Fire Hydrant of Freedom

Serial killer on the loose in California, police sayStory Highlights
Los Angeles police say same person responsible for 11 slayings in California

Most victims were drug users or prostitutes, police say

Investigators connected slayings through DNA evidence

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From Stan Wilson
CNN
    
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Los Angeles, California, police detectives are looking for a serial killer who they believe killed at least 11 people, many of them prostitutes, over a 23-year period.

Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Charlie Beck said DNA evidence and ballistics tests have convinced detectives that the same killer is connected to the slayings in Los Angeles and Inglewood.

The victims were prostitutes or drug users who were sexually assaulted and then shot and dumped in alleyways or inside dumpsters, police said.

"We have a lot of evidence and the connection between so many cases of DNA will allow us to eventually solve this," Beck said.

The most recent killing -- in January 2007 -- was tied exclusively to DNA analysis to another case after 13 years. However, detectives have not been able to identify the killer through state or federal DNA databases of convicted felons.

According to Beck, authorities are still examining over 50,000 inmates in state prison for similar crimes, but not all of them have DNA profiles.

One theory investigators are exploring about the gaps between the killings is the possibility that the killer served time in prison. Authorities are scouring files of inmates who were in prison serving time during periods of the killer's apparent inactivity.

All of the victims are young African-American females except for one black man.

The first known slaying occurred in 1985 when 29-year-old Debra Jackson was shot multiple times in the chest, police said.

Three years passed before detectives realized that the same weapon used to kill Jackson was used in seven other killings.

In 1988, a woman was sexually assaulted and shot. She survived and gave police a vague description of the suspect. However, Beck said the description was not enough for authorities to draw a composite sketch.

Those cases went cold until detectives connected three additional murders since 2002 based primarily on recently developed DNA technology.

Beck said authorities preserved fluid samples of DNA the killer left behind in earlier killings and found conclusive similarities on the body of three victims, including the most recent slaying from 2007.

Dozens of suspects that detectives previously considered were also ruled out based on DNA evidence, according to Beck.

Another theory investigators are examining is the possibility the killer may have left the state of California and committed crimes in other parts of the country.

"This is the mind of a maniac, but we have a tight victim profile and powerful evidence that has taken us across the country," Beck said. "The victims are the most vulnerable in society and we know the suspect is involved in prostitution. Eventually, we will find him."

Tried looking for a place for this ..Could not find one. So here it is


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-traders21-2008may21,0,2916861.story

Filipinos warned on crucifixions

By Frances Harrison
Religious affairs reporter, BBC News
 

Health officials in the Philippines have issued a warning to people taking part in Easter crucifixion rituals.
They have urged them to get tetanus vaccinations before they flagellate themselves and are nailed to crosses, and to practise good hygiene.
On Good Friday dozens of very devout Catholics in the Philippines re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
It is something that has become a huge tourist attraction, although the Church frowns on the practice.
Disinfect
The health department has strongly advised penitents to check the condition of the whips they plan to use to lash their backs, the Manila Times newspaper reports.


They want people to have what they call "well-maintained" whips.
In the hot and dusty atmosphere, officials warn, using unhygienic whips to make deep cuts in the body could lead to tetanus and other infections.
And they advise that the nails used to fix people to crosses must be properly disinfected first. Often people soak the nails in alcohol throughout the year.
Every Good Friday, in towns across the Philippines, people atone for sins or give thanks for an answered prayer by re-enacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Giving thanks
In the northern city of San Fernando alone there will be three separate improvised Golgothas - the biblical name for the hill where Jesus was crucified.
Four people there have pledged to have their feet and hands nailed to wooden crosses, while others will flog themselves while walking barefoot through villages.
Sometimes people repeat the penance year after year, like the fish vendor who will be nailed to the cross for the 15th and last time on Friday to give thanks for his mother's recovery from tuberculosis.
With long hair and a beard, wearing sandals and a crown of thorns, he is tied with cloth to the cross but also has nails driven through the flesh of his hands and feet, avoiding the bones.

Whats all the hype about owning a fully auto machine gun? Alot of people I know want to own a assult rifle incase we are invaded or America becomes a poilce state..My responce is that if America becomes a police state or Military state you are not about to fight off the oppression with a ak-47..Then I also state For about 300.00 you can by a 30/30 or 30-o6 with a mag scope and do far more damage a mile away then owning a assult rifle..I own a complete set of the new Smith and Wesson .357 Magum 8 round rev. , A mossberg Shotgun and 30-o6 with a mag scope..But trying to ban all guns is just not gonna happen...

Eight dead in Philippines blast


At least eight people have died after a suspected bomb attack in the Philippine capital, Manila.
The lunchtime blast shattered windows and sent debris crashing onto cars at the Glorietta shopping complex.
More than 100 people were hurt in the explosion, in the city's Makati business district.
Police initially believed the cause was an exploding gas cylinder, but experts and officials later said it was almost certainly a bomb attack.
President Gloria Arroyo said the city's emergency services were on high alert, and 2,000 extra personnel had been drafted in "to prevent a similar occurrence".
"We assure everyone that a full-blown investigation is now under way," she said on local TV.
Bomb theory
The blast caused extensive damage to the shopping centre. Concrete blocks and planks fell from the roof and cars outside the mall were covered with debris.


"It left a deep crater at the foot of the escalator," said Charlie Nepomuceno, an employee at the Glorietta complex.
"It also ripped open the roof of the building. I saw a man thrown on to the roof who had lost a leg," he told Reuters.
National police chief Avelino Razon said he believed a bomb had caused the explosion.
"Beyond that we can't say anything else yet because we are still investigating," he told AFP news agency.
Militants have targeted the Philippine capital in the past.
In 2004, more than 100 people died when Islamic militants from the Abu Sayyaf group - who are battling the military in the south of the country - blew up a passenger ferry in the capital.
And in February 2005, four people died in a bomb attack on a Manila bus.       

Iraq strike 'kills 15 civilians'


The US military in Iraq says 15 women and children were killed in an operation north of Baghdad in which 19 suspected insurgents also died.
It is thought to be one of the biggest losses of civilian life in a single US-led operation since the war began.
The US said it regretted the loss of innocent life, but said it acted in self-defense and blamed insurgents for putting the civilians in danger.
A child was also killed on Friday by explosives hidden in a sweets trolley.
An official statement from the US military said Thursday's loss of life occurred during an air and ground assault aimed at senior leaders of al-Qaeda thought to be meeting in the Lake Tharthar region, 120km (75 miles) north of the capital.

