ponzi scheme. Really? How can an auditor be that dumb? He saw the unrealistic gains did he not? I once asked an auditor (CPA) how it was that Mexican politicians could steal millions and get away with it, when they were audited year in and year out. His explanation was simple: the auditors were in on it. It could not be otherwise. It's a good thing this topless woman doesn't have to worry about such things - her husband provides well for her I'm sure.

Crisis and fun

Lately, it seems that more of Latin America's political leaders are wanting to extend their terms in office by whatever means possible. These persons are like gang leaders - rabble rousers, agitators. They no more know how to lead their countries than any seventh grader. They do know how to steal and get away with it, though. That's why the Honduran President got himself ousted. These people ingratiate themselves with the poor through subsidies and then the poor do whatever they are asked to do. In the meantime, those among them who have money also get greedy and lose the goodwill of the people. What to do??? This topless woman might know something we don't but I have no idea where she is.

The Titanic is history

The largest cruise ship in the world is now the Oasis of the Seas built in Finland. It sailed from port just three days ago. They say it's five times the size of the Titanic and can carry 8,300 persons. It is about 20 stories high and measures 1,180 feet in length; however, it is only 154 feet wide - that's about as wide as two house lots. It cost about 1.3 billion dollars. Nobody expects it to sink on its maiden voyage but nobody was heard to say that "even God can't sink it." Not this time. It has a huge sunning deck too - this topless woman would probably feel right at home there. Von Voyage!!!

Goblins and goblets

This blog is about nothing - just like that show - remember? It's the last day of the month and there's little to report. Kids will be out on the street asking for sweets. That much I know. I might work on a new painting but maybe not. I don't have to. Blogger is acting funny. I used to be able to paste stuff on here and now I have to actually write it on the little space provided!! Right here. It is not nearly as efficient. The topless woman at left looks quite pensive. Maybe she has finished all her chores for the month, too. I have to go play now - a concert, that is. Tomorrow is a new month with new beginnings for all. Enjoy. Bye bye.

More fun and games

According to a recent news item, the government of Honduras is filing a case in the International Court of Justice against Brazil for interference in its domestic affairs. The Brazilian Embassy in Honduras is providing refuge for the ex-president - Manuel Zelaya - in the hope of getting him reinstated. He's been there for over a month. I would have guessed they are tired of him by now. He only has 12 supporters left within the compound. The other 298 went home. Conditions are rough inside. However, the court has to decide first whether it can take the case and the case can take years. Zelaya's term would be up in January, 2010. New elections are scheduled for next month. Where is the logic? This topless woman is not a candidate, by the way. Sorry.

Hugo Chavez again

From a Yahoo! News story: “CARACAS, Venezuela – A nation built atop a sea of energy is struggling to keep the lights on. Hugo Chavez, the leftist leader is using his near daily televised speeches to urge Venezuelans to turn down their air conditioners and abandon their swimming pools. "It's El Nino," he said, referring to the periodic phenomenon in which warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean creates unusual weather patterns. Blackouts at hospitals have interrupted surgeries. Several major outages in Caracas this year have shut down the subway and street lights.” This is hilarious – it’s El Nino? This is what happens under Socialism and Communism – productivity plummets. Even this topless woman knows this. Politicians blame everything except themselves. Beware.

Flying high

What’s wrong with this picture? “WASHINGTON – The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday revoked the licenses of the two Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles. The pilots — Timothy Cheney of Gig Harbor, Wash., the captain, and Richard Cole of Salem, Ore., the first officer — told safety investigators they were working on their personal laptop computers and lost track of time and place. The pilots, who were out of communications with air traffic controllers for 91 minutes, violated numerous federal safety regulations in the incident last Wednesday night, the FAA said in a statement. The violations included failing to comply with air traffic control instructions and clearances and operating carelessly and recklessly, the agency said.” One can write hundreds of safety regulations but if people won’t follow them, what’s the use? Perhaps even this topless woman can fly a plane, no? She is looking the other way.

