___________

India plans new ABM interceptor test in November

India is planning to carry out the third test launch of its home-made anti-ballistic missile in November, the Indo-Asian News Service reported from Bangalore Friday.

Progress on developing the new missile has been relatively slow. The first successful test launch occurred in November 2006 and the second took place in December 2007, IANS noted. Therefore there will have been at least an 11-month delay before the next scheduled test.

As we have noted previously in these columns, while the pure research and prototype developments in India's long-range ballistic missile and anti-ballistic missile programs have been impressive, many doubts remain over the country's ability to advance by itself in relatively fast time to the reliable mass production of such weapons up to operational standards. The rapid development and operational deployment of the impressive supersonic, Mach 2-plus BrahMos cruise missile, which India has co-developed with Russia, stands in striking contrast to the continuing classical progress on the ABM interceptor program, which remains entirely "made in India."

The next test is scheduled for Nov. 6 at the Chandipur-on-sea interim test range in coastal Orissa state, IANS cited a senior Indian defense official as announcing Friday.

"Preparations are on to conduct the interceptor missile test for building an indigenous defense shield in early November. It is aimed at intercepting and destroying ballistic missiles from a long range," Indian defense scientist V.K. Saraswat stated to the news agency.

The new test will seek to prove the 23-foot-long interceptor's capabilities at a higher altitude than the last exercise last December, Saraswat said.

"We have already conducted a test in endo-atmosphere at a distance of 48 kilometers -- 28.8 miles. We are aiming at much higher altitude in exo-atmosphere, which is 50 kilometers to 75 kilometers -- 30 miles to 45 miles -- above the earth," said Saraswat, who IANS described as being chief controller of research and development of the missile program at India's Defense Research and Development Organization.

"The test will reinforce our capability in installing a two-layered ballistic missile defense shield to protect vulnerable areas from an incoming enemy missile and strengthen our national security," Saraswat announced.

IANS said the new interceptor would carry "inertial navigation system and electro-mechanical actuators to enable it to perform critical maneuvers required to engage the incoming missile during the latter's terminal phase.

"With the third test, we will have the entire BMD capability to detect, intercept and destroy intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles in the 5,000 kilometer -- 3,000 mile -- (range) coming from any country," Saraswat said.

IANS said the interceptor's new tracking and fire control radars had been built by DRDO working with Israel and France.

Gli Stati Uniti dislocheranno un sistema radar antimissile in banda X, analogo al sistema AN/TPY-2 dislocato in Giappone, in Israele.

Il sistema avrà un raggio di scoperta di oltre 800 km, ma è previsto che venga integrato nel sistema antimissile europeo JTAGS con un data link che consentirà di aumentare il raggio d'azione fino a oltre 2000 km.

Lo scopo principale del sistema, che sarà interfacciato con il sistema antimissile israeliano Arrow, è quello di contrastare minacce missilistiche provenienti dall'Iran ma sarà efficace anche nei confronti di missili lanciati dalla Siria o dalla Libia.

Il radar dovrebbe essere dislocato nel deserto del Negev e operato da personale misto americano e israeliano.

Lo spiegamento del sistema potrebbe avvenire nel giro di pochi mesi.

English Summary: Pentagon to deploy ABM radar in Israel

Gli Stati Uniti dislocheranno un sistema radar antimissile in banda X, analogo al sistema AN/TPY-2 dislocato in Giappone, in Israele.

Il sistema avrà un raggio di scoperta di oltre 800 km, ma è previsto che venga integrato nel sistema antimissile europeo JTAGS con un data link che consentirà di aumentare il raggio d'azione fino a oltre 2000 km.

Lo scopo principale del sistema, che sarà interfacciato con il sistema antimissile israeliano Arrow, è quello di contrastare minacce missilistiche provenienti dall'Iran ma sarà efficace anche nei confronti di missili lanciati dalla Siria o dalla Libia.

Il radar dovrebbe essere dislocato nel deserto del Negev e operato da personale misto americano e israeliano.

Lo spiegamento del sistema potrebbe avvenire nel giro di pochi mesi.

