RZA as Bobby Digital - "Digi Snacks"
(Bodogmusic / Soulfood Music)

Sieben Jahre ist es her, dass RZAs Alter Ego Bobby seine "Digital Bullet" abfeuern durfte. In der Zwischenzeit stellte RZA sein Können als Produzent diverser Film-Soundtracks unter Beweis. Doch der Höhenflug des "Mad Scientist" geriet in erste Turbulenzen, als ihm Wu-Tang-Kollegen HipHop-Hippietum in Form von Backpacken vorwarfen. Nun liegt es an Bobby Digital, für RZA die Kohlen mit "Digi Snacks" aus dem Feuer zu holen.

Tatsächlich hat man zunächst den Eindruck, dass Robert Diggs ein überwältigendes Album abgeliefert hat. Dem stimmigen Intro folgen erste Perlen wie "Long time coming" und "You can't stop me now" - wobei letztere wegen seines unnötigen, zwei Minuten langen Vorabskits und des angestaubten Samples von The Whatnauts "Message from a black man" Abzüge in der B-Note erhält. Aber was dann bei "Straight out the block" aus den Boxen dröhnt, torpediert jeden insgeheim gehegten Vergleich mit alten Wu-Alben. David Banner, seines Zeichens Überproduzent aus den Staaten, musste wohl unbedingt auf RZAs Werk verewigt werden. Doch seine Mittäterschaft führt zur ersten Zerreißprobe des kleinen, aber feinen roten Albumfadens.

Dieser wird zumindest musikalisch mit "Bobby Trap" wieder aufgenommen, allerdings durch Dexter Wiggles' dilettantische Hook - "Stop, it's a booby trap. Wouldn't you rather have a Digi or a Scooby Snack? Digi Snack, yeah, while we living in a booby trap" - erneut abgeschnitten. Erste Nervenstränge reagieren gereizt. "Try Ya Ya" kann die Stimmung glücklicherweise wieder etwas anheben, obwohl Bobbys Flow wirklich alles andere als gelungen ist. Auch hier wirkt die Hook seltsam einschläfernd und deplaziert. Das folgende "Don't be afraid" glättet die Wogen kurzfristig - wenn man über kein Langzeitgedächtnis verfügt.

Dafür definiert "Good night" neu, was Nervensägen-Gesang ist. Da können selbst die beiden Gastrapper The Reverend William Burk und Crisis nicht mehr darüber hinwegtäuschen. "No regrets" verschlimmert mit unkonventionellem RZA-Nerv-Rap die Situation zusehends. "Money don't own me" wirkt da fast wie Balsam für die geschundene Seele. Bei "Creep" haben dann wohl Kinderreime Pate für den extrem den Gehörgang belastenden Refrain gestanden. Raptechnisch gut - doch dank des wiederkehrenden Nerv-Faktors stehen einem wirklich die Haare zu Berge. Dass es auch anders gehen kann, zeigt "Drama" - der obligatorische Damengesang pegelt sich kurz vor der Schmerzgrenze gerade noch so ein. Das fast schon geniale "Up again" haucht dann wegen "Put you guns down" gleich wieder seinen Atem aus. Und das liegt - wie nicht anders zu erwarten - an der schief gesungenen, äußerst bedrückenden Hook, die RZA sogar bewusst gewählt haben mag, die allerdings überhaupt nicht klar geht. Weiter geht es mit "Love is Digi", das durch Eintönigkeit begeistert, hin zu "O day", das bis zu Minute 2:22 grundsolide daher kommt, dann allerdings in ferne, unbekannte und hoffentlich nie wiederkehrende Sphären abdriftet.

Der Pressetext sagt: "This is definitely a weed smokers album" - ich frage mich derweil, welche Substanzen Herr Diggs noch so konsumiert, wenn er an einem Album arbeitet. Dass das letzten Endes noch ein "Glorious day" werden kann, glaubt auch nur RZA selbst, denn "Insomnia" kann zwar gefallen, begeistert zum Abschluss dann aber nicht mehr wirklich. "Digi Snacks" ist ein sehr durchwachsenes Album. Zu oft stören nervtötende Hooks. Ganze Tracks werden so zu Totalausfällen und machen die Foreward-Taste zum besten Freund. Dabei sind einige Snacks durchaus gelungen. Doch leider genügen diese wenigen Geschmacksverstärker nicht, um das Gesamt-Menü zu retten. Daher nur für RZA Fans zu empfehlen.

Living Legends - "The Gathering"
(Legendary Music / RTD)

Mit ihrer EP "The Gathering" melden sich die Living Legends für das laufende Geschäftsjahr zurück. Die Crew, die nach ihrem jüngsten Longplayer "Classic" hauptsächlich durch Trennungsgerüchte und zahlreiche Solo-Alben auf sich aufmerksam gemacht hat, versüßt uns den Sommer mit sieben ausgezeichneten Songs. Schon der Titeltrack lässt keine Zweifel daran aufkommen, dass die "eight of the dopest grown men with microphones you ever heard of in your life" wieder zurück sind, um mit intelligenten Reimen und wasserfallartigen Flows die Rapkrone zurück nach Kalifornien zu tragen.

