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February 16, 2012

AABR Business Bulletin (Vol.  139/No. 278)

I. General

. Kabul, the Afghan capital of 5 million residents, has been experiencing its worst cold-snap and heaviest snows (19.6 inches) in at least 15 years, causing known blackouts for heavy use of electric heaters and a sharp increase in the demand for wood to heat their homes, the National Weather Service reported.

. A wave of cold and snow has blanketed much of Europe, killing hundreds of people, trapping thousands

more and holding up travel across the continent. Eastern Europe has been hit hardest with 131reported dead in Ukraine alone. Bosnian helicopters were used to access villages hit with up to 6 feet of snow. Italy experienced a blackout. In the Netherlands the deep freeze offers a rare chance to hold the 125-mile skating

race through its canals. (Robert Marquand, Christian Science Monitor)

. After more than 2 decades in Antarctica, Russian scientists have reached the surface of a gigantic freshwater, hidden under miles of ice for some 20 million years—a lake that may hold life from the distant past and clues to the search for life in other planets.

     .Scientists believe that microbial life may exist in the dark depths of the lake despite its high pressure and constant cold—conditions similar to those expected to be found under the ice crust on Mars, Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s move Enceladus. Some scientists hope that studies of Lake Vostok and other sub-glacial lakes will advance knowledge of Earth’s own climate and help predict its changes. (Vladimir Isachenkov, HP Green)

. South Carolinasenator and author Jim DeMint just inked a book deal to write a book called Now or Never: Saving America from Economic Collapse. Here’s more about the book: “the current political moment of widespread concern about massive debt and reckless spending is our last chance to rescue America from economic Armageddon. The book is an invaluable tool which will enlighten voters to the current state of our union in order to help them make the best choices in the upcoming presidential election. Continuing the momentum of the Tea Parties and rallies that demanded a new breed of representatives in the 2010 elections, Sen. DeMint reminds us of the importance of citizen activism and its power to change Washington in this critical moment in our nation’s history.” The book also includes commentary from Senators Tom Coburn, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and Pat Toomey, along with other political figures.

The Real Romneyby Mike Kranish and Scott Helman; Mitt Romney  remains an enigma to many in America, his character and core convictions elusive, his record little known. He often seems to be two people at once: a savvy politician, and someone who will simply say anything to win. A business visionary, and a calculating dealmaker! A man comfortable in his faith and with family, and one who can have trouble connecting with average voters.

     . The book explores Romney’s personal life, his bond with his wife and how they handled her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, and his difficult years as a Mormon missionary in France, his  privileged upbringing in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; his rejection of the 1960s protest culture; and his close but complicated relationship with his father. It includes a probing analysis of Romney’s tenure at Bain Capital, where staggering profits were won through leveraged buyouts that helped create jobs but also destroyed them, his failed Senate race against Ted Kennedy, his role leading the troubled 2002 Winter Olympics, and his championing of universal health care in Massachusetts, the infighting and disagreement that sunk Romney’s 2008 White House bid—and his conscious decision to switch tactics for his 2012 run. For the first time, readers will gain a full understanding of the kind of man Romney is—the kind of man who may be running their country.

STRATEGIC VISIONby Zbignew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter’s national security advisor offers an astute, elegant appraisal of the waning of America’s “global appeal” and the severe consequences of the shifting of power from West to East.This is an urgent call for “historic renewal” by one of America’s sharpest minds.

     . Despite filling the vacuum left after the fall of the Soviet Union, the West is tottering as a global superpower. Brzezinski looks carefully at this shifting redistribution in global power as the West recedes, making way for entrants from Asia, Africa and Latin America, seized by their own sense of political awareness. In his crisp, systematic fashion, the author begins by examining reasons for the waning U.S. influence, offering some pointed criticism: The “durability of its leadership is increasingly questioned worldwide because of the complexity of its internal and external challenges;” its magical twin motivations of idealism and materialism are no longer viable; its own house is in disrepair; and its populace is self-deluded and, frankly, ignorant about the rest of the world. Weakened further by its unwarranted aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. is now seen as a negative influence, arousing animus worldwide. Meanwhile, the sun is rising in the East, and Brzezinski looks at growth in China, Japan, Turkey, Russia, India and others—though the author concludes that most are plagued by too many problems to become world leaders by 2025. Other hotspots make up the “geopolitically most endangered states,” such as Georgia, Taiwan, South Korea, Belarus, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Israel. Ultimately, Brzezinski provides a powerful cautionary tale: By harnessing its overall strengths in terms of economic, social and political ranking, superiority of higher education, rich natural resources and population resiliency, America can indeed “rise to the occasion.”

. Turkeyis a secular Muslim country. What we call aveil, they call a turban. Wearing a turban can mean that a woman is married, or engaged, or widowed, or devout (a fundamentalist), or old, or any reason they choose. If one is in the public service, she cannot wear a turban to work—it is against the law.

     .Many independent career women are still victims of prejudice, so they wear the turban. That spares them from harassment from the men who think they are either married, or devout, or perhaps both. They can come and go as they please.

. TheBosphorus is less than a mile wide, divides the continents of Europe and Asia, slits Istanbul in half,

connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean, and people have been fighting for control of it for more than two thousand years.

. The Aya Sophia mosque in Turkey was built by Emperor Justinian more than 100 years ago. When he came inside for the first time, they say he cried out, “Oh, Solomon, I have outdone you!”

. The Iraqi desert may seem dry, but beneath it are natural reservoirs containing many mega-liters of water, deposited over millennia. Unfortunately, due to the high content of salts, this water is undrinkable. The salt content is not as high as seawater, but still is not suitable for human consumption.

     . There are two kinds of desalination process:electro-dialysis and reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis begins when we draw off brackish water from the subterranean aquifers. The larger solids are removed, the pH is altered, then the feed-water is pressurized to 375 pounds per square inch.

     . The feed-water is then forced through water-permeable membranes and ends up with brine on one side and virtually salt-free water on the other, all without the need for heating, environmentally questionable chemical processes, or phase changes. The only by-product is brine: salt-saturated water, and the impurities and minerals that have been removed, all of which is disposed of through the proven method of deep-well injection. The product water that remains is ready for distribution free of solids, pollutants and bacteria. It’s cleaner and fresher than rainwater.

. The sand in Iraq is not the kind of sand that kids build castles with at the beach. It’s about 50x finer and, when pushed around by a wind that’s 80+ miles an hour, about a thousand miles meaner. The small, abrasive particles penetrate everything. They get inside your nose, ears, hair, inside your eye goggles and your gloves, under your fingernails, into your clothes, pockets, webbing, shoes, socks, underwear. It penetrates everywhere Machinery has it worse. The dust combines with lubricants to form a paste that destroys bearing surfaces.