An initial air raid killed four rebels and then more air strikes were launched to back up US ground troops, a statement from the coalition said.
The coalition said that after the first air raid suspects were observed fleeing to an area south of the man-made lake.
Ground forces attacked a building in which insurgents were believed to be hiding and were engaged by small-arms fire, the statement said. Further air strikes were then called in.
After securing the area, the troops found 15 dead suspected insurgents along with six women and nine children, the statement added.
Two suspected militants, one woman and three children were wounded and another suspect was detained, the statement said.
'Deliberate danger'
Maj Brad Leighton, a Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman, said: "We regret that civilians are hurt or killed while coalition forces search to rid Iraq of terrorism.
"These terrorists chose to deliberately place innocent Iraqi women and children in danger by their actions and presence."
The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says the United Nations mission in Iraq has previously expressed concern about civilian deaths during air strikes by US-led forces.
Some 88 civilians were reportedly killed during air raids in the early part of this year, according to the UN.
On Friday, a bomber hid explosives in a trolley full of sweets that he was pushing in a playground in the northern Iraqi town of Tuz, where families were celebrating the Islamic festival of Eid.
A child was killed and at least 13 other people were wounded, police said.       

That is one of the lamest things I have ever seen..You are right. That is not art but something out of a sci-fi movie.

Damn, now that's a good-looking dog!

My wife and I went to the Berkeley animal shelter to see about adopting a dog (we already have a shih tzu, see my avatar), and 90% of the dogs they had were Pit Bulls or Staffordshire Bull Terriers.  I wouldn't be against getting one of these if we had a bigger house and the dog was not bred for aggression.  Unfortunately though, the latter doesn't seem to be the case most of the ones at the shelter.  It really sucks that there are so many people out there breeding dogs that either don't know what the hell they're doing or are specifically breeding for undesirable qualities (like aggression).

@rogt

This new puppy addition from Bigblock will add to my family a 4th Pitbull  The current 3 is a blue ( 90lbs) Named "Crom" a Red Nose with Green Eyes my boy ( 98lbs) Brutis and another Red nose with red eyes named (92lbs) Leonidus This new Pup I am gonna bring home will be LapuLapu...All my pits are kind hearted and have never attacked another dog nor have attacked people..However..When the Sun goes down and they are no longer in happy day dance..I would not jump over my gate or try to break in..At night their whole attitude changes to patrolling my house..

I have a 11 year old son and a about to be 2 year old Daughter and I have found on some night they have pushed her door open and two are laying in front of her door and another one is laying close by..

Or sometimes they will break up and guard everyones door...Son, Daughter and my lady and myself all have door guardians..It baffles me..lol!

So woah to the fool who breaks into my house at night..If you come,  you better come deep and creep cause a total of 280lbs of Pitbull does not want you in our house when the Sun goes down. 

Woof Roger:

My I suggest a reread?  The question presented was not "Why are they coming here?".  The question presented was "Why do the conditions that push them here exist?". 

This seems to me an excellent question.

Most Americans know nearly zilch about Mexico (quick example:  Ask 10 Americans to name its president and see how many you get on even the most superficial question like this) explains why no one is discussing CCP's question-- to answer the question requires knowing about Mexico to the point of having a sense of its gestalt.

Until we get to CCP's question, we will continue to furiously go in the circle that presently consumes our attention and our energies.

Marc

I don't even know everything in every state of my Own country..Why would I want to know about Mexico. 

But I think the current Pres. over there is Felipe de Jesus Calderon Hinojosa or something to that effect?

1,300 immigrants arrested by feds
Agents raided sites in 5 Southland counties in 2 weeks
BY RACHEL URANGA, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 10/04/2007 09:00:56 AM PDT

In what federal authorities are calling the largest sweep of criminal and fugitive immigrants, federal agents over the past two weeks have arrested more than 1,300 Southland immigrants in their homes, in jails and at work, officials announced Wednesday.
As part of a stepped-up national crackdown on illegal immigrants, five teams of Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents raided homes in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties from Sept. 19 through Tuesday.
Some arrests were easy, while others involved agents peering into clothes dryers or squeezing deep into crawl spaces to find hidden suspects. Most of those arrested were from Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala.
"Too often in the past, (deportation) orders were ignored and aliens thought that after getting an order of removal they could slip back into society," said Julie Myers, assistant secretary for ICE. "Those days are no longer."
Immigrant-rights groups decried the raids for stirring fear in the community, noting that more than 100 of those arrested had no criminal or court record.
But amid heated public debate and increased political pressure to enforce the country's immigration laws, the agency has waged a high-profile campaign across the country to clamp down on illegal immigrants, last month arresting dozens at McDonald's restaurants in an identity-theft operation.
In the most recent effort, agents combed through law enforcement

and online databases and worked with local officials to identify hundreds of criminals here illegally and fugitives who have ignored deportation orders.
Fanning out across the region in daylong raids, agents arrested 530 illegal’s - 269 of whom were identified as criminals and 115 of whom had been ordered deported. The rest were undocumented immigrants who had no criminal records.
Officials said 797 inmates were taken from local jails, including 240 from those overseen by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Ventura County turned over 125 inmates, and the state prison in Lancaster had 41.
Some of the inmates were sexual predators or gang members. About 600 of those arrested have already been deported, most to Tijuana. Immigration officials said they have alerted Mexican officials of the deportations.
The crackdown is part of a national effort dubbed the Fugitive Operation Program targeting 597,000 immigrants who have been ordered by a judge to leave the country but still remain.
Already, agents said, that since October, they have reduced the number of immigrants evading deportation by 35,000, marking the first-ever decline in the immigrant backlog.
"This is a war against immigrants," said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, spokesman for the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities. "In this war, there is collateral damage. The U.S. seems to be blind to the suffering of family members and anyone else who happens to be in their way. Those that are not criminal are getting arrested."
Cabrera noted one call he received last week from a University of California, Los Angeles, student whose father was deported as part of the raid. He said the family has since moved, and he suspects others are being driven further underground.
Since the program began in 2003, 61,000 illegal immigrants have been arrested. Slightly less than a third had criminal records.
Over the past year, immigration officials have added 23 teams of about 10 agents each to the national program, including a new one created this summer in Orange County.
"It's the kind of deterrent methods that we need to be sending instead of the message of encouragement that we have been sending for two decades," said Rick Oltman, a spokesman for Californians for Population Stabilization, a group advocating tighter borders and fewer immigrants - legal or illegal. "It lets the worst of the worst know that there is no sanctuary anymore. This is the kind of thing that local law enforcement should be anxious to participate in."
The U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting about a dozen of those arrested in the two-week operation for re-entering the U.S. after being deported. Most of those suspects are facing three to five years in federal prison.

