Senator Barack Obama

Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961. His father, Barack Obama Sr., was born and raised in a small village in Kenya, where he grew up herding goats with his own father, who was a domestic servant to the British.

Barack's mother, Ann Dunham, grew up in small-town Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs during the Depression, and then signed up for World War II after Pearl Harbor, where he marched across Europe in Patton's army. Her mother went to work on a bomber assembly line, and after the war, they studied on the G.I. Bill, bought a house through the Federal Housing Program, and moved west to Hawaii.

It was there, at the University of Hawaii, where Barack's parents met. His mother was a student there, and his father had won a scholarship that allowed him to leave Kenya and pursue his dreams in America.

Barack's father eventually returned to Kenya, and Barack grew up with his mother in Hawaii, and for a few years in Indonesia. Later, he moved to New York, where he graduated from Columbia University in 1983

Remembering the values of empathy and service that his mother taught him, Barack put law school and corporate life on hold after college and moved to Chicago in 1985, where he became a community organizer with a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods plagued with crime and high unemployment

The group had some success, but Barack had come to realize that in order to truly improve the lives of people in that community and other communities, it would take not just a change at the local level, but a change in our laws and in our politics.

He went on to earn his law degree from Harvard in 1991, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Soon after, he returned to Chicago to practice as a civil rights lawyer and teach constitutional law. Finally, his advocacy work led him to run for the Illinois State Senate, where he served for eight years. In 2004, he became the third African American since Reconstruction to be elected to the U.S. Senate

It has been the rich and varied experiences of Barack Obama's life - growing up in different places with people who had differing ideas - that have animated his political journey. Amid the partisanship and bickering of today's public debate, he still believes in the ability to unite people around a politics of purpose - a politics that puts solving the challenges of everyday Americans ahead of partisan calculation and political gain.

In the Illinois State Senate, this meant working with both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. He also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

In the U.S. Senate, he has focused on tackling the challenges of a globalized, 21st century world with fresh thinking and a politics that no longer settles for the lowest common denominator. His first law was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent. He has also been the lead voice in championing ethics reform that would root out Jack Abramoff-style corruption in Congress

As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Obama has fought to help Illinois veterans get the disability pay they were promised, while working to prepare the VA for the return of the thousands of veterans who will need care after Iraq and Afghanistan. Recognizing the terrorist threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, he traveled to Russia with Republican Dick Lugar to begin a new generation of non-proliferation efforts designed to find and secure deadly weapons around the world. And knowing the threat we face to our economy and our security from America's addiction to oil, he's working to bring auto companies, unions, farmers, businesses and politicians of both parties together to promote the greater use of alternative fuels and higher fuel standards in our cars

Whether it's the poverty exposed by Katrina, the genocide in Darfur, or the role of faith in our politics, Barack Obama continues to speak out on the issues that will define America in the 21st century. But above all his accomplishments and experiences, he is most proud and grateful for his family. His wife, Michelle, and his two daughters, Malia, 9, and Sasha, 6, live on Chicago's South Side where they attend Trinity United Church of Christ

Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale
Category	Wind speed	Storm surge
	mph (km/h)	ft (m)
5	≥156 (≥250)	>18 (>5.5)
4	131–155 (210–249)	13–18 (4.0–5.5)
3	111–130 (178–209)	9–12 (2.7–3.7)
2	96–110 (154–177)	6–8 (1.8–2.4)
1	74–95 (119–153)	4–5 (1.2–1.5)
Additional classifications
Tropical storm	39–73 (63–117)	0–3 (0–0.9)
Tropical depression	0–38 (0–62)

 

 

 

 

Charity says U.S. food aid hurts poor

NAIROBI, Kenya - A humanitarian group has turned down $46 million worth of U.S. food aid,

CARE said wheat donated by the U.S. government and sold by charities to finance anti-poverty programs results in low-priced crops being dumped on local markets and small-scale growers cannot compete

Other experts said they share CARE's concern, but stressed that food donations are sometimes needed when a natural disaster harms a local area's agriculture, such as the flooding that North Korea says has devastated vast tracts of its farmland.arguing that the way the American government distributes its help hurts poor farmers

 

• June 23, 2001: Peru; magnitude 8.1; more than 100 killed; sent a tidal surge a half-mile inland

• Jan. 25, 1999: western Colombia, magnitude 6.0; about 1,170 killed, devastated the city of Armenia.

