Factoid: the homicide rate in Columbia is roughly on par with the
civilian death rate in Iraq due to the war (source:
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_mur_percap-crime-murders-per-capita;
next go to http://www.iraqbodycount.org/, take the high number for
civilian deaths in Iraq during the war, 88k, divide by five years, and
divide by the population of Iraq, 27 M, to get a yearly rate per 1000
of 0.652, which is about the same as Columbia's 0.6178). Of course
Iraq was very peaceful (albeit unfree) while Saddam was in power, so
it's all relative.

Mason-Dixon poll:
http://youdecide08.foxnews.com/2008/01/24/romney-takes-lead-in-latest-florida-gop.../

Rasmussen poll:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080122/NATION/598165627/1002

Did SocGen trades trigger market rout, Fed cut?

By Sitaraman Shankar and Blaise Robinson 1 hour, 44 minutes ago

LONDON/PARIS (Reuters) - Societe Generale's shock disclosure of a fraud that
lost it $7 billion has left investors wondering about a link between the
fiasco and Monday's European stock market rout.

The sharp fall, which was followed by an emergency U.S. rate cut, came as
SocGen tried to close out positions built up by one of its traders.

SocGen, France's second biggest bank, said on Thursday that it had been the
victim of a massive and "exceptional" fraud by a junior trader resulting in
losses of 4.9 billion euros, and announced a large capital increase.

SocGen said the trader, responsible for futures hedging on European equity
market indexes, had taken massive fraudulent positions in 2007 and 2008
beyond his authority.

The bank said it had decided to close the positions as quickly as
practicable after they were discovered on the weekend of Jan 19 and 20.

This has brought under the microscope the massive declines in European
shares on Monday, January 21, when over $350 billion was wiped off the value
of top British, German and French shares -- an amount equal to the combined
gross domestic product of Hungary and Greece.

"No matter how many jobs we have, no matter how many hours we put in, we
just can't break even!"

Now, a couple of days ago, I heard a woman say this!
I couldn't believe my ears!

Listen to it again:

"No matter how many jobs we have, no matter how many hours we put in, we
just can't break even!"

I'm thinking, "How many BMWs are in your garage, do you need those 5
bathrooms in your house, how many la-tays do you drink each day, how
many 'goochie' bags do you own?" My God!

This had to be a filthy democrat lib left wing wanker coward's ole'
lady! Bet mine and your paycheck on it!

Now, these fools want ME to come and bail them out and feel sorry for
their foolish life decisions!

Not a chance filthy fools, not a chance!!

How BJ Clinton Dropped the Ball on Bin Laden

A newly released, previously classified report written by the CIA's internal
ombudsman highlights the fact that it was former President Bill Clinton's
gross negligence that led to the 9/11 assault on the United States.

Clinton appointed George Tenet to be the Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency in July 1997. As summarized by the Associated press, the
report emphasizes that:

U.S. spy agencies, which were overseen by Tenet, lacked a comprehensive
strategic plan to counter Osama bin Laden prior to 9/11. The inspector
general concluded that Tenet "by virtue of his position...

Losing bin Laden: How Bill Clinton's Failures Unleashed Global Terror
by Richard Miniter
Regnery Publishing, Inc.; ISBN: 0895260743
Hardcover - 256 pages (September 2003)

Years before the public knew about bin Laden, Bill Clinton did. Bin Laden
first attacked Americans during Clinton's presidential transition in
December 1992. He struck again at the World Trade Center in February 1993.
Over the next eight years the archterrorist's attacks would escalate killing
hundreds and wounding thousands-while Clinton did his best to stymie the FBI
and CIA and refused to wage a real war on terror.

Why?

The answer is here in investigative reporter Richard Miniter's stunning
expos

Hilarious!
http://www.newsgroper.com/samuel-l-jackson/2008/01/21/ron-paul-kiss-black-ass/
Ron Paul can kiss my black ass
By Samuel L. Jackson
1/21/08 10:37 AM EST | Los Angeles
I'm fucking sick of Ron Paul.

I wouldn't vote for the motherfucker if he promised to give us a
happy-ending massage and a new car. I wouldn't vote for the motherfucker if
he gave me a got-damn blow-job in the voting booth. I wouldn't vote for Ron
Paul if the motherfucker shit daisies and ten dollar bills.

You know why I won't vote for Ron Paul? His supporters are annoying the shit
out of me. They're acting like he's Tom Joad or some shit. "Wherever Ron
Paul's name is mentioned, I'll comment. Wherever Ron Paul bombs in the
polls, I'll be there to insist there was fraud. Wherever Ron Paul wipes his
ass, I'll be there to proclaim the toilet paper a sacred got-damn object to
be studied and celebrated on Fark.com."

I ain't saying we got a good selection of candidates, but I am saying that
this Ron Paul cat's supporters are beginning to freak me the fuck out. I
went to a restaurant last night (secret place-I ain't...

Clinton Let Bin Laden Slip Away and Metastasize
Sudan offered up the terrorist and data on his network. The then-president
and his advisors didn't respond.

By MANSOOR IJAZ
President Clinton and his national security team ignored several
opportunities to capture Osama bin Laden and his terrorist associates,
including one as late as last year.

I know because I negotiated more than one of the opportunities.

From 1996 to 1998, I opened unofficial channels between Sudan and the
Clinton administration. I met with officials in both countries, including
Clinton, U.S. National Security Advisor Samuel R. "Sandy" Berger and Sudan's
president and intelligence chief. President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir, who
wanted terrorism sanctions against Sudan lifted, offered the arrest and
extradition of Bin Laden and detailed intelligence data about the global
networks constructed by Egypt's Islamic Jihad, Iran's Hezbollah and the
Palestinian Hamas.

Among those in the networks were the two hijackers who piloted commercial
airliners into the World Trade Center.

Yup........The "Recession" has been CANCELLED.........Please return to
your Work Stations...........Thank You..........Heehee.........

"If we could find the cave he is in, I promise you — he would be
brought to justice or wherever he's hiding," he tells FOX News

................................................................................................

Bush says in the interview he's confident bin Laden ultimately will be
found.

"He'll be gotten by a president," Bush says.

And to critics who say he hasn't done enough to find bin Laden, Bush
is blunt:

"They don't know what they're talking about," he says.

From FUX News, 1/24/08:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,325234,00.html

President Bush Says Usama Bin Laden May Not Be Captured During His
Time in Office

Capturing Usama bin Laden has been one of President Bush's top
priorities during his time in office, but the president now seems to
doubt the Al Qaeda mastermind will be found before his term ends next
January.