Shoes hurled at President Bush as he departs Iraq - President Nouri Kamel al-Maliki unmoved

At a press conference marking the end of President Bush's visit to Iraq , a clearly enraged Muntadar al-Zeidi, a correspondent for Iraqi-owned Al-Baghdadiya television based in Egypt, shouted "this is the end" and forcefully threw both his shoes at President Bush as he effctively ducked and they flew past him. The impassive President Maliki looked calmly on as his guest was insulted and offended as deeply and with as much humiliation is possible, without stabbing the bastard there and then. Great fun.

Entertaining video clips are available on the BBC News site.

When the statue of saddam Hussein was knocked down in Firdos Square the crowd beat it with their shoes. This is an Arab . Sufi / Muslim custom of "cleansing" and is a gesture of utter contempt and disrespect. - the beaten thing is below the lowest part of the body - the foot and therefore an extreme insult.... don't expect Dubya to understand that ... and don't expect anyone to tell him either.

At the 902nd Plenary Meeting of the UN General Asssembly on 12th October 1960 the furious premier of all the Russias Nikita Kruschev banged his shoe on the desk. His daughter later explained that because he had new shoes which piched he had removed them and when baging his desk his glasses fell off and in retreiving them he picked up one of his shoes.

The rest is ..er .. well.. history.

Among the most famous Lashkar-e-Taiba alumni is the remarkable "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, who was supposed to be trying to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight in late 2001, who was also said to be connected to Sheikh Mubarak Ali Shah Gilani a spiritual leader of an obscure Muslim militant group named Jamaat ul-Fuqra .

Reid (AKA Tariq Rajah , Abdel Rahim)apparently went to the British Embassy in Brussels, falsely claiming to have lost his passport - which he has used when passing through Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Pakistan, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and possibly Afghanistan . He applied for and received a spanking brand new British passport which was issued on 7 December 2001 which he used to board Flight 63.

Attempted murder of German Police Chief on his doorstep by neo-Nazi thug with knife signals a new stage in the rise of the Right

The cemetery of the church of St. Corona soem 5 Km from Passau hit the headlines un July when the leaders of the german Nazi gangs assmebled for the funeral of the last federal chairman of the banned Freedom German Workers Party (FAP), Friedhelm Busse.

Christian Worch and Thomas Wolff came from Northern germany , Norman Bordin from Bavaria and Rene Taufen from the Rhineland. From a younger generation there were were Viking Youth activist Edda Scmidt and from Dortmund "SS-Siggi" Siegfried Borchard.

Representingt he NPD were Bavarian chairman Matthias Fischer,and his sidekicks Sascha Rossmuller and Uwe Meens.

As a grisly finale to the graveside service Thomas Wulff, adorned the coffin with a banned imperial flag bearing a swastika as the assembled crew sung the soldiers song "Ich hatt einen Kameraden" and the song of the SS "Wenn alle untreu werden" - "If all are unfaithful" .

After this a fracas ensued and the thugs started to beat up a journalist from Network against the Nazis and a small battle ensued with the Police using peper sprays. They then caused problems in Passau centre shouting Nazi slogans such as "Germany wake!" and "Deutsche macht euch frei, von der Juden-Tyrannei!" - "German makes you free from tyranny of the Jews!".

The Police finally arrested 11 eleven neo-Nazis for various offences - robbery, assault and breach of the peace. Four had been arrested before the funeral for being equipped baseball bats and Pick handles.

Doorstep attack on Passau Police Chief

Alois Mannichl, 52, who has been leading a fight against the neo-Nazis in Passau where he is the Police chief. Authorities claim 83 crimes in Passau have been attributed to far-right extremists this year, there were 40 in 2007. Led by Mannichl the Passau police have increased their monitoring of right-wing rallies which as at the funeral of Busse often broken down into violence between neo-Nazi demonstrators and police.

There were a total of 17,176 neo-Nazi crimes reported in Germany in 2007, down from 17,597 in 2006, according to a report by the country’s domestic security agency.

Mannichl lives in a village some 15 Km from Passau and answered a knock at his front door on Saturday.

He described the caller as heavy, strong, about 1.9 m high with a rasberry mark or tattoo on his shaven head. He shouted in thick Bavarian accent - possibly with a hint of Austrian dialect " You left wing Bull Pig (Bullenschwein?) Don't trample any longer on the graves of our comrades ! " - and used as his calling card , the Neo Nazi slogan " Many greetings from the national Widerstand" .

This was a direct reference to Mannichl having the grave opened after the funeral, so the forbidden flag could be removed from the coffin, it was explained that this wasn't stopped during the service out of consideration to the mourners, friends and family.

He then stabbed him once in the stomach and ran off throwing the knife into the garden. A car was waiting nearby which he jumped in and the car sped off.

Such an attack is unheard of said Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrmann of the daylight assassination attempt on Mannichl, descrining it an escalation and " a completely new Dimension" in the fight against neo-Nazis.

Mannichl, successfully underwent surgery to repair the stab wound, which was said to be less than an inch from his heart and is recovering at a hospital.