. Sarawakis one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang (Land of the Hornbills), it is the largest state in Malaysia, followed by Sabah, the second largest state.

. Fall in Utah is the favorite time of year for many people. At 7,000 feet above sea level, the nights, while chilly, are more than offset by warm daytime temperatures, and the autumn colors are spectacular especially the aspens that change from green to bright golden hues. The magnificent colors are a harbinger of the cold, snowy months to follow.

. Blow fish is found in the South Pacific and Indian oceans. It is considered a delicacy in Japan. A small number of people actually die each year from eating Blow fish because they are also ingesting TTX (tetrodotoxin). Some people prefer to call it Zombie Powder. If the chef preparing the fish doesn’t know what he is doing, the results can be fatal for the consumer.

     . Apparently, TTX is still used in some voodoo religious rituals and can be found in Haiti. It is also believed to be available in the Algiers section of New Orleans. It absorbs through the skin or the gastrointestinal tract. It can be added to food or simply sprinkled on the skin. Symptoms begin to show in as little as a few minutes to as long as four hours.

     .TTX is basically a neurotoxin that affects a person’s neurological system. Its symptoms can include reductions in heart rate and blood pressure, paralysis, speech difficulty, irregular heartbeat, and slow, shallow respirations. In diluted form, it’s also used as a painkiller for people suffering from rheumatism and arthritis.

. Qatarhas bought Paul Cezanne’s painting The Card Playersfor more than $250 million making it by far the highest price ever paid for a work of art. Until this time, the most expensive painting ever sold was a

Jackson Pollock for $140 in 2006! (Alexander Beers, Vanity Fair)

II. Private Sector

. The Asian American Business Roundtable (AABR) is up for sale. Purchase amount may be recovered within first year. Only serious inquiries will be entertained. Foreign entities/companies are welcome. For details on the price and what you’re buying, call 301-601-9038, or email aabr89@aol.com.

. The USeconomy created 243k non-farm jobs in Jan, up 200k increase from Dec, and unemployment rate dropped from 8.5% to 8.3%. The private sector added 257k jobs, while the public sector cut 14k.

. What does it mean to be poor? If it means living at or below the poverty line, then 15% of Americans or 46 million people are poor. If it means living with a decent income and hardly any savings, so that one piece of trouble or one major financial blow could lead you in serious trouble, then it’s almost half (some 127.5 million people are liquid-asset poor) of the US population. (Alexander Eichler, HP Business)

     . Many Americans are ill-prepared for financial emergencies for various reasons, e.g., flat wages, highest cost of medical treatment, nationwide drop in housing values, not to mention lack of personal responsibility for budgeting and spending, policy of restricting  services and households with few or no assets that denies help to many people in need. (Corporation for Enterprise Development)

. Thanks to their long history of putting private corporate interests ahead of public welfare, the GOP has cultivated a reputation for helping the very rich while ignoring the very poor. Republican candidates should talk to their less fortunate members (57% according to Pew Research), families making 30k or less, who think the government does “too little” for their ranks. (Andrew Bloomsky, Death and Taxes)

. An analysis of compensation across higher education reveals that top officials at for-profit corporations, owned by Wall Street, are paid more than their counterparts from some of the most prestigious public and private universities in the US despite questionable outcomes from students. They have been the focus of an investigation from the Federal Government and a dozen state attorneys-general for fraudulent recruiting tactics and high-student debt levels. (Chris Kirham, HP Business)

. During the recession (from 2007 to 2010) child homelessness spiked 38%nationwide. According to the 2011 Council on Homelessness report, FL’s pubic school districts identified over 49k school-age children as homeless during the 2009-2010 school year. (Susannah Nesmith, New America Media Report)

     .43% of families would fall below the poverty line within 3 months if they lost their jobs or become ill and couldn’t work. One-third of the children who experience homelessness repeat a grade in school, 8x the rate for children who have never been homeless, according to America’s Youngest Outcasts report. They also have a higher rate of physical disabilities than impoverished children in stable living conditions and nearly double the level of emotional or behavioral problems. In FL, 48% of families don’t have savings to last three months. (Corporation for Economic Development, WDC)

. Karen Handel, Komen’s staunchly anti-abortion VP for Public Policy was behind the main force to de-fundPlanned Parenthood and to make that decision look nonpolitical by saying that it’s because of an ongoing investigation of Planned Parenthood, and voila’ we “can withdraw funding from it and no one can blame us for being political.” Diabolically brilliant! Handel resigned 2/07. She ran for governor in GA in 2010 on the promise to de-fund PP. (Laura Bassett, HP Politics)

     .Susan G. Komen Foundation faced a revolt from within: all 7 CA affiliates released statements saying they opposed the decision to pull the funding as did the Aspenand Denver affiliates. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg pledged $250k to Planned Parenthood in response, while 26 senators urged Komen to reconsider, which they did.. (Shari Roan, Los AngelesTimes)

. Cutbacks have reduced the budget from the federal Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) from $56.5 million to $39.9 million. As a result, many people living in cold climates depending on aid from the program have been struggling to keep up with heating oil expenses this winter. (Tara Kelly, HP Impact)

. The hatred against BHO is a byproduct of watching Fox TV versus not watching TV at all. They are so ignorant and so much in the dark that they don’t know which one of the policies of GWB is responsible for the deficit, e.g., tax cuts for the rich, Iraq, Afghanistan, Medicare Part D, et al.?

. A jury found Secretary of State Charlie White, R-IN guilty of 6 felony voter-fraud related to charges disqualifying him from office. Gov. Mitch Daniels then appointed White’s chief deputy, Jerry Bonnet, as interim Secretary of State. A civil judge has ordered the state to declare the Democratic 2010 candidate Vop Osili certified as Secretary of State. The fight is expected reach the state Supreme Court. (Charles Wilson, HP Politics)

. Recently disclosed tax forms of 3 family trust funds from Mitt Romney, his wife and their adult children show scores of trades in companies whose business operations are inconsistent with Republican Party stances that Romney favors on Iran, China, stem cell research, abortion and other issues. His family trusts kept some of those holdings and repeatedly bought new ones till 2010 when they were finally sold off.