Zum ersten Mal seit langer Zeit sind wirklich alle Legends auf einem Track vertreten und brennen demzufolge ein Reim-Feuerwerk erster Güteklasse ab. Dass die gebündelte kreative Energie dann auch zum Hörer überschwappt, ist nur logische Konsequenz. Umso erfreulicher, dass wirklich jeder Song der EP mit dieser Bestbesetzung aufwarten kann.

Nachdem "She wants me" äußerst humorvoll mit Ex-Freundinnen aufräumt, schlagen die Legends bei "Pants on fire" und "War & Peace" nachdenkliche, gesellschaftskritische Töne an. Die US-Regierung wird unter anderem als Lügenfabrik enttarnt, religiöse Fanatiker an den Pranger gestellt oder George W. Bush als unfähiger Politiker porträtiert. Sicher: Im Westen nichts Neues - aber die Legends bewegen sich textlich auf einem Spitzenlevel, bei dem Zuhören nicht ermüdet, sondern im Gegenteil zum Mitdenken anregt.

Das leichtere "Luva changer" trägt anschließend gekonnt dazu bei, sich nicht tiefer in Verschwörungstheorien zu verstricken, sondern vielmehr die EP weiter zu genießen. Denn nach dem etwas unrunden Filler "Samba" wartet auch schon das geniale Finale von "The Gathering" in Form von "After hours", das einfach nur gute Stimmung verbreitet.

Da sich "The Gathering" rap- und produktionstechnisch auf Top-Niveau bewegt, kann man abschließend nur jedem Rap-Liebhaber ans Herz legen, sich diese Scheibe zu gönnen. Denn bis der nächste Leckerbissen dieser Ausnahmecrew in den Läden steht, kann es noch eine Weile dauern.

After two years of hard fought battles inside and outside our Prime minister at last succeeds in ending the nuclear drought for our country. With raising globalisation and filtering of more and more Global companies into India the energy requirements are reaching the sky and if the recent power crisis due to the lack of rains is anything to go by this is as welcome as anything that would simply put India on the road map of Globalisation.

Reaching here was'nt easy though, not for India and not for its partner in this, the US. They had to cross many hurdles. As for the ruling party is concerned they had their adversaries planted right in their own coalition, the left who quite chidingly opposed anything and everything that the UPA tried to do, like a can-never-be-made-happy kinda attitude. And with the Prime minister insisting on getting on with the deal in spite of all this chaos, surviving a no-confidence vote and even now does anyone ponder about the leadership. The way the whole of the senior statesmen in  Mr.Pranab Mukherjee and the likes paraded around the Prime minister was good to see and to say the least the deal which turned around friends to foes and vice versa.

It all started when India test fired its nuclear weapons under the aegis of Ms. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister which resulted in the NSG take the step that put India in the Nuclear apartheid Group(NAG). And again in 1992 the NSG took some serious measures that adopted a "full Scope Safeguards" which brought an end of the chances of india to get the reserves fom any other country. But, with the growing demands of the burgeoning Indian population and the interest that's being generated in investing of money in the EMs by big multi-nationals has led to the re-open of the debate of whether India 'd be apprehended in getting civil nuclear supplies. And at last I guess the economic interests have surpassed the political interests thus giving way to this approval. This 'd well be considered a Historic day which 'd be eventually be embraced by the BJP Government if it were to come to power in the next election. I've of the opinion that though the opposition is against the deal, its somehow sweet towards the government by most of the part showing its silence rather than strong agitation that's of the ilk of BJP. Even they are pretty well convinced that this deal is for the good and as far as the Left is concerned they can be considered to be a bunch of "headless chickens" who just go on pik-piking at others. The Singur crisis perse has shown that their think tank is short of the men who 'd really get things done, with the retirement of Mr.Jyoti Basu from politics the left has assiduosly slipped into a limbo from which guess it can never recover.

What ever it is the Prime minister has secured the Indian future and it is left for the rest of the governments to follow the legacy if we might say. It took the iron in him to confront all the opposition he had faced and really he's come trumps  up from this political war. Well, our Prime minister does surely live up to the movie jargon of Singh is King(Thank God I didn't watch it). At this moment we must applaud our honourable Prime Minister on two things, one on getting out our country out of the economic crisis in the early 90's and now getting us out of the energy crisis in the latter part of the fiest decade of the 21st century. And, if still anyone asks is he the weakest Prime minister? Well, I wonder who would.

Venezuela plans Russia navy visit

The exercises will be the first of their in the region

Venezuela says it plans to hold joint naval exercises in its territorial waters with Russian forces in November.