The leading senior public prosecutor Helmut Walch classified the attack as attempted murder, a 20-man special commission took over the investigations.

Claudia Roth head of the Green Party in the Augsburger Allgemeinen , demanded political action as a result of the attack . " This insidious and brutal assassination attempt from the neo-Nazi scene is obviously an alarming indication of how dangerous the right-wing extremists are . She caused a stir last year for saying that the Bishop of Augsburg , Walter Mixa ideas on childcare and re-education camps ( Umerziehungslager) reminded her of the Cambodian mass murderer and dictator , Pol Pot,

Passau has strong local neo - Nazi roots

In the centre of Passau is " Traudl' s Café Stübchen" , or more comonly " Café Traudl". This was / is a favourite watering hole the Passau NPD members who would appear with known Austrian right-wing extremists and would be reserved for their meetings and discussion groups. It was shut down and became a private club

A local small circulation political sheet " Passauer new Presse" belongs it to an NPD officer Martin Gabling who is styled as the District Chairman of Passau. This has a curious political stance in that they wish to "Reichsdeutschen mit entsp" Unlock the German Reich, and claim that the Wiemar republic Constitution is, as an elected body the true constitution of Germany.

Superman Gordon Brown uses Monbiot's Calculus to justify lying about UK terrorist threat and its association with Pakistan

If you consult the No 10 website today you will find the story - Gordon Brown has announced a new anti-terror pact with Pakistan aimed at combatting the growing problem of terrorist groups using the country as a base to coordinate their attacks.

They go on to say that at a press conference with Pakistan President Asif Zardari in Islamabad this morning, the PM said the new £6 million agreement would constitute “the most comprehensive anti-terrorist programme Britain has signed with any country”.

If you go to the BBC news website - there are further and better particulars you won't find on the No 10 website " Three quarters of the most serious terror plots being investigated by UK authorities have links to Pakistan, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has said. "

If you go to the Times Online website - “Three quarters of the most serious plots investigated by the British authorities have links to al-Qaeda in Pakistan ,” said Mr Brown in a press conference alongside Mr Zardari in the Presidential palace in Islamabad.

To which Sam Coates in Islamabad adds ..."Officials believe there are currently around 30 major terrorist plots and 2000 suspects being watched by police and the intelligence services. "

So just how many terror plots are there ?

Let's recap on proceedings on Tuesday 22 April 2008 when the Counter Terrorism Bill was being considered by the Public Bill Committee (Hansard)

Q 9 Martin Salter: I have three quick questions for Sir Ian Blair and Mr. Quick. I know that you put some of this evidence in front of the Select Committee on Home Affairs a few months ago, but, for the benefit of the Committee, could you indicate how many serious terrorist plots the police and the security services have disrupted since the London bombings of 7/7?

Sir Ian Blair: I will stretch to something like 12, but where would you get to, Bob?

Bob Quick: I am still being briefed on the very complex history to fighting terrorism, but my understanding is in the order of about 15 occasions. On some very recent occasions we have been able to disrupt terrorism by some sophisticated and unusual methods. That is what we do. We are constantly seeking opportunities to disrupt. That is part of a multi-pronged attack on terrorist activity.

How curious then that David Leppard May 4, 2008 in a Times article reported that - Ian Blair admits he misled MPs over terror threat"Blair gave evidence to MPs in support of 42-day detention, stating to a Commons committee that police had disrupted “something like 12” serious terrorist plots since the 2005 London bombings. However, Scotland Yard now accepts that the true number is six. "

So Mr Prime Minister is 3/4 of "the most serious terror plots " , 3/4 of

30 - as secretly passed to Sam Coates in Islamabad by unidentified "officials".

6 - as finally agreed by Scotland yard after both Ian Blair and Bob Quick lied to the Select Committee on Home Affairs in April this year caiming variously it was , 12 (Blair) 15 (Quick) ?

Of cpurse Mr Sam Coates and all his smart, well paid journalist colleagues could perhaps raise questions about the validity of the fgure of ," 30 major terrorist plots".

..but don't bet on it.

PS : Monbiot's calculus. Think of a number - then make it bigger. For more Saturday, February 24, 2007
George Monbiot and The Case of the Excluded Muddle ... Monbiot's Calculus

UPDATE : Tuesday : "Gordon Brown yesterday hailed a new £6m anti-terror pact as the most comprehensive programme of its kind Britain has ever signed with any country, as it emerged that more than 20 potential extremist plots being investigated by British intelligence forces have a link to Pakistan."
The Herald December 15th 2008

Governor Rod "the Rat" Blagojevich snapped in the trap

Chicago has a problem with rats. In Ravenswood Manor the City Council baited rat traps - signs posted to warn folks included one out side Governor Rod "the Rat" Blagojevich 's back door - which he exited on December the 10th and was caught by the Sun Times photographer.

The sign is no longer there.

Another rat left the sinking ship - chief of staff to Rod Blagojevich John Harris, who had been arrested with him, resigned yesterday. His attorney Jim Sotos says his client resigned "because it was the right thing to do, and that's all I'm going to say."