     . The continuous trading between 2006 and 2010 raises questions why the investments continued for 3 years, even after Romney said in 2007 that the trust would sell off any conflicted holdings. Those trades came during the period when Romney has sought to convince voters of his conservative Republican values. The trades also raise questions about whether any of the transactions were vetted for possible conflicts or political perception before they were made. (Stephen Brown, HP Politics)

. Newt Gingrich has been slandering Saul Alinsky in his campaign appearances, although his crowd knows nothing about Alinsky except that they are supposed to hate him. Alinsky was a patriot who scorned the malignant narcissism of duplicitous politicians and taught everyday Americans to think for themselves and fight together for a better life. By explaining who Alinsky was, with Gingrich even adopting at least one of his talking points, Gingrich who claims to be a historian, is either ignorant of Alinsky, or is deliberately misleading the American people. (Bill Moyers)

. Ron Paul,a 2-time winner of the CPAC straw poll did not attend this year’s conference because of “travel constraints.” His absence is curious given that CPAC was dominated in recent years by his supporters. That and his straw poll victory at the Family Research Council’s annual Values Summit have at times been cause for some dismay among conservatives who note that he has never won a presidential primary or caucus despite his vocal base of supporters. (Felicia Somnez, WP Politics)

. The “carnival barker” (Donald Trump) finally came out to endorse Mitt Romney whom he belittled earlier as nothing more than a “small business” guy and suggested that Bain Capital, the venture capital firm where Romney made his millions, has bankrupted companies and destroyed jobs, putting a damper on his credentials as a businessman.

. The fact that America’s labor market continues to improve is good news for the White House. But as a practical matter to improvement, it is less significant to the American work force. (Robert Reich)

. Wealthy America is made wealthier by 15% capital gains tax, which allows millionaires to pay a smaller percentage in taxes. IRS data shows that only 19% of 2008 income reported by 13,480 individuals or families making over $10 million came from wages and salaries. Thanks in good part to capital gains, the richest 400 taxpayers doubled their income and halved their taxes in just 7 years, 2001 through 2007. (Paul Buchet, NoC)

. According to consulting firm cg42, the nation’s ten biggest banks could lose as much as $185 billion deposits this year due to customer defections; 5.6 million Americans switched banks in the last 90 days. Of these switchers, 610k US adults (or 11% of the 5.6 million) cited Bank Transfer Day as their reason and actually moved their accounts from a large to a small institution. (Pat Garofalo, Think Progress)

. BP announced its profits in 2011 totaled $26 billion, a 114% jump from the year before when its “failure of supervision and accountability caused the worst oil spill in history.” That’s $3 million an hour, while spill victims continued to suffer.

. An unthinkable story made headlines in Canada: An Afghan-born father was found guilty of murdering his 3 teenage daughters, a fatal punishment for being too westernized. Two other killers were involved on the girls’ killing: their brother and mother. The crime has been described as “honor killing” for shaming her family by talking to boys, wearing western clothing or refusing an arranged marriage. (Sara Nomarin, TDB)

. Hundreds of thousands of small planes still use fuel that contains lead, a brain-damaging substance that

has been banned from paint and other products. (AP)

. All this talk about the improving economy (which scares the GOP, and they try to brush it aside as no big deal) can be measured only by what is going on in the labor market. The private sector is hiring again: AT&T Retail, Avis, Macy’s, T-Mobile Retail, Sears (sales, retail, management, customer service, professional services), United Healthcare, Concentra (healthcare, management, insurance, nursing), Citigroup (banking, finance, accounting), Tru Green (general labor, construction, skilled labor/trades), Swap on Trade (franchise, business opportunity).

. After all the expenditures incurred in Afghanistan, the only good thing that came out of it was the killing of Osama bin Laden. With the help of Pakistan, the Taliban is poised to take over Afghanistan after the NATO-led forces withdrew from the country.  Almost 2,000 American soldiers were killed at the cost of half a billion dollars from US coffers. What a waste! (UK’s Times and BBC)

. Some of Israel’s leading soldiers and spies are warning against bombing Iran. American Jews should listen to them rather than accept Netanyahu’s apocalyptic claim that Tehran’s nuclear program is an existential threat to the state. (Peter Beinart, TDB)

. The Taliban and other insurgent groups were responsible for nearly 80% of the civilian deaths in the war in Afghanistan last year; 2,790 deaths in 2010, up 25% from 2,412 civilians were killed. (UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan)

. A weak point in the psyche of many Americans is that they allow their imagination to run wild about outside threats to their personal safety, no matter how implausible the dangers may be. Perhaps this is a side effect of watching too many scary movies and violent TV shows. (Robert Parry, Consortium News)

. Russia’s Foreign Ministry is asking his government to suspend adoption of Russian children by US nationals following an “incessant string of crimes” allegedly committed by American adoptive parents, with the death of at least 17 Russian children from domestic violence in their American families.

. Joint replacementdue to arthritis is big business both in US and worldwide. One type of hip implant has been linked with problems, including inflammation, tissue damage and potential bone loss. In so called metal-to-metal implants, metal is used to replace both the socket and the ball of the hip joint. As the metal pieces move against each other, they can shed microscopic filings into the bloodstream, damaging tissue and bone. (Sunday Telegraph)

     . NYTrecently reported an estimated 250k hip replacement procedures each year in US alone and nearly a third of these involved metal-on-metal implants. All metal implants have high rates of failure just after a few years of use, while those made of other materials are expected to last 15 years or longer.

. Capybara(Chiguire in Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, Ronsoco in Peru; Chigairo and Carpincho in Spanish) is the largest living rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are: agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas and guinea pigs. They’re 4.3 feet in length; weigh 140 lbs. Females are slightly heavier than males (145 lbs)

. UStreasure hunters (Greg Brooks) have claimedplatinum valued at more than $3 billion from the remains of a sunken British ship torpedoed during WW II off Cape Cod, MA. They found paperwork that the US Treasury was expecting 1.7 million ounces of ingots from Russia to be delivered to Port Nicholson, as payment to the US for aid during the war. A US District Court in Portland, ME ruled in 2009 that Brooks has exclusive right to the site.

III. Federal Government

. The Obama administration, state attorneys-general and the nation’s largest banks are close to a final settlement on the years-long struggle over allegations of massive foreclosure fraud. The final details of the arrangement will apparently not preclude prosecutors and regulators from taking legal action against many of the abuses during the house bubble.

     . The $26 billion settlement that 49 state attorneys-general threw at the big banks is only a slap in the wrist for the reckless criminal behavior of the banksthat screwed Americans out of trillions of dollars. But they were forced into the compromise by a classic case of Obama inaction.