Detroit is lost

From yesterday’s news: “DETROIT (Reuters) - To understand why critics say the market-based tax foreclosure system is failing in Detroit, drive up Desoto Street near the city's geographic center. The street is a mix of older ranch-style homes, new construction financed by a local church and wide-open green spaces where homes have been demolished or burned down. Fifteen vacant lots on the street were listed in the October auction by Wayne County officials after owners failed to pay taxes for the past three years. None of the lots sold at the minimum bid of $500. Americans have grown used to the idea that Detroit -- a one-time industrial powerhouse -- is a dying city with unemployment of 28 percent.” It seems Detroit’s residents were somehow not motivated to keep the good times rolling. Most of the upper middle class left and the employers of the middle and lower class went bankrupt. Even this topless woman left. So who pays the taxes now?

Stocks

From the 10/25/09 news: “NEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street may be roaring again and manufacturers may see a bright future selling their wares in Asia, but for many Americans, it's still a downturn until the jobs come back. This week, earnings from several companies with deep ties to corporate payrolls, consumer demand and the labor market will show whether employers are hiring, firing or holding off on filling vacancies. Here's a closer look at the companies reporting and what their results can tell us about the job market: Monster Worldwide Inc. (job search); WellPoint Inc. and Aetna Inc. (health benefits); Apollo Group Inc. and DeVry Inc. (job training-education); International Paper Co. (product containers.)” This is good to know, even for this beautiful topless woman.

Culture clash

“RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – A Saudi court on Saturday convicted a female journalist for her involvement in a TV show, in which a Saudi man publicly talked about sex, and sentenced her to 60 lashes. Rozanna al-Yami is believed to be the first Saudi woman journalist to be given such a punishment. In the program, which aired in July on the Lebanese LBC satellite channel, Mazen Abdul-Jawad appears to describe an active sex life. The same court sentenced Abdul-Jawad earlier this month to five years in jail and 1,000 lashes. The case has scandalized this ultraconservative country where such public talk about sex is taboo and the sexes are strictly segregated. The government moved swiftly in the wake of the case, shutting down LBC's two offices in the kingdom and arresting Abdul-Jawad, who works for the national airline.” This case illustrates perfectly the differences between western culture and Middle Eastern values. Actually, the west used to hold these same conservative values back in the 1700s – now, however, this topless woman can legally walk down a New York City sidewalk without fear of arrest. Figure that one out.

Global warming not

There is a very simple explanation for this: “WASHINGTON – Americans seem to be cooling toward global warming. Just 57 percent think there is solid evidence the world is getting warmer, down 20 points in just three years, a new poll says. Only about a third, or 36 percent of the respondents, feel that human activities — such as pollution from power plants, factories and automobiles — are behind a temperature increase. That's down from 47 percent from 2006 through last year's poll. "The priority that people give to pollution and environmental concerns and a whole host of other issues is down because of the economy and because of the focus on other things," suggested Andrew Kohut, the director of the research center, which conducted the poll from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4.” As you know, people are motivated by two things: pain and pleasure (or the fear of pain and the desire for pleasure, no?) That’s pretty normal. As long as global warming causes no pain or exudes no pleasure, people will simply not give a hoot. Maybe when the sidewalk gets hot enough to burn through our shoes – maybe then we’ll care. This topless woman does not care either.

Free Enterprise

This is what happens when you are in debt: “WASHINGTON – The Treasury Department on Thursday is expected to order seven companies that have not paid back last year's government bailouts to halve their top executives' average compensation. The cuts apply to the 25 highest-paid executives at banks and other companies that received the most assistance, with salaries being slashed by as much as 90 percent, according to a person familiar with the matter. The seven companies are Bank of America Corp., American International Group Inc., Citigroup Inc., General Motors, GMAC, Chrysler and Chrysler Financial. Smaller companies and those that have repaid the bailout money, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., are not affected.” Everyone knows that the capitalist free-enterprise system is designed to reward those who strive, but one little drawback is that even when you are super rich, nobody can tell you when you’ve had enough. Where does ambition end and greed begin? Where would you draw the line? Is that why Buffett gave most of his money to the Gates Foundation - to ease his conscience? All I know is, this topless woman has nothing to feel guilty about. She only has $200 in her back account.