December 13th 1981 Poland imposed martial law

Hank Paulson to help out Madoff clients with TARP funds - could there be anything more toxic ?

New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon, GMAC LLC Chairman J. Ezra Merkin and former Philadelphia Eagles owner Norman Braman who all invested in Wall Street veteran Bernard Madoff's alleged giant Ponzi scheme have called for Hank Paulson to use some of his TARP funds to cover their losses.

You can't find funds that are more toxic than this says Superwoman Nicola Horlick of Bramdean Alternatives Ltd. in London (10% of their funds have evaporated) and is supported by Union Bancaire Privee, Fairfield Greenwich Group and Tremont Capital Management of New York , Maxam Capital Management LLC reported a combined loss of $280 million on funds they had invested with Mr. Madoff.

BNP Paribas, Tokyo-based Nomura Holdings Inc. and Neue Privat Bank in Zurich are also in the hole for billions on behalf of their private clients.

More > Gothamist
Seeking Alpha

Japanese "Bullet" train takes first trip Ashford to St Pancras

If your mind is easily boggled - cop this ....there will be 7.9 million spectators in 16 days for the Olympic Games 2012 and 1.5 Million over 11 days for the Paralympic we detailed what this meant in a post on Friday, August 17, 2007

Olympics 2012 - In Xanadu did Khubla Khan ... getting you to East London .. on time

The "Olympic Javelin" high speed shuttle rail service, will take 7 minutes from King's Cross, St Pancras to Stratford International station carrying 25,000 passengers per hour (Raise eyebrows here) with 1,200 passengers on each 6 carriage train per trip - that's one train leaving St Pancras every 3 minutes .. and arriving evry 3 minutes.

Pause here to note that the the new high speed trains will be of main line design with fewer doors than suburban rolling stock access will be relatively slow - especially for disabled visitors for Paralympics. They also have 354 seats in single class accomodation.(BBC)

Those passengers not disabled or with children in prams, will presumably be carrying, rugs, cushions, bags with food, drink, newspapers, binoculars, cameras, jerseys, waterpoofs, umbrellas to add to the fun of the event.(Raise eyebrows here)

The good news is that the first of the Hitachi made "Olympic Javelin" ( romantically called Class 395 in the UK) trains which are being supplied in a £250Mn contract for 28 trains based on the Japanese Shinkasen trains for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link has shipped from the Kasado factory.

It should arrive in Southampton at the end of this month followed by 3 more before the end of the year and the remainder by end 2009.These will be based at the Channel Tunnel Ashford depot and the first train will be trialled (it has already been fully tested in Japan) in early October 2007.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), is due to become fully operational on November 14 2007. .(Raise eyebrows here)

All the trains are to be named after Britons associated with speed - preferably not enhanced by the use of drugs, so ruling out Linford Christie and Jockie Wilson.

Well the Daily Mail today reports that - The British bullet train: 'Javelin' races to London for its 140mph debut, it is not of course a British train ...and as the non- elected Transport Minister Lord Adonis pointed out, this was not their debut in service.

The trains are still being tested and he was one of the first excited passengers to try out the new service.

He said: 'When these trains enter service next year (probably 18 months late - BBC report "another year") they will transform the journeys of large numbers of rail passengers travelling between Kent and London - in some cases halving journey times.'

The Javelin yesterday completed the 56-mile journey from Ashford in Kent in just 37 minutes - shaving 46 minutes off the standard 83-minute trip (BBC video) - when in service it was announced for the first time that travelling on this service for Kent commuters will pay up to 35 % more than the standard fare. An Ashford - London annual season ticket is being quoted at £5,385.

Third IED hits Jackal and the fourth soldier to die in these lightly armoured off roaders in Afghanistan

A third UK soldier, from 45 Commando was injured in an explosion during a patrol in the recently introduced £600,000 a pop a Jackal off-road vehicle (replacement for the WMIK Land Rovers) drove over a mine or roadside bomb in the Sangin area. He died on his way to Camp Bastion. He is the 4th soldier to die in this vehicle which the press repeatedly refer to as a Jackal armoured vehicle.

Two soldiers from 45 Commando based in Arbroath, and one from the Commando Logistics Regiment died south of Sangin, Helmand province. They were on a routine foot patrol after a the explosion of a device in a wheelbarrow said to have been being pushed by a 13-year-old boy.

These 4 fatalaties make the year to date deaths by Uk forces in Afghanistan to 46 – the worst year since the invasion in 2001 - the total for the whole period is 132

The first person recorded as dying in the new Jackal (see Saturday, June 30, 2007 WMIK - Patrolling Afghanistan in a convertible ) was 21 year old Trooper James "Magpie" Munday, of 1 Troop, D Squadron, the Household Cavalry Regiment, on Wednesday 15 October 2008 who was serving as a Jackal driver on Operation HERRICK 8 when he was killed in action in Helmand province.

This was closely followed on Wednesday November 12th when Royal Marines , Robert McKibben and Neil Dunstan who were part of Task Force Helmand's Information Exploitation Group were reported to have died in their new in a new £600,000 Jackal mine-resistant armoured car (Daily Mail) after a hit from a roadside bomb in Garmsir district of Southern Helmand, Afghanistan.

