Hasselbeck and Reality

To borrow Whoopi Goldbergs words, this is the reality. A black man for the first time stand on the threshold of becoming the most powerful man in the western world.

How far we have come. How wonderful that we are so far along the path of fixing the rift between white and black.

But like Bill Cosby before him Barack was insulted and degraded for making a simple point. While Ms. Hasselbeck was talking about something different, the point is the same. If you want to be equal you have to stop asking for different rules.

Please don't hate I ask with love in my heart.

I did not put a man in chains, and I did not fight a war to keep him there. My fathers did, and I am not them.

You speak of hope and change but you refuse to take that change to heart. You are keeping the word alive and you are giving it new meaning.

A white person is not allowed to tell you that the meaning you intend to give it is not the only meaning you are giving it. It's becoming a bad word again even when you say it.

The world is what we make it, and like it or not the old men you mock gave you the right to mock them. Without Jesse Jackson and other and women who would risk everything to talk about what no one would are the reason you are here not the excuse.

Many white people have tried to do right by everyone, not all of us are racist or bigots. If we are to build a new world we must together, and some times you just have to let go.

I did not put a man in chains, and I did fight to keep him out of them. And my fathers father died to break those chains, and he died beside yours.

We are the same unless we hold ourselves apart. With all my love I ask you to hear, truth is never black and white.

But I am not allowed to talk about such things, so I will stay silent.

Oil Prices Nose Dive's Drug Sale Take Increase

For a long time OPEC has been saying production levels are fine. But someone forgot factor in the confounding variable in there master plan. Americans cut fuel consumption.

Estimates range around 8-10% drop in US fuel consumption over the last 3 months.

It's impossible to deny at current output levels there is just to much oil to sustain current price levels, Oil prices slide another $5 today and should continue to drop until speculation and reality get closer together.

But as oil falls gas prices remain steady across much of the nation. Price fixing? Oh no don't say the word. Perhaps just a little. The temptation to keep fuel costs high for American consumers is high on both sides.

Petro-Chemicals are racking in the big money and so are governments who either profit directly from state own production or through oil lease programs.

There is also the push to keep prices high as a way to ween Americans off of oil.

For investors who have continued to bet on oil and not already gotten out the losses are mounting fast. The nations drug distribution agents are stocking up in anticipation.

UBS AG Announces it will Stop Helping People Illegally Evade Taxes

UBS halts U.S. offshore services amidst tax probe | Reuters

"They want to know that such misconduct does not belong in UBS and that the firm's ethics match their own," Branson said.

"I am here today to tell you and to tell them that no, that kind of misconduct does not belong in UBS."

Lawmakers claim that through elaborate schemes at many banks in dozens of tax haven nations, U.S. citizens annually avoid $100 billion in tax payments. The report accused tax haven nations of engaging in "economic warfare against the United States and honest hard-working American taxpayers.

Harsh words, but so far lawmakers are being pushed around on all sides and haven't accomplished much on the economy or enforcing it's own subpoenas.

Barrack Obama and the Truth in Iraq Collide

Iraq greets Obama with open arms “Everyone in Iraq likes him,” said the general, Nassir al-Hiti. “I like him. He’s young. Very active. We would be very happy if he was elected president.”

But there is a problem. Obama wants the troops out of Iraq and as the general explains “Very difficult, Any army would love to work without any help, but let me be honest: for now, we don’t have that ability.”

Confirming that much of the gains were made and are holding because of increased US troop levels, roughly 152,000, up from 130,000 pre-surge.

Americans have been feeling pretty good about security in Iraq, but recent spikes in violence and "quality of forces" in Afghanistan who thin US military forces are spread.

Both candidates want more troops in Afghanistan but withdrawing to quickly from Iraq could push the country back into a tailspin. Shifting already drained forces into one region to another could be devastating for US moral both at home as well as with the troops, many on there third tour.

But Obama is extremely popular in Iraq because he opposed the war, a war which destroyed much of the country and plunged much of it into anarchy for years.

But Iraqis are also very aware of the increasing stability on the ground and the effects of a quick withdrawal of forces could have.

