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London, UK - Britain is set to the become the first non-Muslim nation to raise money by issuing a government bond-style "Sukuk" compliant with Sharia law as part of a bid to transform London into a global capital of the Islamic finance industry.
David Cameron, the British prime minister, unveiled the scheme along with plans to launch an Islamic market index at the London Stock Exchange as the British capital this week played host to the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), an annual gathering of political leaders, chief executives and delegations from across the Muslim world.
"Already London is the biggest centre of Islamic finance outside the Islamic world, but today our ambition is to go further still," Cameron told the event. "I want London to stand alongside Dubai and Kuala Lumpur as one of the great capitals of Islamic finance anywhere in the world."
Established in Malaysia in 2006, the WIEF aims to embed Sharia principles at the heart of financial and economic affairs. Islamic finance requires that deals are based on real assets and forbids usury, the practice of lending money and charging interest, while risk must be shared between both parties to a transaction.
"It means you should not be involved with interest, uncertainty and speculation," Dzuljastri Abdul Razak, a professor at the International Islamic University in Malaysia, told Al Jazeera. "It's basically about building the real economy. You can only sell something that exists. If you treat money as a commodity then there's no asset."
Britain is the first non-Muslim country to host the WIEF, and Cameron's presence along with a gala dinner hosted by Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, and cameo appearances by Boris Johnson, London's extrovert mayor, offered ample evidence of the event's significance to the government.
"It's all about sending a message. It's a message that says, 'Look guys, you want it this way, in London you can have it this way. We're quite relaxed. We're happy about it and we want you to come and do your business here.'" Edward Lister, London's deputy mayor, told Al Jazeera.
'The UK needs capital':
Cameron said the government was working on the practicalities of issuing a Sukuk - a bond-like financial certificate used to raise money that is based on shared ownership of an asset rather than a promise to pay interest - worth £200 million ($320m) by next year.
Though comparatively small, given that the UK currently owes investors more than £1.2 trillion ($1.92 trillion), Mehmet Asutay, an expert in Islamic finance at Durham University, said the announcement amounted to a "huge signal" of the government's commitment to attracting Islamic money, especially from wealthy Gulf states.
"Like most European countries, the UK needs capital. Everyone knows capital is essential for sustainable economic growth and since the global financial crisis the sources of capital in the western world have dried up, but in the Gulf of course there is huge capital available," Asutay told Al Jazeera.
But Asutay said global demand for Sharia-compliant financing was still relatively untapped, and the UK was also positioning itself to capitalise on a growing industry.
The global market in Islamic finance is currently estimated to be worth about $1.3 trillion, or just one per cent of the world's total financial assets, yet Muslims make up about a quarter of the planet's population.
Large Islamic countries such as Indonesia and Turkey are now developing their own financial sectors after years beset by political and economic instability, while potential markets in Africa were also opening up, Asutay said.
Asutay said the UK would face stiff competition from inside the Muslim world, with Kuala Lumpur having already established itself as an Islamic financial hub, and with the World Bank this week opening its first Islamic finance centre in Istanbul.
But he said London's traditional strengths as a financial capital and the legal and regulatory security it could offer foreign investors could give it an edge over its challengers.
"The reality is that London has always been an important financial centre regardless of crises and ups and downs. It is open, it is very liberal and it hasn't questioned the religiosity or the ideology of money. Its institutions have been around for longer than some of the countries we are talking about, so that gives London a lot of leverage."
Britain's burgeoning Islamic finance sector is already shaping the London skyline, having funded the construction of the Qatari-owned Shard, western Europe's tallest building.
Other major London property developments at Chelsea Barracks and Battersea Power Station are also based on Sharia-compliant funding, while 49 Sukuk issued through the London Stock Exchange since 2007 have raised $34bn.
Alternative funding:
Modern Islamic global finance is a relatively recent invention, dating to the establishment of the Saudi Arabia-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in 1975 as an alternative source of funding to the World Bank for Muslim nations.
Critics argue that the system amounts to an exercise in theological semantics, creating instruments that look and feel like conventional financial products and fall short of strict adherence to Sharia principles.
But Azmi Omar, head of the IDB's research and training institute, said the industry was working hard to address that criticism.
"There are fatwas to say that we have to move away from so-called legal tricks, and we have a financial product development centre that is working to resolve some of these issues," he told Al Jazeera. "Islamic banking is still new, so we are still trying to evolve and develop new products that meet the needs of the industry."
Advocates argue Islamic finance has the potential to radically transform the global economy, by rooting ethics and social responsibility at the heart of banking and financial affairs.
Dzuljastri Abdul Razak believes that a Sharia-based financial system would not have been prone to the sort of crisis triggered by credit-based speculation in sub-prime debt in 2007 from which the global economy is still recovering.
"Islamic finance has an answer to the issues that caused the crisis so it is fitting at this kind of conference that we explore these opportunities," he said. "The strength of Sharia is that there is an ethical dimension, and there is consideration of the people affected."
Iqbal Saqlain, a member of the WIEF's advisory panel and a former secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said the endorsement of Islamic financing would also benefit British Muslims, many of whom have traditionally conducted their personal and business affairs beyond the reach of high street banks, by bringing them into the mainstream economy.
Britain has a Muslim population of about 2.8 million, including about one million in London, with a combinedspending power estimated at more than $20bn. The government has also launched schemes to offer Sharia-compliant student loans and business start-up loans.
"They were literally keeping funds in cash or in some dodgy investments in the name of Sharia, and people have lost lots of money," Saqlain told Al Jazeera. "Now you have legitimate Sharia-compliant investment opportunities and the Muslim community has been empowered.
(Al Jazeera / 31 Oct 2013)---
Alfalah Consulting - Kuala Lumpur: www.alfalahconsulting.com
Consultant-Speaker-Motivator: www.ahmad-sanusi-husain.com
Islamic Investment Malaysia: www.islamic-invest-malaysia.com


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The Green Bay Packers have spent a good chunk of the offseason working on defending the read option after they ended the 2012 season by watching quarterback Colin Kaepernick run wild in the San Francisco 49ers' playoff win.
The Packersopen this season with a rematch of that playoff debacle (in which Kaepernick rushed, mostly untouched, for an NFL-quarterback record 181 yards) and follow it with a matchup against Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins.
Packers linebacker Clay Matthews gave us an insight into what we should expect from the Green Bay defense in those games: lots of quarterback hits.
"One of the things that the referees have told us is that when these quarterbacks carry out the fakes, they lose their right as a quarterback, a pocket-passing quarterback, the protection of a quarterback," Matthews said Monday on ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike." "So with that, you do have to take your shots on the quarterback, and obviously they're too important to their offense.
"If that means they pull them out of that type of offense and make them run a traditional, drop-back, pocket-style offense, I think that's exactly what we're going for. So you want to put hits as early and often on the quarterback and make them uncomfortable."
Of course, hitting the quarterback requires catching the quarterback.
"I can tell you right now, we started from Day 1 in OTAs when we came back in the offseason working on this read-option, pistol, fake offense for lack of a better term," Matthews said. "We've been working on it, especially after what we saw last year in the playoffs specifically and then opening up the season with two of these quarterbacks. We're ready. We feel good about it."
The Packers are an overwhelming favorite to win the NFC North and make a deep run in the playoffs -- of note: None of their division opponents feature quarterbacks who run the read option. To win the conference, the Packers' defense will need to be better. Given Around The League's Super Bowl predictions, we have faith that defensive coordinator Dom Capers made the adjustments necessary during the offseason to defend the read option.

subset: commoncrawl


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1. Old books.
2. My new-to-me pink 1950s flour, sugar, coffee and tea canisters.
3. iPhones are addictive, guys…especially when you have two.
4. We finally got curtains for our livingroom. Ryan decided to put his polar bear figurines (Ryan has loved polar bears since he was young) on the windowsill, on top of the curtain, to create a snowy scene for the bear…ya, I dunno either.
5. I see a pattern here…another 1950s pink kitchen item…this time a mixing bowl, with a happy little pineapple inside (we also got a juicer recently, so we have fruits galore).
6. We are looking after Ryan's family dog, Beans, for the next few weeks. Aren't they cute together? Like salt and pepper. (iphone)
7. Our livingroom is kind of filled with guitars and guitar amps. I'm still trying to figure out how to make the livingroom feel equal parts me and equal parts Ryan…it's very Ryan right now.
8. A sleeping cloud baby.
9. We need to fix the frame on this picture so Bob Dylan can find a home on the wall. Also, maybe I should paint it a better colour.
10. Messy bed, that I'd very much like to be in right about now. (iphone)
Belle Vie / 31
1. Old books.


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How to delete a protected EFI disk partition with Windows 7 or 8 or 8.1
I recently bought a MAC Mini for development purposes and learning cross-platform / Xamarin development. Being windows / linux user for a quite long time now, I haven't ever touched or operated MAC OS before (I know, shame on me). So I have no prior experience with MAC world what so ever. In excitement, I opted for beta testing for early release of MAC OSX - Yosemite and was happy to use it. But when I experienced that my Xcode and Xamarin studio started breaking and acted weirdly, I decided to downgrade back to MAC OSX Mavericks. It was not an easy thing for me at first, after a few runs and tries I figured out a way to do it. This involved in preparing a flash drive to fresh install MAC OSX using recovery options. I prepared a flash drive with instruction from Apple and other developers and was successful to » Read more


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Christian, Sara, Burke, Linda and Sayer, Jane (2011) Recruiting competent newly qualified nurses in the London region. In: Royal College of Nursing of the United Kingdom: The 2011 International Nursing Research Conference. Book of abstracts. Royal College of Nursing, London, UK, p. 96. ISBN 978-1-906633-67-7


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The Real Handyman
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Agua Fria Ranch, Arizona Brisas, Bell Park, Buenavida, Canyon Ridge West, Citrus Point, Corte Bella Country Club Santa Barbara, Countrybrook Meadows, Coyote Lakes, Crosspointe, Desert Vista Place, Erin Groves, Fletcher Heights, Grand Manor, Harbor Island
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Manitoba RCMP have searched through more than 100 abandoned houses in the remote northern town of Gillam as investigators enter the fifth day in their hunt for suspected killers Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky.
Police announced Friday that they would be spending much of the weekend going door-to-door canvassing in the town, as well as on Fox Lake Cree Nation, in hopes of generating tips and information that advance the nationwide hunt for the young Port Alberni men.
"In the ongoing search for the suspects, RCMP officers have started to canvass every home in Gillam and Fox Lake Cree Nation," Manitoba RCMP tweeted Saturday afternoon. "In addition to the canvass, they are also thoroughly searching every abandoned home in the area – over 100 cleared so far."
A Canada-wide warrant is out for McLeod and Schmegelsky's arrests. The two men have been charged with second-degree murder in the killing of 64-year-old Leonard Dyck, whose body was found July 19 at a Highway 37 pullout in northern B.C. They remain suspects in the shooting deaths of tourist couple Chynna Dease, 24, and Lucas Fowler, 23, who were found along the Alaska Highway on July 15.
McLeod, 19, and Schmegelsky, 18, were last seen in Gillam on Monday. A burnt-out vehicle being driven by the pair was found near Fox Lake that evening, sparking a police block along the town's sole access road.
It was initially believed that the wanted fugitives were still in the area, but investigators are now considering the possibility that someone may have inadvertently helped them flee. Until a new sighting elsewhere is confirmed, police will continue to focus their search in Gillam.
Members of the Canadian Armed Forces arrived Saturday to help Mounties search through the remote region where difficult terrain, high bush and swampy conditions have hindered search efforts. The Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130H Hercules aircraft will be assisting with an aerial search, the Department of National Defence confirmed.
Manitoba Mounties are also searching through large abandoned buildings, police said, including the Keewatinohk converter station camp that was used as a temporary work camp for Manitoba Hydro and is located roughly 90 kilometres northeast of Gillam.
Not only are our officers combing through kilometers of dense northern forest, they're also challenged with searching & clearing large abandoned buildings like this one (with approx. 600 rooms) at the Keewatinohk Converter Station Camp, near Gillam. #rcmpmb @manitobahydro pic.twitter.com/IMkqMlKxx8
— RCMP Manitoba (@rcmpmb) July 27, 2019
Cpl. Julie Courchaine urged the public on Friday to keep a vigilant eye out for the wanted fugitives, who may have changed their appearance by now.
"Investigators continue to follow up on tips, review the physical and digital information collected, and share information with police services across Canada," she said.
McLeod and Schmegelsky are considered armed and dangerous and may not be together. If spotted, do not approach them, and call 911 immediately.


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Welcome to the Lucky Lass! It's Fall Y'All!
Unfortunately, I do not have a mantel, but I do have a raised hearth. I love to decorate for Halloween and started early this year.
I put together two vignettes, and a string of skeletons. I have a hard time finding places for these skeletons to work, and I'm not sure they'll stay here.
The painting above is titled "My Baby Wants to Rock and Roll" by local artist, Gabriel Pons. I think he's pretty awesome.
On the left, I have a couple of outrageous gourds that I picked up at Miller Farms Market, an art deco vase with some branches, a photo of my husband as a baby boy, and some skeletons hanging out. These gourds have so much movement to them, they seem alive- that's why I call them alien gourds.
On the right is some more gourd action, but in the form of mini-pumpkins. I love the colors and varieties of them all! Some candles and micro pumpkins are there to give some ambiance at night.
The pumpkin cut-out is a tealight holder that my sister made in girl scouts (brownies?). I like it, as corny as it is!
They are all resting on a cheese box I recently stained (seen here). The little black tree that holds the other end of the skeleton string, is a Michael's find. It comes as a two-piece wood cut out that fits together. I spray painted it black, and it has lived in various places different years. The skeletons really love it though. It's sitting on an antique lace doily. It is in a star pattern, but it was the closest thing I had that looked vaguely spider-webbish. Because the tree is black and the box is so dark, I really needed something to provide contrast between the two.
Instead of the skeletons, I think a banner across the top in fun and funky fabrics would look great and help to finish the space.
Thanks for visiting!


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With all the hype and excitement on the new super charged America coming soon, due to the election of the new President-elect, tech savvy Barack Obama, I thought it was a good time to share a little experience I had this week.
I had the opportunity to go speak at a local grade school and explain to the 4th and 5th graders how at this stage (age) in my life, I'm still using my basic grade school fundamentals, reading , writing and arithmetic to operate my online candy store.
I walked in armed and ready for this group of 9 and 10 year olds. I had gummi burgers in one hand, lollipops in the other and chocolates under my coat. They were ready for me as well with their Apple wireless laptops waiting for me to tell them they could boot them up. Oh let me add, every single one of these grade school students knew how to operate and maneuver around with them.
I began with how important spelling and reading is and without them I wouldn't be able to communicate to my customers nor would they be able to communicate to the world or play or shop online. Then I touched on the old basic Math skills, add, subtract and divide and how I use them everyday to price my items so I make some money. I stressed they need math skills because they have to make sure they have enough money to buy things like my candy. When I got to the old geography lesson and how it's important for me to know about each state's history, including their weather and time zone difference… I could hear and see I was loosing them.
They were more interested in exploring my silly fun website with boatloads of their favorite candy staring at them. Matter a fact one young girl spoke out and asked me if I had games to play on my website. Ugh…
So, I had to put on my teachers hat, raise my voice a tad and flat out say, "if you don't pay attention, you won't get any of the candy I brought", Poof… it worked like a charm! Dead silent, eyes front and center and the hands began to raise. Ahh was nice to know the good old bribe still works!
All the sudden every student had a ton of questions and suggestions for me. It was almost like they felt the more they asked and listened, the more candy they would get. The candy I brought was brought with a lesson in mind, not just enjoyment. I brought dum dum lollipops and told them they needed to pay attention in school so they wouldn't be a dum dum and maybe someday they could have their very own website. I brought along my favorite candy the marshmallow ice cream cone and explained to them when I was in 4th grade, they were my favorites. Then I jumped up to their era and showed them the mini gummi burgers that are the big thing now to them. I took it a step further and really sealed the deal by bringing chocolate Hershey's Kisses for the teachers, because I knew the teachers loved chocolate. The kids got a real chuckle out of that.
It was a really fun afternoon for me, even though I sorta had to bribe them. Driving back to my office it made me think about something I read awhile ago. It seems a lot of school districts have now banned candy as a reward for their students. Teachers in a lot of areas are not allowed to reward with candy. I feel these administrator's that came up with this lame idea have never seen in action the attention kids can give, all for a sweet treat! Maybe if we brought back the old fashion ways of teaching even if it includes a sweet reward, we'd see a lot more class room participation and many more Steve Jobs types and not just everyone wanting to be video game designer. Now all I need to do is somehow figure out how to text message President-elect Barack Obama and let him in on my observation. I bet the kids could figure out how to. lol


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The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Madison County, serves as the state's museum and archive dedicated to the U.S. space program and is the home of the original U.S. Space Camp and Aviation Challenge. The center was first envisioned by German scientist Wernher von Braun, the technical mastermind behind Germany's rocket development during World War II and America's most prominent promoter of human space flight. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and is the official visitors center for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. Specialists in space museums recognize the U.S. Space and Rocket Center as having one of the world's premiere and most comprehensive collections of U.S. human space-flight hardware.
When the Space & Rocket Center opened in 1970 as a public-relations extension of NASA's Marshall Spaceflight Center, the Apollo program was entering a period of decline. The center, built on a piece of land donated by the U.S. Army from property at Redstone Arsenal, became home to some of the Apollo hardware and memorabilia as well as rocks collected during the Moon missions, all of which formed the initial exhibits for the museum. The permanent collection also includes the Apollo 16 Command Module, "Casper," and one of the three remaining Saturn V rockets from this era.
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center's collection is not limited to artifacts from the Apollo era, however. The collections of objects and other displays span the modern history of space flight, from early-twentieth-century experiments of American rocketry pioneer Robert Goddard to present-day projects such as the International Space Station. Space-flight specimens include a V-2 rocket from Germany and some of the original capsule trainers from the Mercury and Gemini programs. Before manned space flight, NASA tested the effects of space travel on animals. A squirrel monkey known as Miss Baker, who was one of the first two creatures to return alive to Earth after traveling in space, is buried on the grounds of the facility. The center's premiere artifact from the era of the Space Shuttle Program is its full-size static display of the Space Shuttle Pathfinder, the 75-ton steel orbiter simulator used to create procedures for moving and landing the vehicle, mounted atop a 154-foot external tank and two 149-foot solid rocket boosters. An interactive museum, the Space & Rocket Center includes an IMAX theater, hands-on exhibits and mock-ups, and launch and space-flight simulators.
Stored within the center's archives is the most complete collection of von Braun's papers, covering his career in the United States and some documentation from his early years in Germany. The archive maintains thousands of books and technical documents, materials from the World War II Ordnance officers who eventually worked with the German engineers brought over to the United States after the war, a collection of government documents from the early space age, and a variety of materials related to science fiction film, comics, magazines, and other formats.
Although the center is well known for its historical collections, it is perhaps better known as the home of the original Space Camp program. Begun in 1982 as an effort to encourage children to explore careers in mathematics, science, and technology, the original Space Camp provided attendees with an opportunity to learn what it would be like to be an astronaut. Campers can get the feel of working in space or on the surface of the Moon when strapped into the 5-Degrees-of-Freedom Chair, which floats on a cushion of air, and the 1/6 Gravity Chair. Other Space Camp experiences include a series of classroom lectures about rocketry and space flight and a simulated space mission. Space Camp attendees also have exclusive access to shuttle and space station mock-ups, mission control, living habitats, and the Underwater Astronaut Trainer (UAT; also known as a neutral buoyancy simulator). This simulator allows campers to use scuba equipment to dive in the large tank and simulate repair missions to the space shuttle and space station. The UAT provides the public with an astronaut-training experience that is very similar to the kind provided to real astronauts at NASA's Johnson and Marshall Spaceflight Centers.
Originally oriented toward children in the fourth through sixth grades, the Space Camp program expanded over time to include programs for junior-high and high-school children, camps for children with visual and hearing impairments, programs for teachers, a parent-child experience, camps for adults, and one- or two-day corporate-incentive programs. In 1990, the center introduced a program called Aviation Challenge, which exposes campers of all ages to training as military fighter pilots, including short courses in survival tactics, and is partnered with the U.S. Air Force, the Air National Guard, and Navy and U.S. Marines aviation programs. In response to the success of Space Camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, two other facilities opened in Florida and California, but both closed in 2002 as a result of financial difficulties. There are eight international Space Camps already in operation or under construction in Canada, Belgium, Turkey, Egypt, Oman, India, Korea, and Japan.
As the U.S. Space & Rocket Center approaches its 40th anniversary, it remains a historical monument to the U.S. space program. Not only does the center work to preserve history as a museum and archive, but through its programs for children and adults, it continues to promote future space exploration. The center's relationship with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center helps to keep Huntsville on the leading edge of American rocket and space development.
Additional Resources
Dunar, Andrew J., and Stephen P. Waring. Power to Explore: A History of Marshall Space Flight Center 1960-1990. Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administraion, 1999.
Additional Resources
Dunar, Andrew J., and Stephen P. Waring. Power to Explore: A History of Marshall Space Flight Center 1960-1990. Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administraion, 1999.
Neufeld, Michael J. Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007.


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August 19th, 2013
Copper may be a trigger of Alzheimer's disease
Copper, which is found in anything from drinking water to red meats, may be an environmental trigger of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.
The study, published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests copper keeps toxic proteins from leaving the brain.
It is clear that, over time, copper impairs the systems through which amyloid beta is removed from the brain, said Rashid Deane, a research professor in the University of Rochester Medical Center Department of Neurosurgery, member of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine, and lead author of the study. This causes the protein "to accumulate in the brain and form the plaques that are the hallmark of Alzheimer's disease."
Copper is usually found in drinking water that is carried by copper pipes. It is also found in shellfish, meats, nuts and many vegetables and fruits. The mineral is important for the body because it helps with the development of the nervous system, along with bone growth and hormone secretion.
Researchers looked at the effect of copper-laced drinking water on mice. They used low doses of copper over a three-month period. The dose was 10% of the maximum contaminant level set by the Environment Protection Agency.
"These are very low levels of copper, equivalent to what people would consume in a normal diet." said Deane. "We chose copper in water because it is easily absorbed in the blood."
Even with the low levels of copper, scientists found a buildup of toxic proteins in the brain. The toxic protein is called amyloid beta, which is a component of amyloid plaques that have been previously connected to Alzheimer's disease.
Research conducted using mice doesn't necessarily translate to humans, but study authors found that in both mice and human brain cells, copper exposure prohibited the removal of the harmful protein from the brain. Researchers also found that copper exposure led to a breakdown of the blood- brain barrier, making it easier for copper to get into the brain as well.
"Copper is an essential metal, and it is clear that these effects are due to exposure over a long period of time," said Deane. "The key will be striking the right balance between too little and too much copper consumption. Right now we cannot say what the right level will be, but diet may ultimately play an important role in regulating this process."
Deane says people should know more about copper and its effects. "Because of what I do, I believe in preventive medicine and practices," notes Deane. "Copper is essential. But maybe, just maybe, if we are finding that copper is creating a problem in the brain, we should back off on supplements, look at labels on foods and know how much copper we are putting in our bodies. We don't need to overdo it."
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.


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[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.l.cnn.net/cnn/2008/images/01/19/art.hunter.gi.jpg caption=" Hunter will announce later Saturday he is exiting the White House race."]
NEW YORK (CNN) - Rep. Duncan Hunter has abandoned his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, the California congressman said in a statement released Saturday evening.
"Today we end this campaign," said Hunter, according to an advance copy of his remarks he was scheduled to deliver later in the evening.
The California Republican, an outspoken proponent of cracking down on illegal immigration, did poorly in the Nevada GOP caucuses held earlier in the day.
"The Nevada caucuses reflecting only 2 percent of the vote for me," he said. "I ran the campaign exactly the way I wanted to, and at this point not being able to gain traction in conservative states of Nevada and South Carolina, it's time to allow our volunteers and supporters to focus on the campaigns that remain viable."
- CNN Political Producer Alan Isenberg
Well, he got one more delegate than I got. Then again, I haven't been spending a year campaigning nor am I running for President. Nonetheless, it was a close race between me and Duncan. Now if I get one more delegate, I'll be tied with Giuliani!
I also dropped out of the race today. Hunter only got one more delegate than I did, and I didn't even have to spend any money!
I didnt know much about hunter, but I am sure he was an ok guy. Ron Paul will be the next to go. Probobly because his followers are anti mormon. Anyone hoping to see Romney drop out of the race is going to be sorely disappointed. The man is either going to be president or vice president. And come on this is a vote, people are voting for who they like. Thus if someone dropped out they must not have been the best choice for enough people. I guarantee if no one knew Romney was a mormon he would be carrying more than half of this country. If Ron paul is not a bigot maybe he could be VP.
Mike Huckabee wants to amend the Constitution to prevent children born in the U.S. to illegal aliens from automatically becoming American citizens, according to his top immigration surrogate , James Gilchrist,— a radical step no other major presidential candidate has embraced.
He would force a test case to the Supreme Court to challenge birthright citizenship, and would push Congress to pass a 28th Amendment to the Constitution to remove any doubt.
He thinks the case against U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean was railroaded. "I would make it my first act as president to pardon agents Ramos and Compean."
The Washington Times, January 8, 2008
For all you Hunter supporters: where was your candidate when all these illegals were coming in the country with the blessings of big business to fulfill their desire for cheap labor? He, the Chambers of Commerce (a repub. front for the most part), and most of you, turned a blind eye while the case was made that it benefited business. Now that YOU helped lure them here, you send out your attack-dogs like Hunter to stoke racist fears in the ignorant wingnut populace for political gain. Good riddance to another wingnut goon!
As someone else on this thread indicated, you R. Paul supporters are wasting space, in more ways than one. Paul is a defender of the constitution all right, especially the part where blacks count as ~40% of a person. We're also likely to find that Paul and the other so-called constitutionalists (like Scalia) look down on airplanes, automobiles, satellites, etc. because they are nowhere mentioned in the constitution. The Paul approach to law approaches the moronic. My only surprise is that such an approach doesn't get more traction in the wingnut electorate.....just goes to show how loony-toons the other repub-bot candidates must be to attract such a voting block away from Paul!
If you are a hard core conservative and want to see a change in this nation, i suggest checking out Ron Paul. He placed Second in Nevada and is in it for the long haul. He is being marginalized by the mainstream, but has the money to keep pushing. ronpaul2008.com Check out his record. Youtube :Ron Paul Hope for America
Hunter was one of only three Republicans I could have voted for. Now there is only Ron Paul left. And where are all these remaining guys hiding on MLK day? I have heard nothing on participation at any of the many commerations by any Republican candidate. Anyone have a story about this? Am I right on that?
It seems that the inherent racism of the right wing is on display.
WOW!!....CNN (Clinton News Network) actually put Duncan's name and picture up on it's web site. Amazing what kind of coverage you can get AFTER you have dropped out. America lost this weekend. May God have mercy on your souls. Funny what money will do for you and your campaign. Funny what owning a part of Baine Communications will do for you as well.
Send Duncan a donut!
I still think Hillary Clinton has the most experience to run this country and bring us back strong. Obama does not. Maybe in 8 years he might. If everyone listened to Hillary and what she can and will do for the people how can you not vote for Hillary Clinton. Just think about it. I just do not get what the people are thinking. Go Hillary!!!!!!!!


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With an international team of investigators still seemingly baffled about what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared over the weekend, relatives of the passengers and diplomats from countries touched by the mishap have vented their frustration with the Malaysian government. For days, it seems, Malaysian officials and the state-owned carrier have released almost no information about the flight or working theories of why it vanished. Malaysia Airlines did not even inform relatives for 15 hours that the plane had disappeared, sending the distraught families to a hotel in Beijing to wait, and Kuala Lumpur's envoys still have mostly kept the relatives in the dark days later.
More than 100 friends and relatives of the vanished passengers signed a petition on Monday calling on the Malaysian government to be more transparent and answer questions. Several of the relatives threw bottles at Malaysia Airlines employees who came to speak with them in Beijing, where the missing plane had been headed, but mostly the officials maintained their tight-lipped approach.
The frustration felt by families of the missing is understandable and reasonable, but no one should have expected much better from the Malaysian government. Although theoretically a democracy with regular, contested elections, Malaysia has been ruled since independence by the same governing coalition that has become known for its lack of transparency and disinterest—even outright hostility—toward the press and inquiring citizens. For a relatively wealthy country, Malaysia is also unusually prone to corruption. Since the Sept. 11 attacks and the revelations that al-Qaeda members had convened planning meetings in Malaysia, the government has become intensely controlling of any information about potential terror threats
Read more » Business Week


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(CNN) - Republican Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin announced Monday that he will not run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.
Ryan said he appreciates the support of those who encouraged him to launch a bid for the White House, but that he will continue to serve in Congress.
"While humbled by the encouragement, I have not changed my mind, and therefore I am not seeking our party's nomination for President," Ryan said in a statement. "I remain hopeful that our party will nominate a candidate committed to a pro-growth agenda of reform that restores the promise and prosperity of our exceptional nation. I remain grateful to those I serve in Southern Wisconsin for the unique opportunity to advance this effort in Congress."
- CNN's Steve Brusk contributed to this report.
I'm shocked! One would think the Republicans would want another leader who offers poorly conceived and impossible to implement economic guidance. The Tea Party favorites are proving to nothing more than useless naysayers, incapable of offering any real leadership. They are the American Taliban.
He knew and still knows that it is the uphill climb that he could not even reach half of it, if he could give it a try!
I think it is funny how everyone says Paul Ryan wants to take away medicare. I am 40 years old and realize something needs to be done for future solvency of the social programs. I am willing to retire later etc. If not we will have nothing. He never said any changes to those 55 and older. I am glad he isn't running, he doesn't have enough experience. We don't want to make the same mistake that we did in 2008. We need someone with actual real life experiences. Someone who has held a real job and someone who will tell you their stance on the issues. One can draw no conclusions from looking at the current President's voting record. Is was left at "present" for a reason. We still don't know where he stands.
This little prick won't even be in politics after next year!
Didn't expect him to run, he's already hanging on by the "seat" of his dirty pants or is he waiting for people to die who will remember his medicare plan, never.
Ryan and the republicans help save Wisconsin by making it a business-friendly environment. They help make it possible for the private sector to HIRE 39,000 employees–real jobs. What thanks to they get? Clueless democrats, union slugs and the faux intellectuals calling for his ouster. The recall elections are proof of how clueless many in Wisconsin are.
Oh, and Ryan made the cuts that need to be made to save the state. Democrats hate the hard (but right) decisions.
Yes, we'd better save our money since Obama has done such a great job with the economy, healthcare and everything else! Jeez. You really want 4 more years of this misery?
No Crap ,he wouldn't stand a chance to win. He going to be Lucky If he win his seat back In Congress. If I was him I wouldn't say much between now and NOV of 2012. . I really look for the Republican and the Tea Party Lose a lot of seat In the House and the Senate. And they won't beat President Obama In 2012.
P.S. President Obama has these Republicans on the run as if they were Gadhafi. LOL
He should run ............. NEVER. The people of this country won't ever forget that the republicans/baggers want to kill granny and half the women in this country. They have to keep a few women to breed their troops for their wars for world dominance. Just ask Perry.
Eric Cantor and John Boehner would love to see him run for President. He is a threat to their leadership. Getting beaten will lower his profile making him less of a threat to them. Unfortunately for Ryan, he already alienated the Senior Citizens by his proposal to lower Medicare and Social Security benefits, so there goes a good chunk of potential reliable supporters. But just think – him as a Veep candidate for someone like Perry would almost guarantee President Obama's reelection!
Too bad. The country sure could use a brilliant guy in the Whitehouse like Paul Ryan. He's got courage and PLANS, unlike our Leader-from-the-Golf-Course Barack "The Dog Ate My Plan" Obama.
big deal!
Yeah, up yours too brow man. I doubt that anybody, which is mostly everyone in the us, would vote for somebody who wanted to do away with social security and medicare by "empowering" grandman to privatize their "entitlements" and die in the process!
BTW – you are not that good looking either if that is what you thought you would run with just like the "girls" and their fake eyelashes and winks.
Well after the 2012 election Mr Ryan (aka Eddie Munster) will have plenty of time to plan for 2016. He won't be going back to Congress.................
While humbled by the encouragement, I have not changed my mind, and therefore I am not seeking our party's nomination for President," Ryan said in a statement.
Translation: I know I would get my arse kicked.
So, the GOP took a good look at their list of candidates and now they are begging Paul Ryan and Chris Christie to run. They really are desperate. Ryan sunk himself with his ideas to put seniors on a "voucher" system. The State of NJ just got downgraded, thanks to the BIG bully Christie. The GOP has nothing but the Tea Party and that will cause the GOP to implode.
Why not? Every other lunatic Republican is running. Why don't ALL Republicans run – maybe they can find ONE who can pass a credibility test, a character test, an integrity test, a FACTS test, an American history test, or offer a single solid solution for ANYTHING. All Republicans are running on is – we hate Obama and we oppose everything he says or does regardless if we were for the same thing the week before.
Republicans are NOT leaders. They have done NOTHING for America but create a cllimate of hate, lies, racism, and economic destruction. NOT ONE JOB. NOT ONE IDEA. Just all destruction – the killing of jobs, the killing of SS and Medicare, the killing of all agencies that provide public safety. Want to eat meat with no FDA inspections? Want to trust that oil company or coal company to not contaminate your drinking water without the EPA? Want to end the minimum wage and allow child labor again? The Republican Governor of Maine now lets children NOT go to school and work fulltime for HALF the minumum wage. Republicans have gone state-by-state ending the rights of workers for safe working environments, ending the rights of women, and even ending YOUR right to VOTE. Better find out if you can still even vote in your state. Republicans have passed voter suppression laws in many states.
NO MORE REPUBLICANS in any local, state, or national office. We have to take America back from these PEOPLE-HATIING extremists who work for the greedy abusive corporations. President Obama is a REAL leader with a long list of accomplishments from saving our economy from the Bush cliff when he took office, to creating jobs every month of his Presidency (not millions like we want but Republicans are blocking all JOBS legislation – 3 bills so far), had regained the respect of our ALLIES for America, has gotten Osama and crippled Al Qaeda, has helped Egypt, Libya and now Syria gain their freedom from cruel and terrorist dictators and has handled every national crisis with calm. intelligence, and solid solutions. President Obama, unlike Republicans, cares about ALL Americans and work for the PEOPLE. He, unlike Republcians, is a good and decent man who has real family values, real Christian morals, and is full of innate honor, character, integrity, and believes in and has real solutions for a successful America to keep up the best in the world for the future. Don't believe the Republican lies, slander and racism. They are just desperate because they have NOTHING real to offer America. Their strategy is only to attack President Obama, oppose everything he says or does, and it is really old and worn out idiotic failed policy at this point.
Ask Republican what THEY stand for? Ask them where the JOBS are? Ask them what THEY have planned for the PEOPLE? They have no answers and will have none. They only support corporations and the rich. They will keep destroying America until we get them out of office.
Liberals amaze me...this man has more brains in his pinky than Obama has in his head...if liberals would hate less, they could think more. Thank God 2012 is soon here so we can be rid of liberals and their "give me" idealism.
Thank goodness, some good news on a Monday.
Peace 🙂
Keith said that Ryan had more brains in his pinkie than Obama has in his head. I always thought that republicans did their thinking with a different body part.
@ Keith
Liberals amaze me...this man has more brains in his pinky than Obama has in his head...if liberals would hate less, they could think more. Thank God 2012 is soon here so we can be rid of liberals and their "give me" idealism.
Another apolgist for the uber-rich. and laced with another insult. It appears the Hypocritcal Right is at it again, insulting people, and then playing a victim. Got news for you: we'll toss you out on your butts, and there will be no ACORN to blame, only your own failed ideology. You are living your life based on a false premise that the rich actually care for you. They don't. They got rich by crushing fools into thinking their largesse was a helping hand. No, my friend, you will be embarrassed by the whipping that's coming your way, and the insults that pass for analysis amongst you and your ilk will go the way of the dodo.
Conservatism, an evolutionary dead-end. Oh, I forgot, you folks still think cavemen and dinosaurs walked the earth together. Too much for one post.
@ Democrat Class Warfare – Destroying the economy, destroying the country
Too bad. The country sure could use a brilliant guy in the Whitehouse like Paul Ryan. He's got courage and PLANS, unlike our Leader-from-the-Golf-Course Barack "The Dog Ate My Plan" Obama.
Remember the Crawford Idiot? How much vacation did he take over 8 years? What about the 1 month vacation Boehener is taking? Personally, I like to think of our President as the man who got Bin Laden and the man who forced Quadaffi from power without the loss of a SINGLE AMERICAN LIFE! Think about that as my nephew gets prepared to ship out again to clean up the mess the cons left in Afghanistan.
I think he needs to concentrate on keeping the job he has. That one is in serious jeopardy according to the latest news reports.


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Step into the glamping universe
Glamping means glamorous camping – it is all about bringing the luxury of a hotel room into the wild and wonderful outdoors. And the fancy camping style is more popular than ever.
Glamping has spread out into the entire world, and here you can explore the different cultures interpretation of the concept "glamping".
Description for Japan
Nordisk Polar Bear Camp
Twice a year 500 city dwellers in Taiwan leave the city to go to the Nordisk Polar Bear Camp. At the camp fans of Nordisk meet and live out a full glamping dream with beautifully decorated tents. The atmosphere is cosy and hospitable, and many friendships are made.