For full details of these incidents Saturday, November 15, 2008 The Jackal with the soft underbelly .

The Ministry of Defence have announced that a soldier in the Contingency Operating Base in Basra. shot himself - the second such death in 8 days. Lance Corporal David Wilson, 27, of West Yorkshire, died from what was also believed to have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound there on 4th December.

Rahm Emanuel ducks questions identifying who the President elect advisor is named on FBI Blagojevich wiretaps

The FBI indictment served on Rod Blagojevich has some tantalising clues ....

112. On November 13, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH talked with JOHN HARRIS (his Chief of staff).

ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he wanted to be able to call “[President-elect Advisor]” and tell President-elect Advisor that “this has nothing to do with anything else we’re working on but the Governor wants to put together a 501(c)(4)” and “can you guys help him. . . raise 10, 15 million.” ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he wanted “[President-elect Advisor] to get the wordtoday,” and that when “he asks me for the Fifth CD thing I want it to be in his head.” (The reference to the “Fifth CD thing” is believed to relate to a seat (Rahm Emanuel's) in the United States House of Representatives from Illinois’ Fifth Congressional District.

Prior intercepted phone conversations indicate that ROD BLAGOJEVICH and others were determining whether ROD BLAGOJEVICH has the power to appoint an interim replacement until a special election for the seat can be held.).

113. Also on November 13, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH talked with Advisor A. ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he wants the idea of the 501(c)(4) in President-elect Advisor’s head, but not in connection with the Senate appointment or the congressional seat. Advisor A asked whether the conversation about the 501(c)(4) with President-elect Advisor is connected with anything else. ROD BLAGOJEVICH replied that “it’s unsaid. It’s unsaid.”

114. Later on November 13, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH spoke with Advisor A. ROD BLAGOJEVICH asked Advisor A to call Individual A and have Individual A pitch the idea of the 501(c)(4) to “[President-elect Advisor].” Advisor A said that, “while it’s not said this is a play to put in play other things.” ROD BLAGOJEVICH responded, “correct.”Advisor A asked if this is “because we think there’s still some life in [Senate Candidate 1]potentially?” ROD BLAGOJEVICH said, “not so much her, but possibly her. But others.” (Candidate 1 , is we know, Valerie Jarret)

Naturally anxious newsmen are keen to identify the names / faces behind all those pseudonyms - especially “[President-elect Advisor].”

Rahm Emanuel was uncharacteristically absent from Obama’s news conference this morning but was spotted 2 hours later in the lobby of Chicago’s City Hall. He was there to listen to his two children performing in a concert with their school, Anshe Emet.

Keen to take the opportunity to eliminate Rahm as the “[President-elect Advisor]” named in the indictment a Chicago Sun Times reporter asked him whether he was the go-between named in the criminal complaint.

“You’re wasting your time,” Emanuel the famed communicator said. “I’m not going to say a word to you. I’m going to do this with my children. Dont do that. I’m a father. I have two kids. I’m not going to do it.” The reporter persevered and asked, “Can’t you do both?” Emanuel replied, “I’m not as capable as you. I’m going to be a father. I’m allowed to be a father,” and he pushed the reporter’s digital recorder away.

Obama said this morning that none of his staff has had a hand in any dealmaking on his Senate replacement.

At the press conference this morning Obama said his staff will release the list of contacts they had with Blagojevich ...er .... "in the next few days."

Obama insisted that at no time did any of his staff or emissaries make any offers or deals to get an Obama friend appointed. He said ;

I have never spoken with the governor on this subject, and I am quite confident that no representatives of mine would have had any part in any deals related to this seat.

Which is difficult to square with the FBI indictment.....

104. On November 11, 2008, ROD BLAGOJEVICH talked with JOHN HARRIS about the Senate seat. ROD BLAGOJEVICH suggested starting a 501(c)(4) organization (a non-profit organization that may engage in political activity and lobbying) and getting “his (believed to be the President-elect’s) friend Warren Buffett or some of those guys to help us on something like that.” HARRIS asked, “what, for you?” ROD BLAGOJEVICH replied, “yeah.”

Later in the conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH stated that if he appoints Senate Candidate 4 to the Senate seat and, thereafter, it appears that ROD BLAGOJEVICH might get impeached, he could “count on [Senate Candidate 4], if things got hot, to give [the Senate seat] up and let me parachute over there.” HARRIS said, “you can count on [Senate Candidate 4] to do that.”

Later in the conversation, ROD BLAGOJEVICH said he knows that the President-elect wants Senate Candidate 1 for the Senate seat but “they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation. Fuck them.”

German suicide bombers take aim for London - Expect the Unexpected

Bild has a report today of a 1,000 Kilo Glider - bomb (Segel-Bomber ) which was to be released from a bomber and guided down at a speed up to 1125 Kph by a pilot who would evacuate and parachute down.

These detailed pencil drawings are said to have been found in July 1945 in Hitler's Reich's Chancellery in Berlin and are being sent for sale to a London auction house.