John

Som nyliberalistisk parti har Frp klokkartru på den frie marknaden. Kulturpolitisk talsmann Ulf Erik Knudsen uttalar t.d. til Dagsavisen at pressestøtta må fjernast, fordi "vi mener at det er lesernes valg som må styre hvilke aviser som overlever og hvilke som har livets rett."

Ein ting er at dette er noko kvalifisert sludder. Det vil ikkje vere lesarane, men annonsørane som bestemmer kva aviser som vil overleve utan pressestøtte.

Det som er verre, er at Knudsen framstiller marknadsøkonomi som noko demokratisk. Men det stemmer jo ikkje! Demokratiet byggjer på prinsippet "eit menneske - ei stemme". Marknadsøkonomien byggjer derimot på prinsippet "ei krone - ei stemme". Altså meir makt til dei som har flest kroner, og mindre til oss andre.

Frp hevdar at dei vil ha eit kulturliv utan politisk styring. Samtidig har dei tatt til orde for ein norsk kulturkanon som skal retningsgivande for t.d. lærebøker i skolen og innhaldet i allmennkringkastinga. Eg har også merka meg at Knudsen i ein "nettprat" tar til orde for å "styrke institusjoner som ivaretar den norske kulturarv - dette særlig innen arkiv, bibliotek og museum-sektoren".

Som depotdreng skulle eg kanskje glede meg over slike signal, for dette er uvanleg kost frå eit parti som så langt har ivra for å kutte ned på løyvingane til arkiv, bibliotek og museum. Men eg gjer ikkje det. Økonomisk liberalisme kopla med nasjonalt formyndarskap kan berre styrke dei som har makt i samfunnet.

Konsekvensen kan berre bli svekka demokratisk tilgang til skapinga av og tolkinga av arkivet.

First, the Euro-Atlantic community (members of NATO and the EU, or "the West") did not want Georgia to escalate on 7 Aug. and never wants to be dragged into a military conflict over nationalist-territorial disputes among states on the European frontier. The condition for entering NATO is that ethnic minority and territorial disputes be resolved or be on a clear path to resolution before NATO membership occurs. Likewise, the EU does not want members on the verge of conflict. This is why NATO and EU enlargement have proceed almost in lock-step (the ten new eastern NATO members are also new EU members). Part of the western argument for why Russia should not fear NATO expansion is that NATO will not expand to advance territorial claims of candidates. Saakashvili decided to forcibly regain South Ossetia following the Ossetian attacks and Russian unwillingness to restrain Ossetia. He was never going to get western support for this.

Second, Russia has been punished. The NATO communique was not harsh, but there is no point in an antagonizing Russia if the West wants Russia to fulfill the Sarkozy-mediated cease-fire. Russia has suffered in other ways. The US and Poland have signed an ABM agreement, and Poland will receive a separate, US-garrisoned Patriot anti-missile battery. NATO has not rescinded its pledge that Ukraine and Georgia will join NATO, and has created a NATO-Georgia Commission, and will aid Georgia in economic reconstruction. Merkel reinforced NATO's commitment to eventually accept Georgia in Tbilisi. Sarkozy has warned Russia that a hardline will damage its relations with Europe. NATO has said that the NATO-Russia Council will not proceed with "business as usual." This diminishes Russia standing in the West. Much depends on whether Russia does obey the cease-fire. If the withdrawal drags on much longer, Russian relations with the West will be further damaged.

The real question is did Russia intend for this crisis to emerge, or did Russia instead blunder into this. When it failed to restrain the South Ossetians in early August, did it believe that Georgia would not escalate? Was Russia surprised? I think the answer is "yes" -- Russia expected Georgia to be angry at S. Ossetian intransigence and hoped this would undercut Saakashvili. But Russia did not expect that Georgia would invade S. Ossetia. When it did, Russia hurriedly responded. Sending forces into Abkhazia was simply easy to do; not part of pre-conflict plan to absorb it. The odd Russian feints -- into Gori, out of Gori -- deeper into Georgia reflect confusion over the military purpose there beyond securing South Ossetia and Abkhazia. They did not have the aim of overturing the Saakashvili government, and now appear to be trying to "degrade," as the US would say, Georgia's ability to take future military action. (This itself is foolish and short-sighted. Georgia can easily be re-supplied once the Russians have left, and east European NATO members will be eager to aid them, for a price.)

