Thursday, August 30, 2012

UN Security Council meeting to discuss Syria - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

UN Security Council meeting to discuss Syria - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Free Syrian Army discovers cache of large missiles

Free Syrian Army find gas masks belonging to regime

Deadlocked U.N. Security Council ministers to discuss Syria aid Thursday, 30 August 2012

Egyptian president hails ‘Syrian revolution’ in Tehran non-aligned summit Thursday, 30 August 2012

Free Syrian Army claims downed fighter jet in Idlib

Syria Dictator Assad Loses MIG over Idlib 8-30-12 Pilot Parachutes Out a...

Syria - Assad loses 10 Planes - Fires at Abo al-Douhor Military Airport...

Jordan wants to deport Syrian refugees who rioted

Jordan wants to deport Syrian refugees who rioted   Jordan wants to deport Syrian refugees who rioted

Mexico: 2 CIA agents wounded in shooting go to US

Mexico: 2 CIA agents wounded in shooting go to US

200 US Marines join anti-drug effort in Guatemala

200 US Marines join anti-drug effort in Guatemala200 US Marines join anti-drug effort in Guatemala

Karzai moves to replace Afghan security chiefs

Karzai moves to replace Afghan security chiefs

Afghanistan helicopter crash kills 2 NATO troops

Afghanistan helicopter crash kills 2 NATO troops

US commander: Stealth fighters '100 percent' safe

US commander: Stealth fighters '100 percent' safe US commander: Stealth fighters '100 percent' safe

Egypt leader slams Syrian regime during Iran visit

Egypt leader slams Syrian regime during Iran visit

Pakistan: Bail delayed in Christian blasphemy case

Pakistan: Bail delayed in Christian blasphemy case

5 Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan

5 Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Twin typhoons raise fears in disaster-prone NKorea

Twin typhoons raise fears in disaster-prone NKoreaTwin typhoons raise fears in disaster-prone NKorea

Pakistani officials confirm death of key militant

Pakistani officials confirm death of key militant

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

2nd typhoon threatens battered Korean Peninsula

2nd typhoon threatens battered Korean Peninsula

Jordan warns Syrian refugees against rioting

Jordan warns Syrian refugees against rioting

IAEA establishes Iran 'Task Force'

IAEA establishes Iran 'Task Force'

Turkish military is key factor in Syria planning

Turkish military is key factor in Syria planningTurkish military is key factor in Syria planning

Afghan President Hamid Karzai's office says he has dismissed...

Afghan President Hamid Karzai's office says he has dismissed...

Former Israeli commandos dominate politics

Former Israeli commandos dominate politicsFormer Israeli commandos dominate politics

Militants attack Pakistan army post, kill 8 troops

Militants attack Pakistan army post, kill 8 troops

Assad says Syria regime needs time to win battle

Assad says Syria regime needs time to win battleGoal of united Syrian opposition still elusive

Attacks in Iraq kill general and 4 others

Attacks in Iraq kill general and 4 others

Turkey to press for safe zone in Syria

Turkey to press for safe zone in Syria

Female suicide bomber identified in Russia

Female suicide bomber identified in Russia

How your phone can spy on you - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

How your phone can spy on you - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

Japan and N Korea hold talks in Beijing - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Japan and N Korea hold talks in Beijing - Asia-Pacific - Al Jazeera English

Assad claims Syrian forces gaining ground - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Assad claims Syrian forces gaining ground - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Assad interview: Syria ‘better’ but more time needed to win Wednesday, 29 August 2012

FSA says military airport targeted in Aleppo; bomb hits funeral of Assad-supporters

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Israel calls Iran the greatest nuclear threat

Israel calls Iran the greatest nuclear threat  Israel calls Iran the greatest nuclear threat photo

AP Exclusive: Syria defectors live in secret camp

AP Exclusive: Syria defectors live in secret campAP Exclusive: Syria defectors live in secret camp

Fire doused at Venezuela refinery hit by explosion

Fire doused at Venezuela refinery hit by explosionFire extinguished at Venezuela refinery

Typhoon hits N. Korea, still reeling from floods

Typhoon hits N. Korea, still reeling from floods2 Chinese ships hit by typhoon; 4 dead, 12 missing

Have Obama and Romney forgotten Afghanistan? - Inside Story: US 2012 - Al Jazeera English

Have Obama and Romney forgotten Afghanistan? - Inside Story: US 2012 - Al Jazeera English

'Fire put out' at one Venezuela refinery tank - Americas - Al Jazeera English

'Fire put out' at one Venezuela refinery tank - Americas - Al Jazeera English

Iraq seals al-Qaim border crossing with Syria

Three U.S. marines punished over urinating on Taliban corpses Tuesday, 28 August 2012

Syrian army pounds Damascus districts in predawn attack

Probe reveals Syria’s Assad behind Lebanon terrorism plot

Air strikes near Damascus kill dozens - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Air strikes near Damascus kill dozens - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Egypt president names mainly Islamist adviser team

Egypt president names mainly Islamist adviser team

Nicaragua probes drug network of fake journalists

Nicaragua probes drug network of fake journalists

Monday, August 27, 2012

Scoring Obama's Foreign Policy

Scoring Obama's Foreign Policy: The Obama administration’s foreign policy has tried to reconcile the president’s lofty vision with his innate realism and political caution. And given the domestic and global situations Obama has faced, pragmatism has dominated. Judged by the standard of protecting U.S. interests, things have worked out quite well; judged by the standard of midwifing a new global order, they remain a work in progress.

Syria sectarian divide turns to fear and flight

Syria sectarian divide turns to fear and flight

France would recognize Syrian opposition govt

France would recognize Syrian opposition govtFrench leader to address Syria in major speech

10,000 Syrian refugees stuck at Turkish border

10,000 Syrian refugees stuck at Turkish borderSome 10,00 Syrian refugees stuck at Turkish border

Fire spreads at Venezuela refinery, 41 dead

Fire spreads at Venezuela refinery, 41 dead  Fire spreads at Venezuela refinery, 41 dead

Colombia's president: talks held with FARC rebels

Colombia's president: talks held with FARC rebels

Chavez denies negligence at Refinery

Syria - Helicopter Shot Down By The Free Syrian Army

Gunmen kill 8 in Pakistan's troubled Baluchistan

Gunmen kill 8 in Pakistan's troubled Baluchistan

27 Afghans, 2 US soldiers killed in attacks

27 Afghans, 2 US soldiers killed in attacks

Syrian helicopter downed in Damascus clashes

Syrian helicopter downed in Damascus clashesSyrian helicopter downed in Damascus clashes

Report: Iran could open military site to visits

Report: Iran could open military site to visits

China’s arms exports flooding sub-Saharan Africa

Egyptian Leader Adds Rivals of West to Syria Plan

Crackdown Toll Seen as Syrians Bury Hundreds

Sunday, August 26, 2012

The Man & his Bamboo… El hombre y su Bamboo

The Man & his Bamboo… El hombre y su Bamboo
Bamboo has been considered by some races as the source of origin of man. But far for many others it has been a dependable source of food, shelter, and even a musical instrument.  In my case it was a gift from a great friend. The plant in question was a 4 twig yellowish plant in a large planter when it was given to me. In just three years it is now a towering 36 foot bush that reproduces continuously and grows 4-6 inches daily.
Every so often when the new shoots defy the odds (grow without notice) and I find them from my second floor notice. I dedicate a Saturday or Sunday to cut down the new offspring.  When these events happen, I normally take down 5 to 9 shoots. Also with that goes some foliage leaving 12-14 (33 gallon) trash bags.
After five years, we are finally receiving a tropical storm in the area that once again made me go outside and perform my duties. I always talk to my Bamboo, I appreciate its shade, its beauty but we occasionally have to disagree, I end up cutting its offspring and exuberant growth.
This time around it was done cutting from bottom up, much easier than my daredevil climbing on a 20 foot ladder and defying balance a bench saw the wind, twigs in my eyes. I wore a long sleeve shirt, gloves… better than in my previous attempts.
The cutting always goes fast, the cleanup and cutting twigs and branches to fill the garbage bags is the most time consuming and challenging. Fortunately my neighbor helped me out.  And the day went on into a four hour event without a glitch. But just right at the end as we were folding twigs to put them into the garbage bags a twig came back at me and cut my lip…
It bled pretty well for a while and I accepted it since on this day I had killed 5 of its offspring. And considered this act as a payback for what I have done. So we are in peace keeping an eye on each other with this love hate relation until the next time.  The bamboo looses several of its offspring and I always bleed someway.   

El Bambú es considerado por algunas razas como la fuente de origen del hombre. Pero ahora para muchos otros ha sido una fuente confiable de alimentos, refugio e incluso un instrumento musical.  En mi caso fue un regalo de una gran amiga. La planta en cuestión era una planta de 4 ramitas amarillentas en una maceta grande cuando fue entregada a mí. En sólo tres años ahora es un arbusto de 36 pies imponentes que se reproduce continuamente y crece día a día 4-6 pulgadas.
 Cada cierto tiempo cuando los nuevos brotes desafían las probabilidades (crecer sin ser visto) y encontrarlos desde mi  oficina de segundo  piso. Dedico un sábado o  domingo para cortar la nueva descendencia.  Cuando estos eventos ocurren, normalmente tomo 5 a 9 brotes. También con estos se llenan 12-14 bolsas de basura de (33 galones)  llenas de  follaje. Después de cinco años, finalmente estamos recibiendo una tormenta  tropical en la zona en la que una vez más me hizo salir al exterior y y  realizar mis deberes.
 Siempre hablo con mi bambú, aprecio su sombra, su belleza pero  ahora se hizo mucho más fácil que mi escalada daredevil en una escalera de 20 pies,  lo corte de abajo hacia arriba  en vez del desafio anterior en el cual me  balanceaba con una cierra electrica  peleaba contra el viento,  las ramas en mis ojos.  Esta vez llevaba una camisa de manga larga, guantes... mejor que en mis anteriores intentos.
 El corte siempre va rápido, la limpieza y corte  de ramitas y ramas que llene las bolsas de basura es lo que más tiempo consume y lo desafiante. Afortunadamente mi vecino me ayudó.  Y paso el día  casis unas  cuatro horas sin una falla. Pero justo al final como nos estábamos plegable ramitas para ponerlas en las bolsas de basura una ramita volvió a mí y corto mi labio... Sangraba bastante bien por un rato y  lo acepte  ya que en este día yo había matado a 5 de sus descendientes. Y considera este acto como una compensación por lo que yo habia hecho. Así que estamos en paz, manteniendos  un respeto mutuamente con esta relacion de amor y odio que nos llevara hasta la próxima vez.  El bambú pierde varios de sus hijos y  yo siempre sangro por alguna lesion. Ocasionalmente tenemos que estar en desacuerdo,. Siempre hablo con mi bambú, aprecio su sombra, su belleza pero ocasionalmente tenemos que estar en desacuerdo, I  acabo  cortando su descendencia a la vez que pago con mi sangre.Bamboo Flower

NATO: 202 Afghan bases closed, more to come

NATO: 202 Afghan bases closed, more to come

Probe ordered into Venezuela refinery blast

Yemeni police nab two Qaeda suspects in Aden

Egypt rejected U.S. demand to fire on Iranian ship: Suez chief

The Dangerous Global Consequences of a Syria Intervention

Syria: What's Behind the Conflict

Syria activists allege Daraya 'massacre'

Libya's interior minister resigns after attacks

Libya's interior minister resigns after attacks

Libya's interior minister resigns after attacks

Libya's interior minister resigns after attacks

Evidence mounts of new massacre in Syria

Evidence mounts of new massacre in SyriaEvidence mounts of new massacre in Syria

Iraqi officials: Series of attacks kill 8 people

Iraqi officials: Series of attacks kill 8 people

Survivors: strong gas odor before Venezuela blast

Survivors: strong gas odor before Venezuela blastSurvivors: strong gas odor before Venezuela blast

Mass burials in Damascus town amid massacre report

Mass burials in Damascus town amid massacre reportA Syrian rebel, sleeps after returning back from fighting against Syrian army forces in Aleppo, at a rebel headquarters in Marea on the outskirts of Aleppo city, Syria, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

Mass burials in Damascus town amid massacre report

Mass burials in Damascus town amid massacre reportA Syrian rebel, sleeps after returning back from fighting against Syrian army forces in Aleppo, at a rebel headquarters in Marea on the outskirts of Aleppo city, Syria, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

Afghanistan says Badruddin Haqqani is dead

Afghanistan says Badruddin Haqqani is dead  

Syrian rebels left lives as butchers, barbers

Syrian rebels left lives as butchers, barbersSyrian rebels left lives as butchers, barbers

Iran opens global summit with nuclear appeals - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Iran opens global summit with nuclear appeals - Middle East - Al Jazeera English   

Egypt authorities arrest alleged underworld boss Sunday, 26 August 2012

Saudi Arabia foils terror plot, busts two cells: interior ministry

Syria’s VP appears in public, ending defection rumor

Head of Syria’s air force intelligence killed by aide: rebel sources