• April 22, 1991: Costa Rica; magnitude 7.4; more than 80 killed in Costa Rica and Panama; 30,000 along the Costa Rica-Panama border cut off from food, water, medical supplies for days.

• Sept. 19, 1985: central Mexico; magnitude 8.1; more than 9,500 killed.

• Feb. 4, 1976: Guatemala; magnitude 7.5; 22,700 killed.

• Dec. 23, 1972: Nicaragua; magnitude 6.2; more than 6,000 killed.

• May 31, 1970: Chimbote, Peru; magnitude 7.9; more than 60,000 killed.

• May 22, 1960: Chile; magnitude 9.5; 5,700 killed.

• Jan. 24, 1939: Chillan, Chile; magnitude 8.3; 28,000 killed.

In my opinion, gas is cheap right now because the big oil companies are trying to show that ethanol is not cost effective. As long as ethanol is around, the price of gasoline will be lower so that E85 cannot compete with gas. If E85 were to go away, the price of gasoline would skyrocket with the cost of oil. Think about it. Oil is hitting record highs and gas is dropping. T   hat never occured before E85 was in the running

ADM BP COP CVX FTO HES SUN TSO VLO VSE WNR XOM

33.27 64.79 78.68 82.46 36.14 58.83 66.16 47.98 65.55 13.29 50.58 82.27

-0.61 -0.68 -0.52 +0.01 -0.41 -1.39 -0.59 -0.69 -1.17 -0.32 -1.92 -0.65

News News News News News News News News News News News News

View Detailed Quotes

 

He has kept the US safe from further terrorist attacks since 9/11, unlike his predecessor.

He has not been accused of sexually assaulting numerous women in the oval office, or having sex with teenage subordinates.

He has not committed perjury before a federal grand jury justifying disbarment from the practice of law.

The DOW has set new records under his administration and unemployment has been lower than his predecessor.

He has not provided top secret technology to China or other enemy nations

He has not received campaign contributions, nor political endorsements from enemy nations like China

He has stood fast in the war on terror despite every attempt by liberals, the democratic party and the mainstream media to ensure American defeat

He has not had to appear on national television to lie about an adulterous affair

and he carried out the Iraq policy established during the Clinton administration, regime change

 

In Classical Chinese and Japanese herbalism the fruit bodies (mushrooms) are harvested, dried, ground to a powder and made into tea(2). Given the extraction rate of the polysaccharides in a simple hot water extract (tea), it is interesting to note that the dose for the active compounds is the same in both traditional medicine and modern clinical practice.

Commonly known as the "turkey tail" in North America, Coriolus versicolor (also known as Trametes versicolor), is unique among the medicinal mushrooms, with extensive use in both traditional herbalism and modern clinical practice.

This treatment modality is used in place of conventional therapies to treat cancer.  Seek advice from a qualified physician before replacing standard cancer therapy with coriolus versicolor treatment.

What does coriolus versicolor treatment involve?  Coriolus versicolor is a mushroom used in Asian cultures to treat cancer.  Its active ingredient can be administered as a tea or in capsules.

How is coriolus versicolor thought to treat cancer?  The coriolus versicolor mushroom has shown antimicrobial, antiviral and antitumor properties, which have been attributed to a protein-bound polysaccharide called Polysaccharide K (PSK), also known as Krestin.  In Japan, PSK is currently used as a cancer treatment, in conjunction with surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation.

What has been proven about the benefit of coriolus versicolor?  Animal studies have reported that PSK prevents the induction of tumors by chemicals, radiation and other mutagens.  The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center performed an extensive human studies literature review of coriolus versicolor and found twenty-four studies relevant to cancer.  After an in-depth review of the available literature, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center reported that PSK is a "promising candidate for chemoprevention due to the multiple effects on the malignant process, limited side effects and safety of daily oral doses for extended periods of time."

What is the potential risk or harm of coriolus versicolor treatment?  Side effects of coriolus versicolor treatment are not expected.  However, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, skin pigmentation, anorexia, anemia, liver dysfunction, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia have been reported.

How much does coriolus versicolor treatment cost?  Retail cost of PSK is from $120 to $160 for a 30 day supply of 150 capsules.