All seems very unlikely.

UPDATE : Not so unlikely after all Daily Telegraph has a story later - The drawings were found in Berlin by Richard Rex who had been sent to Germany in 1945 to help establish a medical dispensary.

International Autograph Auctions is selling the plans on Dec 13 at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow, London. They are estimated to fetch between £2,000 and £3,000.

See also as Stef suggests looking at this Wikipedia page Natter (Adder) the Bachem Ba 349 experimental rocket powered interceptor aircraft.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner launch delayed for 4th time - Management reshuffled

Boeing have announced today a delayed launch (their fourth delay) for their 787 Dreamliner, their first new commercial plane since 1995.

The 787's first test flight is now expected to take place in the second quarter ( between April and June ) of 2009. This they say will enable first deliveries to be made to All Nippon Airways in the first quarter of 2010.

Hit by redesign of major parts, such as the wing box of this mainly carbon composite plane, problems with overseas suppliers, the need to replace thousands of fasteners in early production airplanes because technical specifications describing the preparation of the fastener holes were poorly written , integration of software controls and the 58 day machinists strike the programme is now 2 years behind schedule - with the airframe still well overweight.

Management Shuffle

Pat Shanahan, 46 who has been in charge of the 787 programme for the last 12 months is now in charge of a new Airplane Programs organization cpvering all current production and development programs, including the 787 Dreamliner and 747-8 and will report directly to Commercial Airplanes President Scott Carson.

Ray Conner, VP Sales has been shunted to head Supply Chain Management and Operations, which includes Supplier Management, Fabrication, Propulsion Systems and the Manufacturing and Quality unit and reports directly to Carson.

Scott Fancher moves from the missile-defense business in Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems division to take over Shanahan's job as
the 787 program's general manager.

Marlin Dailey now head of sales efforts in Europe, Russia and Central Asia takes over Connor's role as VP sales.

CEO Scott Carson will be 63 next summer.

Jill Pay makes new arrangements for Speaker's Chair in House of Commons

Detroit flounders like NOLA post Katrina - Senate rejects aid bill

The US hastily cobbled $14 billion bailout for Detroit has died in the Senate after failing on a procedural vote.

Bipartisan talks on the rescue broke down over Republican demands that the United Auto Workers union agree to steep wage cuts by 2009 to bring their pay into line with Japanese carmakers.

Majority Leader Harry Reid is now hoping that President George W. Bush would tap Hank the Bank's back pockey US$700 billion Wall Street bailout fund for emergency aid to the automakers.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky led a revolt in announcing his opposition to the White House-backed rescue bill passed by the House on Wednesday. Mitch isued a Press release We Simply Cannot Ask the American Taxpayer to Subsidize Failure wich is well worth reading ..and quoting..

...its greatest single flaw is that it promises taxpayer money today for reforms that may or may not come tomorrow.

We simply cannot ask the American taxpayer to subsidize failure.

He and other Republicans said wages and benefits for employees of Detroit's Big Three dinosaurs should be renegotiated to bring them in line with those paid by Japanese carmakers Toyota, Honda and Nissan in the United States.

Hourly wages for UAW workers at GM factories are about equal to those paid by Toyota Motor Corp. at its older U.S. factories, according to the companies. GM says the average UAW laborer makes $29.78 per hour, while Toyota says it pays about $30 per hour. But the unionized factories have far higher benefit costs.

Republican Sen. George V. Voinovich of Ohio, a strong bailout supporter, said the UAW was willing to make the cuts — but not until 2011....which is shorthand for never.

GM claims their total hourly labor costs are now US$69, including wages, pensions and health care for active workers, plus the pension and health care costs of more than 432,000 retirees and spouses. Toyota says its total costs are around US$48. The Japanese automaker has far fewer retirees and less generous pension and health care benefits as UAW workers.

A Pew Research Centre poll said 39 % approved the "loans" to keep GM, Ford and Chrysler in business, This broke down to 45 % Democrats and 31 % Republicans supporting the proposal.

Detroit's problems are far more fundamental and historical than shop floor pay scales. They have too many brands, too many models, they burn too much gas, their build quality is poor ... and the whole industry is struggling because the buyers don't have the money and cannot / will not take the loans to buy new vehicles.

Wall Street is going to sink like stone... see also "Bernard L. Madoff, the founder of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities and a fixture of the Wall Street trading world for decades, was arrested Thursday morning by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and charged with criminal securities fraud by federal prosecutors in Manhattan." WSJ

Apparently Madoff, 70, told senior employees on Wednesday that his business was "a giant Ponzi scheme."

Plenty more of those due to fail yet.

UPDATE : By 0816 GMT the FTSE 100 was down 147.1 points, or 3.35%, at 4,241.59, with bank shares seeing the biggest falls.
Royal Bank of Scotland shares fell 13.8%, HBOS shares were down 10.1% and Barclays dropped 9.4%.

O'Bomber the WhiteHouseboy

If this raises a grim smile...read this.