I don't understand 

Here is a read on the subject at hand. Anyone can look at it from any type of view. Just like everything else in the World.

Why was it important for the US to enter World War 2? 

U.S. Entering WWII
There is no definitive answer to this question because it depends on ones philosophical position on war as an instrument of foreign policy along with the difficult question as to when and how a country acts in what it PERCEIVES to be it's best interests. Generally speaking, a country will go to war when it's VITAL interest is at stake. In can be argued that U.S. vital interests were far more threatened during the Cold War than prior to WWII. Throughout its history, U.S. foreign policy has largely been based on relatively free trade with countries who also provide open markets for capital investment. Prior to WWII, the U.S. traded with, and invested in what was to become the Axis Powers (Germany, Japan and Italy), and if the U.S. had decided not to enter the war, it is certain that trade and investment would have continued. During the Cold War however, as Revolutionary Socialist (aka Communist) governments began to take control of so many countries, U.S. vital interests were gravely threatened because such countries would not permit free market investment or free trade. Instead, they either nationalized industries or expropriated them altogether, while instituting harsh trade restrictions. It could also be argued that U.S. entry into the war was a political decision. Even until the war, the U.S. economy was still not fully recovered from the Great Depression. A war fought in far away places would be a boost for the economy, by providing full employment which in turn, would guarantee re-election. It must first be pointed out that only Congress can decide to go to war (both declared and un-declared) because they control its funding. A president can only appeal to the people who in return, influence their elected representatives. But in the case of WWII, public opinion was decidedly against entering the war, so some believe that Roosevelt needed to threaten Japan's vital interests by ordering an oil embargo which in itself could be interpreted as an act of war, leading to an attack on the U.S. There is compelling evidence that the Roosevelt Administration knew of an impending attack, but allowed it to occur without warning because they knew it would sway public opinion toward war. Whatever the motivation, once the Japanese attacked, the congress had no choice but to declare war. Because Germany and Italy were allies of Japan, the U.S. declared war on those countries as well. Finally, the Balance of Power concept must be considered as an explanation. Before WWII, the British were consistently the most influential and most often, the most powerful nation on earth. They certainly had the strongest navy. As an instrument of their Foreign Policy, they would ally with certain countries, to insure that no nation could achieve a state of supremacy. During the early years of the war (1940-41) it became obvious that the British would be considerably weakened by the war, and some feared for its very survival. Add to this the nationalist movements in its far flung colonies and many saw and even greater contraction, both in military might and economic influence. Someone had to fill the power vacuum that was certain to exist after the war, but to achieve the "balancer" role, the U.S. needed to project its power as soon as possible, so as to be in a strong post-war bargaining position. It must be noted that when Germany invaded Poland in 1939 to start WWII, although the U.S. had a strong navy, it had a standing army smaller than that of Finland. The rest, as they say, is history.

How did World War 2 affect the US economy? 
 
WWII and the US Economy

From what I understand in my history classes, the war was one of the reasons the Great Depression ended. World War Two gave jobs to thousands, if not millions, of people in the U.S. Soldiers were paid and some sent money home, men too old to be in the army replaced the men that were at war, and women worked in factories to build ailrplanes, ships, tanks, etc.

WWII created much needed jobs in factories involveing the production of war supplies. It jump started us out of the Great Depression and boosted the stock market.The second world war helped us become the strongest coutry we are today. By mobilizeing the unemployed, we aided our economy.

Although war is a time of hardships and usually poverty, World War 2 had many positive effects for America. One point of prosper was economy. Some said that the Second World War put an end to the Great Depression. Many of America's products went overseas and by 1943, half of the country's production went overseas. Americans were then forced to buy less of such products, but soon spent there money on things such as newspapers, movies, and promotion toward the war because of the shortage of supplies. From 1941-1944 newspapers sold daily increased four folds. Hollywood made over 2,500 motion pictures during the war also. In 1942, the War Advertising Council was formed. It conducted more than 100 campaigns to sell war bonds, secure blood donations, conserve food, and inspire enlistments. And with the change of spending money also came the change of earning money. Farmers made $20 billion in 1944 unlike the late 1930s, which had an average of only $8 billion. The war also caused a shortage of employees. This raised the annual earnings to $44 billion compared to 1939's $13 billion. With the men gone at war, women would soon fill in those empty jobs to support their families. Government propaganda encouraged women to do their patriotic duty by leaving their homes and entering the workplace. At the wartime peak in July 1944, 19 million women were employed. But women workers weren't the only group that enlarged during the war, but also child labor increased over two folds. Because of these factors, the average family income rose over 25% from 1941-1945. In the beginning of the war, 1941, the national income was around $95 billion dollars, but by 1944 it rose to $150 billion.

World War 2 greatly improved our economy. Women got the taste of working outside the home, the stock market was on the uprising again. People were starting to make money and become prosperous. The government used ads to help boost liberty bonds, blood donations,reserving supplies for the troops and the enterntainment industry. America proved to other nations that we are a strong country.

Germany was really on the back hand of the U.S.A 's stock market blunge. After the hyperinflation in germany the u.s.a gave out billions of marks worth of loans to help rebuild the economy. When the stock markets fell in the US the US demanded all there loans payed back ASAP. then germany was back to were it started.

It helped. Since people had saved up money, they could not spend it due to rationing, one sees the raise of exsesive buying. This incress in purchessing lead to more factory jobs, etc... Also now more and more women were joining the work force - again incressing production. Furthurmore the idea of the shopping mall spread from eight at the end of the WWII to 3,840 but 1960.

The U.S. was in large part lifted out of the great depression by selling strategic goods and materials like tools, machinery, petroleum, metals, and grain to both sides since we were neutral at first. Once we were sucked in by the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the economy shifted into overdrive and measures had to be taken to keep inflation from soaring out of control. After the war was over, the seeds of our modern "Consumer based" economy had been sown and grew like wildfire. Technology had taken great leaps forward. Before the war women rarely worked outside the home and only in limited professions. Afterwards the women who had worked to support the war and replace men in the Services liked the money and independence their own jobs gave them and they stayed in the workforce. Finally, we shifted in a massive way from mostly farming to mostly manufacturing jobs and services. Europe was devastated by the war but the U.S. emerged more militarily and economically powerful than ever.