      .The settlement is worth $26 billion, a sum which will be distributed to homeowners who were wrongfully foreclosed on as well as those who remain underwater. In addition, banks would still face future legal action over 12 specific violations: criminal liability; tax liability; fair lending, fair housing, or any other civil rights claim; Federal Housing Finance Agency or the GSEs (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac); National Credit Union Assn. Claims; FDIC claims; Federal Reserve Board Claims; MERS claims; vast majority of securitization claims including state pension funds; origination fraud claims from HUD, VA and USDA.(Sam Stein and Zach Carter, HP Politics)

. Twelve reasons tohate the mortgage settlement: 1) A price has been set for forgeries and fabricating documents; at $2,000 per loan. 2) The $26 billion is actually $5 billion of bank money and the rest is your money.  3) $5 billion drive among the big banks won’t ever represent a significant quarterly hit; Fannie and Freddie put-backs to the major banks have been running at that level each quarter.  4) The $20 billion makes bank second liens sounder, so this deal is a stealth bailout that strengthens bank balance sheets at the expense of the broader public.  5) Enforcement is a joke. The first layer of supervision is the banks reporting on themselves.  6) The past history of servicer consent decrees shows the servicers all fail to comply.  7) The cave-in in NV and AZ on the Country-wide settlement suit is a special gift for Bank of America, which is the worst offender in the chain of title chain disaster.  8) If the new Federal task force were intended to be serious, this deal would not have been settled. It’s a bad idea to settle obvious, widespread wrongdoing on the cheap.

9) There is plenty of evidence of widespread abuses that appear not to be on the Attorneys’ General or media’s radar, such as servicer driven foreclosures and looting of investors’ funds via impermissible and inflated charges.  10) A deal on robo-signing serves to cover up the much deeper chain of title problems.  11) don’t bet on a deus ex machine in terms of the new Federal foreclosure task force to improve this picture much.  12) Will now have to listen to banks and their sycophant defenders declaring victory despite being wrong on the law and facts. (Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism)

. After 20 years of delay forced by lobbyists for utilities, EPA finally came out with regulations to control

mercury emissions from power plants. These hypocrite lovers of the unborn are now howling to overturn the EPA’s mercury regulations.

     .Mercury is a neurotoxin that spews into our air from coal-burning electric power plants. It lands in the water which is turned into methyl-mercury which builds up in fish. Many pregnant women eat this contaminated fish that affects the nervous system of the fetuses with impaired IQs, unable to think and learn as they should. (Jim Hightower, Other Words)

. The EPA ruled in Dec that water contamination in Pavilion, WY was a result of natural gas extraction and the controversial technique known as fracking.

. Sen. Al Franken introduced legislation that would help more homeowners refinance their home mortgages, saving them money and, in some cases, helping them keep their homes. Franken’s Helping Homeowners Refinance Act comes on the heel of a ProPublica/NPR News Report detailing how Freddie Mac’s investment portfolio includes “multi-billion bets that pay off if homeowners stay trapped in expensive mortgages with interest rates well above current rates.” These bets go against its mission to create affordability in the housing market. (Aaron Ruper, City Paper)

. BHO’s campaign is asking top fundraisers to support a Democratic-leaning outside group that is backing his reelection bid, reversing his opposition to Super Pacs which can spend unlimited amounts of cash to influence elections. In other words, he is also “in favor of democracy for sale to the highest bidder with the deepest pocket.” In GOP primaries, candidates have spent nearly $53 million on advertising so far to influence results in the early weeks (first 4 primaries/caucuses) of the race. (Newmax.com)

. The Obama administration is going to loosen requirements from the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law for 10 states: CO, FL, GA, IN, KY, MA, MN, NJ, OK and TN. NM was denied, but it’s going to get approval. (Ben Fuller, AP)

. The hatred for the Obama’s among the uneducated, right-wing pretenders of being 100% American is appalling, e.g.,  the fact that a few years ago Michelle Obama wasn’t proud of her country (after the way blacks were treated, should they?) makes them “sick” that now they live in the White House, instead of under a bridge, that they were disbarred (another big lie) shows that they did something extremely bad, telling them to move to Kenya or Africa because of their jealousy towards them, making it look like they are living it up on taxpayers’ money when they go on vacation.(when are these lies going to end?).

. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced a bill (Pay a Fair Share Act) in the Senate that would require Americans earning over $1 million a year to pay at least 30% effective tax rate. It would implement the “Buffett Rule” BHO outlined in the SOTU address.

     . He pointed out that the 400 highest-earning Americans who made on average $270 million in 2008 paid an effective tax rate of 18.2% as a RI truck driver making $40,000 a year.

. Social Security Benefits: 1) In an effort to save time and cut costs, Social Security employees generally don’t give case-specific advise. So you are on your own to make the most important financial decision of a lifetime. You have to read the rules and do the research.

     2) There are more than 300 ways a married couple can decide to take the SS benefits. It’s hard to beat waiting until you’re 70 to begin receiving benefits because the monthly payment is 70% higher than it would be if you had started to take benefits at 62 and 32% higher than it would be if you claimed at 66.

     3) Some people advocate drawing Social Security benefits at the first opportunity. If a person waits until age 70 to claim Social Security and lives until age 90, he’ll accumulate more in benefits than he would if he had claimed at age 62. But there’s a possibility of losing the bet and getting nothing.

     4) If you’re not happy in your marriage after 9½ years, hold off before hiring a divorce lawyer. Stay married at least 10 years. That’s what it takes to claim your ex-spouse’s Social Security benefits. If you terminate the marriage after 9 years and 11 months, you’re out of luck. If you make it for 10 years, you can collect Social Security benefits based on up to half of your ex’s earnings, or on the basis on your own earnings, whichever is higher.

      5) Once an ex-spouse passes away, you’ll be treated just like a widow or widower. If you are at least 60, you’ll be able to collect your late spouse’s benefit and allow your own benefit to grow unclaimed until you reach age 70 when you can switch, if your own is higher.

      6) Difference between widow/widower benefits and spousal benefits—the former can begin benefits based on his/her own earnings record and later switch to benefits based on his/her own records, even if the surviving spouse is filing before full retirement age. You can’t do that with spousal benefits.

      7) When you apply for disability insurance, Social Security doesn’t tell you that the first step ought to hire a lawyer or other expert adviser. As a result many people don’t get help until they’ve been initially dismissed and that shoves down the process unnecessarily. (Jennie Phipps, Bankrate.com)

. TheUS Senate has finally passed an important piece of legislation that reminds us that members of Congress should abide by the same rules the rest of us do, including those involving insider trading. But it doe not go far enough in stopping the culture of cronyism and corruption and we need legislation that creates transparency.

