Obama family goes to the movies to see 'Avatar'

US scanners went unused at Nigeria airport

Suicide bomber invited on base

A former senior intelligence official says the man was being courted as an informant and that it was the first time he had been brought inside the camp. An experienced CIA debriefer came from Kabul for the meeting, suggesting that the purpose was to gain intelligence, the official said.
The former intelligence official and another former official with knowledge of the attack spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The CIA would not confirm the details, and said it was still gathering evidence on the incident...
TSA subpoenas bloggers, demands names of sources
WASHINGTON – As the government reviews how an alleged terrorist was able to bring a bomb onto a U.S.-bound plane and try to blow it up on Christmas Day, the Transportation Security Administration is going after bloggers who wrote about a directive to increase security after the incident.TSA special agents served subpoenas to travel bloggers Steve Frischling and Chris Elliott, demanding that they reveal who leaked the security directive to them. The government says the directive was not supposed to be disclosed to the public.
Frischling said he met with two TSA special agents Tuesday night at his Connecticut home for about three hours and again on Wednesday morning when he was forced to hand over his lap top computer. Frischling said the agents threatened to interfere with his contract to write a blog for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines if he didn't cooperate and provide the name of the person who leaked the memo."It literally showed up in my box," Frischling told The Associated Press. "I do not know who it came from." He said he provided the agents a signed statement to that effect...
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Frischling said he met with two TSA special agents Tuesday night at his Connecticut home for about three hours and again on Wednesday morning when he was forced to hand over his lap top computer. Frischling said the agents threatened to interfere with his contract to write a blog for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines if he didn't cooperate and provide the name of the person who leaked the memo."It literally showed up in my box," Frischling told The Associated Press. "I do not know who it came from." He said he provided the agents a signed statement to that effect...
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Afghan official: 10 civilians killed in coalition operation

Said Fazelayallah, governor of Kunar province, told CNN Monday that 10 civilians were killed. Coalition forces said they killed their military targets, he said, but a delegation sent by the governor to investigate reported the civilian casualties.
Shanks said that, from the top down, civilian casualties are of great concern to the coalition, whether they be from military or insurgent action....
Judge tosses Blackwater case,cites government missteps

Urbina said the prosecutors ignored the advice of senior Justice Department officials and improperly built their case on sworn statements that had been given under a promise of immunity. Urbina said the government's explanations were "contradictory, unbelievable and lacking in credibility.,,,"
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Picture Left:Blackwater Worldwide's headquarters is seen in Moyock, N.C. U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina dismissed all charges against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards charged in a deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009.(AP Photo/Gerry Broome, File)
CIA caught in dirty and secretive war against al-Qaeda on Afghan border

The CIA’s main strike weapons are the drones that loiter over the border areas 24 hours a day, watching and listening to telephone networks. While the drones provide surveillance and electronic intelligence and carry out strikes, human intelligence is far harder to acquire among remote communities suspicious of any outsider.
Then there are the night raids against suspected insurgent and al-Qaeda linked leaders. It was an operation by what are euphemistically called “other government agencies” that was alleged to have killed a number of students in Kunar province on Saturday, causing widespread anger in Afghanistan...
Militants Behead 6 Afghans for Government Cooperation

General Petraeus 'absolutely certain' that Peter Moore was held in Iran

Mr Moore was set free yesterday after the United States handed over an Iraqi insurgent suspected of planning the deaths of five American servicemen.He was released by the League of the Righteous, or Asaib al-Haq (AAH) – an extremist Shia group allied to Iran – and his first night of freedom was spent at the British Embassy in Baghdad
General Petraeus accused Iran of involvement in the kidnapping within three weeks of the men being seized....
DECEPTION WATCH:Megachurch Pastor Rick Warren Asks for Urgent Donations