Diamonds

A bit of odd news: “NEW YORK – A square, 32.01-carat emerald-cut diamond that billionaire philanthropist Leonore Annenberg bought for her 90th birthday sold for $7.7 million at auction on Wednesday. About the size of a walnut, the flawless, colorless diamond sits on a ring designed by Manhattan jeweler David Webb. It is flanked by two pear-shaped diamonds, one of them 1.61 carats and the other 1.51 carats.” I ask myself whether a stone like this actually has any value other than that created by the demand of people who have nothing else to spend their money on. I suppose it’s like a work of art. What makes one worth more than another? I’m sure I’m not the only one perplexed by this. Perhaps this woman would like to have this jewel?

The spying business

From an October 20, 2009 news story: “WASHINGTON – Prosecutors say a scientist who worked on the cutting edge of moon exploration has been caught trying to sell classified secrets to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence agent. Stewart David Nozette, who is credited with helping discover evidence of water on the moon and has been a leader in recent lunar exploration work, was arrested Monday and charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to communicate, deliver and transmit classified information, the Justice Department said. Nozette worked in various jobs for the Energy Department and NASA. At Energy, Nozette held a special security clearance equivalent to the Defense Department's top secret and "critical nuclear weapon design information" clearances. Prosecutors also quote an unnamed colleague of Nozette who said the scientist said that if the U.S. government ever tried to put him in jail for an unrelated criminal offense, he would go to Israel or another foreign country and "tell them everything" he knows.” So, being highly intelligent does not guarantee anything. Always be aware that people are always looking to catch you doing something bad. This man forgot that he needed to spy on the spies before getting into this nasty business. He will no longer be able to talk to this topless woman, or anyone like her. Too bad.

Foxes

From a recent news story: “WASHINGTON – White House advisers pledged on Sunday to book administration officials on Fox News despite claims by the president's inner circle that the cable network is a GOP mouthpiece whose programming "is geared toward making money." Last week, White House communications director Anita Dunn said Fox News operates "almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party." On Sunday, Rahm Emanuel, President Barack Obama's chief of staff, said, "It is not a news organization so much as it has a perspective." Well, if Fox News is not news, then the New York Times is not a newspaper, and this beautiful topless woman is not a woman because she has short hair? That is just too silly….

Being honest

Do not be surprised at this: “BUCHAREST, Romania – Even his best friend betrayed him. Stelian Tanase found out when he asked to see the thick file that Romania's communist-era secret police had kept on him. The revelation nearly knocked the wind out of him: His closest pal was an informer who regularly told agents what Tanase was up to. "In a way, I haven't even recovered today," said Tanase, a novelist who was placed under surveillance and had his home bugged during the late dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's regime. "He was the one person on Earth I had the most faith in," he said. "And I never, ever suspected him." I guess you cannot be betrayed by your enemies, only by your friends. But, even if that’s the case, always be true to yourself. Only cowards live in fear, no? This gorgeous topless woman shows no fear. Imitate her and good luck.

Who is the victim here?

From a news story: “TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) – Honduran soldiers and riot police surrounded the Brazilian embassy, where ousted President Manuel Zelaya was sheltering on Wednesday, in what could turn into a long standoff and deepen the country's crisis. Hundreds of security forces, some in ski masks and toting automatic weapons, cordoned off a large area around the embassy building in Tegucigalpa where Zelaya holed up with his family and a group of about 40 supporters. Brazil's government said it would guarantee his protection inside its embassy and called on the U.N. Security Council to discuss Central America's worst political crisis in decades. De facto leader Roberto Micheletti said Zelaya could stay in the embassy "for five to 10 years" if he wanted, hinting that the administration is preparing for a long conflict.“ After almost one month, they are still talking. By now, the Brazilian Embassy must be tired of sheltering the ex-President. You know what they say about visitors and fish – they stink after three days. Someone somewhere knows the truth behind the ouster. I know I don't and neither does this topless woman.