A senior Venezuelan naval officer said four Russian ships would take part in the exercises, which would also involve Venezuelan aircraft and submarines.

Correspondents say the move is likely to raise concern in the US, whose relations with Russia have been soured by Moscow's recent conflict in Georgia.

Washington already has rocky relations with Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez.

In July, he called for a strategic alliance with Russia to protect Venezuela from the US.

Caracas and Moscow agreed to extend bilateral co-operation on energy, with three Russian energy companies to be allowed to operate in Venezuela.

Regional first

On Saturday, Venezuela's Rear Admiral Salbatore Cammarata Bastidas said four Russian ships and 1,000 Russian troops would take part in exercises in Venezuelan territorial waters from 10 to 14 November.

"This is of great importance because it is the first time it is being done (in the Americas)," he said in a statement quoted by the AFP news agency and local media.

President Chavez supported Russia's intervention in Georgia last month and has accused Washington of being scared of Moscow's "new world potential".

Earlier, US Vice-President Dick Cheney launched a furious attack on Russia over the recent conflict in the Caucasus.

Mr Cheney described Moscow's actions against Georgia as an affront to civilized standards and said it was reverting back to old Soviet tactics of intimidation and the use of brute force.

He added that Russia was also seeking to use its energy resources as a weapon.

US rivals to make 9/11 appearance

The candidates have entered the election campaign's final phase

The US presidential rivals, Barack Obama and John McCain have said they will appear together on the anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks.

The senators said they would take part in the commemorations in New York - the site of two of the attacks.

The two candidates said they would put aside politics to honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 people who died.

Hijacked planes were crashed into New York's Twin Towers, the Pentagon in Washington and a field in Pennsylvania.

"All of us came together on 9/11 - not as Democrats or Republicans - but as Americans," the joint statement said.

"In smoke-filled corridors and on the steps of the Capitol; at blood banks and at vigils - we were united as one American family.

"On Thursday, we will put aside politics and come together to renew that unity, to honor the memory of each and every American who died, and to grieve with the families and friends who lost loved ones."

The event at Ground Zero - site of the collapsed Twin Towers of the World Trade Center - will mark the first time Mr McCain and Mr Obama have been together since they were formally nominated as presidential candidates at their parties' just-completed national conventions.

The two agreed not to run television ads critical of each other on Thursday and Mr McCain's campaign team said they would not run any ads.

With the parties' nominating conventions over, the candidates have been gearing up for the last weeks of campaigning up to the 4 November election.

By Tom Lasseter | McClatchy Newspapers

MOSCOW_ In the aftermath of last month's war between Russia and U.S.-backed Georgia, Kremlin-watchers in Moscow are worried that Russia and America are closer to direct confrontation than at any point since the end of the Cold War.

The rhetoric coming from the Bush administration — and presidential hopeful John McCain — suggests that tensions are still on the rise.

During the Cold War, "the sides were very careful of each other. They were careful not to come too close," said Alexander Pikayev, a prominent military analyst in Moscow who works for a government-funded research center. "The risk of direct military clashes is (now) much higher. . . . This situation is much riskier than the Cold War."

Both sympathizers and critics of Kremlin policy shared the assessment of a significantly heightened chance of conflict. They expressed hopes that cooler heads will prevail.

Vice President Dick Cheney put a spotlight on the standoff during visits to Georgia and Ukraine this week, the countries at the core of the row between Washington and Moscow. He told Georgians on Thursday that the United States will continue to back the country's NATO application — which the Kremlin vehemently opposes — and said that Moscow's intervention "cast grave doubt on Russia's intentions and on its reliability as an international partner."

Cheney traveled on Friday to Ukraine, which also is applying to NATO with strong U.S. support. There, he spoke of the "threat of tyranny, economic blackmail and military invasion or intimidation" from Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the same day that it was up to America to decide whether disagreements would get worse.

"We are not interested in bad relations with the United States," Lavrov told CNN. "It wouldn't be our choice, but if the United States does not want to cooperate with us on one or another issue, we cannot impose."

At the Republican convention Thursday, McCain mentioned Russia just after al Qaida and Iran.

"Russia's leaders, rich with oil wealth and corrupt with power, have rejected democratic ideals and the obligations of a responsible power," McCain said in his nomination-acceptance speech. "As president, I will work to establish good relations with Russia so we need not fear a return of the Cold War," he said. "But we can't turn a blind eye to aggression and international lawlessness that threatens the peace and stability of the world and the security of the American people."

Democratic contender Barack Obama promised to "renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can curb Russian aggression."

Andrei Klimov, a Russian parliament member with the pro-Kremlin United Russia party, said he didn't think there would be fighting between the United States and Russia, but acknowledged that he's taken aback by how much more possible it seems now.