Warren made the appeal in a letter posted on the Saddleback Church Web site. It begins "Dear Saddleback Family, THIS IS AN URGENT LETTER.""With 10 percent of our church family out of work due to the recession, our expenses in caring for our community in 2009 rose dramatically while our income stagnated," the letter reads.Still, Warren said the church managed to stay within its budget, but "the bottom dropped out" when Christmas donations dropped. "On the last weekend of 2009, our total offerings were less than half of what we normally receive — leaving us $900,000 in the red for the year," the letter reads."It's basically having to do more with less," church spokesman A. Larry Ross said. "The seasonal Christmas offering was down significantly and, commensurately, the need for services the church is expected to provide is up," Ross said.
Warren's appeal presents an opportunity for those who haven't been hit by the recession to step up and help, Ross said....
PS:Could it be that people are finally waking up to the fact of what this "ministry" as many others like this are all about and don't want to give away money to spread more deception...?
I've received many emails asking for money from big megachurches an TV ministries this past week...So far only one of those is actually biblical and I don't see any shady bussiness going on with it and I don't see any deception...I can't say the same for the rest of them.It actually made me upset that they would ask for money when the heads of these ministries themselves live in megahouses,have private jets,move around like Hollywood stars with all their entourage and body guards and MAKE A MERCHANDISE OF THE TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST...!!!
It is time for the Church of the Lord Jesus to stand up and call these "ministries" for what they are....
People seems to have no fear of God at all with what they do and how they duped people!!!!!
May God have mercy of these "preachers" for all the people they have taken from and have deceived and hurt.
Please IF you dont agree with me is fine with me--but please spare me the hate mail!!!!Thank you...
As in the days of Noah...
Pakistan to Seek Terror Charges Against 5 Arrested Americans

The young Muslim men, who are from the Washington, D.C., area, were captured in the eastern Pakistani city of Sargodha. The case spurred fears that Westerners are traveling to Pakistan to join militant groups....
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Picture Left:(AP)American Muslims, from left, Waqir Hussain Khan, Ramys Zamzam, Umar Farooq, Ahmad Abdulminni, Aman Hasan Yamer.
Obama Vetoes First Piece of Legislation

Dutch to Use Full Body Scanners for U.S. Flights
AP: The Netherlands announced Wednesday it will immediately begin using full body scanners for flights heading to the United States, saying that could have stopped the attempted Christmas Day airline bombing....
Yemen:"Visa of Nigerian would-be-bomber expired"

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Ron Paul son Rand makes Ky. Senate run official

Rand Paul, a Kentucky eye surgeon, has raised more than $1.7 million for his campaign largely by reaching out to people who had supported his father's unsuccessful presidential bid.He's running for the seat being vacated by fellow Republican Jim Bunning.Kentucky has trended Republican in recent years, with both of its Senate seats and four of six House seats in GOP hands.
Christmas Terror Attempt May Open Door for Military Action in U.S. Cities

White powder in envelope sent to MP triggers Commons terror alert

Comments on the envelope – which was sent from within the UK – suggest it had been sent by a supporter of the far right or someone purporting to be one.Emergency procedures were activated, but tests proved that the powder was harmless. It is understood that the Commons Speaker, John Bercow, and his most senior officials were kept informed of developments.Detectives are examining the envelope, the written comments and the postmark to try to trace the sender. They want to establish whether this was an isolated incident or the start of a campaign by criminal elements on the far right....
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Picture Left: Shahid Malik. Photograph: Nigel Roddis/Reuters
Delta offering vouchers to Flight 253 passengers