Economists of the Keynesian school propagated this idea that World War 2 was good for the US economy. In particular, a government economist who did central planning and price fixing during the war named Paul Samuelson wrote economics textbooks that became widely used in schools. Most modern economists these days are not Keynesian. Destruction is never productive. War does not boost an economy. The benefits are short-lived and shallow. Many economists believed that FDR prolonged the depression for many years with his "New Deal" policies and therefore the depression lasted into World War 2. The war did not end the depression. The end of the war ended the depression.

That's what I was trying to clear up. I was trying to point out in brief forum speak that there were alot of factor's behind WW2  and it was not just  to enter the war to save jewish folk's. I did not mean in my original post that the whole reason (and if it sounded that way , sorry) was to get the boom of our nation to it's peak..

I agree that we did not enter WW2 to help the Jews, though awareness on the part of some that Hitler was evil in part was due to his hatred for the Jews, but with this "We entered the war to kick start mass production from the war-machine", , , 

I said that was one of many reason's. The economy shot up for America, Job's increased..More and more Factory job's and blue coller work open up for American's. The American Warmachine brought America out of a crink. If you go back and look at how many job's were created because of ww2 it's unreal. Steel production shot up though the roof and the government opened it's door's for Employment, not just sending people though boot camp but because they got their hand's on a whole new flow of money they were able to out sorce building production to citizen companies in America.

Car compaines were able to expand, Medical research was pretty much still in the stone age and were now given the green light to advance, the weapon Industry, Communication was allowed to make a boom, Radar , air travel...

When I said "kick start the warmachine" I should have put down everything that went along with it. It was a term that we used in College to describe everything that went with the War machine. Job's , economy , advancement and resorce

But those time's have changed War's no longer make a Nation's economy rise , now they just make a few old people more riches and it break's the economy of a Nation.

Here is a nice one from Mister Bush 


Bush vetoes child health insurance plan

President, Congress battle over $30 billion coverage difference
WASHINGTON - President Bush, in a sharp confrontation with Congress, on Wednesday vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have dramatically expanded children's health insurance.
It was only the fourth veto of Bush's presidency, and one that some Republicans feared could carry steep risks for their party in next year's elections. The Senate approved the bill with enough votes to override the veto, but the margin in the House fell short of the required number.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., decried Bush's action as a "heartless veto."
"Never has it been clearer how detached President Bush is from the priorities of the American people," Reid said in a statement. "By vetoing a bipartisan bill to renew the successful Children's Health Insurance Program, President Bush is denying health care to millions of low-income kids in America. "
The White House sought little attention, with Bush casting his veto behind closed doors without any fanfare or news coverage. He was discussing it later Wednesday during a budget speech in Lancaster, Pa.
Socialized medicine?
The State Children's Health Insurance Program is a joint state-federal effort that subsidizes health coverage for 6.6 million people, mostly children, from families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford their own private coverage.
The Democrats who control Congress, with significant support from Republicans, passed the legislation to add $35 billion over five years to allow an additional 4 million children into the program. It would be funded by raising the federal cigarette tax by 61 cents to $1 per pack.
The president had promised to veto it, saying the Democratic bill was too costly, took the program too far from its original intent of helping the poor, and would entice people now covered in the private sector to switch to government coverage. He wants only a $5 billion increase in funding.
Bush argued that the congressional plan would be a move toward socialized medicine by expanding the program to higher-income families.
Democrats deny that, saying their goal is to cover more of the millions of uninsured children and noting that the bill provides financial incentives for states to cover their lowest-income children first. Of the over 43 million people nationwide who lack health insurance, over 6 million are under 18 years old. That's over 9 percent of all children.
Veto override considerations
Eighteen Republicans joined Democrats in the Senate, enough to override Bush's veto. But this was not the case in the House, where despite sizable Republican support, supporters of the bill are about two dozen votes short of a successful override.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Democrats were imploring 15 House Republicans to switch positions but had received no agreements so far.
House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said he was "absolutely confident" that the House would be able to sustain Bush's expected veto.
Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott, R-Miss., said Congress should be able to reach a compromise with Bush once he vetoes the bill. "We should not allow it to be expanded to higher and higher income levels, and to adults. This is about poor children," he said. "But we can work it out."
It took Bush six years to veto his first bill, when he blocked expanded federal research using embryonic stem cells last summer. In May, he vetoed a spending bill that would have required troop withdrawals from Iraq. In June, he vetoed another bill to ease restraints on federally funded stem cell research.
Bush's letter to Congress on insurance bill veto
War between the states over health insurance
  In veto math, the magic number is 146
Bush veto: A blessing or curse for Republicans?
New York Times Politics

In the case of the health insurance program, the veto is a bit of a high-stakes gambit for Bush, pitting him against both the Democrats who have controlled both houses of Congress since January, but also many members of his own party and the public.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched radio ads Monday attacking eight GOP House members who voted against the bill and face potentially tough re-election campaigns next year.
And Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, said a coalition of liberal groups planned more than 200 events throughout the nation to highlight the issue.

Quote from: ccp on June 09, 2007, 09:36:36 AM

Yet we hear from some that the Jews in America control the media and our pols.

Just saying "Jews control the media" implies some sort of conspiracy and is (rightly) considered bigotry and not taken seriously.   But there's no denying that a lot of Jews (some would say a disproportionate amount) happen to occupy powerful positions in our government and the media, and it would be absurd to think this doesn't in any way influence our policy towards Israel.

Quote

Israel cannot count on the US to be there if push comes to shove.  Americans will not want to risk life and limb for Jews.

I think WW2 pretty clearly demonstrated that Americans are willing to risk their lives for Jews when the cause is just.  Israel is not simply "Jews" but implies a set of policies and ideas that plenty of people who aren't anti-Semites consider unjust and morally bankrupt for very specific reasons.

Actually, I would have to disagree with you on this part.." think WW2 pretty clearly demonstrated that Americans are willing to risk their lives for Jews when the cause is just" 

American's did not enter the war to help save jewish lives, We entered the war because we were attacked. We entered the war to kick start mass production from the war-machine..And we entered the war for alot of other reasons. American soliders were not even aware of death camps or the extermination of jews till much, much later in the war and if you think that at that time in American culture that Americans were going to send their Son's off to save jewish lives, I think your mistaken.

My grandfather took part in a Couple WW2 battles and he told me he had no idea till the final leg of the war that jews were envolved.

America went to war for alot of other reasons then going to help jewish people.

And it seem's now that alot of the American public, Politicans and Lobbiest are getting tired of the Israel vote and good,We should not tally up more American death's count to help out another foregin nation.

Guests or Gate Crashers


Immigration is yet another issue which we seem unable to discuss rationally -- in part because words have been twisted beyond recognition in political rhetoric.

We can't even call illegal immigrants "illegal immigrants." The politically correct evasion is "undocumented workers."

Do American citizens go around carrying documents with them when they work or apply for work? Most Americans are undocumented workers but they are not illegal immigrants. There is a difference.

The Bush administration is pushing a program to legalize "guest workers." But what is a guest? Someone you have invited. People who force their way into your home without your permission are called gate crashers.

If truth-in-packaging laws applied to politics, the Bush guest worker program would have to be called a "gate-crasher worker" program. The President's proposal would solve the problem of illegal immigration by legalizing it after the fact.

We could solve the problem of all illegal activity anywhere by legalizing it. Why use this approach only with immigration? Why should any of us pay a speeding ticket if immigration scofflaws are legalized after the fact for committing a federal crime?

Most of the arguments for not enforcing our immigration laws are exercises in frivolous rhetoric and slippery sophistry, rather than serious arguments that will stand up under scrutiny.

How often have we heard that illegal immigrants "take jobs that Americans will not do"? What is missing in this argument is what is crucial in any economic argument: price.

Americans will not take many jobs at their current pay levels -- and those pay levels will not rise so long as poverty-stricken immigrants are willing to take those jobs.

If Mexican journalists were flooding into the United States and taking jobs as reporters and editors at half the pay being earned by American reporters and editors, maybe people in the media would understand why the argument about "taking jobs that Americans don't want" is such nonsense.

Another variation on the same theme is that we "need" the millions of illegal aliens already in the United States. "Need" is another word that blithely ignores prices.

If jet planes were on sale for a thousand dollars each, I would probably "need" a couple of them -- an extra one to fly when the first one needed repair or maintenance. But since these planes cost millions of dollars, I don't even "need" one.

There is no fixed amount of "need," independently of prices, whether with planes or workers.

None of the rhetoric and sophistry that we hear about immigration deals with the plain and ugly reality: Politicians are afraid of losing the Hispanic vote and businesses want cheap labor.

What millions of other Americans want has been brushed aside, as if they don't count, and they have been soothed with pious words. But now the voters are getting fed up, which is why there are immigration bills in Congress.

The old inevitability ploy is often trotted out in immigration debates: It is not possible to either keep out illegal immigrants or to expel the ones already here.

If you mean stopping every single illegal immigrant from getting in or expelling every single illegal immigrant who is already here, that may well be true. But does the fact that we cannot prevent every single murder cause us to stop enforcing the laws against murder?

Since existing immigration laws are not being enforced, how can anyone say that it would not do any good to try? People who get caught illegally crossing the border into the United States pay no penalty whatever. They are sent back home and can try again.

What if bank robbers who were caught were simply told to give the money back and not do it again? What if murderers who were caught were turned loose and warned not to kill again? Would that be proof that it is futile to take action, when no action was taken?

Let's hope the immigration bills before Congress can at least get an honest debate, instead of the word games we have been hearing for too long.

Thomas Sowell



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

L.A. Workers Join Fierce Debate Over Immigration.

Jobs are a key issue in an area with a large Latino population and high black unemployment.

Drexell Johnson and his Young Black Contractors of South Central Inc. are hungry for work ó and when polite requests for an opportunity are rebuffed, they're not afraid to raise a ruckus. After Johnson was cut out of a contract when Staples Center was being built, he drove to the construction site, spinning 360-degree rolls and kicking up doughnuts of dust until, he said, a bulldozer nearly ran him down.

In Torrance, his group staged a mock hanging in front of an automaker's office. And earlier this month, they hauled a makeshift "slave ship" to an Inglewood mall development to symbolize economic injustice.

The tactics may seem outrageous, but they underscore the rage and frustration that Johnson and his cohorts feel about losing out to other workers in the region's construction boom. Their anger is fueled by a 14% unemployment rate among African Americans in Los Angeles, twice as high as among whites.

So the news that President Bush and some members of Congress are pushing to bring more blue-collar guest workers into the country ó perhaps 400,000 annually ó leaves the contractors indignant. "Hell, no, don't bring no one in from nowhere," said Johnson, a 47-year-old Mississippi native who founded his consortium of 35 minority contractors a decade ago. "Train the people here. Give the people here the same opportunity you're willing to give someone out of this country."

The guest-worker proposals have reignited fierce debate ó and sharply divided the Republican Party ó over some of the most controversial aspects of national immigration policy. Do immigrants take jobs from Americans? Or are they needed to fill jobs Americans won't do? Do they lower the wages of America's least-educated workers? Or do they benefit most Americans by providing cheap labor for a wide range of jobs, from nannies to construction workers?

Such questions are particularly critical in California, where immigrants make up one-third of the state's labor force, the highest percentage in the nation. Unlike legislation recently passed in the House, the Senate's comprehensive immigration bill, scheduled for debate next month, is expected to contain bipartisan provisions for guest workers and a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants.

The proposal to allow hundreds of thousands of guest workers into the country each year to fill jobs if qualified Americans can't be found for them is sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass). It is considered the most likely of several proposals to be included in the Senate's bill; Bush also advocates a temporary-worker program but has provided few details about how it would work.

Backers of the McCain-Kennedy approach include a rare alliance of business and labor leaders who say there is a need for more immigrants to fill jobs in such blue-collar fields as landscaping, construction, healthcare and food service. As baby boomers retire, advocates say, the need for new immigrant labor will grow. Supporters also argue that so many migrants come here illegally ó 700,000 annually, according to estimates by the Pew Hispanic Center ó that the most realistic option is to provide legal ways for some of them to work. "It is a common-sense solution to bring an underground economy above ground, with strong labor protections to improve working conditions for all," Kennedy said in a statement.

But the proposal has proved highly divisive, splintering alliances and creating new ones. Republicans are split between those who support business demands for more workers and those who want to restrict immigration. Democrats also are torn, some by issues stemming from ethnicity and class. "The Democratic Party cannot afford to ignore the tension and anger among blue-collar African Americans and whites here, because they feel [immigrants] are taking their jobs," said Kerman Maddox, a Los Angeles public relations executive who has worked on several Democratic campaigns.

"Everyone wants the emerging Latino vote, but at what expense?" Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) opposes a large-scale guest-worker program outside agriculture, fearing it will increase illegal immigration. Sen. Barbara Boxer, also a California Democrat, has voiced similar fears, opposing Bush's proposal. But their constituents are strongly divided, as was demonstrated last week when activists held dueling rallies at Feinstein's Los Angeles office.

A coalition of churches, labor unions and immigrant advocacy groups staged a noisy rally, featuring Korean drums and a Mexican trumpeter, urging legalization for undocumented immigrants and more visas for workers and relatives of Americans. Later that evening, immigration-control advocates held a vigil urging Feinstein to oppose any new guest-worker program.

Latinos themselves are split on the issue. A Pew Hispanic Center poll last August found that 34% of American-born Latinos surveyed believed that illegal immigrants hurt the economy by driving down wages, compared with 55% who viewed them as an economic benefit by providing cheap labor. The survey found that 32% opposed a temporary-worker program, while 59% favored one. Major unions back the proposal as a way to bring exploited workers out of the shadows to press for labor rights ó and union membership. Some union members, however, fret that business owners are using immigrants to drive down wages. Richard Salinas, for instance, is a Los Angeles roofer with Local 36 of the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers. A second-generation Mexican American, Salinas says many contractors are hiring nonunion laborers ó many of them undocumented immigrants ó for less than half the $30-an-hour union rate, no benefits and no scheduled wage increases.

The idea of more guest workers worries him, he says. "If they're just trying to get foreign cheap labor, I'm against that," Salinas says. "These [immigrants] are very hard-working people, but my concern is the wages and contractors turning to them instead of union shops." Salinas' concerns are borne out by some research. Harvard University professor George J. Borjas, the nation's leading labor economist on immigration, has found that the immigrant influx between 1980 and 2000 lowered wages of American high school dropouts by 7.4%, for an annual loss of $1,800 on an income of $25,000. The effect was worse for native-born Latinos and blacks, he said.

Overall, he found that all U.S. workers suffered a 3.7% wage decline. "You can't have a huge increase in the labor supply without having an impact on the wage structure," said Cuban-born Borjas, adding that the data had turned around his original, more positive view of immigration. "If one cares about the well-being of the less advantaged, having a guest-worker program to import hundreds of thousands of workers is a huge mistake," he said. Giovanni Peri, an economist with UC Davis, says he believes that immigration doesn't help less-educated American workers ó he found their wages dropped by 2% ó but that it does benefit most of Americans by making goods and services cheaper.

Some unions argue that the solution to falling wages isn't to keep out immigrants but to organize them. One oft-cited example is the janitorial field. The Service Employees International Union, which represents 1.8 million service workers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, has been highly successful in reorganizing janitors around the nation. In Los Angeles, for instance, most janitors were unionized African Americans making middle-class wages until the mid-1980s, according to Mike Garcia, president of the SEIU's Local 1877, which covers California.

But building owners and labor contractors broke the unions, replaced black janitors with largely undocumented workers from Mexico and Central America and drove wages down to the bare minimum with no benefits, he said. In 1987, the union launched a "Justice for Janitors" campaign to reorganize the workers. After nearly two decades of aggressive tactics, the union represents 85% of Los Angeles janitors, compared with 20% when the campaign began, Garcia says. Union jobs pay $11 an hour with fully paid benefits, compared with $8 an hour before the union's strike in 2000, he says. "Once you reorganize, wages rise for everybody: the documented and undocumented, native-born and immigrant," said Eliseo Medina, SEIU executive vice president.

Garcia said now that the union has negotiated higher wages, its largely Latino members are planning to seek contractual language guaranteeing African Americans at least 12% of janitorial jobs, reflecting their presence in the population, Garcia said. The hotel workers union last year negotiated similar guarantees for black workers. Still, Garcia remains uneasy about the guest-worker program. "Employers are pushing for guest workers because they want to legalize low wages and no benefits," he said. "If employers pay decent wages, and if the country allows free and open unionization Ö it will eliminate the need for immigrant labor."

Business groups, however, don't see it that way. Three dozen trade associations have formed the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition, based in Washington, D.C., to press for more guest workers.

In testimony before Congress, industry leaders say good-paying jobs, including those in welding, roofing, nursing and construction, are going wanting. A legal guest-worker program would "level the playing field," said Laura Reiff, coalition co-chairwoman. "It's hard now for our members to compete against the bad actors." On a recent morning at the state Employment Development Department on Crenshaw Boulevard, the mostly African American job seekers anxiously surfed the Internet, made phone calls and collected fliers touting job-training opportunities.

Damon Metters, 42, lost his full-time hours cleaning a bowling alley and quit a security firm after, he said, it failed to pay him. Anthony Brooks, 22, hasn't been able to find work since his seasonal job at Old Navy ended in December. Both men have high school educations and want full-time jobs that pay at least $10 an hour, perhaps as janitors, warehouse workers, supermarket staff. Many employers are offering only part-time hours without benefits, and that, they said, doesn't cover monthly bills.

Metters said he doesn't know how to search for jobs and apply for them online. Metters is surviving on a monthly $132 welfare check, food stamps and the good graces of his father, who has offered him lodging. Brooks is living in a homeless shelter. News of the guest-worker plan brings strong reactions from both men. "No!" Brooks said. "Why don't they let us have the jobs?"

Revised: 0707

Contact us at webmaster@usbc.org

(c) 2007 U.S. Border Control

I just posted it up for general view of what this person found with Mexico's relationship towards the US..I will post the next one in the right forum.

Just though i would share this ...I want a puppy sired by this big fella

http://www.motorcitypits.com/bigblock.html

I am a Pitbull owner...I have owned Pitbulls since the Ocean's drank Atlantis..My first Dog was a Pitbull back in 79' and I continued to own Three. Actually..Own is not the right word..I continue to have a great friends from the Pitbull family...My current Best Friends are Named Brutis, Leonidas and Ghengis...They are probably one of my greatest friends..I could never imagine putting them into a ring to tear or get torn apart by another pitbull NOR could I imagine even thinking of putting one of Mans greatest friends into the ring to get mauled for my profit.

These People think that it shows how big your pecker is to watch their dog be put though hell so you can smile and cash a check. This actually does not increase the size of you pecker it shrinks your brain and you turn into a hairless ape..Because that's what you are..A fraggin animal...

If these people want to show how tough they are..Don't fight your dog's..Train and then go fight another human..Who is just as trained as you..Unless of corse you are a pussy like Michael Vick and the rest of the Scum of the Earth that has to use pitbulls to make their man stick bigger...

Funny thing is...These Dogs have more Courage, Fighting Spirt and bigger balls then the guys that fight them.


__________________________________________________________________

Brutal culture of US dog fighting
By Laura Smith-Spark
BBC News, Washington

The indictment of star quarterback Michael Vick on dog fighting charges has shone a light on a vicious blood sport that appears to be thriving in the US.


Evidence gathered by animal welfare groups suggests that, despite the fact dog fighting is illegal in all 50 US states, it is both widespread and growing.
An estimated 40,000 people in the US are thought to be involved in "professional" dog fighting, using some 250,000 dogs.
These dog fighters train their pit bull terriers for maximum aggression before putting them in the ring to fight matches, publicised by underground networks.
Crowds watch and often place bets as the dogs, their jaws trained to grip ferociously hard, seek to tear each other apart for an hour or more.
As much as $100,000 (£50,000) can be staked on a fight between champion dogs, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
The dog that wins will live to fight again. But the loser is likely either to die from blood loss, shock and injury, or be killed by its owner as no longer profitable.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands more people - often gang members - take part in so-called street fighting, where dogs are pitted against each other in impromptu bouts in alleys or empty buildings.
Dogs 'executed'
Court papers in Vick's case expose some of the brutality involved in a practice that seems to be concentrated in America's South and eastern states.


The American footballer and three others, all of whom have agreed plea deals, are accused of running an organised dog fighting operation called Bad Newz Kennels over several years.
When Vick's property in Virginia was raided, 54 pit bull terriers were found, some with apparent dog fighting injuries, as well as training equipment like a treadmill and a stick used to pry open dogs' jaws.
The men took their prize dogs across state lines to fight and wagered thousands of dollars on the outcome, the court documents say.
They also "executed" eight dogs that did not perform well in training, with hanging, drowning and electrocution among the methods used, prosecutors allege.
Animal welfare groups point out that the 54 dogs found by the authorities will almost certainly have to be put down too.
Although properly-raised pit bull terriers can make good pets, according to reputable Georgia breeder Tara Vickers, fighting dogs - having been trained to attack other animals - are impossible to re-house safely.
In the UK, the breeding, sale or exchange of pit bull terriers is banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and people who already own pit bulls must keep them muzzled and on a lead in public.
Gang culture
No-one knows what motivated 27-year-old Vick, with his multi-million dollar American football contract, to venture into the murky world of dog fighting.

But there is evidence to suggest that its growth nationally is related to its adoption as a part of violent street culture.
John Goodwin, an expert on animal fighting for the Humane Society, says one way to track the prevalence of dog fighting is to monitor the number of pit bulls coming into animal rescue shelters.
Whereas 15 years ago 2-3% of the dogs brought in were pit bulls, the breed now makes up 30% of the total nationally and 50% in some areas, he said. One shelter in Mississippi reported taking in 300 pit bulls, of which 60% had scars indicating they had fought.
"Urban areas are where a lot of the growth has been and the shelters get inundated with the castaways from dog fighting," Mr Goodwin said. "Dog fighting has become popular in gang culture."
He cites a study by the Chicago Police Department, which found that of 332 people arrested over three years for dog fighting and animal cruelty, three-fifths had known gang affiliations.
Of course, many pit bulls, particularly in the rural South, do not make it into shelters, Mr Goodwin adds, because the owners simply kill them if they are no longer of use.
Pumped with steroids
Life as a fighting dog is neither pleasant nor long, according to investigations by animal welfare groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) and the Humane Society.


Pit bull puppies bred by an organised operation will be taunted to make them more vicious and kept chained and hungry.
They will be forced to run on treadmills with "bait" animals such as cats dangled in front of them - the reward usually being to maul them afterwards - and encouraged to hang by their jaws from chains to strengthen their bite.
Their strength built up, they then progress to "test" fights against older animals.
Only the young dogs that display sufficient aggression and "gameness" - the willingness to carry on fighting even when exhausted and bleeding - will be used in competitive matches. The others are usually culled.
The fights, staged in a small, square enclosed pit, can last an hour or more.
Some breeders cut off their dogs' ears so that rivals cannot bite onto them, file their teeth to make them sharper and pump them with steroids, said Dahpna Nachminovitch, of Peta.
While the dogs keep winning, they can earn their owners thousands of dollars in gambling profits and by producing puppies with a "desirable" bloodline.
But pit bulls that lose or give up in the ring will not normally live long, either dying from their injuries or being despatched by their owners.
'Power and control'
So how do dog fighters justify the suffering caused to their animals?


Dr Randall Lockwood, a psychologist and senior vice president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says that historically dog fighters did not see the dogs as sentient, feeling creatures, but did profess to care for them.
However, he says, there seems to have been a shift recently towards more brutal and vengeful treatment of the animals as dog fighting has been increasingly adopted by gang culture.
"Part of the psychology of dog fighting is the same as other forms of animal cruelty - a lot of it is about power and control," he said.
Add to this the dog fighter's identification with his animal in the ring - and desire to win "bragging rights" - and the scope for violence is great.
"The dog fighter sees his dog's victory as having a direct reflection on his strength and manliness, which I think is one of the reasons that we see brutal treatment of animals that don't perform well," Dr Lockwood said.
"The failure of the animal is seen as a personal failure, an embarrassment, and something where you need to prove your strength and dominance by getting even."
Strong penalties
Those convicted of dog fighting in the US face up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
But the problem for the authorities is tracking down either the secretive organised networks or the individuals involved in street fights.
Law enforcement officials are cracking down on dog fighting, in part because of frequent links to drugs and other organised crime, said Mr Goodwin.
But the entertainment some find in its brutality - and more importantly the money involved - still make it irresistible to many people.
"If you have $100,000 bet on two grand champion dogs that are fighting, someone is going to win big and someone is going to lose big," Mr Goodwin said.
"But there is a potential for financial gain - that's why there have to be strong penalties there to discourage people."

 What ever the agenda is there is no hiding the fact that the Global war on Terror is not working and Iraq is now a death trap.

All those billions of dollars spent that Health care and Education will never see but thank god we are in a Country that hates us.

He is a Yankee..He can do no Wrong in my heart!

Ya..Yankees fan here..What about it sukka?!

This is a site I am on..

http://www.conan.com/

I have more conan then anyone I know..Rare books, Posters and Mcfarlans Hour of the Dragon Sculpt of King Conan.

Anyways..The site is great if you are into Conan

Good News from The Home of Our Art.


The southern Philippines' uneasy truce 
By Adrian Addison
Manila 


 
Father Bossi was seized by armed men on his way to church
Father Giancarlo Bossi, an Italian priest, was kidnapped more than a month ago in his parish in the volatile southern Philippines.

He was a quiet man who had lived in the Philippines for more than a decade, and had, colleagues say, a deep love and understanding of the local people.