"If you have a lot of people on the streets with pistols, it is very dangerous," said Klimov, the deputy of the foreign affairs committee in the Duma, the lower house of parliament.

Russian analysts say there are three possible flash points, all centered on or around the Black Sea, once almost lakefront property for the Soviet empire. The sea borders three NATO members — Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania — and two applicants, Georgia and Ukraine. If the two applicants join the alliance, Russia's Black Sea coastline would be surrounded by NATO.

"Now it looks like there is a certain red line that exists in the heads of Russian leadership and they are willing to do anything to stop it from being crossed," said Nikolai Petrov, a Moscow scholar in residence with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "And this red line is Ukraine and Georgia joining NATO."

It's a crucial area for any attempts by Russia to reassert its power in former Soviet territory:

_ In Ukraine, the government of U.S.-backed President Viktor Yushchenko is splintering in a power struggle. If Yushchenko or his opponents use force, the country could split between pro-Western and pro-Russian factions, creating pressure for Washington and Moscow to take sides, if not become directly involved.

_ American warships are deploying in and near Georgian ports, carrying humanitarian aid. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has suggested that they're also bringing military aid to the defeated Georgian army. On Friday, the USS Mount Whitney, the command ship for the U.S. Navy's 6th Fleet, docked in Poti, Georgia, not far from Russian outposts on shore.

_ Russian warships have been sent to the coast of nearby Abkhazia, a breakaway province of Georgia now occupied by Russian troops and recognized as an independent state by Moscow. In the relatively close proximity in which the Russian and American ships operate there and elsewhere in the Black Sea, one misunderstanding could create an international incident.

"We remember very well the Tonkin Gulf incident" in which untrue reports of North Vietnamese ships firing on U.S. ships started the Vietnam War, said Sergei Markov, a Duma member who's also with United Russia.

Markov, who's close to the Kremlin, accused the Bush administration of playing "a very dirty and bloody game" in which it was intentionally provoking Russia to create the appearance of a new cold war to help McCain's hawkish presidential campaign and further U.S. attempts to hem in Russian power.

Pavel Felgenhauer, a military analyst in Moscow who works with the U.S.-based Jamestown Foundation, agreed that relations between the countries were dangerously tense, but blamed the Kremlin.

"Russia is probing the West, as it often did during the Cold War, (to see) how far is the West willing to go: What will happen if Russia continues to push?" Felgenhauer said. "There is a party of war within the ruling party. . . . It seems that for now the hard-liners are winning."

Aleksandr Dugin, a hard-line Russian theorist whose ideas about weakening American geopolitical standing are popular with many Kremlin leaders, said Russia was challenging U.S. domination and that confrontation may be unavoidable.

Russia's move into Georgia was "an "irreversible decision that will mean in the future a serious, profound, irreversible confrontation with the United States. . . . The stakes are so high that Moscow has placed all its (chips) on the table," he said.

Dugin said he thought the strategy was a good one.

More from McClatchy:

Russian assault unites Georgia behind Saakashvili

Russia defies West, recognizes breakaway Georgia regions

Bush-Putin summit does little to relieve U.S.-Russia strains

Source: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/world/story/51913.html

The first is Doug Didero that won at Oswego in the supermodified Classic.  Oswego supers are quite likely the best racing show on earth (need to sit in the enclosed grandstand).  Big block motors that echo due to the awesome acoustics of a place that is on a hill next to Lake Ontario.  It has been a year or two since I was there but it is the best.  Go see them.

The second is Steven Mathews that won in Anderson, IN in a USAC Ford Focus midget.  Great to hear of a Canadian doing well in one of the best preparation series (USAC midget) for higher level racing (IRL, Cup).

Prima dell'arrivo di Hanna, bombardato da messaggi di allerta (anche da CNN e NBC: della serie "chi è senza peccato scagli la prima pietra") mi sono un po' preoccupato pure io. Tra proiezioni della traiettoria, mappe Doppler radar e previsioni di coast surge (=ondate o marosi, mi sembra), anche il mio buonsenso europeo è stato facilmente sopraffatto.

Di fronte alla realtà dei fatti, però, sono rinsavito. Per credere fino in fondo all'allarmismo dei canali TV, anche a dispetto di ogni evidenza, bisogna essere US citizens doc.

New hurricane menaces Caribbean

Caribbean nations are bracing for another major storm, Hurricane Ike, coming just days after Tropical Storm Hanna passed through the region.

Ike has regained strength after weakening, with winds of up to 135mph (215km/h) as it nears the Turks and Caicos islands and the Bahamas.

Cuba has issued a hurricane watch for its eastern provinces.

Haitian officials have said that at least 500 people have been found dead as floodwater's caused by Hanna recede.

That storm has hit the US south-east coast and is dropping torrential rain on North and South Carolina.

Storm warnings are in force along the Atlantic coast from Georgia to New Jersey.