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Picture Left: This picture provided by J.P. Karas shows Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on the runway after arriving at Detroit Metropolitan Airport from Amsterdam on Friday, Dec. 25, 2009.(AP Photo/J.P. Karas)
Most Carry-Ons Banned On Flights From Canada To U.S
Transport Canada: On December 28, Transport Canada put in place enhanced security measures for passengers on flights bound for the United States. Effective immediately, US bound passengers are not allowed to bring carry on bags into the cabin of the aircraft, with some exceptions. Passengers may carry with them the following items: medication or medical devices, small purses, cameras, coats, items for care of infants, laptop computers, crutches, canes, walkers, containers carrying life sustaining items, a special needs item, musical instruments, or diplomatic or consular bags.
•Transport Canada: Update to Security Measures
•Transport Canada: Update to Security Measures
Lawmakers Spar Over Nominee for TSA Chief in Wake of Terror Attempt
Fox News: "The attempted terror attack in Detroit is a perfect example of why the Obama administration should not unionize the TSA and allow our airline security decisions to be dictated by union bosses," DeMint said in a written statement sent to FoxNews.com.
•Fox News: Lawmakers Spar Over Nominee for TSA Chief in Wake of Terror Attempt
•Fox News: Lawmakers Spar Over Nominee for TSA Chief in Wake of Terror Attempt
NY Lawmaker Wants Ethnic Profiling of Terror Suspects
WNYW: "There is no question that the government has a compelling interest in protecting the lives and safety of its citizenry from terrorist attacks," says Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat of Brooklyn. "The history of modern terrorism has taught us that these attacks are repeatedly executed by young Muslim men of Arab or South Asian origin. This is not a time for political correctness."
•WNYW: Lawmaker Wants Ethnic Profiling of Terror Suspects
•WNYW: Lawmaker Wants Ethnic Profiling of Terror Suspects
Full-Body Imaging: Airliner Attack Reopens Privacy vs. Safety Debate
NBC DFW: The scanners are able to detect weapons and explosives in places security screeners are not allowed to touch in physical pat-down searches, such as the groin area and even body cavities where items could be concealed...
•NBC DFW: Airports Slow to Receive Whole-Body Imaging Scanners
•NBC DFW: Airports Slow to Receive Whole-Body Imaging Scanners
‘Underwear Bomb’ Packed Enough Explosive to Bring Down Flight 253
"Dogs, if trained, can detect it. But many people have adverse reactions to having dogs sniff their private parts..."
Dem Congresswoman Demands Terrorist Tracking System Changes
"The assessment of behavioral tendencies, that is not profiling, but it is the same misstep that we made in Fort Hood."
Obama Breaks From Vacation to Assure U.S. Will Hunt Failed Plane Attack’s Backers
Reuters: "We will not rest until we find all who were involved and hold them accountable," Obama said, interrupting his year-end vacation in Hawaii to assure Americans that his administration was doing all it could to ensure security after a Nigerian man managed to smuggle explosives onto a Detroit-bound flight. "The American people should be assured that we are doing everything in our power to keep you and your family safe and secure during this busy holiday season," he said.
•Reuters: Obama says U.S. to hunt failed plane attack's backers
•Reuters: Obama says U.S. to hunt failed plane attack's backers
Passenger Records New TSA Regulations in Action on Jet Blue Flight
"Unfortunately, we're not going to have any live TV today..."
•Gawker: JetBlue Pilot's Agonized Announcement: The TSA's Draconian Reactionary Rules
•Gawker: JetBlue Pilot's Agonized Announcement: The TSA's Draconian Reactionary Rules
Radio Interview: Witness Says Terrorist Suspect Aided Onto Northwest Flight Sans Passport
MLive.com: While [Umar Farouk Abdul] Mutallab was poorly dressed, his friend was dressed in an expensive suit, [passenger Kurt Haskell of Newport, Mich.] said. He says the suited man asked ticket agents whether Mutallab could board without a passport. “The guy said, 'He's from Sudan and we do this all the time.....'”
THE "UNDERWEAR BOMBER" WATCH....

--Obama under fire on national security...
--Says US intel had info ahead of attack...
--'Systemic failure' allowed airline plot...
--Breach Was 'Catastrophic'...
--Many question 'system worked' comment...
--BIG SIS: Will 'find and fix' vulnerabilities...
-- SHOCK CLAIM: Man aided terror suspect onto plane without passport...
--CLAIM: Man videotaped entire flight...
--Internet Posts Show Terrorist Lonely, Depressed...
--Yemen minister: We have 300 al Qaeda militants planning attacks...
--AL QAEDA GROUP CLAIMS BOMB ATTEMPT
--Plane attack a response to U.S. attack on group in Yemen: al Qaeda
--Says US intel had info ahead of attack...
--'Systemic failure' allowed airline plot...
--Breach Was 'Catastrophic'...
--Many question 'system worked' comment...
--BIG SIS: Will 'find and fix' vulnerabilities...
-- SHOCK CLAIM: Man aided terror suspect onto plane without passport...
--CLAIM: Man videotaped entire flight...
--Internet Posts Show Terrorist Lonely, Depressed...
--Yemen minister: We have 300 al Qaeda militants planning attacks...
--AL QAEDA GROUP CLAIMS BOMB ATTEMPT
--Plane attack a response to U.S. attack on group in Yemen: al Qaeda
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GAY AGENDA WATCH:Gay Marriage in Argentina Is First in Latin America