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5 (Nearly) Kill-Proof Houseplants
Bringing a plant into your home doesn't just enhance your décor but it will actually help purify the air in your dwelling. Sure we've all had that one bad experience with some plant we picked up from the grocery store that quickly turned into a wilting mess. But don't be intimidated by past failures, here are five nearly kill-proof house plants with care tips from Dr. Neil Mattson, Assistant Professor of Floriculture Extension in the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University. Keep in mind that according to Dr. Mattson, "It's amazing what plants can survive."
Slideshow: 5 (Nearly) Kill-Proof Houseplants
1. Aloe Vera—Dr. Mattson particularly appreciates the dual purpose of the aloe vera plant—besides being attractive and hands-off, the spikes release a gel that has healing and moisturizing benefits.
2. Orchids—Although orchids get a rap as being difficult to rebloom, Dr. Mattson insists that the moth orchid, or Phaleonopsis, doesn't deserve the finicky reputation. "Orchids are hard to mess-up, you just have to be aware of what conditions they require in nature—lots of sunshine and not nearly as much water as most gardeners try to provide," says Dr. Mattson. Stick to watering just once a week. Trigger another bloom cycle by putting the orchid in a cooler location—around 60 degrees.
3. Spider Plants—Easy to propagate as well as to care for, "spider plants are like a gateway plant," says Dr. Mattson. Take a cutting, stick it into water, wait for roots, and then plant in soil—it's incredibly easy to have spider plants on every shelf that's remotely near a window in your home.
4. African Violets—These quaint undemanding plants brighten up any windowsill with their purple blooms. They respond best to indirect sunlight's and moist soil. Keep them reblooming by using a specialized fertilizer in all seasons except the winter.
And last but no least…
5. Mother-in-Law's Tongue — not only offers an elegant structured shape, but it's actually "hard to kill," says Dr. Mattson. The architectural spikes can grow up 3-4 feet tall and the plant can handle most interior conditions. They do best in a window that receives semi-to-full sun and needs watering about once a week.
For more on gardening, consider:
Touring a Japanese Garden
Touring Middleton Place, SC
Brooklyn Botanical Garden Tour


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This week! Books!
What a week.
Now that I'm the social media manager at CNET rather than a literary agent (Note for emphasis: Not a literary agent. No more queries, pleaaasssseeee!!!), I'm at the whims of the tech news cycle and it doesn't get much bigger than this week. I've had my nose to a screen pretty much nonstop.
The life of Steve Jobs has been endlessly parsed and discussed and debated since his passing (here's a massively comprehensive roundup from CNET), and it's amazing how deep his influence runs. To just take one little corner of the world, the publishing industry, he had a massive impact. For someone who famously said that no one reads anymore, he sure shook up the book world.
The iPad ushered in a completely new way of reading that will transform books forever. Sure, e-ink readers are still popular, but tablets will soon be ubiquitous and we'll increasingly do our reading not on paper but on screens.
And even beyond the reading experience, the app store model is now how the Big 6 publishers sell their e-books, resulting in curiosities like e-books sometimes costing more than hardcovers. His influence is everywhere.
We lost a great innovator way too soon. He'll definitely be missed.
Meanwhile, I managed to snag some links from the past few weeks in between all the frantic tweeting and Facebook posting I've been doing for work, and here they be. Oh, and for all the latest tech news (and to see what I do for my day job, follow CNET on Facebook and Twitter!)
First up, it sure seems that interest in self-publishing is running very high, if the fantastic comments on last Thursday's post are any indication. And agent Sarah LaPolla had a really awesome week of posts on all things self-publishing. First was her own take on the self-publishing landscape (along with three valid worries about it), and then some really great interviews with Marilyn Peake, Tracy Marchini, Karen Amanda Hooper, and Michelle Davidson Argyle. Check it out!
Dare I say blog fatigue is setting in among the bloggerati? Author Natalie Whipple admitted that she's tired of blogging (Internet negativity being a big factor), and none other than J.A. Konrath is taking an indefinite hiatus, saying he's tired of screaming. I'll post more about this on Monday – speaking personally I haven't lost the blogging love, but logistically it's definitely hard to keep up.
In writing advice news, the Children's Literature Network has an amazing collection of thoughts on voice, editor Alan Rinzler has advice on pursuing traditional publication from three amazing editors, Patricia Wrede talks about character development (via Livia Blackburne), and io9 has a great post by Charlie Jane Anders about the ten types of writer's block and how to overcome them.
"Big" books seem obvious in retrospect, but they often start as seemingly small ideas. Agent Betsy Lerner has an amazing post on this phenomenon.
Reader Noreen pointed me to a really fascinating article on the way fiction has influenced our perception of reality, which wraps up with the layered satire of Stephen Colbert. Really interesting stuff.
And Jennifer Hubbard has a great collection of inspiring posts.
This week in the Forums, discussion Steve Jobs' death, your most random writing fodder moment, multimedia e-books, is blogging a bad idea for writers, discussing CreateSpace, and the future of YA. Oh, and Rachel Ventura created a cool blog logo based on Nathan's hot dogs!
Comment! of! the! week! I should probably say weeks! goes to Matthew MacNish, who had a great summary of Stieg Larsson's prose:
The writing is kind of like Swedish architecture and design: austere, yet functional.
And finally, Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement address has been watched over 10 million times, but if you haven't yet watched it please do yourself a favor and do so:
Have a great weekend!