'Major hurricane'

Hurricane Ike gained strength to Category Four on the Saffir Simpson scale - an "extremely dangerous hurricane" - after weakening slightly earlier on Saturday, said the Florida-based National Hurricane Center (NHC).

As of 2100 GMT, Ike was tracking west south-west, moving at 15mph about 90 miles (145km) east of Grand Turk Island.

SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE Cat 1: Winds 74-95mph (119-153km/h). No real damage to buildings Cat 2: Winds 96-110mph (154-177km/h). Storm surge 6-8 feet (1.8-2.8 metres) above normal Cat 3: Winds 111-130mph (178-209km/h). Major hurricane. Coastal flooding destroys smaller structures Cat 4: Winds 131-155mph (210-249km/h). Large storm surge and widespread damage to smaller buildings Cat 5: Winds greater than 155mph (249km/h). Small buildings blown away, roofs on large buildings destroyed. All trees and signs knocked down. Widespread coastal flooding. Source: US National Hurricane Center

The NHC said the storm was expected to pass near or over the Turks and Caicos islands and the south-eastern Bahamas late on Saturday or early Sunday.

After Hanna pummeled the low-lying Turks and Caicos, a British territory to the north of Haiti, earlier in the week, many residents and visitors decided to leave.

Authorities decided to close the airport in Providenciales at mid-day on Saturday.

Ike should hit the northern coast of eastern Cuba by late Sunday or early Monday, according to the NHC forecast.

If it stays on its projected course, Ike will cut across the island from east to west, putting the crumbling colonial buildings of the capital, Havana, at risk.

A storm surge of up to 12ft (3.6m) is expected along with "large and dangerous battering waves" and heavy rainfall, the NHC said.

The center of the hurricane is forecast to pass to the north of Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.

But Haiti, already reeling from three major storms in as many weeks, will not be spared, with up to 12in (30cm) of rain due to fall.

As floodwaters caused by Tropical Storm Hanna receded, Haitian officials said more than 500 people had been killed.

Hurricane Gustav last week and Tropical Storm Fay two weeks ago killed about 120 people.

Hardest hit by Hanna was the city of Gonaives, which was flooded with up to 16ft of water that has only now begun to recede.

The devastation there has been described as catastrophic.

Police said 500 people were confirmed dead but that others are still missing and the number could rise higher.

The UN's World Food Program (WFP) said hundreds of thousands of people had been displaced by the flooding.

The WFP has begun distributing food aid but a spokesperson said the scale of the disaster was putting their resources to the test.

Other aid workers say people's spirits are running low after the successive storms.

"Food supplies and water are scarce and the price of the food that's left is rising," said Parnell Denis from Oxfam in Gonaives.

"The morale of people staying in the shelters is so very low; I am afraid to tell them that another storm is on its way."

More bad weather will hamper the aid effort even further.

In the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, there have been no reports of major damage.

However, preparations are under way for the arrival of Hurricane Ike.

"The ground is saturated and some of the dams in the south-east region are fairly close to their maximum capacity," said meteorological official Gloria Ceballos.

Civil defense director Colonel Juan Manuel Mendez said Dominican troops had been put on alert.

So basically, that treehugger that wants tighter emissions/greener vehicles is also creating crappy fuel economy.

Eliminate all these silly emissions laws/devices from vehicles.  Give the automakers a clean sheet of paper and say, yes, go off and get us the crazy 45 MPG or whatever they are talking the new laws will give: http://obama.senate.gov/press/060719-senators_introd/index.php

After the automakers get us the great fuel economy....guess what....we buy less gas!

If we buy less gas, we will all be happier and not have gas to complain about!

An alternate fix would be that we (USA) go in and assimilate Alberta as the 51st state (heck all Canada for that matter, I'm for it and will explain why in another post).....that one is a tad bit more drastic, but check out this off-topic data: people supporting annexation in Canada.

I like the bold idea from Mr. Pickens on his website for an alternate source/method.  However, the infrastructure for natural gas (as it will be for ethanol or other things local/foreign oil does not control) is not very good.

Download Here

Global economy woes shake markets

Japanese shares felt the force of the economic uncertainty

Fears about a global economic slowdown, heightened by worsening US job figures, have continued to undermine stock markets around the world.

London's FTSE 100 index lost 2.3% - taking its weekly decline to 7% - its biggest since July 2002.

Markets in Paris and Frankfurt fell by 2.5% as economy concerns spread.

On Wall Street the Dow Jones index clawed back early losses to edge higher despite figures showing the US economy shed 84,000 jobs last month.

But the benchmark US index still had its worst week since May.

Earlier, Japan's main share index fell nearly 3% while markets in Hong Kong, China, Australia and India all slid 2%.

'Ugly' data

The US labor market figures - which showed the unemployment rate rising to 6.1% - were a further jolt to investors who have had to swallow a slew of poor economic data in recent days.