Missile Defense Shield

From Yahoo! News: “PRAGUE – Scuttling a missile defense shield in the Czech Republic and Poland helps smooth relations between the U.S. and Russia. But at what price? Some of America's staunchest allies are the East Europeans — and on Thursday, they expressed dismay at what many see as a slight after decades of their support for the U.S. Among them were some famous names, including Lech Walesa, the former Solidarity leader and Polish ex-president. "I can see what kind of policy the Obama administration is pursuing toward this part of Europe," he said ruefully, adding: "The way we are being approached needs to change." Evidently, today’s leaders don’t know anything about Winston Churchill and World War Two history. Not to worry. I am absolutely certain that wherever the U.S. can’t handle security matters in Eastern Europe, the EU will step in, as soon as they re-arm. This topless woman is from the Czech Republic and she does not look worried to me.

Wind Turbines Are Beautiful

From another popular news site: “Paris – Wind is the fastest growing renewable energy in Europe – making up a third of new energy here, with 20 turbines added every working day in 2008, according to EU statistics. What the European wind energy industry now wants is to expand – offshore. Ocean winds are a stronger and more predictable form of energy than the ones on land, and the industry is pushing a $57 billion investment to allow broad-winged turbines to spin at sea. Offshore turbines are also seen as a solution to complaints from Europeans who do not want the gargantuan turbines in their backyards. Complaints that the turbines ruin ocean views have slowed US efforts to get a project started off the coast of Massachusetts. The US has virtually no offshore wind energy, though the Obama administration has started to work on the issue.” My own opinion is that turbines actually decorate the ocean. I think they look cool coming out of the water. Just be careful that you don’t smack your boat against one of the pylons.

Savings Galore

This topless woman looks very skeptical to me, and rightly so. From a news story on the internet: “A year ago, Utah Governor Jon Hunstman announced the Working 4 Utah initiative, essentially putting 17,000 of the state’s 24,000 executive branch employees on a 10 hour a day, four day a week schedule. The goal for the cash-strapped state was energy savings. Now that a full year has passed, a clearer picture of the benefits is coming into focus. Learning from the lessons of Utah, here are five reasons the “TGIT” (Thank Goodness It’s Thursday) four-day, 40-hour workweek just might make sense.” This is nonsense, of course. My question is this: what do all those employees do on Friday? Sit home all day? Please. Someone calculated that the State of Utah saved almost 2 million dollars under this program. The State’s budget is about 10 billion. The amount saved was not one percent - not even one tenth of one percent. The savings was a ridiculous two one-hundredths of one percent of the budget. I say they should try something else.

British Petroleum

From a recent news story: “NEW YORK – Nearly seven miles below the Gulf of Mexico, oil company BP has tapped into a vast pool of crude after digging the deepest oil well in the world. The Tiber Prospect is expected to rank among the largest petroleum discoveries in the United States, potentially producing half as much crude in a day as Alaska's famous North Slope oil field. The company's chief of exploration on Wednesday estimated that the Tiber deposit holds between 4 billion and 6 billion barrels of oil equivalent, which includes natural gas. That would be enough to satisfy U.S. demand for crude for nearly one year. But BP does not yet know how much it can extract.” I find this rather scary. Drilling that deeply into the Earth’s crust – does that not harm the environment somehow? I do not know, but I have a funny feeling about this. I don't think this topless woman likes it either.

Communism

A wise analysis: "You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." by Adrian Rogers, 1931. I think this more or less describes Communism. Even this model works hard, no?