. In Michelle Bachmann’s home district (Amoka-HennepinSchool District), evangelicals have created an extreme anti-gay climate. After a rush of suicides, the kids are fighting back. The Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights on behalf of 5 students, is alleging the school district’s policies on gays are not only discriminatory but also foster an environment of unchecked anti-gay bullying.

DOJ has begun a civil rights investigation as well. (Sabrina R. Erdely, Rolling Stone)

. Employees of MBDA (Minority Business Development Agency) have acted collectively to voice their concerns to DOC Secretary John Bryon and members of Congress over the management of MBDA by its Director, David Hinton. A pattern has emerged where women are intimidated, marginalized and degraded, creating a hostile environment due to his lack of leadership. They contend that he has not done much for business development at the agency, but is focused instead on self-serving initiatives and activities, marketing personnel, speechwriters, Congressional relations, multiple personal assistants, and multiple first-class travels to UK, Germany, France, China 2x, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Australia and South Africa.

. Marine Scout snipers used the logo of the notorious Nazi SS (Schutzstaffel) organization while in Afghanistan in 2010, the Marine Corps acknowledged. The SS was a paramilitary military organization under the Nazi Party. It committed a variety of crimes, and was outlawed by Germany after WW II. Our fellow Americans fought and died to stop the Nazis, and it is shameful for any member of the military to display the symbols of the Nazis.

     . What we are looking at is the consequence of a volunteer army. What does it say about the Marines vis-à-vis other branches of the military? Marine = Muscles are required intelligence not essential. Another old saying… once a Marine, always stupid! We have to reinstate the Draft (or establish an alternate National Service) to replace the volunteer army that is a national embarrassment because of these few misfits, if we want to continue the empire-building. We either should have a conscripted military or no military at all,

. Former GOP Congressman Bob Ingliss (R-SC) who lost in the 2010 primary, admitted and apologized for it, for trying to impeach Bill Clinton, no matter what he did or didn’t do. They were going to impeach him; they hated him; he had no right to be president. Hillary was right that there was a right-wing conspiracy against her husband. This is what the Republicans are currently doing to BHO. Nothing he does is acceptable to them.

     .Grover Norquist is on the same war path again. “Obama can sit there and let the tax cuts lapse, and the Republicans will have enough votes in the Senate in 2014 to impeach him. This is the last year he’s gone into this huddle where he does everything by executive order. He’s made no effort to work with Congress.” Given the fanatics that make up the right, this is a dangerous idea.

     . Over the past 10 years, and particularly over the past 3, we have seen a commitment strategy by conversation with Republicans thinking, then acting on the unthinkable. They can try to impeach the president because they don’t like his policies. Nobody ever used the filibuster the way they had. All gentlemen agreements have become dead letters. If you think they won’t try this farce again, elect them majorities in both houses and see what happens. Get the GOP lunatics out this November. (Charles Piierce, Esquire)

. Unlike Super Pacs which are required to identify their donors, social welfare non-profits, e.g., Crossroad GPS, Priorities USA, don’t have to disclose contributions to FEC, although they are required to report it. They must report their annual revenue and expenses to IRS but often delay such filings. A few have not yet filed their taxes for 2010. (Al Shaw et al., Nation of Change)

. A liberal Super Pac launched a multi-million dollar campaign to “take down the Tea Party Ten.” Being able to accept unlimited donation, it can back extensive local organizing and education aimed at defeating these 10 members as seen by the Left as the worst of the worst--most odious, lowest of the low, anti-women, anti-science, hypocritical, bigoted and have said/done things that are downright crazy. They’ve done more to embarrass their constituents than to govern or work towards solutions.

     .The first six representatives are identified by the group—Sean Duffy of WI, Steve King of IA, Allen West of FL, Joe Walsh of IL, Frank Guinta of NH and Chip Cravaack of MN. Four more will be chosen by CREDO members. Its president (Bucky Bond) is focused on putting power back in the hands of the people vis-à-vis the hands of corporate executives and the ultra wealthy. Both groups are focused  on kicking some Tea Party congressmen out of office, using innovative tactics, technology and good, old fashioned grassroots organizing. (Michael McAuliffe, HP Politics)

. Republicans are frantic and their true color is out again for their hardcore hatred of BHO, regardless of the acceptance by Catholic bishops of his explanation of the administration’s policies providing coverage for everyone, without forcing Catholics to do anything against their conscience. These people willnever accept any explanation from BHO because they are going to politicize everything coming from the White House to score political points till there is no one left to listen to them except themselves.

     . Since the economy is improving, the only area they can feed red meat to their base is by resurrecting the culture wars against BHO hoping to scare the American people that by reelecting him, this country is doomed to “extinction” while the GOP is poised to save America and the world from destruction. They have authored 92 anti-choice restrictions in 30 states, such as de-funding Planned Parenthood and fanning this huge debate on contraception as an attack on religious freedom. These new legislators were elected to Congress in 2010 to help the economy but did not waste time to attack women’s choice (versus 74% who favor abortion to be made available), anti-gay legislation (versus 51% who say same-sex marriage should be made legal) and now anti-contraception (versus even a larger percentage Catholic women who admit to using it).

      . The Obama move to contain a political crisis generated by the contraception debate represented an effort by the White House to walk a careful middle line that would retain the support of various groups and liberal lawmakers who back the original rule while easing tensions with Catholic critics who reacted with cautious optimism and even praise to the shift. (Karen Tumulty et al., WP)

. FDA managers illegally spied on employees who reported major health and safety issues to Congress.  Instead of protecting the lives of Americans, managers used their time to covertly monitor the whistleblowers.

. A new investigation reveals that Freddie Mac made multibillion dollar investments that profited if borrowers stayed stuck in high interest mortgages. Freddie Mac began increasing these investments dramatically in late 2010, at the same time it was making it harder for homeowners to get out of such mortgages. Bastards! (Amy Anderson)

. At the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) last week in Washington, the American Conservative Union has taken a heat in this year’s event for banning pro-gay conservative groups while welcoming a speaker (Peter Brimelow) and his controversial view against multiculturalism that made progressives to call him a “white nationalist.” Brimelow is the founder and editor of VDARE.com, a website that has published articles with anti-Semitic and racist tones. An anti-immigrant activist, he warns America of being polluted by non-whites, Catholics and Spanish-speaking immigrants.