Brussels - Expect the Unexpected

Daily Telegraph Belgian police 'thwart imminent al-Qaeda attack'

Belgian police say they have thwarted an imminent al-Qaeda suicide bomb attack as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other European Union leaders arrived for a summit in Brussels.

Heads of state and government are currently arriving in Brussels for a two-day summit to discuss the economic crisis and climate change.

A well disguised chemical weapon was discovered by the Police as they swooped on suspects.

Jesters fishing trips in Brazil - not so funny now

Here is an update on events detailed in previous posts - Wednesday, April 09, 2008 Masons,Shriners,Royal Order of Jesters, prostitutes, sex tourism, and tax exempt partying - Saturday, April 12, 2008 Royal Order of Jesters - something funny going on

The Buffalo News has the story today, by Dan Herbeck - Former law clerk sentenced in Jesters prostitution case
The owner of the “massage parlors,” Len Wah Chong, was sentenced on November 19th to six years in federal prison for enslaving as many as 11 illegal alien prostitutes. She pleaded guilty early last April to "Sex Trafficking of Persons by Force, Fraud and Coercion." She forfeited two properties,$70K in cash and jewelry seized and now must pay $350,000 in restitution to those she kept as sex slaves. (FBI Press release)

FBI agents used court ordered wire intercepts to listen the owner of the four "massage parlors," Len Wah Chong, 43, (the Lotus Acupressure Spa in Lockport; the Lotus Spa in Niagara Falls; Golden Acupressure and Lucky J Fortune Teller in Wheatfield; and Lotus Acupressure in Tonawanda ) as she ran her prostitution businesses over the phone. Agents during the 15 month enquiry heard her talking shop with a former New York state Supreme Court Judge and former director of the Buffalo chapter of the Royal Order of Jesters Court #22, Ronald Tills. He not only frequented the “massage parlors,” but also supported Len Wah Chong by taking some of her illegal alien prostitutes to weekend Jester parties in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In his plea agreement, Tills also admitted to coordinating prostitutes with top Jester leaders for a national meeting in Canada.

Former State Supreme Court official Michael R. Stebick, 61, (law clerk to State Supreme Court Judge Ronald H. Tills) who used his motor home to transport an illegal alien prostitute supplied by Len Wah Chong from Hamburg to Kentucky was sentenced to four months of home confinement today by a federal judge. He was put on probation for two years, ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and directed to provide 250 hours of community service by U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. (pdf of plea here)

Stebick's sentence results from a federal investigation into human trafficking activities by a Masonic nationwide men's "charitable" organization known as the Royal Order of Jesters.

Under a felony plea deal he took in August, Stebick also agreed to forfeit to the federal government his 2000 Challenger motor home, which he used to transport the prostitute and some club members to a Jesters conference in Ashland, Ky., in October 2005.

State Supreme Court Judge Ronald H. Tills, who took a plea deal in the same case is awaiting sentencing on January 12, 2009. . Former Lockport Police Capt. John Trowbridge — also took a plea deal .

According to Judge Skretny, the victim in the case was put up in a hotel by the Jesters, with a sign stating "$70-an-hour" posted outside her room.

The investigation, conducted by the Western New York Human Trafficking Task Force and Alliance, is continuing. The task force includes members of the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol, the Erie and Niagara county sheriff's offices and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement.

In a letter to the judge, Steibick wrote ..."I have embarrassed myself, my friends and my profession," Stebick wrote. "I met [the prostitute] for the first time when she was with us on the ride down to Ashland, Kentucky ... I did not know she was an illegal alien." He also claimed he was acting at the direction of his boss — Tills — when he agreed to drive the prostitute to Kentucky.

Transporting a person across state lines for the purposes of prostitution is a violation of the federal law known as the Mann Act.

Sandy Frost at her Newsvine site has a transcript of the Deposition testimony of Brazilian fishing guide Admilson Garcia da Silva plus photgraphs he supplied ( © 2008 by Sandy Frost) and his experience as a guide for trips for groups of Jesters and Masons on fishing parties organised by Wet-a-Line boats . Be warned that it is sexually explicit and if this offends you, don't read it.

As a result of a falling out amongst jealous suppliers of such tours Richard W. Schair and Wet-a-Line Tours LLC v Phillip Marsteller and Amazon Tours, Inc. defamation lawsuit was settled out of court on Friday, December, 5.

Common Violet - Viola soraria state flower of Illinois.

The 1893 World Exposition, held in Chicago, caused many of the United States to adopt official State flowers - it wasn't until 1907, that Mrs. James C. Fessler of Rochelle, started a statewide campaign in Illinois (The Parairie State) to adopt a state flower.

A vote was called and 33,500 votes were cast for three flowers;
Violet - 16,583 votes.
Wild Rose - 12,628 votes.
Goldenrod - 4,315 votes.

Senator Andrew J. Jackson of Rockford sponsored a bill in the Illinois Legislature to make the violet the official flower of the state. On January 21, 1908 the native violet was approved as the official state flower of the State of Illinois.