What has Russia gained by its actions? No one in the West believed that Russia would allow Georgia or any other neighboring state to use force in territorial disputes with impunity. Russia's "resolve" was not seriously tested. If Russia wanted greater respect it has not earned it. Russia has behaved like Israel against Lebanon in 2006, and is being treated roughly the same way as Israel was (by everyone but the United States). That's not a win.

Das sagte der amtliche Sprecher des russischen Verteidigungsministeriums, Generalleutnant Uwarow, am Freitag in Moskau. "Amerikanische Abfangraketen haben eine Reichweite von etwa 2000 Kilometern, während Polen 4000 Kilometer vom Iran entfernt ist, gegen dessen Raketen das System angeblich aufgebaut wird.

Auf diese Weise werden eventuelle iranische Raketen für die US-Abwehr in Polen unerreichbar sein. Dafür werden Raketensilos in Koselsk verwundbar. Nur so können die ABM-Pläne für Polen erklärt werden", sagte der russische Militärexperte.

Quelle

A escolha aconteceu no dia 3 de agosto durante sessão plenária do Congresso Mundial da Juventude Batista (Baptist Youth Word Conference), realizado na cidade de Leipzing, na Alemanha. Denise foi a oradora da noite de sexta-feira no congresso, onde falou sobre o desafio da obra de missões no mundo através da juventude, com muitos jovens atendendo ao apelo missionário. Ela foi eleita para um mandato de cinco anos e substitui o japonês Eiji Osato.

Que Deus abençoe a todos.

Fonte: JUMOC

A escolha aconteceu no dia 3 de agosto durante sessão plenária do Congresso Mundial da Juventude Batista (Baptist Youth Word Conference), realizado na cidade de Leipzing, na Alemanha. Denise foi a oradora da noite de sexta-feira no congresso, onde falou sobre o desafio da obra de missões no mundo através da juventude, com muitos jovens atendendo ao apelo missionário. Ela foi eleita para um mandato de cinco anos e substitui o japonês Eiji Osato.

Que Deus abençoe a todos.

Fonte: JUMOC

Der Verbandspräsident warnte davor, angesichts positiver Ergebnisse im ersten Arbeitsmarkt eine Neuordnung bestehender Instrumente zu betreiben, die Langzeitarbeitslosen keine andere Perspektive als Ein-Euro-Jobs einräume, den Druck auf die Betroffenen verstärke, Sanktionen ausweite und Rechtsmittel beschneide. "Es wäre ein gravierender Fehler, die Arbeitsmarktpolitik als Sparschwein für den Bundeshaushalt oder für eine Absenkung der Beiträge zur Arbeitslosenversicherung zu nutzen. Dieser Kurs geht zu Lasten der Arbeitslosen und verdient entschiedenen Widerspruch."

Winkler zeigte sich beunruhigt darüber, dass offenbar auch im Entwurf des Bundeshaushalts für 2009 Kürzungen im Bereich der Arbeitsmarktpolitik eingeplant seien, obwohl das Problem der Langzeitarbeitslosigkeit nach wie vor ernst genommen werden müsse.

O brasileiro é pródigo em transformar a urna em penico.

Certo, sei que o povão é quase todo semi analfabeto. Sei que o povão prefere reclamar do time mas não reclama do político safado que ajudou a eleger.

Sei que a democracia é uma coisa recente, que os candidatos quase sempre são os mesmos ladrões e as vezes quando não são, muitos se mostram piores do que os mesmos de sempre.

Mas lembre-se do slogan da Democracia: Ruim com ela, pior sem ela!

Agora, a Associação Brasileira dos Magistrados deu uma bola dentro e divulgou uma lista com os SAFADOS políticos candidatos a cargos eletivos que respondem a processos.
Só para lembrar você ai que está lendo, que não pode sequer abrir uma conta no banco se VOCÊ tiver uma dívida, mas mesmo sendo processado por safadeza você pode ser, digamos, Prefeito de São Paulo, a cidade mais rica da federação! Legal, né? É perante a Lei, é.