     .Rep. Steve King (R-IA) made a surprise appearance on the panel to endorse a federal bill he is sponsoring called “English Language Unity Act of 2011.” His bill would declare English the official language of the US and would establish the English language rule to naturalization. On the panel, he shook Brimelow’s hand saying “I’ve read your books; I just hadn’t met you.” But after the speech, King (the hypocrite) told various reporters he was unaware of the writer’s work. (Sofia Resnick, The Colorado Independent.)

. Foster Friess,the mutual fund executive, is the man who bankrolls Rick Santorum’s Super Pac (Red White and Blue Fund) and stood behind on the stage as Santorum basked in the glow of his triple victory in MO, MN and CO. He helped conservative commentator Tucker Carlson launch the political Web site (Daily Caller) in 2010 with a $3 million investment and has since funded more cash to the Caller in a second round of financing. (TDB)

     . The Daily Caller, News Max, RedState and other hyper-partisan far-right Web sites all seem to be in the business of throwing red meat to the Republican base. They still haven’t seen to figure out that the comprehensive Affordable Healthcare Act is the real name of the bill that the uneducated “dittoheads” call Obamacare. They live in a very strange world permeated with hate.

. Two-thirds of the 9/11 museum money comes from the private sector. There is not enough money to have the memorial function in the way it should. Hence, the $20 million in annual federal funding for the National Sept 11 Memorial and Museum which Sen. Jim Coburn (R-OK) is blocking. He doesn’t deem it a taxpayer priority in view of the federal budget already $1 trillion in debt.

     . The US Holocaust Museum gets 56% of its $90 million operation dollars from the Feds, while the JFK Center for the Performing Arts receives $22 million annually. (Gerry Shield, New YorkPost)

. The Tea Party delivered on the outrage but in the biggest story of the entire healthcare fight was missed by the press, they met their match in the town hall meetings that were filled with as many or more boosters of reform than opponents. When Congress returned to Washington after Labor Day, the Tea Party was stunned to see Democrats moving ahead with health reform. (Richard Kirsch, The National Memo)

. A GOP member of the IN General Assembly (Rep. Jud McMillin, R-Brookdale) withdrew his bill to create a pilot program for drug testing welfare applicants after one of his Democratic colleagues(Rep. Ryan Dvorek, D-South Bend) amended the measure to require drug testing for lawmakers.

     .In the past year, GOP lawmakers have pursued welfare drug testing in more than 30 states and in Congress, and some bills have even targeted people who claim unemployment insurance and food stamps, despite scanty evidence the poor and jobless are disproportionately on drugs. Democrats in several states have countered with bills that require drug testing elected officials. (Arthur Delaney, HP)

      . FL’s law requiring welfare applicants to pass drug tests was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in Orlando who indicated it likely violated the 4^th amendment. In her order, Judge Mary Sariven issued a scathing assessment of the state’s argument in favor of drug testing, saying the state failed to prove “special needs” as to why it should conduct such searches without probable cause or reasonable suspicion, as the law requires. (Rebecca Catalanello, St. PetersburgTimes)

. According to sources familiar with the discussions, beginning next year, the President may be relocated from the White House West Wing and the iconic Oval Office to temporary office space next door in the Eisenhower Executive Office Bldg, formerly known as the Old Executive Office Bldg.

IV. International

. Chinadefended its vote of a UN draft resolution, calling on Syrian president Assad to leave power, on the ground that last year’s resolution on Libya led to foreign interference that went beyond its mandate.

.The son of a war hero in the Sino-Japanese War (1939-1945) will establish a museum in his father’s name (Kao Chih-hang) who led the Republic of China’s (Taiwan) first successful air battle against Japan in 1937.

. Thousands rally in Japan against nuclear power generation, 11 months after a massive earthquake and tsunami sparked reaction meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

. South Koreais seeking to build a pilot training center in Portugal that will be equipped with Korean Aerospace Industries’ T-50 supersonic military jet trainer, said the government.

     . An unfounded rumor has spread across social networking Web site that North Korea’s new leader, Kim Jong-un had been assassinated.

.  A Singaporecompany, ACC, argued successfully in the High Court that interest rate swap payments to non-residents, not being in connection with any loan or indebtedness, are not subject to withholding tax.

. Philippine congressmen-prosecutors were warned by the presiding Senate president that they face sanctions if they have submitted falsified copies of the bank records, apart from their having been illegally obtained in the impeachment proceedings against the Chief Supreme Court Justice.

. Thais are split by fierce debate over the royal insult law, but Thai PM Yingluck Shinawatra said she would not amend the law despite concerns raised by the US, UK and UN.

. Indonesia’s economy grew this year by about 6% and more than half of the country’s inhabitants are middle-class. But few of them earn a living wage.

. Malaysianauthorities detained a young Saudi journalist who fled his country after a Twitter comment he made about the prophet Muhammed triggered calls for his execution.

. Stashing gold at home rather than having cash in the bank is a generations-old habit inVietnam, but a recent surge in price has sparked government attempts to bring gold-hoarding to stop.

. Burma opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi was greeted by cheering crowds as she hit the campaign trail in the constituency where she is standing for Parliament for the first time.

. The former Phom Penh Municipal Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Police in Cambodiawas found guilty as an accomplice to aggravated prosecution of prostitution. 

. Laos is investigating a retired justice ministry official for allegedly selling adopted babies (between 1 and 2 years of age) to Americans, Canadians and Australians for thousands of dollars each.

. An overloaded ferry sank off Papua New Guinea with fears that 100 passengers are still trapped inside. So far 246 passengers have been rescued in joint operation by Papua New Guinea and Australia.

. Troubled by low returns from its biggest oilfield at Bombay High in India, state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp Ltd. (ONGC) is contemplating its biggest deepwater exploration off the western coast.

.Pres. Zardari of Pakistan has expressed possibilities of offering Sri Lanka agricultural and sugar industry technology as well as new technology used for road construction.

. Pres. Mahinda Rajapaksa, on a 2-day visit to Pakistan, has discussed the possibility of reviving Sri Lankan tea exports to that country which was once a major market for Ceylon tea.

. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) sued former State Ministry for Energy of Bangladesh, AKM Mosharraf Hossain on charges of taking a bribe from Niko, a Canadian oil and gas exploration company.

. An 18-year old Tibetan nun has set herself on fire in western China to protest Beijing’s handling of its vast

Tibetan region.

. Former Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed rejected a US call for a compromise and dismissed proposals for a unity government to end political unrest in the Indian Ocean.

V. Miscellaneous

. Jizeng “jay” Chen, owner and publisher of Asian Fortune Magazine passed away 1/31 from brain aneurysm. He was 61 years old. R.I.P. Funeral services were held 2/05 at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home.

