Time to reflect on the year and every year that has gone bye. The thing about Christmas, not so much a religion celebration of GOD but a way for entire communities around the planet in achieving hope, love, sharing, caring, togetherness and most certenley world peace. This alone is the true meaning of Christmas of any religious beliefs, one that brings an individual of understanding what it is to be more humane than human. To push your limits to a threshold where others also benefit from the example of one person. A hero if you will that fills your heart no matter who that person is and you don't even think to judge that human because you were inspired. This alone will bring people together and strive for a better tomorrow. What helps here is the time you sacrifice for anything or anyone, the best example of this mood is a dog, always waiting for you to come home and always willing to be with you wherever you go. I know of no greater heart and the reason why is because that creature loves you. In the pass 13 years I've come up with a way for all of us to move forward and that is we all love something, it is this sense of emotion that will bring us together no matter who you are and looking at one another we have this in common in order to bond. In the passage at the top of this blog you read about Apollo 13, this is the ship we are on and the goal of the day is to be happy in what we are doing, now how is that going to work? I've worked on this from one end to another where it will help in business and a family unit as a whole. Just Google rightwiththeship and get a feel of what this is about, I can tell you from here it's about all of us, the good people of Earth willing to work and sacrifice for a better tomorrow, Team Earth. Want some mechanics of this, look at The G.C.C.U. time to earn it for those in business who only believe in themselves, this theory is not helping you and it is that which we will change because feeling in life of what you are doing is going to out weigh what you are profiting this will come later from the volume, simply your making people happy and that works. I'm Native American and I'm here for Us, Mark Brewer What Brought Us Together (List) Video uploaded by U Tube userJean-Louis Nguyen
Well since 1995 Transparency International has been grading corruption in all countries. At the head of the class Sweden has always been at the top coming in 4th place in 2011 with a score of 9.3, that is excellent. I mean even during WWII Hitler went around Sweden, why? Germany was already receiving iron ore from Sweden on a cash and carry basis. Germany also needed a neutral country as a conduit for goods and foreign currency, and a stage for negotiations and an outlet to the world. As bizarre as it sounds, some goods and materials were purchased by neutral 3rd countries from Allied nations (the US for example) and sold to the Germans via Sweden. Traditionally a neutral country for over 200 years and Hitler did not want to bother Sweden when he already had Norway, a more strategically located nation. Being neutral does have advantages but will also get you in trouble working with the wrong partners as is happening for Swiss Bank UBS. For example, the Swiss bank had agreed in 2009 to pay $780 million to settle charges that it had helped clients avoid taxes. Wednesday Dec 19th UBS announced it would plead guilty to one count of felony wire fraud as part of a broader settlement. With federal prosecutors, British, Swiss and American regulators secured about $1.5 billion in fines, more than triple the only other rate-rigging case, against Barclays, their first Libor (rate-rigging) settlement, a $450 million payout. The Justice Department said two former UBS senior traders, Tom Alexander William Hayes, 33, of Britain, and Roger Darin, 41, of Switzerland, will be charged with conspiracy, while Hayes also will be charged with wire fraud in New York federal court. Justice Department officials said they believed the two men were in Britain and Switzerland, and would be seeking their extradition.
Lanny A. Breuer
“We are holding those who did wrong accountable,” Lanny A. Breuer, the head of the Justice Department’s criminal division, said at a news conference on Wednesday. “We cannot, and we will not, tolerate misconduct on Wall Street.” By securing a guilty plea against a subsidiary, the department has shown that it is willing to punish severely one of the world’s most powerful banks. Fallout from the UBS case is expected to increase pressure on some of the world’s largest financial institutions and spur settlement talks across the banking industry. UBS said some of its personnel had "engaged in efforts to manipulate submissions for certain benchmark rates to benefit trading positions" and that some employees had "colluded with employees at other banks and cash brokers to influence certain benchmark rates to benefit their trading positions." Britain's financial regulator called the misconduct by UBS "extensive and broad," with the rate-fixing carried out from UBS offices in London and Zurich.The most significant wrongdoing took place within the Japanese unit, where traders colluded with other banks and brokerage firms to tinker with yen-denominated Libor and bolster their returns. Since Thanksgiving, UBS has tried to negotiate lower penalties with the regulator, according to people briefed on the matter. But David Meister, the agency’s enforcement chief, would not back down from $700 million in fines, an agency record. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission cited more than 2,000 instances of illegal acts involving dozens of UBS employees across continents.