For additional information:

The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Boulevard
Houston, TX  77030
Telephone:  (800) 392-1611
Web site:  www.mdanderson.org/departments/CIMER/

The wheels lock, the car skids, you see the 18-wheeler heading for your windshield. You have just enough time to open your mouth. Then the bite of glass and metal, and merciful blackness

Somebody's talking. You try to open your eyes, but nothing happens. You can't move or feel anything. In the murmurs around you, you make out a few words: prognosis, unresponsive, permanent. They keep talking about somebody who's here, somebody who never speaks and is never spoken to

A child cries. You've heard that cry before. Out of the blackness, the thought comes at you, engulfing you: The unspeaking person is you. You're dead. And then a more horrible idea: Maybe you're not

You try to call out, to scream. No one knows you're here, awake inside your skull. No one will ever know

That nightmare is no longer science fiction. Five days ago, Science published a report on a young woman devastated by a car crash in England. For five months after the accident, tests showed no signs of awareness. Doctors declared her vegetative. Then, scientists put her in a Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanner, which tracks blood flow to different parts of the brain. They asked her to imagine playing tennis and walking through her home. The scan lit up with telltale patterns of language, movement, and navigation indistinguishable from the brains of healthy people

Something was awake inside that woman's skull. Without the scanner, no one but her would have known

How rarely does this happen? Until a decade ago, FMRI didn't even exist. According to the authors, 60 other vegetative patients have been tested on it and have flunked. The English patient had several factors in her favor: Her injury was traumatic, her brain was largely intact, and she had been vegetative for only a few months. At the other end of the spectrum are people such as Terri Schiavo. Their injuries are caused by oxygen starvation, their brains are liquefied, and they've been vegetative for years. By various estimates, 25,000 to 35,000 Americans have been diagnosed as vegetative. How many of them have received FMRI scans? How many would light up? How many are awake in there

The scientists who studied the English patient report that in the five months after her injury, "No elaborated motor behaviors, which are regarded as 'voluntary' or 'willed' responses, were observed from the upper or lower limbs. There was no evidence of orientation, fixation greater than 5 seconds or tracking to visual or auditory stimuli. No overt motor responses to command were observed." In short, she was "unresponsive." She met the standard for a vegetative diagnosis, displaying "no reproducible evidence of purposeful behavior." In an analysis that accompanies the study, a French neuroscientist notes that she repeatedly failed to "manifest" such behavior

Then they put her in the machine and gave her the imagination test. Result: "Significant activity was observed" in key brain areas. She managed "to respond to [commands] through her brain activity, rather than through speech or movement. Moreover, her decision to cooperate with the authors by imagining particular tasks when asked to do so represents a clear act of intention." According to the attached analysis, her "patterns of brain activation" suggest "an active mental performance."

Nothing about the patient changed. What changed was the test—and with it, our definitions of evidence and activity. Before the scan, "behavior," "response," "action," and "performance" were things done by your visible body. To be "manifest," "observed," or counted as "evidence," they had to be external. By making the brain's blood flow observable, the scan expanded our understanding of physical reality and human agency. Thought is activity. Imagination is performance. Intention, which used to be defined as separate from action, is now an "act of intention."

Try stretching your mind to comprehend that reality: a technology that stretches reality to comprehend your mind. Outside the scanner, your thoughts are invisible, immeasurable, meaningless. Inside it, they're visible, measurable, real. One minute, you aren't there. The next, you are.

Now scientists are debating what goes on in the English patient's head. Some call her performance a "decision"; others dismiss it as a mere "response." They ask why her body doesn't move, since her motor pathways appear to be preserved. The analysis in Science concludes that she has a "rich mental life" but may not be "conscious." What in God's name does that mean? Would you pull the plug on a 24-year-old relative with a rich and responsive but unconscious mental life? Go ahead, raise your hand. Or just think about raising it, and we'll record your vote by brain scan.

Most hospitals don't have equipment that can find trapped souls like the English patient. Does the reality of your mental life depend on which hospital you're taken to? Does it depend on which tests your insurance covers or your family can afford? The Bible says it's harder for a rich man to get into heaven. Is it harder for a poor man to get out of hell

In the forest, the old question goes: If a tree falls, and nobody hears it, does it make a sound? Does a vegetable not matter if no animal perceives it? In the city, the puzzle is different. What falls when a car jumps a curb is a person, not a tree. If nobody sees her thinking, is she a vegetable? Or should the rest of us animals look harder?

