An Ol’ Broad’s Ramblings
Morning Coffee 08/21/08
Russia Blocks Georgia’s Main Port City of Poti
Russian forces blocked the only land entrance to Georgia’s main port city on Thursday, a day before Russia promised to complete a troop pullout from its ex-Soviet neighbor.
Armored personnel carriers and troop trucks blocked the bridge to the Black Sea port city of Poti, and Russian forces excavated trenches and set up mortars facing the city. Another group of APCs and trucks were positioned in a nearby wooded area.
Now, in my fog educed state yesterday, didn’t I hear, or read, that the US was sending a few ships with humanitarian aid to Georgia? You know, with food, medicine, baby stuff? Or was that something else. It seems to me, that contrary to what that little piece of paper they signed said, they are doing exactly the opposite. They aren’t leaving. As a matter of fact, they are nodding and smiling, all the while giving the ‘international community’ a big ol’ 
A Few Speculators Dominate Vast Market for Oil Trading
The discovery revealed how an individual financial player had gained enormous sway over the oil market without the knowledge of regulators. Other CFTC data showed that a significant amount of trading activity was concentrated in the hands of just a few speculators.
The CFTC, which learned about the nature of Vitol’s activities only after making an unusual request for data from the firm, now reports that financial firms speculating for their clients or for themselves account for about 81 percent of the oil contracts on NYMEX, a far bigger share than had previously been stated by the agency. That figure may rise in coming weeks as the CFTC checks the status of other big traders.
Did these yahoos REALLY believe it was a vast number of folks who did all the ’speculating’? I’m a college drop out, and I could have told ‘em that! You don’t have that much sway over a market with a LARGE number of people. You have a few sharks, and then you make mega bucks! Sheesh! *shaking head* Any 1st grader could have told ‘em, you only get so many slices of a pie, so you have a few a number you have to share it with as possible.
A 20 percent jump in wholesale electricity rates that the Tennessee Valley Authority approved Wednesday could result in job cuts, higher food costs and more struggle for families to pay their bills.
Increases generally are funneled straight through TVA’s distributors in the Tennessee Valley region to their customers.
Yep, lack of common sense rises to the top once again. Actually, we, personally, have already seen our bill go up. NOT happy! Kind of hard to brag to folks how wonderful it is to live in Tennessee when the utilities are just as high, if not higher, than in a lot of other states. They might want to consider that! How do you get an economy to grow if you discourage folks from joining it? Hmmm? See the Muse’s post!
‘Free Gaza’ Attempts to Rip Open American-Israeli Battle Scars
The pro-Arab ‘Free Gaza’ organization tried Thursday to reopen old battle wounds with a “memorial service” for “forgotten” Gaza fishermen and American sailors killed by Israeli soldiers.
The passengers and crew of the two converted fishing boats, which are planning Thursday night to set sail for Gaza from Cyprus at midnight, announced the service on the group’s website.
The 46 left-wing activists include Jeff Halper (founder of “The Israeli Committee against House Demolitions”), Lauren Booth, sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, several Palestinian Authority Arab activists and dozens of foreign nationals.
Another anti Israeli bunch that won’t let facts get in the way of their cause.
Lesbian’s ‘Right’ to Insemination Shouldn’t Trump Conscience, Doctors Say
Physician’s groups, religious rights attorneys, and pro-life groups say a California Supreme Court decision issued Monday takes away the right of doctors not to violate their own consciences – and they vow to fight it.
“It really is as if California has banned its citizens from having moral consciences,” said Gary McCaleb, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a conservative group.
Does anyone else find such a headline…..well, not funny amusing, but very funny ODD? Since when is it a ‘right’ to be inseminated? As a woman, I don’t have a ‘right’ to be preggers. I have the biological availability. Well, not anymore, thankfully. 
But as a younger woman, I had half the equipment needed. Now, this woman comes along, and says it was her ‘right’ to be artificially impregnated, but it’s not the ‘right’ of these two doctors to help her as much as their faith would allow, and send her to someone who could? I don’t bloody well think so!
Accomplice law led to execution set for today
As Reneau’s partner, Jeffery Wood, waited in the getaway car, the bandit fatally shot store clerk Kriss Keeran in the face.
Six years later, Reneau was executed for the murder. Today, unless courts or Gov. Rick Perry intervene, Wood also will be put to death.
Wood’s case was a rare death sentence under Texas’ law of parties, which holds accomplices in murders just as culpable as the person who pulled the trigger or wielded the knife. The case has prompted protests by those who contend that the law and the punishment are archaic.
“Put them together,” said David Fathi, U.S. program director for Human Rights Watch, “and you have a situation that the rest of the world views with shock and incomprehension.”
Uh, as if I care what the ‘rest of the world’ thinks? If you are going to associate with slime, you become slimy, correct? Unless this guy had NO idea what was going down, he is just as guilty of murder as the POS that pulled the trigger. The REST of the world, be damned!
King Calls Lieberman ‘Perfect’ VP
Rep. Peter King, a Long Island Republican, said social conservatives are making a mistake by opposing Mr. Lieberman, arguing that the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee could help deliver Mr. McCain the election in November. While ardent abortion foes have said the “pro-life” principle is too important to give up for the sake of political pragmatism, Mr. King turned the argument on its head, saying that electing an anti-abortion president in Mr. McCain outweighs the risk of a more conservative vice presidential pick that would ultimately lose to Senator Obama in November.
Is Rep. Peter King on “The One’s” payroll????? Sure fire way LOSE this election is to put a pro baby murderer on the ticket!
Petro-Canada gas shortage affecting up to 90 stations in B.C., Alberta
Customer Bell Ainsworth said she can’t understand why there is no regular gas left at the pump in the oil-rich province.
“We produce it here,” she told CBC News. “Why are we running out?”
The company will face off Thursday in a conference call with angry independent gas station owners demanding compensation to make up for their growing losses.
But Petro-Canada could take a long-term hit if shortages drag on, said Mike Percy, dean of the University of Alberta School of Business.
Well, at least they actually HAVE refineries! More than I can say for us, their neighbors!
Russia: US missile shield in Europe prompts arms race
“Such measures provoke mistrust and prompt an arms race on the continent and beyond its borders.”
The deal to place 10 interceptor missiles in Poland was reached last Thursday and formally signed Wednesday by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
I’d say there was a serious break in trust a while back. Unfortunately, very few in ‘power’, anywhere, happened to be watching!
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