Economists had been expecting 75,000 jobs to be lost while the government also revised upwards.

"This was an ugly number that pretty much confirms that our economy continues to trend downward," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer of Harris Private Bank.

"This just knocks the legs out of any hope of seeing much economic improvement right now."

'Uncertainty'

Amid the uncertainty, few investors are willing to buy Masayuki Otani, Securities Japan

The FTSE 100 closed down 2.3% at 5,240.70 points. The last time it lost so much value in a week was more than six years ago in the wake of financial scandals such as Enron and WorldCom.

Markets in Paris and Frankfurt continued their recent downward trend, both the Cac-40 index and the Dax-30 dropping about 2.5%.

The Dow Jones index, which lost 3% on Thursday, rose 32.73 points, or 0.3% to 11,220.96, but still ended down 2.8% on the week.

"Given the fact we were down so much yesterday we're seeing a bit of a reflex rally with investors wanting to take advantages of some of the bargains," said Bucky Hellwig, senior vice president at Morgan Asset Management.

The Nasdaq index slipped 3.16 points, or 0.1% to 2,255.88, ending the week 4.7% lower.

Earlier Japan's benchmark Nikkei index fell 361.54 points to 12,196.12 amid a widespread sell-off of shares in Asia.

The Hang Seng index fell more than 3% in Hong Kong while markets also fell sharply in China, Australia and India.

"Amid the uncertainty, few investors are willing to buy," said Masayuki, Otani, chief market analyst at Securities Japan.

"Several bad things happened at once," he added, explaining the fall.

Gloom

Worries about inflation have prevented central banks in Europe from cutting interest rates to help forestall a slowdown.

But analysts believe this could change soon with economic forecasts across Europe looking increasingly gloomy.

The European Central Bank cut its 2009 growth forecast from 1.5% to 1.2% on Thursday while the UK economy stalled in the second quarter.

In a separate development, the Russian rouble fell against the dollar a day after Russia's central bank intervened to support the currency amid concerns about a flight of foreign capital after the conflict with Georgia.

The central bank sold up to $4bn in reserves, the Financial Times reported, after the rouble slipped to its lowest level since February 2007.

• The money you spend on it is transferred worldwide (like all other US/Japanese manufacturers) by way of spending on R&D, new plants, etc.....however, the money you spend also is "spent" by people (management/directors/sales/engineering/shareholders, etc.) with a vested interest in keeping a strong US and Canadian automotive economy (not a strong Japanese automotive economy)
• They are better looking vehicles (with exception of the Flex that copied that ugly Toyota) than the competition
• If you eat today in the US or Canada, a portion of your reason for making a buck is due to the North American automotive industry
• They are overengineered and underappreciated (case in point would be the world car Coutour/Mistique, sp?)......they have trouble marketing but if you look at and understand their equipment, it is better
• Ford as a company will get legs and motor now that they are rid of a good chunk of their excess baggage (Land Rover, Jag, Aston Martin), so you will be well supported

Well, that brings my list to a close.  I am a hypocrit as I shop at WalMart all the time for the cheapest possible Chinese imported goods, but hopefully my list above helps you in your decision to buy your next vehicle.

As Chairman of the US Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Joe Biden has been a strong advocate of increased developmental assistance for Pakistan. Therefore, if he becomes the Vice President in November, the prospects of a significant jump in the quantum of American aid to Pakistan would grow considerably. Would this be a good idea? 

The question is good idea for whom? Who would be the beneficiary of this assistance? 

Any such increase would clearly ignore the evidence that much past aid to Pakistan has been wasted because there are no tangible development outcomes to be seen. This is not to say that there have no beneficiaries of the transfer of funds. An investigative report would provide fascinating stories about where all the money has gone.

Between 1950 and 2000, donor assistance to Pakistan has been of the order of $60 billion. Yet, the country’s social indicators are languishing at the bottom end of the list of countries. The health system is sick; the infant mortality rate per 1000 live births in 2007 was 80 compared to 12 in Sri Lanka. Education is in shambles with half the population still illiterate, an increasing number having to turn to madrassas, and the rest receiving indoctrination instead of an education. No wonder, religious and social intolerance is rising rapidly.

Hopes that new aid would be used better are misplaced without explaining what has changed that would lead to more effective utilization. The poor use is often blamed on rampant corruption and weak governance. These have deteriorated over the years, not improved. Even otherwise, these are lame explanations that reflect poorly on the donors. These constraints are well-known before the assistance is programmed and should be built into the design of aid-assisted projects. The fact that they are not suggests that either the donors are really naïve or they have a hidden agenda. Unfortunately, the average citizen in Pakistan has by now become convinced of the latter.

