Saturday, October 18, 2008

The world is spinning much too quickly these days. Plus, October is too pretty to be stuck inside all the time. So. me being lazy, I'm gonna throw these stories out there without quotations. Unless they really call for it.

Global summit should look at currencies: France

U.S. willing to discuss financial governance: EU

Sarkozy Calls for Revamping of Capitalist System

Bush to Host World Economic Summit

US to host crisis summit

Bush Will Host World Leaders at Economic Summit






UNASUR decides to establish South American Parliament in Bolivia

EU plans to force second Lisbon vote



From global imbalances to effective Global Governance

Calls grow for global banking regulator

Suddenly, Europe Looks Pretty Smart

Good morning and welcome to Summit Up, the world’s only daily column wishing that the world would adopt a global monetary system that crosses all boundaries, ethnicities and religion.

Planetary President Obama

The big picture: Loss of a republic?



***

Guns and butter: the deepening US economic crisis

Lebanon PM denounces Israel to UN

Algeria, Syria sign economic pacts

Lebanon's Bank Audi sees benefit from global crisis

Russians, Syrians discuss missile shield – initially for Tartus port

Vast new mosque opens in Chechnya

Javier Solana visits Syria, UAE, S. Arabia and Qatar

Romanian President to visit Syria Monday



Security & Defense: 'We're in the midst of preparing the home front for war'

Why does the world not join the economic campaign against Iran?
Everyone thinks the threat is not against them. They also think in the short term, and look at the profits they are making from deals with Iran, and they think what is happening there will not affect them.

How much time is there?
I believe that 2009 and 2010 will be the critical years. There may be more time, but I think there is less. Two years is a short time for what we are dealing with.




US to equip Pakistan military

15,000 peacekeeping soldiers to back up peace efforts in northern Africa’s regions

Iraqis Remain Top Asylum Seekers; Russians Are Second

Pakistani army 'kills 60 Taleban'

Austrian leaders join 30,000 at Haider funeral
[There's everything I hate about Europe in a nutshell: thousands mourn drunken gay Nazi. Arrgh! ]

U.S. Warship Visits Georgian Port

Caribbean: Remaining Israeli captives freed by Chinese laborers
Four Israeli nationals held hostage on West Caicos island by disgruntled Chinese laborers freed after company agrees to pay ransom; several of those freed decide to stay on to oversee construction
[My question, now that I hear about the ransom: Are these 'Chinese laborers' Uighurs? Hostage-taking is part of jihad. ]

China to help build 2 Pakistan nuclear plants

Convert or we will kill you, Hindu lynch mobs tell fleeing Christians

Iraqis stage mass anti-US rally

Gun crime 60% higher than official figures

Human tissue could be taken from the infirm without their consent and used for research

Israel encouraged by UN call for Hizbullah to be dismantled

Pakistan and Taliban battle for key tunnel

Russian troops attacked, report claims 50 killed

Russia ready to expand nuclear ties

Soldier beaten, rifle snatched as IDF base is infiltrated

Explosive device goes off at checkpoint north of Baghdad
An explosive device went off Saturday after a female suicide bomber was challenged at a checkpoint north of Baghdad, but no one was injured, the U.S. military said.


Vladimir Putin’s deputy rules out attacks on Russia’s neighbours

Sergei Ivanov, deputy to Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, promised that Russia’s intentions were entirely peaceful despite its invasion of Georgia. Moscow officials insist that its military operations in August were provoked by Georgian aggression.

“We are not aggressive,” Ivanov said in an interview. “We have recognised the territorial integrity of all former Soviet republics. That was in 1991. Russia, of course, has no territorial ambitions regarding any former Soviet countries.

[Yeah, I find that dreadfully truthful and reassuring, don't you? ]




What's really wrong with the price of oil

The Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (Asry) general assembly has approved a $188 million (BD71m) expansion plan.

Libya to raise UniCredit stake to 5 pct-cbank chief

Russia to use state funds to aid economy

RPT-Russia's Gazprom sees 2008 net profit at $30 bln

EU lets Gazprom into distribute network

Palin unaware of Russian energy meeting in Alaska

Financial crisis: Alistair Darling will spend his way out of recession
Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, has declared that the government will boost its spending in an attempt to help the economy weather the recession about to grip Britain.
[Yeah, great idea. I'm sure it'll work.]

IMF to investigate its director

Flu Pandemic May Cost World Economy Up to $3 Trillion

Has market crash solved food crisis?

Corn, Soybeans Rise as Export Demand Climbs After Price Slump

Solarworld, Solon Start U.S. Factories to Tap 'Massive' Demand

200,000 jobs to go as businesses hit wall


***

Joe the Plumber vs. Joe the Hair-Plugger
Put that in your pipe and solder it.
By Mark Steyn

Give a man enough rope line and he’ll hang himself. There was His Serene Majesty President-designate Barack the Healer working the crowd at some or other hick burg, and halfway down the rope up pops a plumber to express misgivings about the incoming regime’s tax plans.
...
Joe the Plumber expressed his misgivings about the President-in-waiting’s tax inclinations, and the O-Man smoothly reassured him: “It’s not that I want to punish your success,” he told the bloated plutocrat corporate toilet executive. “I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they’ve got a chance for success too. I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”

In that sentence about you spreading the wealth around, there’s another typing error: that “you” should read “I, Barack.” “You” will have no say in it. Joe the Plumber might think he himself can spread it around just fine, but everyone knows “trickle-down economics” don’t work. So President-presumptive Obama kindly explained the new exquisitely condescending “talking-down economics:” Put that in your pipe and solder it.

***



And it still took me two hours to get done!


Magnitude 5.0 - SUNDA STRAIT, INDONESIA
2008 October 18 18:41:30 UTC

BTW, quakes are still way too quiet for comfort.

No comments: