. . .Headlines . . .

Global Warming, Droughts, And the Global Economy . . .

Cease Fires Don't Last Long In Gaza - Israel . . .

New Room For Optimism In Subduing Lords Resistance Army In Central Africa. . .

Cards Win: What it Takes To Win A Series . . .

. . .Today's Story . . .

• Current Events About Horn Of Africa
  New Room For Optimism In Subduing Lords Resistance Army In Central Africa (*VOA News*) U.S. activists who have worked for years advocating against Central Africa's roaming Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) are cautiously optimistic new U.S. military assistance to dismantle the deadly militia will be effective. But they also see many challenges for the recently announced mission.

  The Lord's Resistance Army, a small band of roving rebels, made up mostly of abducted child soldiers, continues to kill, maim and cause the displacement of civilians, in the border areas between the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Uganda.

  The group was started as an anti-government rebellion in Uganda in the 1980s by Joseph Kony, who claims to have spiritual powers. In 2005, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Kony to face charges of crimes against humanity, but he has eluded capture.

  Now, the U.S. government has decided to send about 100 military advisers to help Uganda and other African countries end the LRA's atrocities.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |


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• Current Events About London
  Occupy London Opposed By St. Paul's Cathedral (*Washington Post*) LONDON — Lawyers for St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Christopher Wren masterpiece that dominates the London skyline, and local government authorities are expected to start court proceedings in the coming week to evict protesters inspired by Occupy Wall Street.

  Activists around the world demonstrating against corporate greed and growing inequality are clashing with authorities, who appear to be losing patience.

  After weeks of lukewarm tolerance for around-the-clock sit-ins, authorities in several cities are urging protesters to move on. Others are forcing them to do so. This past week, police swooped in on protesters in Albuquerque, San Diego, Nashville, Atlanta and Oakland, where an Iraq war veteran suffered a serious head injury. There are signs of similar stirrings in other countries, including Canada and Australia.

  But the protesters in London are facing an unusual foe: a cathedral.

  “Legal action has regrettably become necessary. The chapter only takes this step with the greatest reluctance and remains committed to a peaceful solution,” St. Paul’s Cathedral said in a statement Friday.

  The iconic London building where Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer married in 1981 was never intended to be a target of the protesters. But when they were blocked by police guarding the London Stock Exchange, they set up camp at the nearby cathedral.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |


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• Current Events About Israel and Gaza
  Cease Fires Don't Last Long In Gaza - Israel (*BBC News*) One Palestinian was killed in a new Israeli air strike in Gaza, hours after Egypt apparently brokered a ceasefire.

  Another person was injured in the attack, in the southern border city of Rafah. Israel said the pair were preparing to fire a rocket.

  Egypt had sought to broker a truce after retaliatory attacks killed nine Palestinian militants in Gaza and an Israeli civilian in Ashkelon.

  The violence is the most serious since a prisoner exchange between the sides.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |


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• Current Events About Kyrgyzstan
  Elections In Kyrgyzstan Signal Progress Over Last Year's Outbreaks (*NY Times*)BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — When Russia’s prime minister, Vladimir V. Putin, unveiled a plan this month to form a new alliance of former Soviet countries called the Eurasian Union, some of them cringed at the specter of some kind of U.S.S.R. version 2.0.

  But not Kyrgyzstan.

  On Sunday, a year and a half after the bloody overthrow of an authoritarian president and an explosion of ethnic violence that left hundreds dead, Kyrgyzstan will hold a presidential election, and many people here, worn down by instability, are looking to link up with their country’s former comrades, first among them Russia.

  “Even those of us most concerned about the danger to sovereignty and national independence, we see that we need to integrate,” said Edil Baisalov, a prominent democracy activist and a former aide to the current president. “We had better chain our car to the train of Russia and Kazakhstan.”
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |


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• Science News About Wind Farms
  Batteries And Windmills Work Together To Tame Weather (*NY Times*) ELKINS, W.Va. — Another wind farm opened on another windy ridge in West Virginia this week, 61 turbines stretched across 12 miles, generating up to 98 megawatts of electricity. But the novel element is a cluster of big steel boxes in the middle, the largest battery installation attached to the power grid in the continental United States.

  The purpose of the 1.3 million batteries is to tame the wind, but only slightly, according to the AES Corporation of Arlington, Va., which developed both the wind farm, known as Laurel Mountain, and the battery project.

  The installation is far too small to store a night’s wind production and give it back during the day when it is needed, or to supply power when the wind farm is calm for more than a few minutes. Instead, AES says, the battery will be a shock absorber of sorts, making variations in wind energy production a little less jagged and the farm’s output more useful to the grid.

  The technology is young, and the finances are challenging. But the task of smoothing output, and the more ambitious one of storing many hours of electricity generated by wind production, seem likely to become ever more important as states require that a rising percentage of their electricity come from renewable sources.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |


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• Current Events About Droughts
  Global Warming, Droughts, And the Global Economy (*NY Times*) AUSTIN — The drought map created by University College London shows a number of worryingly dry areas around the globe, in places including East Africa, Canada, France and Britain.

  But the largest area of catastrophic drought centers on Texas. It is an angry red swath on the map, signifying what has been the driest year in the state’s history. It has brought immense hardship to farmers and ranchers, and fed incessant wildfires, as well as an enormous dust storm that blew through the western Texas city of Lubbock in the past month.

  “It’s horrible,” said Don Casey, a rancher in central Texas who sold off half his cattle after getting only about two inches of rain over a one-year stretch and may sell more. “Even if it starts raining, it’s going to take so long for the land to recover”

  At the moment, 70 percent of Texas is experiencing “exceptional drought” — the worst classification — along with 55 percent of Oklahoma and significant chunks of Louisiana, New Mexico and Kansas. Northern Mexico is also affected .
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |


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• Current Events About Baseball
  Cards Win: What it Takes To Win A Series (*NY Times*) Through this long and winding World Series, now concluded, Tony La Russa had a liberated air to him. He looked refreshed, made jokes, shared opinions — even delivered film reviews, for goodness’ sake.

  La Russa just turned 67, with no indication he feels the need to get away from some odious condition. But his contract is up, now that the Cardinals have won the World Series.

  On the field, as the Cardinals put on the de rigueur championship caps and shirts Friday night, he was asked about his future in St. Louis. He said now was not the time to talk about it. La Russa has been a manager for 33 major league seasons, with the White Sox, with the Athletics and the last 16 with the Cardinals. He is not universally beloved in this insular town, scoots home to California whenever he can, is not a get-along kind of guy. But he has just won his second World Series with the Cardinals, in the first World Series Game 7 he ever managed.

  David Freese, the surprising most valuable player of the Series, was asked what La Russa brings to the Cardinals.

  “Everything,” Freese said. “He started it. That guy deserves all the credit. You know, he rallies the troops. He’s got a plan with every thought, with everything he says. He’s got a great idea of what it takes to not only win a game, but to get to this point, and for me to come to the big leagues and play under him right out of the gate, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |

The Friendly Universe - Law of Attraction in Action 

A Season Of Question, A Time For Answers
by Jerry Waxman

Doubtless the airwaves will be plastered with silliness. "If global warming is real, why is there a snowstorm in America in October?" There are those whose duty it is to confound the public debate with nonsense, and so protect those who have horded wealth at the expense of the public. It is, in fact, a two-pronged attack with double-edged swords. With one prong, the men and women in high corporate offices gain wealth when the masses suffer loss. With the other prong, the wealthy control the message so that the unwealthy are kept from information and truth. One edge of the blade cuts to the dreams and aspirations of working people. The other edge makes pawns of the ignorant who rally for the contrived ideals of the corporate leaders.

While the "Occupy" protests have been touted as peaceful and civil, they underscore a constant turmoil that has pervaded the planet. There are still fights and terrorist incidents all over the globe. There are rallies and riots all over the globe, too -- not all of them inspired by the "Occupy" movement. There is general distrust for authority, as people become ever more aware that authority can be bought.

So a day ago, the European Union patted itself on the back for arriving at a solution to Europe's financial problems. Today, the Greeks are angry that they will be the ones who pay the lions' share of the hardships as the unprecedented price for borrowing. But the Chinese are happy, for the European Leaders are begging them for financial aid. (Question: Why does Europe think of China first, and not the local institutes that have horded so much money? Answer: It's a rehtorical queston, )

Another question: Will the world ever learn how peace happens in Israel and Gaza, The exchange of one Israeli hostage for a thousand criminals is not a prelude to peace. It never has been. Today, rocket attacks have started up again.

. . .Headlines . . .

India's Growing Middle Class Wants Its Say In Politics. . .

European Union Appeals To China For Financial Aid . . .

As Predicted, Prisoner Exchange Brings More Rocket Attacks, Not Peace . . .

U.S. East Coast Gets Early Snow . . .

. . .Today's Story . . .

• Current Events About India
  India's Growing Middle Class Wants Its Say In Politics (*NY Times*) It may seem unlikely that middle-class Indians would crave change. They mostly live in rapidly growing cities and can afford cars, appliances and other conveniences that remain beyond the reach of most Indians. Theirs is the fastest growing demographic group in the country, and their buying power is expected to triple in the next 15 years, making India one of the most important consumer markets in the world.

  But buying power is not political power, at least not yet in India. The wealthier India has become, the more politically disillusioned many of the beneficiaries have grown — an Indian paradox. The middle class has vast economic clout yet often remains politically marginalized in a huge democracy where the rural masses still dominate the outcome of elections and the tycoon class has the ear of politicians.

  Elsewhere in Asia, emerging middle classes once helped topple authoritarian governments in South Korea and Taiwan, as rising incomes brought demands for greater democratic rights — an equation still simmering in China. But India had democracy before it had vast wealth, and the dissatisfaction of the middle class here has focused on the failings of the country’s democratic institutions.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |


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• Current Events About Europe And China
  European Union Appeals To China For Financial Aid (*NY Times*) A day after European leaders unveiled their latest plan to save the euro, top officials opened talks with China in an effort to lure tens of billions of dollars in additional cash, giving China perhaps its biggest opportunity yet to exercise financial clout in the Western world.

  China is expected to demand significant concessions, including financial guarantees and limits on what Beijing sees as discriminatory trade policies, in exchange for any investment in Europe’s emergency stability fund. The head of the rescue fund, Klaus Regling, got a cautious reply from Chinese officials Friday during a visit to Beijing, where he said he did not expect to reach an investment deal with China anytime soon.

  A senior Chinese official, Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao, said China — like the rest of the world — was still waiting for the Europeans to deliver crucial details on how the rescue fund, the European Financial Stability Facility, would operate and be profitable before deciding on whether to participate.

  That Europe would turn so openly to China to help stabilize the debt crisis shows how quickly the Chinese economic juggernaut has risen on the world stage. Indeed, if China comes to Europe’s aid, it will signal a new international order, with China beginning to rival the role long played by the United States as the world’s pivotal financial power.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |


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• Current Events About Greece
  Why The Greeks Are Angry With The EU (*NY Times*VOA News*Washington Post*BBC News*Reuters*) Beyond populist talk, which ranges from euro-skepticism to anti-German demagoguery, experts say the concessions that Greece has made in exchange for the foreign aid it needs to stave off default — including allowing European Union officials to monitor Greek state affairs closely — are unprecedented for a member nation, making Greece a bellwether for the future of European integration.

  The European superpowers Germany and France are trying to translate the new deal, to accept a loss on part of Greece’s debt, into changing European Union treaties to give the union greater oversight of national budgets and to create tougher, more easily enforceable rules for countries that go astray.

  After years of pay cuts and tax increases that have pushed the Greek middle class to the breaking point, Greeks are not inclined to feel grateful to the so-called troika of foreign lenders — the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund — that demanded austerity in exchange for loans. Instead, they increasingly feel they have become a de facto European Union protectorate.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |


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• Current Events About The Kurds In Turkey
  Kurds Versus Turkey Is A Human Tragedy (*NY Times*) Turkey and its Kurdish citizens have a long and acrimonious history. For decades, the central government, bent on a strict assimilation policy, cracked down on Kurds for expressions of their cultural identity, such as reading publications in Kurdish or listening to Kurdish music. That set the stage for an armed uprising that began in 1984, when the P.K.K. effectively declared war on the state.

  Since then, more than 40,000 people have been killed in a series of militant attacks and government reprisals that drove hundreds of thousands of Kurds from rural villages. Turkey, the United States and the European Union designated the P.K.K. a terrorist group.

  In recent years, the government — in an attempt to join the European Union — has made some concessions to the Kurds, but promised constitutional changes have yet to be made, and many people remain wary.

  The struggle for Kurdish rights has been emotionally messy. Many in the Kurdish southeast are partisans of the P.K.K.; others remain sympathetic to the group and its ambitions but are, at the same time, weary of war and eager for a peaceful resolution.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |


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• Current Events About Ireland
  Higgins Wins Presidency Of Ireland On Pledge To Lift Human Spirit (*NY Times*VOA News*Washington Post*BBC News*Reuters*) Michael D. Higgins, a veteran left-wing politician, poet and human rights activist, was declared the winner Saturday of Ireland’s presidential election with nearly 57 percent of votes, and pledged to lift the spirits of a struggling nation.

  Higgins said he wanted to help revive the public’s faith in politicians at a time when Ireland faces record debts, a property market collapse, 15 percent unemployment and a fourth straight year of severe spending cuts.

  The diminutive Higgins, 70, beamed with pride as he received congratulations inside Dublin Castle from government leaders and most rival candidates. He announced he would resign immediately as president and member of the Labour Party, the junior member of Ireland’s coalition government, because his new role as ceremonial head of state meant he must be “a president for all the people.”

  Higgins received more than 1 million votes of the nearly 1.8 million cast in Thursday’s election. Referring to the 43 percent of registered voters who didn’t cast a ballot, he said, “I want to be a president, too, for those who didn’t vote, whose trust in public institutions I will encourage and work to recover. ... I dedicate my abilities to the service and welfare of the people of Ireland.”
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |


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• Current Events About Israel And Gaza
  As Predicted, Prisoner Exchange Brings More Rocket Attacks, Not Peace (*BBC News*) An Israeli man has been killed by rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.

  Palestinian militants had vowed to retaliate after five militants were killed by an Israeli air strike on the south of the Gaza Strip.

  Another four Palestinians were killed in further Israeli air raids after the rocket attacks.

  The violence is the most serious since a major prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist militant group that governs in Gaza.

  Israeli police said at least 20 rockets and mortars were fired into southern Israeli, killing one man in the coastal city of Ashkelon. Four other people were wounded by the attacks.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |


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• Current Events About Climate Change In North America
  U.S. East Coast Gets Early Snow (*BBC News*) An unseasonable snowstorm has hit the US East Coast, threatening to bring up to 10in (25cm) of early snow.

  The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter storm warning from Saturday into Sunday and says travel conditions may be hazardous.

  Thousands of people have lost power in Pennsylvania. Heavy snow was falling in western Maryland, with the Frostburg area feared to receive 8-9in.

  In 1979, southern New England received a record 7.5in of snow in October.
  . . . . .  See the rest of this story| |

The Friendly Universe - Law of Attraction in Action