The remedy is not to stop all development assistance to Pakistan but to design it in a way that good outcomes become possible. The Pakistani situation seems immensely complex from afar causing well-intentioned people to think they could never understand its workings. There is, however, a simple way to understand why outcomes of development assistance are so poor in Pakistan. A useful analogy is with the subprime mortgage crisis in the US. It is possible at times for the interests of various players to be aligned in such a way that no one has an incentive to call a halt to the madness at the same time as the regulatory mechanism fails to do its job. Unlike the US, public response mechanisms are so weak in Pakistan that even failures of huge magnitude go unquestioned; people just adapt to their fate and no one acts on their behalf to determine what happened to the funds received in the name of the people of Pakistan.

Let us look at the set of incentives in place. US governments are interested in moving money to Pakistan when they believe their strategic interests are at stake, Pakistani governments are more than happy to receive it, the US Agency for International Development is rewarded for disbursing funds quickly through the pipeline, and private US contractors have an easy source of income. Pakistani NGOs that are supposed to watch out for the citizens are unable to resist the lure of big money; most of them end up as subcontractors on the major projects. Despite the lack of results on the ground, not one of these players has shown an interest in stopping to take a second look. All of them are beneficiaries and evaluators at the same time. No wonder they do not wish to rock the boat or alter the status quo.

The only parties who gain nothing from this cycling of money are unable to exert any meaningful influence on the process or evaluate it in any way. The US taxpayer is not well served by the Government Accountability Office whose primary concern seems only to ensure that the disbursement of funds follows proper procedures. And the Pakistani citizen is not consulted at all; it would be hard to find one who knows what is being done in his or her name. There is not even an easily understood term for Millennium Development Goals in the local languages.

For aid to become effective a number of design and process changes are needed. First, nationwide programs need to be replaced by geographically delimited projects whose deliverables are clearly specified. Second, different donors should be placed in a competitive framework executing similar projects in different locations. Third, beneficiary populations have to be involved and represented by citizens’ committees that are provided information about budgets and key milestones. Fourth, media representatives need to become engaged to keep a scorecard and to regularly disseminate information about the progress so that corrective actions can be taken in time.

Some of these elements, consciously or by happenstance, were part of the design of the immensely successful Indian Institutes of Technology that have contributed so much talent to Silicon Valley and are now fuelling the software boom in India. In the 1950s different donors were assigned the tasks of funding, implementing and nurturing each of the various IITs and the resultant competition for prestige contributed greatly to the success of the outcomes.

Intelligent design and credible accountability are the keys to effective utilization of aid to Pakistan. Without these US taxpayer money would continue to be poured down a dark and bottomless hole furthering even more corruption, cynicism and hostility in Pakistan.

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Over 27,000 Boeing workers are on strike against one of the biggest and most profitable war contractors in the world. Boeing is flush with cash, having made more that $13 billion in profit in recent years. At the same time, union wages dropped an average of $6/hour between 2006 and 2008, thanks to a two-tier wage system agreed to in prior contracts. Union wages will continue to slide as nearly 50% of the highest paid workers become eligible to retire during the life of our next contract.

Boeing wants aerospace workers to suffer the same fate as our brothers and sisters in auto, steel and other industries. They want to cut wages, health care and pensions, and a free hand to send more work to low-wage non-union shops. The bosses, with the help of the auto and steel union leaders, were able to get away with these brutal attacks because they were losing money and markets. But Boeing is one fat cat, with billions in profits, backlogged orders and a steady stream of new Pentagon contracts.

Global capitalist competition (imperialism) is causing the attacks on industrial workers, particularly younger, newer black, Latin and immigrant workers. The rise of Russia and China as industrial and military powers gives new urgency for U.S. bosses to retool and cut costs. The racist super-exploitation of millions of non-union sub-contract workers in low-wage sweatshops from Alabama to southern California is changing the face of the aerospace industry.

As negotiations dragged on this past month, “Rolling Thunder” shook the plants, as workers banged their tools making a deafening sound, every hour on the hour. Boeing workers forced the IAM union leaders to call this strike. Now we must lead it as well.

The battle for the hearts and minds of Boeing workers is as sharp as the sound of Rolling Thunder. The pro-capitalist union leaders have nothing to offer but loyalty to a system bent on war, racism and terror, no matter who lives in the White House.

On the other hand, PLP has helped lead mass rebellions in Boeing plants, organizing mass marches and protest rallies as part of class struggle against the bosses and their imperialist plans for the aerospace industry. We have no illusions that militant activity alone can reverse the sharpening attacks on our class. Only communist revolution will do that. We built this factory with our labor, and the working class should control it!

The road to revolution can be paved in this strike. For this to happen, more Boeing workers, on strike in Seattle or in LA sweatshops, must be guided by revolutionary communist class-consciousness and a mass international PLP. The main measure of victory will be how well we do in moving in that direction.

The controversial deal now needs to be ratified by the US Congress before it can be implemented.

India says the deal is vital for it to meet its civil energy demands.

The approval came after India pledged to keep its nuclear non-proliferation commitments and to uphold a voluntary moratorium on testing atomic weapons.