Provincial spokesman Eduardo Porter says the wedding between Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre took place at the civil registry in Ushuaia.Their marriage plans in Buenos Aires earlier this month were thwarted when city officials refused to marry them because of conflicting rulings....
Death Toll From Pakistan Bombing Reaches 43
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USS Cole bombing survivor dies in Fla. home

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Picture Left:In this undated photo provided by the Gokool family, is U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Johann Gokool, who was found dead in his Homestead, Fla. home Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009.(AP Photo)
Surging Steel Prices Continue in China

North Korea Says It Has Detained American

The American was being investigated after "illegally entering" the country through the North Korea-China border last Thursday, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said in a two-line dispatch.
The report did not identify the American, but activists believe he is Christian missionary Robert Park, who they say slipped across the frozen Tumen River into North Korea from China on Christmas Day bearing letters that urged leader Kim Jong Il to resign and free all political prisoners...
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Anger as China Executes 'Mentally Ill' Briton

China defended its handling of the case, saying there not been documentary proof Shaikh was mentally ill. Beijing also criticized Gordon Brown's comments, but said it hoped the case would not harm bilateral relations. The Foreign Ministry called on London not to create any "obstacles" to better ties...
Picture Left:Akmal Shaikh is seen in this undated photo taken in Warsaw, Poland.(Luis Belmonte Diaz, Reprieve)
Obamas enjoy private,secure Hawaii vacation...

Would-be paparazzi hoping to get a shot of Obama and the rest of the first family say they've had to make do with the tolerant if less-than-sunny visages of the Secret Service agents whose job it is to ensure the president's safety and privacy....
Now, Michelle Obama too is sliding in the polls...

But as the first calendar year of the new White House regime draws to a close, First Lady Michelle Obama is experiencing the same drop in poll numbers as her husband. She's not elected, of course, and not charged at least officially with making the tough executive decisions that come out of the Oval Office.
As a result, first ladies have typically fared better in different public opinion polls than their more controversial husbands. And now even as the female Harvard lawyer in the family and the one with the famously buff arms, Mrs. O still remains somewhat more popular than her spouse.
(Sarah Palin's favorable poll ratings, btw, have risen steadily in recent months to the mid-40s. But although neither woman holds an elected office, that's something entirely different.)
A new Rasmussen Reports survey finds that 55% of Americans have at least a somewhat favorable opinion of Mrs. Obama. That's down 7 points, or 11%, since November's survey and it's her lowest approval level since holding the Bible for her Democratic husband, Barack, to take the oath of office on that cold D.C day back on Jan. 20....
Where is Obama going to Church...?

In response, the White House has released a statement: "The President and First Family continue to look for a church home. They have enjoyed worshipping at Camp David and several other congregations over the months, and will choose a church at the time that is best for their family..."
No Churchgoing Christmas for the First Family...

PS:Up to this point in BHO's term as president it is very clear and manifest that God is not the first thing in his or his family's life at all...So why worrying whether he goes or not to church on Christmas Eve....?
It's kind of like waiting for Stalin,Marx or Mao to go to church to worship the Lord Jesus Christ on Christmas Eve....isn't it....?IT WONT EVER HAPPEN....!!!!!
As in the days of Noah...
Volcano Forces Thousands of Filipinos to Mark Christmas as Evacuees