. “There is real concern that Romney will win without having to face one concentrated effort of a conservative challenger.” (Richard Land, one of the most well-known Southern Baptist leaders in the nation, told MSNBC’s Andrew Mitchell)

. “I can’t imagine why anybody talks about him. I don’t think he has that much credibility. I never went up to see him. I don’t understand why people pay any attention to him.” (Ron Paul on Donald Trump who has endorsed Sen. Harry Reid, D-NV and Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY; besides he switched his voter registration to independent just recently)

. “In the coming weeks, I will step up my efforts to generate strong grassroots s
  

2012 Black History Month

The U.S. Small Business Administration and U.S. Department of Labor

Invite you to a special

Black History Month Conference Call

for

African American Small Business Owners

•

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

2:00 PM EST / 1:00 PM CST / 11:00 AM PST

•

Conference Call Number: 888-790-2030

Passcode: SBA

The U.S. Small Business Administration and U.S. Department of Labor invite you to participate in a special Black History Month conference call for African American small business owners featuring officials from the SBA and DOL who will provide an update on their agencies work for the African American community and small business owners.

RSVP’s are required for this call.

Please RSVP at

http://webapps.dol.gov/DOLEvents/Event/View/43/2012-DOL-and-SBA-Black-History-Month-Call

Please send any questions or concerns to A’shanti Gholar at Gholar.Ashanti.F@dol.gov

----------

The conference call is off the record and not for press purposes.

Gov. Haley Barbour: A GOP Boondoggle on Clemency for Murderers

Rawlein G. Soberano, Ph.D.

Republicans these days cannot seem to shoot straight. Mississippi is one of the last remaining states to offer this program of allowing convicted felons to work in the governor’s mansion. It is uniquely southern, partially rooted in the region’s Christian custom of forgiveness, of believing in second chances. South Carolina had a similar program until 2001 when inmates were found to have sex in the governor’s residence. Haley Barbour recently left the governor’s office in MS after serving two terms and is on his way to establish a lasting reign in GOP politics. This is antithetical to everything law-and-order Republicans stand for, more than 200 criminals pardoned, including some violent convicted killers. What was he thinking?

Haley Barbour granted full pardon to about 200 people, including shoplifters, rapists, burglars and embezzlers; it also included 14 murderers. The Governor rationalized his actions, stating that 90% of the people he pardoned were already out of prison, recommended for clemency by the parole board. The pardon was to allow them to find gainful employment or acquire professional licenses. The uproar was about the people still in prison. Of particular concern were four men serving life sentences and worked as “inmate trustees,” a privilege given for good behavior. The Attorney-General complained that the governor failed to give the public 30 days notice before the criminals were pardoned. The state law also requires the governor to notify victims and their families in advance to give them sufficient time to comment.

Newscasters were having a ball at his expense. They were painting a picture of dangerous criminals roaming the street looking new victims, endangering the safety of citizens. This was exacerbated in the beginning by  his reluctance to speak to the media on the decision he had made. In due time the list will be made public and questionable inmates will be identified. The pardons restore the civil rights of these criminals and wipe their criminal records clean. If they were paroled, the state would keep tabs on them. Because they were pardoned, the families of the victims face a terrible nightmare, not knowing where these convicts are. If you are a member of the victims’ families, would you be able to sleep well at night, not knowing when or whether these convicts will be back to strike you?

Surely, pardons have a place in our society. Our judicial system is frequently unfair, particularly for minorities, and sentences handed can be capriciously harsh and cruel. There are people in prison who should have been released by now or even earlier, but were kept in for reasons unknown that have nothing to do with rehabilitation. They’re taking valuable cell space while worse offenders were given probation or early release. It provides some explanation of this injustice when one looks at the investors in building these prisons who need to have them filled so that they could garner the benefits of their investment even if this is done unjustly on the back of minorities. Based on the evidence and recommendations from justice officials, if one believes the pardon is justified, why not publicly defend their action and not delay justice?

Prisons cost taxpayers more than $32 billion a year. Every year that an inmate spends in prison in minimum custody costs $22,218 a year; medium custody is $28,934; and maximum custody is $32,547. An individual sentenced to 5 years from a $300 theft costs the public more than $100,000. The cost of a life term averaged $1.5 million. States are now spending more money on prisons than on education. Over the course of the last 20 years, the amount of money spent on prisons increased by 570% while that spent for elementary and secondary education increased by only 33%.

Since Governors pardon or commute sentences rather than parole, the whole bureaucratic expense of fielding the board, all its officers could be eliminated. Many members of the board are political hacks with little or no experience in law. They are also about the business of making prison cells available for more people being brought in. They keep psychological evaluations, deportment histories, criminal histories and arrest records and court records. In brief, they are nothing more than paper pushers. The parole, as we know it, is a bad joke on the public, hiding behind a mask of expertise it doesn’t have.

There are two rules to follow regarding a defendant’s release: 1) Never inflict unnecessary pain on a victim (sometimes a lawyer can’t do his constitutionally required job without causing some pain), and 2) Never miss an opportunity to perform an act of courtesy for a victim. Haley Barbour violated both these rules. Consequently everyone loses. The victims are angry and fearful. That anger (along with sloppy implementation) puts the validity of clemency at risk.

Less than a week after the pardons, a judge blocked them, bringing to new heights the dream and uncertainty for the inmates, their families and the families of the victims. The judge ruled that some of the pardons were procedurally flawed because legal notices were not issued 30 days earlier; slamming the governor as either inattentive to the nuances of the law or was outright insensitive to the victims’ families. What happened to the rhetoric that Republicans are tough on crime? The judge adds that the 21 pardoned inmates, who are still in prison, will remain behind bars until their pardon meets the public notification requirement. If he finds that the four murderers who served as “trustees” were improperly released, they might have to come back to serve out their sentences.

Is this abuse of power or what? These GOP governors, e.g. Scott Walker of AZ, Rick Scott of FL, John

Kasich of OH, Mitch Daniels of IN, among others, are governing their states like sanctimonious autocrats. Why not hold Barbour in a house arrest until the four murderers are returned to prison? What happened in MS provides a window of opportunity regarding a governor’s power to grant clemency at his discretion, especially when the state house is in the hands of one party. Isn’t it weird that a governor could grant inmates pardon so that they could “hunt.” His actions regarding pardons make Arnold Schwarzenegger look tame. Do you think he would have granted the pardons if he was going to run for president? He was term-limited out of office. No one wanted him to run for president. Did he release these criminals out of spite?