Gary S. Gensler
“The settlement reflects the magnitude of the wrongdoing and how critical it is that these be honest and reliable,” said Gary S. Gensler, chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the American regulator that opened the UBS investigation. The Royal Bank of Scotland has said it expects to pay fines before its next earnings statement in February, while American institutions, including JPMorgan Chase, also remain in regulators’ cross hairs.
Sergio Ermotti
"We deeply regret this inappropriate and unethical behavior. No amount of profit is more important than the reputation of this firm," said UBS Chief Executive Sergio Ermotti. Well I guess Santa is coming to town to mop up and for Sweden's grade for Transparency I guess this will cut down some, looks like we are going to change even if you are to big to fail. Good People of Earth have had enough and the pressure is ON! Video uploaded by U Tube userAlJazeeraEnglish
Veteran Explorer To Attempt The Coldest Journey On Earth
Veteran polar explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, will take on one of the last remaining polar challenges by attempting to cross Antarctica in winter – the coldest journey on Earth – with five colleagues and with the support of the Commonwealth and a number of sponsors.
On 6 December 2012, on board the expedition’s South African ice-strengthened research ship, ‘SA Agulhas’, the expedition team – led by Sir Ranulph – will leave London , bound for Antarctica. Their aim is to complete ‘The Coldest Journey’ – the first-ever trans-Antarctic winter expedition. The Coldest Journey will also attempt to raise USD10 million for Seeing is Believing, a global charitable initiative to fight avoidable blindness. During their sea voyage, the team will undertake a number of scientific tasks to provide unique data on marine life, oceanography and meteorology. Using the very latest technological innovations, this epoch-making journey will pave the way for a new dawn in Antarctic, year-round exploration.
On 21 March 2013, the equinox, the six expedition members will begin a six month journey to reach the Ross Sea. Their route from the Russian base of Novolazareskaya (‘Novo’) to Captain Scott’s base at McMurdo Sound – via the South Pole – will test the limits of human endurance. During this six month period the expedition team will travel nearly 4,000 kilometres, mostly in complete darkness in temperatures as low as -90°C. The expedition team will have to be entirely self-sufficient and there will be no search and rescue facility available, as aircraft cannot penetrate inland during winter, due to darkness and risk of fuel freezing.
Previously, the furthest any expedition has ever ventured into Antarctica during the winter is 60 miles. On this forthcoming journey, Sir Ranulph and his team will aim to cover 2,000 miles in six months, crossing the polar plateau at an average height of 10,000ft above sea level.
With a winter crossing of the Arctic having recently been completed by a Norwegian expedition, this is the first ever attempt at an Antarctic winter crossing and one of the last remaining polar challenges.
Of the Antarctic traverse, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Expedition Leader of The Coldest Journey, said: “This will be my greatest challenge to date. We will stretch the limits of human endurance. Britain and the Commonwealth has a strong heritage of exploration, from Captain Cook 300 years ago to the present day. As such, it is fitting that a Commonwealth team should be the first to fulfil this last great polar expedition.
“It is a unique opportunity to carry out a number of scientific tasks in the extreme polar environment, which will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the true effects of global warming on the Antarctic continent.”
As well as conquering this final frontier of polar exploration, the expedition also aims to make a decisive contribution to our understanding of the effect of climate change upon the poles. CryoSat-2 (an environmental research satellite launched by the European Space Agency in April 2010) is designed to track changes in the mass of the polar ice caps by measuring the distance to the surface of the ice to within half an inch. Year-round calibration on the ground is the only way to validate this data, so the readings taken by trained members of the Ice Team will form a vital part of this research. This work is one of five international scientific projects which have been selected by the Science Committee, including mapping the height of the landmass using new GPS techniques and taking core samples to establish the water flow from the ice sheet. The Ice Team will also be sampling for cryo-bacteria capable of withstanding the extreme cold conditions.
In addition, scientists on board its ice-strengthened Antarctic supply and training vessel, SA Agulhas – a ship generously provided by the South African Maritime Safety Authority – will make detailed oceanographic, marine biological and meteorological observations on behalf of a number of research bodies around the world.