With the alert level for the Philippines’ Mayon volcano at the second-highest stage, more than 40,000 evacuees had to stay away from their homes and settle for a Christmas in crowded gymnasiums and schools, where they shared rations of noodles, fried fish and fruit, and where children opened donated presents.
According to the National Disaster Coordinating Council, at least 9,754 families, or 46,655 people, are staying in 26 evacuation centers all over the Philippines’ Albay province as of 8 a.m. Thursday.
Though the weeklong eruption of the 8,070-foot (2,460-meter) Mayon has been moderate to date, volcanologists say it could escalate within days....
Picture Left:(AP Photo/ Aaron Favila)Members of the Philippine Armed Forces hold a dance contest with victims of a recent fire in suburban Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines on Christmas day Friday Dec. 25, 2009. Many residents celebrated the day inside tents and evacuation sites as fire gutted hundreds of shanties two days before Christmas leaving thousands homeless.
Not again! Giant Swedish Christmas goat statue gets torched

Police in Gavle, north of Stockholm, said an unknown number of attackers had torched the goat in the early morning hours, leaving a blackened skeleton standing in the town square.
"It's a tradition to burn it down," Lofberg said. "It's happened an untold number of times since the 1960s ... it's been burned down more years than it's survived."
Burning the goat has been a popular, and illegal, tradition in Gavle since the 1960s when an advertising executive first came up with the idea to endow the city with a giant replica of the goat, a Christmas decoration common in many Swedish homes....
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Picture Left:The charred remains of a Christmas straw goat stands in the town center of Gavle, Northern Sweden, on Wednesday Dec. 23, 2009. Torching the goat has become a yuletide tradition, in spite of surveillance cameras and security guards the 43-foot-high (13-meter-high) goat has burned 24 times since it was first set up in 1966 to mark the holiday season.
(AP Photo/Pernilla Wahlman)
Location of U.S. Christian Missionary In North Korea Unknown

Robert Park, 28, crossed a poorly guarded stretch of the frozen Tumen River that separates North Korea from China, according to a member of the Seoul-based group Pax Koreana, which promotes human rights in the North. Two other activists apparently watched and filmed the entry.
"I am an American citizen. I brought God's love. God loves you and God bless you," Park reportedly said in fluent Korean as he crossed over Friday near the northeastern city of Hoeryong, according to the activist, citing the two who witnessed the scene. Pax Koreana planned to release the footage Sunday in Seoul, he said. He spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
No information has emerged about what happened next to Park, who is of Korean descent. The communist country's state-run media was silent. The State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said they were aware of the incident but had no details...
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Poll: Fewer Americans May Be Celebrating Christmas This Year

Survey results, released Thursday, show that 56 percent of Americans say they are Protestant or some non-Catholic Christian, down from 69 percent in 1948. And 22 percent identify as Catholic.
Meanwhile the percentage of American adults who don't identify with any specific religion has risen from only 2 percent 60 years ago to 13 percent today.
Notably, more Americans identify with a religion that is not specifically classified as Christian. Currently, 9 percent of adults place themselves in this non-Christian religion category, up from 4 percent six decades ago.
The Gallup findings parallel with results from the widely cited and publicized American Religious Identification Survey, which was released in March. ARIS revealed that Americans claiming no religion, or "Nones," grew from 8.2 percent in 1990 to 15 percent in 2008. It also showed that Christianity was declining with 76 percent saying they are Christian, down from 86.2 percent in the 1990s. ARIS results were based on over 54,000 interviews in 2008.
With the decrease in religious identity in America, Gallup also found a drop in the percentage of those who say they are a member of a church or synagogue. Only 63 percent say they are a member, down from 73 percent in 1937....
N.Y. School District Reverses Ban on Christmas