'End of isolation'

It took the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) nearly three days of protracted negotiations in Vienna to reach agreement.

Critics of the deal say it creates a dangerous precedent - effectively allowing India to expand its nuclear power industry without requiring it to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as other nations must.

They say the deal would undermine the arguments for isolating Iran over its nuclear programme and be a disaster for international non-proliferation efforts.

Indian PM Manmohan Singh described the deal as "momentous"

But US and Indian officials hailed the agreement as one that would help limit the unregulated spread of nuclear technology and material while allowing India to meet its energy demands with a "clean and reliable" supply.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the NSG decision "marks the end of India's decades-long isolation from the nuclear mainstream and of the technology denial regime".

Austria, New Zealand and Ireland lifted their objection to the US proposal after India made a formal pledge to not share sensitive nuclear technology or material and to uphold its moratorium on testing nuclear weapons.

The breakthrough reportedly came after US President George W Bush lobbied members of the NSG.

"This is a critically important moment for meeting the energy needs in India, and indeed dealing with the global need for clean and reliable energy supplies," said John Rood, acting US undersecretary of state for arms control.

'Huge difference'

The US restricted nuclear co-operation with India after it tested a nuclear weapon in 1974.

The current deal is the centrepiece of US efforts to bolster ties with India. However, the Bush administration must attempt to rush it through Congress before legislators break to prepare for November's elections - held at the same time as the presidential vote.

India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the communists - former allies of the governing Congress party who withdrew support for the government over the nuclear deal - have accused the government of "deceiving" the country.

"There is a huge difference between what the US government is telling its Congress and what our government is telling us," BJP leader Yashwant Sinha told reporters.

Under the terms of the deal, India would open 14 civilian nuclear facilities to inspection - but its nuclear weapons sites would remain off-limits.

Critics fear assistance to India's civil programme could free-up additional radioactive material for bomb-making purposes.

As the truck filled up the garage became empty...

On Sunday we just had to pack a few final things and then we were on our way. But not before each getting a road-trip survival kit...aka snacks...

...taking a final picture with the truck...

...and saying goodbye to my parents...

So after all this hard work we were finally on the road. On Sunday we drove from West Plains, MO to Indianapolis, IN. Lucas drove the big rig while Paca and I followed behind in the girl car. Paca and I spent most of our trip looking at this...

Paca quickly made herself comfortable...she always has to have a view of the road...

Bye, bye Missouri...

After lots of driving and a few cat naps...

...we said hello to Indianapolis.

Little known fact...Lucas graduated high school from Greenfield, Indiana which is just outside of Indianapolis. So on Monday morning we went on the Lucas Endicott Reality Tour...we saw his high school...

...and their old house...

Then it was time to drive from Indianapolis, IN to Harrisburg, PA. This day was a pretty long day especially since we were both driving. Again Paca was quite the trooper and we even saw some pretty sights once we were out of Ohio...

...Almost heaven...

Pennsylvania was pretty crazy because we spent most of the day on the turnpike and it was Monday of the long Labor Day weekend. Traffic was pretty crazy at times...

But the trip was broken up by several tunnels..

After a restful night's sleep in Harrisburg, PA we woke up bright and early on Tuesday morning to finish our cross-country move. After only a few hours on the road we finally made it to the promised land...

Since arriving we have spent our time unpacking, making Target runs, unpacking, walking on the trails behind our place, unpacking....oh and more unpacking. Hopefully in a few more days I'll be able to show you around our new place. Until then...

-Shannon

***No animals or human beings were harmed in the taking of these pictures...although at times the driver may or may not have swerved off the road in order to achieve these photographic masterpieces. :)

"This is a wish long-cherished by NPCIL and we are happy that all members of NSG have appreciated India's position and the waiver to India will not only help India but the world," Nuclear Power Corporation of India limited (NPCIL) Chairman S K Jain said. The NSG waiver was drafted "to attain a win-win situation" for both India and NSG and will boost India's nuclear power industry as well as other indigenous industries participating in the nuclear power programme, Jain said. It will give an opportunity to Indian nuclear ancillary industries to become global and India could even become a manufacturing hub, he said.

"First step, once the deal is allowed to operationalise after the US Congress's vote, was procuring fuel for the reactors whose capacities are underutilised," S Thakur, Executive Director, Corporate Planning of NPCIL, said.

With Hurricane Ike coming, Bush might have a pertinent question:

The revelation, based on recruitment documents and interviews with US military trainers obtained by the Financial Times, could add fuel to accusations by Vlad­imir Putin, Russian prime minister, last month that the US had "orchestrated" the war in the Georgian enclave.

The training was provided by senior US soldiers and two military contractors. There is no evidence that the contractors or the Pentagon, which hired them, knew that the commandos they were training were likely be used in the assault on South Ossetia.

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Jules Crittenden