Anton Bowring, Co-leader of The Coldest Journey, with responsibility for the marine activities of the Coldest Journey said: “As well as conquering this final frontier of polar exploration, the expedition also aims to make a decisive contribution to our understanding of global climate change and its impact on the polar ice caps. In addition we will use this great opportunity to increase our knowledge of the marine and polar environments and the impact on them by natural and man-made factors.”
While the ultimate objective is to complete The Coldest Journey, the exploration team intend to raise USD10 million for Seeing is Believing (SiB) – a global initiative led by Standard Chartered and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) to tackle avoidable blindness in developing countries. Since its launch in 2003, the programme has reached over 28 million people. Eighty per cent of the world’s blindness is avoidable – meaning it can be prevented or treated. For as little as USD30 a person’s sight can be restored, allowing them to get back to work or school. Yet 39 million people are currently blind and without effective intervention, which is expected to rise to 76 million by 2020.
A further 246 million people are either moderately or severely visually impaired, simply for the lack of a basic pair of eyeglasses. Every dollar raised for SiB is matched by Standard Chartered, doubling the impact the organisation can make on the ground.
Sir Ranulph’s charitable endeavours on past expeditions have raised a total of £15m to date.
Sir Ranulph added: “I have been on some amazing expeditions and seen many of the beautiful and unique sights the world has to offer. When I discovered Seeing is Believing, what it stood for, and understood how easily avoidable blindness could be prevented, it inspired me and my colleagues to undertake this challenge. It is a fantastic cause and I would urge everyone who follows our progress to donate to it via www.thecoldestjourney.org.”
The expedition also offers a unique opportunity to generate diverse, engaging, real-time educational content for schools. The expedition will have far-reaching educational value and study opportunities encompassing maths, history, geography, biology and physics, there to inspire young people in the possibilities of high achievement.
Microsoft has developed a bespoke password-protected platform for this purpose that will be continually updated using cloud technology, for a modest donation this will be accessible to more than 43,000 schools in the UK and hundreds of thousands of schools throughout the Commonwealth which accounts for approximately one third of the world’s population.
Students will be able to follow the expedition’s progress, take part in competitions, and study fully integrated curriculum modules. These courses are currently being developed by Durham’s Education Development Service – one of the UK’s leading education resource providers – in partnership with Sir Ranulph and the expedition scientists, engineers, mechanics and ship’s crew and training officers.
Sir Ranulph’s attempt to complete The Coldest Journey is the latest in the long line of record-breaking achievements that have seen him become the first man to reach both Poles by surface travel. It also follows his hike to the summit of Everest, where he became the oldest Briton ever to do so. The Coldest Journey represents what may be Sir Ranulph’s final expedition, and one which despite being aged 68, he could not have undertaken any earlier in life.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has not previously granted permits for winter expeditions in Antarctica as they are deemed too dangerous; a testament to the sophistication of the technology required for this traverse. Sir Ranulph and the expedition team will be equipped with high-tech equipment, including battery-powered heated clothing and specially designed breathing apparatus to enable them to survive at -70°C and possibly at -90°C.
Finning, one of the world’s largest distributors of Caterpillar® equipment and powers systems, are providing customisation solutions and modifying two D6N track-type tractors to tow two specially engineered cabooses (sledges mounted living quarters) for scientific work, accommodation and storage, and sledges designed to carry 155,000 litres of special fuel designed not to freeze. The D6Ns have also been designed to cope with the extreme temperatures and harsh Antarctic environment. The 20 tonne vehicles will be equipped with radars to identify the lethal perils of crevasse fields. Bespoke cloud and satellite technologies provided by Microsoft and Iridium will enable real-time updates on the expedition’s progress.
The expedition departs from London in the centenary year of Captain Scott’s death in the Antarctic in 1912.