The recall involves the following vehicles: 1998-2002 Ford Ranger, 1992-1997 Lincoln Town Car, 1992-1997 Ford Crown Victoria, 1992-1997 Mercury Grand Marquis, 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII, 1993-1995 Taurus SHO, 1999-2001 Ford Explorer and Mercury MountaineerWASHINGTON (AP) -- Ford Motor Co. said Friday it is recalling 3.6 million passenger cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles and vans to address concerns about a cruise control switch that has led to previous recalls based on reports of fires

The Dearborn, Mich.-based automaker previously had recalled nearly 6 million vehicles beginning in January 2005 because of engine fires linked to the cruise control systems in trucks, SUVs and vans.

"Customers remain concerned about the long-term durability of the speed control system and about the safety of their vehicles," said Ford spokesman Dan Jarvis.

He said the automaker had received "a few reports of fires" in Ford Crown Victoria passenger cars prior to the recall. He did not have a precise number.

The recall involves the following vehicles: 1998-2002 Ford Ranger, 1992-1997 Lincoln Town Car, 1992-1997 Ford Crown Victoria, 1992-1997 Mercury Grand Marquis, 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII, 1993-1995 Taurus SHO, 1999-2001 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer.

Also covered are the 2001-2002 Ford Explorer Sport, 2001-2002 Ford Explorer

The price of oil is projected to reach $80 a barrel within
this year; I gathered this idea from watching hours and hours of CNBC
and spending hours and hours on finance websites. However, there is no
definitive present data to ensure that it will hit $80 or break $80 a
barrel--it might do otherwise. But my question is this: will there
ever be definitive data that guarantees a 100% accuracy in truth? The
cost of oil will continue to rise and HAS continued to rise since we
hit peak oil in the late 1970's. Commercial vehicles are fuel-
intensive, and thus the alternative use of NATURAL GAS is both cost-
efficient and effective in combating the rising cost of oil. Next time
you are on the road or freeway and you see a bus, keep your eye out
for the back of the bus: it will say "CNG" or LNG which means it runs
on natural gas. Rather than bet on the consumer market, which is often
immediately susceptible to fluctuations in oil prices, it is more
prudent for investors like you and me to take a position alongside
local and national governments. CLNE is a pioneer and major provider
of natural gas fleet services for both private and governmental
institutions.

 

Lindsey Lohan blows .12 out of an .08

 

Petroleum Status Report 7-25-07

ASK CONGRESSMEN FOR MORE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS
please
your email will help
please
thankyou

HUMANE SOCIETY WILL FORWARD EMAIL TO NFL

please write email to NFL NIKE HUMANE SOCIETY & YOUR CONGRESSMEN
thankyou

MILAN (Reuters) - A Qatar sheikh held up a British Airways flight at Milan's Linate airport for nearly three hours after discovering three of his female relatives had been seated next to men they did not know

When none of the other business class passengers agreed to swap seats, the sheikh, a member of Qatar's ruling family, went to the pilot, who had already started the engine, to complain, an airport official said

But the pilot ordered him and his traveling companions, the three women, two men, a cook and a servant, off the plane.

The London-bound flight took off nearly three hours behind schedule Thursday evening and around 50 of the 115 passengers missed connecting flights

Traditions in the conservative Gulf Arab region bar women from mixing with unrelated men.

NFL, Keep Michael Vick off the Field  Three months ago, suspicions of dogfighting on Falcons' quarterback Michael Vick's Virginia property came to light, along with chilling descriptions of the fighters hanging, electrocuting, shooting and slamming to death dogs who didn't show the desired drive to fight. The National Football League has taken a good first step by barring Vick from training camp, but the NFL should keep the accused dogfighter off the field completely until these serious charges have been resolved in federal court.   TAKE ACTION Ask NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend Michael Vick from the NFL entirely until a verdict is reached in his case.