The Philippine military has been searching for him since his disappearance, as has the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a rebel group that has signed a truce with the government.

But on Tuesday, the two heavily armed groups met each other, with devastating consequences.

Fourteen marines were killed as they searched for the priest in a place called Tipo Tipo, on the small island of Basilan, near the island of Mindanao. Ten of them were beheaded.

At least four rebels were also killed, with some reports claiming as many as 20 rebels lost their lives.

'Atrocity'

The military insists that the marines were ambushed by the MILF, and claims that the group was joined by members of Abu Sayyaf, a small extremist rebel group allegedly linked to al-Qaeda.

The beheadings point to Abu Sayyaf's involvement, as this is something the group has been known for in the past.

 
The marines were heavily outnumbered by rebels
But Mohagher Iqbal, a spokesman for the MILF, said that Abu Sayyaf rebels were not present during Wednesday's clash.

"We have no links to Abu Sayyaf, this is simply not true," he said.

"The battle was a legitimate fight... We acted in self-defence. [The marines] were in a territory that belongs to us, a place where they should not have been.

"We have an agreement whereby they are supposed to tell us of mass troop movements. They did not do this."

While admitting that his men were responsible for the deaths of the marines, he denied that his group had beheaded them.

"It is against Islam and it is against the Geneva Convention. It is an atrocity, a violation. We do not mutilate the enemy," he said.

"We are investigating, but it may well be that the beheadings were carried out by civilians - there are many people who hate the military and have their own legitimate grievances."

Frequent skirmishes

The military have no doubt as to who decapitated the marines.

"It was the MILF or groups linked to them," said Major Eugene Batara from his base in southern Mindanao.

There has been an uneasy truce since 2003 between the MILF and the military - bringing a tentative end to a decades-long separatist struggle.

But in reality there are frequent skirmishes between the military and various rebel groups in the restive south, and the truce with the MILF is still shaky.

  These are the hazards of the trade as far as members of the security forces are concerned

Eduardo Ermita
Government spokesman

The government in Manila, it seems, is not overly concerned about how this latest incident will affect the peace process.

"These are the hazards of the trade as far as members of the security forces are concerned," executive-secretary Eduardo Ermita told a press conference in Manila.

"Still, we are saddened by the incident and we commiserate with the families of these soldiers," he said.

Conflict resolution experts in Manila say that the beheading of the soldiers is clearly a cause for concern, but it is not a deal-breaker.

"Although these sort of events are very bad and beheadings strike fear and disgust in peoples hearts, I think the peace process is proving to be very robust," said Willy Torres, a Manila-based conflict management expert on Mindanao for the Asia Foundation.

"I am confident it is not enough to de-rail the peace process. Lots of civil society groups and those involved really want this process to continue. There is a real will there."

Members of the MILF and the Philippine military already talk regularly, and have formed a body to implement the ceasefire, the Co-ordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH).

They also put together an ad-hoc committee last month to help find Father Bossi, but its remit has already expired.

"More talks are planned between the government and the MILF, it is just a question of when they will be held," Mr Torres says.
 

Here is a great article my good friend "Jasen Davis" Wrote. He wrote it for "Maxim" mag and he now writes for Skinny.

Its a great article..Since its long and the site wont let you attach anything or post of 20000 words I will post it in over to post.



What’s NASDAQ and NYSE?
   “Nasdaq and NYSE are exchanges. Stocks typically either trade on the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange. There are also lesser known exchanges like the American Stock Exchange and even electronic exchanges (ECNs) like Instinet, Island, and Archipelago. When a stock goes public, it will typically go public on either the Nasdaq or the NYSE. NYSE has stricter rules for allowing stocks to trade. Nasdaq is a little less stringent, but still has rules that prevent any small company from trading without meeting the requirements. NYSE is typically made up of traditional large companies like Ford, GM, American Express, etc. Nasdaq is mostly Technology, Biotech, and the like.”
    “Nasdaq trades stock through a system of Market Makers. When you buy and sell stock, you are not actually buying or selling with another individual - you are buying or selling from the Market Maker. The Market Makers have rules that govern what they must do (for example, they must provide a liquid market --- this means you will always have a way of buying or selling a stock). You can write an entire article just on the Market Makers. The largest of these is Knight Trading. The market makers determine the price of a stock, and the "spread" (difference between the current bid and ask) is where the market makers make their profits.”
   “NYSE trades through market specialists. There are specialists for all the major stocks, and the specialists understands the company they are responsible for and helps keep a fair price at all times. Again, an entire article could probably be written just on specialists.”
“S&P is not actually a market, it is a group of stocks (the most common is the S&P500) that make up an index. This index is tracked along with many others. The S&P500 index tracks the performance of a select 500 stocks. Nasdaq also has an index fund that tracks the largest 100 stocks that trade on the Nasdaq exchange. The most common index is the Dow Jones Industrial Index which is made up of just 30 stocks --- all big names that just about everyone has heard of.”
Thank you, Mr. Law.
Reading stocks is a fairly simple skill. A stock usually has it’s name, for instance, Microsoft Corporation, how much it’s stock is at the given moment, say, $71.20, and whether it’s up or down from yesterday (+.02, at the moment of this writing).
At www.cnn.com one can also click on the company itself to get a more detailed assessment of the stock. Continuing with the above example, Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) as of 7/17/01, opened at $70.66 a share, with a high of $71.48 and a low of $70.14.
Mr. Law gave me more insight in regards to this matter.
“Newspapers typically have the major stocks from the Nasdaq, NYSE, and AMEX listed every day in the business section. To really track stocks, the best way to do it is online. E*Trade has a free section where people can become members and get information about stocks without actually having an account. Two of my other favorites are http://quote.yahoo.com and http://cbs.marketwatch.com. These sites provide vast amounts of investing information all for free. Both allow you to set up "portfolios" of stocks to watch.”
   More on portfolios, later.
   I mentioned CNN’s website, and it is indeed the place to go to track stocks. It also has a section that gives you a list of brokers and how much they charge. I highly recommend that you go there.
   What’s an IPO?
   “An IPO is an Initial Public Offering. This is when a stock is first going to trade publicly. A few years ago, the IPO market was in a frenzy. Every day companies were going public, and the stock price would just skyrocket. Examples of huge first day gainers were VA Linux Systems (LNUX) and Freemarkets (FMKT). Both went up into triple digit prices on the first day of trading publicly. People who got shares at the IPO price made 300% or more on the first day. Both stocks are now trading well below their IPO prices.”