The legislation did not specify a specific variety of violet but, according to the Illinois State Museum, the dooryard or common violet (Viola sororia) is the most common species in the state and was probably the intended "native violet" of Senator Jackson's Bill.

This law went into effect on July 1, 1908.
Chapter 5, State Designations Act, Section 40.
GOVERNMENT CHAPTER 5. GENERAL PROVISIONS. (5 ILCS 460/) State Designations Act. (5 ILCS 460/40) (from Ch. 1, par. 2901-40) Sec. 40. State tree and flower. The white oak tree is designated the native State tree of the State of Illinois; and the native violet is designated the native State flower of the State of Illinois.

In 1973, a poll of 333, 964 school children chose to specify the white oak Quercus alba , as the state tree. The northern red oak was placed second with 142,247 votes.

Handy Christmas present - State Birds and Flowers Coloring Book by Annika Bernhard US$3.95 Amazon

Depleted Jean de Menezes jury consider verdict for 6th day

The remaining 10 Jurors at the inquest on the murder of Jean Charles de Menezes started their sixth day of deliberations at the early time of 9.30 am today.

Yesterday the Coroner Sir Michael Wright told the jury it must now reach a majority of at least eight to two.

One wondesr what sort of legal precedent is set by a jury providing a verdict on which only 8 of the original dozen can agree ?

As Gareth Pierce et al are applying to the High Court for a judicial review of Sir Michael Wright 's directions to the jury about what verdicts can be permitted - it would seem that m'lern'd friends are due to make some more moolah. .. £ 4 MN. to date and the meter is still ticking.

Chicago's First Lady, Patricia Blagojevich heard on Fed's wiretaps of her husband

Since we named Jesse Jackson Jnr as candidate 5 in Rod Blagojevich auction of Mr Obama's Senate seat on Tuesday, December 09, 2008 -Rod Blagojevich AKA soon to be Rod "canary" Blagojevich arrested, charged and in custody the MSM have followed our lead. (D. Telegraph and fascinating article in Newsweek)

What we didn't follow up was the fact that with the Chicago Royal Family, the Blagojevich's , like the Clinton's you get a twofer ... talk of Rod and Patricia is rarely far behind.

It is evident that a close reading o fthe fed's 76 page indictment shows that Pat was busy helping her ambitious husband in hatching a plan to sell President-elect Barack Obama's old U.S. Senate seat. She angled to trade her husband's power for lucrative spots on corporate boards. And she unleashed an obscenity-filled tirade suggesting Tribune Co. ownership should "just fire" Chicago Tribune editorial writers if the company wanted the state to help it unload Wrigley Field to ease its crushing debt.

"Hold up that ******* Cubs ********," she is quoted as saying in the background as her husband talked on the phone, authorities alleged. " **** them."

Patricia Blagojevich, 43, has not (yet) been charged with wrongdoing.

The affidavit also alleges she participated in a two-hour conference call (!) last month in which she, hubby Rod and his aides and cronies discussed selling Obama's seat in exchange for place for her on paid corporate boards. Patricia Blagojevich suggested she would be qualified for such positions because she has a background in real estate and appraisals, while the governor stated that he hoped she would pull in at least $150,000 annually to alleviate the family's "financial stress."

Chicago newspapers have reported that tax records show that in 2007, the Blagojevich family’s income dropped nearly 20%, to US$214,580 in combined wages. (He earns US$177,412 as governor.)

During this epic call, the governor mulled appointing himself to the Senate seat and a major concern was that it would be easier for his wife to become a lobbyist.

Patricia is a tough lady - missing out on her hubby's bail hearing Tuesday, and grew up as the daughter of longtime ward boss Ald. Richard Mell (33rd), so was aware at an early age to the bruising world of the Chicago Machine. Politics runs in the family of course and Pat's sister, Deborah Mell, a gay rights activist, was elected a state representative in Illinois last month. (See biog and lengthy interview with her partner Christin Baker here)

Wikipedia says that, Mell announced she would run in the special election to replace Rahm Emanuel, who will be resigning from the US House of representatives, to serve as President Obama'sWhite House Chief of staff. (The Hill) Her brother in law , Governor Blagojevich has 120 days from Emanuel’s resignation to set the special election and primary dates.

Patricia Blagojevich fell out with her dad when he accused her hubby of pay-to-play politics in 2005, but had been briefly reconciled after her mother's death 2 years ago. Despite their chilly relationship in recent years, Mell expressed concern for his daughter on Tuesday—but showed little concern for his son-in-law.

"My main concern right now is for my daughter and my grandchildren(Amy and Annie). That's all I want to say right now" the Chicago Tribune reported him saying.

The First Lady of Chicago , a graduate in economics from the University of Illinois, continued to work as a real-estate agent (River Realty) until a federal investigation into her hubby started revving up .

She has championed popular liberal causes such as literacy, children's health care and public breast feeding. In 2005 Illinois became the first state in the nation to offer affordable, comprehensive health insurance for every uninsured child through the All Kids Health Insurance Program. Patricia has been an outspoken advocate and served as a spokesperson and key partner for All Kids, working with schools and hospitals across the state to pre-register families in this landmark program.