This is serious stuff!!!! CNN channel's Glenn Beck show and national radio talk show host is putting out an all out attack on TV and radio against the ethanol movement. He is asking all US citizen's to call and write their congressman, asking them not to support anything related to ethanol! He is claiming severe food shortages and that the United States has enough oil reserves to become oil independant. He also does not believe that there is a global warming problem. His theory, global warming, is due to normal earth climate changes. This guy has a lot of clout. This could really put a halt to ethanol. His show is widely viewed and syndicated across the US. Everyone needs to counter and show support of ethanol to their congressman. Plus it wouldn't hurt to write Glenn Beck and tell him why you disagree with his point of view. Please do what you can! We all need to support our views. You can write him at www.glennbeck.com

►
Photos Index

 

Kabul before international teams building the city

Corn way down

Oil & Gas way up

Gasoline demand way way up

As the world gets hungrier for alternative fuels, industrial energy giants are scrambling to form partnerships with niche biotech companies. The race is on to create bioengineered enzymes that are at the heart of cost-effective ways of turning corn, sugar and even wood chips into a gasoline substitute called cellulosic ethanol

The following are Ethanol stocks in US, and their prices and market capitalizations

USBE: $12.04, Mkt Cap. $816 million.
PEIX: $13.64, Mkt Cap. $556 million.
VSE: $14.90, Mkt Cap. $1.15 Billion.
AVR: $17.21, Mkt Cap. $725 million.
MGPI: $17.39, Mkt Cap. $285 million.
ADM: $34.2, Mkt Cap. $22 Billion.
ANDE: $47.35, Mkt Cap. $834 million.

(as of July 3. All in US dollars).

All these upgrades , new strategies to acquire new plants, corn dropping everyday and the stock still goes down 

I truly believe in alternative energy & think the future belongs to it , despite the fact that I have lost lots of money , I feel very good about my investment. I hate to see people investing in stocks that

the revenue go toward the dip pockets of some blood sucking king and dictator regimes that do not care about their own people and spend what they make from selling oil to support terrorist groups and their own sinful and expensive habits like

Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud who has over 400 wife but his people are starving to death

just outside the tall walls of his palace . I am glad that my money goes toward the farmers in

Neb or Ohio rather than Saudi Arabia. I like to buy on dips and later sell them higher

U.S. cash corn hit its 9-month low today dipping to an average of $2.99 per bushel. Elevator bids for spot supplies of corn haven't plunged this low since October 31st, 2006. This downtrend is likely to persist as weather continues to be favorable towards corn growers. Ethanol producers are enjoying the benefits:

Verasun:
Aurora plant is paying a spot price of $2.90 per bushel
Fort Dodge plant is paying a spot price of $2.85 per bushel
Charles City plant is paying a spot price of $2.78 per bushel

US BioEnergy:
Platte Valley plant is paying a spot price of $3.06 per bushel
Woodbury plant is paying a spot price of $3.02 per bushel
Hankinson plant is paying a spot price of $3.24 per bushel
Ord plant is paying a spot price of $3.07 per bushel

I am an American woman who was working in Japan for a year when I met my fiancee. He had been working in Japan for years, and while he was fluent in Japanese I was not and he could not speak English. Luckily for us, we both had enough of a background in spanish to communicate and we began dating. I love him more than I could ever imagine loving another man and I think that we have really helped each other to grow. I fell in love with the way he lives, his love of God, and the way he cooks, in addition to his great sense of humor and charming personality. Of course his gorgeous eyes and killer smile didn't hurt! We decided that we wanted to get married and be together and finally he agreed to come with me to America. With the excitement of those decisions, we let our emotions get the best of us and I became pregnant. We then faced a lot of problems with immigration and were told by several lawyers that they would need thousands of dollars to begin our case and that we had very slim chances. We were told that at least we would have to stay in Japan two years before we had a chance. With me being pregnant, however, we decided that I should not re-new my work contract and that it was best for the health of the baby and the support of being new parents that I return to America. So, at more than 7 months pregnant I flew home and Reza and to stay in Japan. We spoke every day and worked very hard to get his visa. Finally, three weeks ago Reza and I were re-united and he got to hold our 5 month old baby girl for the first time. We are a family and we are very blessed with love, health, and happiness

Now we have the chance to win a wedding. We are one of 4 couples. And in order to win we need enough internet votes. Every vote is important. Neither of us have been able to work yet and we have not yet built up a community around us - we are starting from scratch. I was unable to work because of the baby, who I am nursing, and Reza does not have his work permit yet. If any of you have a minute or two, we would really appreciate you taking the time to vote for us and help us win what we do not have the time or money to plan - a gorgeous, completely free wedding!!!

The website is www.wdok.com and it is the third item on the front page (where it says "cast your vote"). We are couple #1 - The GreenCard Couple! Thank you for any of you who have read this and are willing to take the time!!

I am thrilled to have found your site!

Homa Travel Agency is the best way to get there

 214

473

 9090

 Please ask for Sima