This piece of land has the oldest of any human culture and has been invaded by many different peoples, including Ancient Egyptians, Canaanites, Israelites', Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, the Sunni Arab Caliphates, the Shia Fatimid Caliphate, Crusaders, Ayyubids, Mameluks, Ottomans, the British and modern Israelis and Palestinians. Just to give you an idea the Roman Republic influenced the region between 63-73 BC in the Third Mithridatic War and splitting the former Hasmonean Kingdom into five districts. So since anyone can remember and looking back on history this land has been concurred, sliced and diced. Now moving ahead in time according to Alexander Scholch, (Former Professor of Modern Middle East Studies at the University of Erlangen in Germany) the population of Palestine in 1850 was about 350,000 inhabitants, 30% of whom lived in 13 towns; roughly 85% were Muslims, 11% were Christians and 4% Jews. The 1894 Dreyfus Affair in France shocked Jews into realizing they would not be safe from arbitrary antisemitism unless they had their own country. It involved the conviction for treason in November 1894 of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a young French artillery officer of Alsatian Jewish descent. Sentenced to life imprisonment for allegedly having communicated French military secrets to the German Embassy in Paris, Dreyfus was sent to the penal colony at Devil's Island in French Guiana and placed in solitary confinement, where he was to spend almost 5 years. Two years later, in 1896, evidence came to light identifying a French Army major named Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy as the real culprit. In 1882 and 1914 the immigration of 65,000 European Jews came ashore. This was the beginning of the Zionist movement supported by the British in WW1. The Balfour Declaration was carefully negotiated after centuries of living in a land outside of Israel. The British secured Jerusalem in December 1917. The British moved into the Jordan valley in 1918 and a campaign by the Entente into northern Palestine led to victory at Megiddo in September. The British were formally awarded the mandate to govern the region in 1922. The non-Jewish Palestinians revolted in 1920, 1929 and 1936. Land was being strip away from local inhabitants (The Palestine's) where for the people of the land could not figure how a European power could decide the use of a non European territory, this is when the first clashes between Jews and Palestinians began. Between 1920 and 1931 a total of 108,825 emergent Jews arrived. When Hitler came into power in Germany additional 175,000 Jews migrated to Palestine. In 1947, following World War II and the Holocaust, the British Government announced its desire to terminate the Mandate, and the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending partition into an Arab state, a Jewish state and the Special International Regime for the City of Jerusalem. The Jewish leadership accepted the proposal, but the Arab Higher Committee rejected it; a civil war began immediately, and the establishment of the State of Israel was declared in 1948. The 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes were unable to return following the Lausanne Conference, 1949. In the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Israel captured and incorporated a further 26% of the Mandate territory, Jordan captured the region today known as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip was captured by Egypt. In the course of the Six Day War in June 1967, Israel captured the rest of Mandate Palestine from Jordan and Egypt, and began a policy of Israeli settlements. From 1987 to 1993, the First Palestinian Intifada against Israel took place, which included the Declaration of the State of Palestine in 1988 and ended with the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords. In 2000, the Second or Al-Aqsa Intifada began, and Israel built a security barrier. Following Israel's unilateral disengagement plan of 2004, it withdrew all settlers and most of the military presence from the Gaza strip, but maintained control of the air space and coast. In 2012 the State of Palestine replaced the PLO as UN observer following United Nations General Assembly resolution 67/19. It would seem that the British along with the UN has not really helped the Palestine people. But now with The Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, this could lead to War Crimes for the Jews. It would seem to me if you were a people without a country and embarked on foreign land where you were not invited, you should be on your best behavior to be welcomed. This did not happen and you know something the Jews might be boarding a boat again, might want to learn how to get along with fellow humans, or I guess you could blame The British if you can't fuss up, together you wrote history. Update Sunday Dec 2nd 2012: Israel said to The Palestinian Authority that it is holding its transfer of tax revenue due to the fact that the UN approved the recognition of the Palestinian State. Reason being so they claim, that $200 million is owed to Israel Electric from the authority. Well once again nothing like putting your best foot forward. The cash-strapped authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the occupied West Bank, largely depends on the tax money ($100 Million per month) to pay civil servants' salaries, Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior Palestinian official, said Israel was guilty of "piracy and theft" by refusing to hand over the funds.
We, the Palestinian Arab people, based on our right of self-defense and the complete restoration of our lost homeland- a right that has been recognized by international covenants and common practices including the Charter of the United Nations-and in implementation of the principles of human rights, and comprehending the international political relations, with its various ramifications and dimensions, and considering the past experiences in all that pertains to the causes of the catastrophe, and the means to face it. Palestine to The United Nations Video uploaded by U Tube userArabCDF