There is also now a hint Obama is seeing what much of the world sees, that long term US policy has gotten us here and it requires large amounts of American troops. Even if he wants to just cut and run he may not be able to.

A 16 month pull out may simply be unrealistic and the Obama campaign has shown signs it understands this.

Even if the will exists to remove American forces from Iraq. There is a lot more involved than just signing an order. Long term policy concerns need to be addressed as well as location of forces. Commander and Chief is a big job.

Federal Regulators Sieze Wachovia Documents

As part of an ongoing probe into wide spread allegations of fraud 10 securities regulators arrive at Wachovia Securities in St. Louis demanding documents.

North American Securities Administrators Association task force agents arrive on site Thursday after Wachovia failed to produce requested records and information to the Missouri Securities Division.

Wachovia's refusal to comply with the request made in April "prompting today's onsite inspection," according to the regulator's statement. The SEC is also looking into Wachovia's conduct.

Wachovia isn't alone. "Most security firms, including Wachovia, are responding to inquiries from regulators about the auction rate securities industry," says Christy Phillips-Brown, spokeswoman for Wachovia. No Charges have been filed against the company so far.

Missouri Securities Division has 70 formal complaints on file over the last four months from investors that feel they have been misled.

Wachovia is already involved in class action lawsuit and arbitration in cases filed in NY in march. These cases involve allegations the company "knew, but failed to disclose to investors, material facts about auction rate securities." and falsely advertised or led investors to believe they were buying securities "equivalent to cash or money market funds," according to the complaint.

Tables Turned on Annoying Telemarketer

With pressures mounting on all sides and media coverage spelling doom and gloom, many Americans are staying home taking what comfort that can, sheltering from the storm. Form some it's a good thing, fuel consumption is down and more people are cooking healthy food at home, but it's not all good news.

More time at home means more time for you to be exposed to one of life's banes, the dreaded telemarketer.
Everyone knows who it is when the call starts, and if you are like me the muscles on the back of your neck begin to tense as you calmly try to remind them you are on the DO NOT CALL LIST.

Comedian Tome Mabe has taken a different approach. Instead of getting mad, he gets even.

Tom Mabe

Thailand and Cambodian Military Square off

Cambodian and Thai soldiers are locked in a fierce stand off over a disputed temple along their borders.

800 Cambodian soldiers armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers stormed the temple Thursday morning catching nearly 400 Thai soldiers stationed near by off guard.

The tense stand off continues as officials call for talks to resolve the dispute.

Preah Vihear ruins and the land it occupies had been awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the International Court of Justice, but Thailand has never accepted the decision.

"If the Thais keep adding more troops the situation will escalate, but we try to be patient," said Cambodia's top army commander in the contested area, Brigadier Chea Keo, "They want us to do something first but we try to remain calm."

US dipolmats to station in Iran

US plans to station diplomats in Iran for first time since 1979 | World news | The Guardian

The Guardian is reporting that next month American officials will announce the establishment of a US interest section in an unspecified embassy in Tehran. The first US diplomatic presence in the country since the Islamic revolution and they kidnapping of American embassy personnel in 1979.

Relation have been tense in the region with tough talk on both sides, but Iranian officials had opened the door to diplomatic relations and the Bush administration moved quickly.

The state department had just announced William Burns would be attending a meeting between EU officials and Iran's Senior nuclear negotiator in Geneva.

It was announced Burns would state White House position, but not negotiate.

Iran has long called for direct talks with the White House, something the Bush administration as well as those before him have always declined.

McCain has staunchly opposed direct talks with Iran, preferring side channel negotiations.

Death and Taxes The Bell tolls to US Elite

Some of America's wealthiest men will face off with the Senate today, including Los Angeles mogul Peter Lowy.

The men face criminal tax evasion charges stemming information sold to tax authorities by a disgruntled employee of LGT bank in Liechtenstein, Heinrich Kieber

Lowey is a deep pocket contributor to for Democratic and Republican campaign coffers. It should be interesting.

Kieber's Jack Blum said, "They're the crooks."

Current and former officials of the giant Swiss bank UBS, are also set to testify, including the head of the private wealth management Americas office, Martin Liechti.

Prosecutor accuse them of setting up secret account mounting into the 10s of billions.