It behooves to remember that pardons are within the power of the governor. If the people are not happy with this, they need to get involved in the legislative process before another governor does the same thing and cause another embarrassment to the state. Our legislatures and courts serve at our discretion. If we don’t like what they are doing, we have the power to remove them or change the legislation. Otherwise we get what we haven’t asked for.

Haley Barbour is returning to Washington as a mega-lobbyist after dominating Washington’s political life to establish a sweeping statewide supremacy for the GOP, unseen since the days of Reconstruction. Republicans control both houses in the state. His decision annoyed members of his party. The longstanding MS custom of pardoning inmates, also called “trustees,” working at the governor’s mansion (clean, work in the kitchen, wait tables, wash cars; they may not stay the night at the mansion, and will phase out violent offenders to work there) might have breathed its last breath. The new governor (Phil Bryant) will back away from the footsteps of his predecessor. (02 -01-12)

These are photos of really extraordinary places or events and very interesting.......take a few minutes to look at these......enjoy
 
The world's highest chained carousel, located in Vienna, at a height of 117 meters.
 
 

Restaurant on a cliff on the east coast of Zanzibar.
Depending on the tide the restaurant can be reached both on foot and by boat.

Desert with Phacelia (Scorpion Weed). Flowering once in several years.

Balloons in Cappadocia.  

Dubai. The view from the skyscraper BurjKhalifa. The height of buildings is 828 m (163 floors).

And this is the view down

These trees grow in the forest near Gryfino, Poland. The cause of the curvature is unknown

The border between Belgium and the Netherlands in a cafe

Twice a year in the Gulf of Mexico rays migrate. About 10 thousand stingrays swim from the Yucatan Peninsula to Florida in the spring and back in the fall.

In the resort town of Skagen you can watch an amazing natural phenomenon. This city is the northernmost point of Denmark, where the Baltic and North Seas meet. The two opposing tides inthis place cannot merge because they have different densities.

In the Chinese province of Shandong is a bridge across the Gulf of Jiaozhou. The bridge length over 36 km is calculated for eight car lanes, and is the longest sea bridge in the world.

Day and night. The monument in Kaunas, Lithuania

An unusual tunnel in California's Sequoia National Park

Family photo

The longest traffic jam in the world recorded in China. Its length is 260 kilometers

Paris computer games store. In fact, the floor is absolutely flat.
 

 
Marcus Levine - slaughtering an artist in the literal sense. He creates his paintings by nailing a white wooden panel. At his latest series of paintings exhibited in a gallery in London, Marcus has spent more than 50 000 pieces of iron.
 

 
In the city of Buford (USA) lives just one person. He works as a janitor and as a mayor.
 

Autumn camouflage

Haus Rizzi - Germany.

Lena Pillars. Russia, the Lena River.

Banpo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea

Favelas of Brazil. The boundary between wealth and poverty.
 
 

Lost paradise in the Indian Ocean. Isle of Lamu.
 

Balcony of floor 103 in Chicago.
 

From the outside it looks like
 

View of the sunset from inside the wave.
 

In northwestern Montana, USA. The water is so transparent that it seems that this is a quite shallow lake. In fact, it’s very deep.
 

Airport in the Maldives is located on an artificial island in the middle of the Indian Ocean
 

Lighthouse guard in Mare, France must be one of the most courageous people on the planet!
Not everyone will have a smoke in such weather, and in such a place!

Photo of storm in Montana, USA, 2010

Skyscraper-Crescent Crescent Moon Tower (Dubai)
 

The river above the river: Magdeburg Water Bridge, Germany.

Morning Glory - kind of clouds observed in the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia
 

Gibraltar Airport is one of the most extraordinary airports around the world

November 24, 2011

*For Immediate Release*

Contact: Tim Wang
(202) 204-3019

*International Leadership Foundation Announces 2012 Summer Fellowships for Asian Pacific American College Students in Washington, DC*

For the thirteenth year, the International Leadership Foundation (ILF) will award over 30 fellowships to Asian Pacific American college students who the ILF identifies as exhibiting the qualities and potential of a future business, community or professional leaders. The ILF Civic Fellows will spend eight weeks in the summer interning for a federal government agency in Washington, DC, and gaining firsthand knowledge of the workings of American government.

Any Asian Pacific American undergraduate student with at least a 3.0 GPA is eligible to apply. Applicants must be United States citizens. Interested students can visit ILF's website at www.ILEADER.org to apply online or to obtain more information. The ILF works with government agencies to place each Fellow in his or her area of interest. Students who wish to apply must submit their applications no later than February 1, 2012.

Each Fellow receives a stipend of $1,500, funded by the ILF and its sponsors. Students must pay for their own travel, housing and living expenses during their fellowships. ILF Fellows attend weekly seminars and other events to learn about government, in addition to their internships. "The ILF promotes public service, involvement, and effectiveness of Asian Pacific Americans," said ILF Chief Executive Officer Chiling Tong. "Our purpose is to teach our future leaders how to use the government to serve the community."

The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta and the Honorable Elaine Chao serve as the Honorary National Chairman and Chairwoman of the ILF. Secretary Mineta and Secretary Chao were the first two Asian Pacific Americans to serve in the
President’s Cabinet. "The ILF promotes and fosters bright APA youth to experience the inner-workings behind this great country’s national government, and provide effective training classes to enhance leadership skills," said Secretary Mineta.

The ILF is a non-profit organization that promotes civic involvement and entrepreneurial spirit of the future leaders of the Asian Pacific American community. Each year at its annual Awards Dinner, the ILF recognizes public service by distinguished APA community leaders. Over the past several years ILF has honored Senate Pro Temp Daniel Inouye with ILF's Lifetime Achievement Award, Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi with ILF’s Distinguished Leadership Award and California Members of Congress Judy Chu and Mike Honda, and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, with ILF’s Public Servants of the Year.

###

International Leadership Foundation (ILF)
The Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20004
Tel: (202) 204-3019
E-mail: ilf@ileader.org
www.ILEADER.org

The Worldwide Indefinite Detention Without Charge or Trial Provision in S. 1867 [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112%3As.1867:] will be on the Senate floor on Monday, Nov. 28, 2011:

"The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president—and every future president — the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world. Even Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) raised his concerns about the NDAA detention provisions during last night’s Republican debate. The power is so broad that even U.S. citizens could be swept up by the military and the military could be used far from any battlefield, even within the United States itself. The worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is in S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which will be on the Senate floor on Monday. The bill was drafted in secret by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) and passed in a closed-door committee meeting, without even a single hearing."