She also created the State Beautification Initiative. Through this initiative, thousands of native wildflowers have been planted along state roadways.

Patricia has however continued to work in her own real-estate business until a federal investigation into her hubby started overheating.

The first lady's once-lucrative real estate career suffered after her most famous client, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, was convicted on political corruption charges. Apparently she earned more than $700,000 in commissions on other deals after her husband began raising money in 2000 for his first gubernatorial campaign.

Of those commissions, the Chicago Tribune found more than three-quarters came from clients with connections - which may be the cause of her recorded hostility to Chicago Tribune editorial writers .

As commissions faded, she started up as an investment banker. She touted her ability to land state business upon her hiring with a local banking house, but those deals never materialized and she soon left.

In September, she began working as a full-time fundraiser for the Chicago Christian Industrial League—a job she obtained after a longtime political ally of the governor talked to the director of the very well established non-profit homeless agency.

A spokeswoman for the agency told s that Patricia Blagojevich still worked at the agency. Period.



Now go and read that Newsweek article and the implications of the the disclosure on the activities of the JJ family - they by the way also pick up on our disclosure that Valerie Jarrett was Obama's pick for his Senate seat.

Gaza: Silence is not an option - Richard Falk UN Rappoteur on Palestinian territories

9th December 2008

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights on Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Richard Falk, ( a 78 year old Jew who is barred from Israel after his remarks comparing its forces' actions in Gaza to those of the Nazis in wartime Europe) who was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, issued the following statement entitled Silence is not an Option

GENEVA -- In recent days the desperate plight of the civilian population of Gaza has been acknowledged by such respected international figures as the Secretary General of the United Nations, the President of the General Assembly, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Last week, Karen AbyZayd, who heads the UN relief effort in Gaza, offered first-hand confirmation of the desperate urgency and unacceptable conditions facing the civilian population of Gaza. Although many leaders have commented on the cruelty and unlawfulness of the Gaza blockade imposed by Israel, such a flurry of denunciations by normally cautious UN officials has not occurred on a global level since the heyday of South African apartheid.

And still Israel maintains its Gaza siege in its full fury, allowing only barely enough food and fuel to enter to stave off mass famine and disease. Such a policy of collective punishment, initiated by Israel to punish Gazans for political developments within the Gaza strip, constitutes a continuing flagrant and massive violation of international humanitarian law as laid down in Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

It is long past the time when talk suffices. As AbuZayd has written, "the chasm between word and deed" with respect to upholding human rights in occupied Palestine creates a situation where "radicalism and extremism easily take root." The UN is obligated to respond under these conditions. Some governments of the world are complicit by continuing their support politically and economically for Israel's punitive approach.

Protective action must be taken immediately to offset the persisting and wide-ranging violations of the fundamental human right to life, and in view of the emergency situation that is producing a humanitarian catastrophe that is unfolding day by day. However difficult politically, it is time to act. At the very least, an urgent effort should be made at the United Nations to implement the agreed norm of a 'responsibility to protect' a civilian population being collectively punished by policies that amount to a Crime Against Humanity.

In a similar vein, it would seem mandatory for the International Criminal Court to investigate the situation, and determine whether the Israeli civilian leaders and military commanders responsible for the Gaza siege should be indicted and prosecuted for violations of international criminal law. As AbuZayd has declared, "This is a humanitarian crisis deliberately imposed by political actors."

It should be noted that the situation worsened in recent days due to the breakdown of a truce between Hamas and Israel that had been observed for several months by both sides. The truce was maintained by Hamas despite the failure of Israel to fulfill its obligation under the agreement to improve the living conditions of the people of Gaza.

The recent upsurge of violence occurred after an Israeli incursion that killed several alleged Palestinian militants within Gaza. It is a criminal violation of international law for elements of Hamas or anyone else to fire rockets at Israeli towns regardless of provocation, but such Palestinian behavior does not legalize Israel's imposition of a collective punishment of a life- and health-threatening character on the people of Gaza, and should not distract the UN or international society from discharging their fundamental moral and legal duty to render protection to the Palestinian people.

For further information on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and work and mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights on Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, visit this website

"We do not claim that life in Gaza is easy, but so much of its misfortune is self-inflicted. "

Leader writer in Jerusalem Post today

See also Falk's essay Slouching toward a Palestinian Holocaust a prophetic essay in 2007

viz;

But Gaza is morally far worse, although mass death has not yet resulted. It is far worse because the international community is watching the ugly spectacle unfold while some of its most influential members actively encourage and assist Israel in its approach to Gaza. Not only the United States, but also the European Union, are complicit, as are such neighbors as Egypt and Jordan apparently motivated by their worries that Hamas is somehow connected with their own problems associated with the rising strength of the Muslim Brotherhood within their own borders. It is helpful to recall that the liberal democracies of Europe paid homage to Hitler at the 1936 Olympic Games, and then turned away tens of thousands of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. I am not suggesting that the comparison should be viewed as literal, but to insist that a pattern of criminality associated with Israeli policies in Gaza has actually been supported by the leading democracies of the 21st century.