De acordo com nota da AMB, "todos os dados disponibilizados foram rigorosamente checados para evitar que informações incorretas venham a prejudicar qualquer candidato".

Tem essa bela campanha:
http://www.amb.com.br/eleicoeslimpas/

E já que o site da ABM está congestionado ou propositalmente derrubado, veja AQUI a lista dos candidatos:

• Amazonino Armando Mendes (PTB) - Manaus (AM)
• Maria Dalva De Souza Figueiredo (PT) - Macapá (AP)
• Sérgio Braga Barbosa (PPS) - Fortaleza (CE)
• Iris Rezende Machado (PP) - Goiânia (GO)
• Pitágoras Lincoln de Matos (DEM) - Belo Horizonte (MG)
• Jorge Carlos Mesquita (PSL) - Belém (PA)
• Leila Márcia Silva Santos (Frente Belém Popular) - Belém (PA)
• Marinor Jorge Brito (Psol) - Belém (PA)
• Hamilton Nobre Casara (PSDB) - Porto Velho (RO)
• Lindomar Barbosa Alves (PV) - Porto Velho (RO)
• Maria Suely Silva Campos (coligação Boa Vista de Todos Nós) - Boa Vista (RR)
• Aline Corrêa de Oliveira Andrade (PP) - São Paulo (SP)
• Marta Suplicy (PT) - São Paulo (SP)
• Paulo Salim Maluf (PP) - São Paulo (SP)
• Raul de Jesus Lustosa Filho (PT) - Palmas (TO)

Na lista da AMB, ainda não há registros de candidatos processados em 15 capitais. São elas: Rio Branco, Maceió, Salvador, Vitória, São Luís, Campo Grande, Cuiabá, Recife, Teresina, Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro, Natal, Porto Alegre, Florianópolis e Aracaju.

Lembre-se que o voto vai definir o gestor safado que vai gerir a vida de toda a sua cidade.

T§

Oh, the irony.

Councillors Maria McRae and Bob Monette had earlier stated their support for a revitalization of Frank Clair Stadium, but Ms. Leadman isn't sure. While she watched the stands fall with a "touch of sadness," she's not in any rush to build them again.

Ms. Leadman said, "the many attempts have been unsuccessful. There has to be interest from the community."

The original Ottawa Rough Riders franchise folded in 1996. The team returned in 2002 as the Renegades and the ownership changed hands in 2005, and in 2006. Then CFL commissioner Tom Wright announced the club had ceased operations.

"I would step cautiously," Ms. Leadman said. "That's a big investment and once you build a stadium, it's there."

Aside from the multiple CFL franchises, she noted that the city also had trouble supporting its AAA baseball team, the Ottawa Lynx, which has since relocated to Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Emphasis added (not that I expect you needed it).  So the City (with a capital C) wipes out the southside stands shortly after discovering that they're no longer structurally sound - readers will note that "shortly" is a relative term, particularly when the City is involved.  Ms. Leadman's comments though are pretty much gospel from the City's perspective: the city had trouble supporting it's AAA baseball team.  In fact it was the City of Ottawa that had the most difficulty supporting it's AAA team.  As a politician, it's prudent to look at the facts - and the fact of the matter is the CFL franchise has failed in this city twice, and has had several owners, some of whom were unmitigated disasters.  It may be unwise to invest a significant amount of taxpayers money into a new stadium (although I have no doubt that they will study the matter to death through the investment of a significant amount of taxpayers money into consultants).  But bringing Lynx Stadium into the discussion does nothing to strengthen Ms. Leadman's argument.  First, the stadium is paid for and has been for several years.  Second, unlike Lansdowne Park, it hasn't suffered from the City's neglect: Lynx Stadium isn't falling down and shouldn't for the foreseeable future.  And finally, due to the hard work of Miles Wolff, Bruce Murdock, councillors Bob Monnette and Rob Jellett, and the unselfish nature of Lynx owner Ray Pecor, even though the Lynx left there's still baseball being played at the stadium. 