In its latest move, the East Syracuse-Minoa School District decided to incorporate both Christian and Jewish songs into a holiday musical and permit teachers to welcome Santa into the classroom.
Prior to the reversal, even Santa Claus was allegedly not allowed on campus because he originated from the story of St. Nicholas.
"We are pleased that the spirit of Christmas has returned to the school district,” commented Mathew D. Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel, which is defending Christmas celebrations for the seventh year.“It is not only constitutional but also reasonable to acknowledge Christmas in the public schools."
Earlier this month, parents in the district received a letter notifying them that "programs that involve singular traditions" can only take place in schools if the celebrations are voluntary, occur outside of school hours and are not sponsored by the school district. The letter expressed the district's desire to honor "diverse cultural and religious traditions."
In response to the decision, parents criticized the district and requested that Christmas return to the schools....
Cowboy Pastor Fasts Thru Christmas to Feed the Poor
In a noticeable dull voice, Pastor Jason Norton said he has not eaten for the past 15 days.
Beginning at midnight on Dec. 1, Norton stopped eating altogether and has subsisted on drinking liquids such as Gatorade, V8, coconut juice, water and coffee. His plan is to fast for 25 days, including Christmas day.
“I feel good. God is keeping me strong, most definitely,” Norton told The Christian Post this week. “The weird thing is from day three to five it seems like your body is really not agreeing with what you’re doing. It’s like putting up the last fight. But around day six it literally is like the body gives up and says, ‘alright, I guess you want to do this.’”
Norton, who pastors the King’s Trail Cowboy Church in Van Alstyne, Texas, is calling his 25-day fast Project G6:2. The idea for Project G6:2 came from a fellow Texas pastor Norton knows who went on a food strike to collect 30,000 non-perishable food items. That pastor had also helped Norton plan Project G6:2.
G6:2 is a reference to Galatians 6:2, which reads, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ”...
Beginning at midnight on Dec. 1, Norton stopped eating altogether and has subsisted on drinking liquids such as Gatorade, V8, coconut juice, water and coffee. His plan is to fast for 25 days, including Christmas day.
“I feel good. God is keeping me strong, most definitely,” Norton told The Christian Post this week. “The weird thing is from day three to five it seems like your body is really not agreeing with what you’re doing. It’s like putting up the last fight. But around day six it literally is like the body gives up and says, ‘alright, I guess you want to do this.’”
Norton, who pastors the King’s Trail Cowboy Church in Van Alstyne, Texas, is calling his 25-day fast Project G6:2. The idea for Project G6:2 came from a fellow Texas pastor Norton knows who went on a food strike to collect 30,000 non-perishable food items. That pastor had also helped Norton plan Project G6:2.
G6:2 is a reference to Galatians 6:2, which reads, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ”...
Copenhagen climate summit: Tony Blair calls on world leaders to ‘get moving’

But he said the world should act as a precaution against floods, droughts and mass extinction caused by climate change, in fact it would be “grossly irresponsible” not to
The first week of key UN negotiations on climate change saw clashes between the rich and poor world over the failure of countries like the US to commit to strict cuts in carbon dioxide.
Later this week world leaders, including Gordon Brown and President Barack Obama, will arrive.
Mr Blair admitted that the talks are “one of the toughest negotiations that international leaders will ever have been involved in.”
But despite sceptics claiming emails stolen from the University of East Anglia question the science, he said it was urgent to act now.
“It is said that the science around climate change is not as certain as its proponents allege. It doesn’t need to be. What is beyond debate, however, is that there is a huge amount of scientific support for the view that the climate is changing and as a result of human activity,” he said.
“Therefore, even purely as a matter of precaution, given the seriousness of the consequences if such a view is correct, and the time it will take for action to take effect, we should act. Not to do so would be grossly irresponsible.”
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Inconvenient Truth for Gore as Arctic Ice Claims Don't Add Up

In his speech, Gore told the conference: "These figures are fresh. Some of the models suggest to Dr. [Wieslav] Maslowski that there is a 75 percent chance that the entire north polar ice cap, during the summer months, could be completely ice-free within five to seven years."
However, the climatologist whose work Gore was relying upon dropped the former vice president in the water with an icy blast.
"It's unclear to me how this figure was arrived at," Dr. Maslowski said. "I would never try to estimate likelihood at anything as exact as this."
Gore's office later admitted that the 75 percent figure was one used by Dr. Maslowski as a "ballpark figure" several years ago in a conversation with Gore....
British, German, French leaders to discuss climate change by phone

According to the French president, the telephone talks will be held later in the day...
White House Hanukkah Party Spawns Anger

The latest kerfuffle, the New York Times reports, involves the Obama administration's first Hanukkah party, to be held Wednesday.One bone of contention has been the guest list: Administration officials told the Times they are inviting 550 people, just 50 less than President Bush invited to his White House Hanukkah parties. But the Israeli press reported that the Obama White House was only inviting 400 people (they may have expanded the guest list since those reports) – and Bush White House officials told reporters they had actually invited twice that number. It was, some suggested, a snub – and one that critics said should not come as a surprise...
Druids,pagans mark shortest day of year

Summer solstice is also observed at the site, but Carson said the winter celebrations are increasingly popular....
Prince William to share Queen's duties: Treasury document reveals secret plan to make him the 'Shadow King'

Secret papers reveal that plans to ease the strain on the 83-year-old monarch and her 88-year-old husband, Prince Philip, are at an advanced stage.The disclosures come despite months of denials from the Palace that the Queen was planning to step back from her official work in favour of her 27-year-old grandson.The information is contained in a briefing note written by Chancellor Alistair Darling’s Treasury officials about new financial arrangements for Prince Charles and his sons.Key paragraphs, disclosing the reason for the changes, are blacked out.
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Report: UN-backed Congo troops killing civilians

Human Rights Watch said it had documented "vicious and widespread" attacks against civilians by soldiers and rebels between January and September. Soldiers being fed and supplied with ammunition by the United Nations have killed civilians, gang-raped girls and cut the heads off some young men they accuse of being rebels or supporting the enemy, groups said.
"For every rebel combatant disarmed, one civilian has been killed, seven women and girls have been raped, six houses have been burned and destroyed and 900 people have been forced to flee their homes," British-based organization Oxfam said.
Human Rights Watch said it documented the killings of 732 civilians between January and September by the Congolese army and troops from neighboring Rwanda fighting alongside it. In the same period, it counted 701 civilians killed by the rebels they are fighting.
"Some victims were tied together before their throats were, according to one witness, 'slit like chickens.' The majority of the victims were women, children, and the elderly," the group said....
Santa Claus banned from visiting locked-up children in UK asylum detention centre

And the whole mess is on video...
Copenhagen climate summit:"Global Warming caused by sun's radiation"

Although the meeting was considerably smaller than the official gathering of 15,000 people meeting down the road, the organisers claimed it could change the course of negotiations
Professor Henrik Svensmark, a physicist at the Danish National Space Center in Copenhagen, said the recent warming period was caused by solar activity.He said the last time the world experienced such high temperatures, during the medieval warming period, the Sun and the Earth were in a similar cycle.
Professor Nils-Axel Morner, a geologist from Stockholm University, said sea level rise has also been exaggerated by the “climate alarmists” using computer models.He said observational data from lake sediments, coast lines and trees show sea levels have remained stable....
Shock Video: Skeptical Scientist Has Apparent Heart Attack During Live UN Climate Debate
AlterNet: The 41-year-old Henrik Svensmark made an awkward spasm/shudder and burst out a strange noise, sounding like a cough. The other participants in the debate looked baffled and he mumbled: "It's my heart," and fell to the ground and the pacemaker kicked in once more and you could hear him scream.
Note: Svensmark has been presenting evidence at the climate conference that recent warming cycles are caused by solar activity.
For more information see the related links below.
•AlterNet: Copendenier Henrik Svensmark collapses on Danish TV
Copenhagen climate summit: global warming 'caused by sun's radiation'
Note: Svensmark has been presenting evidence at the climate conference that recent warming cycles are caused by solar activity.
For more information see the related links below.
•AlterNet: Copendenier Henrik Svensmark collapses on Danish TV
Copenhagen climate summit: global warming 'caused by sun's radiation'
Top Economic Adviser:"Of Course Recession Isn’t Over"....
Politico: Asked by moderator David Gregory if the recession were over, [White House economic adviser Christina] Romer shot back: "Of course not. For the people on Main Street and throughout this country, they are still suffering, the unemployment rate is still 10 percent." However, on 'This Week' Sunday morning, Lawrence Summers, director of the National Economic Council, said, "Today, everybody agrees that the recession is over, and the question is what the pace of the expansion is going to be."
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