It's an interesting study in contrasts, Lansdowne Park and Lynx Stadium.  For one, they used dynamite to begin to destroy it.  For the other..., well, you already know.

"July 2008

Dear editor

Breast is best for babies

Like most people, the Government believes that breast is best for babies. That is why we are doing everything we can to encourage mothers to breastfeed and to make sure that they are aware of its benefits.

But, for many mothers, the uncertainty surrounding where they can breastfeed is a real deterrent. Babies do not get hungry to order and mothers have to be confident that they can feed their infants in a café, restaurant or shop without the embarrassment of having the owner ask them to stop.

In fact, this type of discrimination has been unlawful for women with babies of any age for more than thirty years, and the mother could challenge the owner under the Sex Discrimination Act. We strengthened this Act with extra 'maternity' protection, which means that if the baby is less than six months old the mother could also challenge the owner on the grounds of her maternity.

Some people also think that women can be charged with indecency for breastfeeding in a public place. This is, I am glad to say, utter nonsense and completely wrong.

But, as you can see from the above, the law is not as clear as it could be. People are unsure of their rights and their responsibilities in this area. That is why the Government will be using its forthcoming Equality Bill to make it crystal clear that it is simply not acceptable to shoo breastfeeding mothers and their babies out of places like coffee shops, public galleries and restaurants.

We hope that this will give women complete confidence that the law is on their side when they are breastfeeding their babies.

Yours faithfully,

Barbara Follett, Deputy Minister for Women and Equality"

-Frode

It’s feeling a lot like 1992 right now. It’s also feeling a lot like 1980. But which parallel is closer? Is Barack Obama going to be a Ronald Reagan of the left, a president who fundamentally changes the country’s direction? Or will he be just another Bill Clinton?

Okay, I take exception to the statement that Obama could be the Ronald Reagan of the left, mostly because Obama can hardly be considered a leftist. He is a centrist. That is solely my opinion, of course, particularly validated by Obama's recent flip-flop on FISA's inclusion of retroactive immunity for telecoms. Obamaniacs can spin this however they like, that sort of change is not what I want to see in a potential president. Which leads me to this sentence in Krugman's piece.

So whom does Mr. Obama resemble more? At this point, he’s definitely looking Clintonesque.

Ah, yes. The Obamaniacs that could not stand another Clinton in the WH, are putting another Clinton in the WH, worse yet, they could arguably be putting another Reagan in the WH.

As I have said from the beginning of this ridiculously long primary season, Obama is not my choice. I do not trust him, mostly, the man simply left me wanting after reading through his stance on the issues at his campaign site. As one of the choices for a presidential candidate,

But, for me, some of the most disturbing aspects of the primary season was the lengths to which Obamaniacs went to shut out the voices of people that disagreed with their preferred candidate. Amazingly, these same people are still at it, not by putting all their energies in discrediting McCain, but by shutting down pro-Hilary blogs as well as other anti-Obama blogs.

But a short time later Snedeker received an email from another blogger claiming that a number of anti-Obama blogs had been “hacked” that same night. After some digging it became apparent that several Blogspot accounts had been shut down because of similar spam issues, and nearly all of them had three things in common: Most were pro-Hillary Clinton blogs, all were anti-Barack Obama, and several were listed on justsaynodeal.com, an anti-Obama website.

Holy fucking shit.

But, what really pisses me off about shit like this, besides the abject immaturity of some Obamaniacs, is that this sort of crap gives gobs of fuel to the mmm (multi-millionaire media) to promote the rift among lefties and continue to ignore the huge rift among righties over the presumptive McCain nomination. Way to go.

So, as some conservatives move to the Libertarian party, and some Obamaniacs continue to destroy the possibility of repairing the torn threads of unity (while blaming the rift on Clinton supporters), I find myself once again solidly in the Anyone But McCain group, just as 4 years ago I was in the Anyone But Bush camp. (And no, I will not be leaning Libertarian, I find that party reprehensibly lacking in morality and humanism.)