Whats the world look like today?

So an Irish liberal leader has to resign because he has a drinking problem?

Can Sharon return from a "mortal head wound"? If so does he become the peace leader of all times?

I see it's Bush's fault that the miners died in West Virginia. I have to wonder, can coal be mined without people in the hole? Probably. So, why are they there? Unions, probably.

Good for the Virginia Tech Hoakies, if we allow these players to be rude and foolish, what exactly is sports? Now, I still say colleges should be allowed to pay collegiate athletes, what part of communism says "amateur athletes owe us four years of poverty"

Iraq update in Publius Pundit is terrific. You bet there were voter problems and fraud. I live only 20 miles from East Chicago, talk about fraud. It's going to happen. But, they can vote, begin enforcing the law, and more Iraqi's will start seeing the advantages of following the law and not cheating to get power.

And I guess the Russian Ukrainian connection is a bit shady with regards to the natural gas problems. Some former and current political leaders are investors in the deal.

I was wondering about some "tech" options for our homes this year. Here's report that shows what people said were their interests in home tech.

Gateway Pundit says that the ex-vice president of Syria, now living in Europe under protection, is calling for a popular overthrow of the Syrian government.

Scraps of Moscow took some terrific pictures of new years celebrations, this post is an amalgamation of issues religious and cultural.

Now locally, time for Porter County Auditor Vuko to resign. After serving faithfully for many years, the job is too complex now.

The pie-ladies are fighting a new police station. In four weeks they succeeded in getting 50 signatures but think they might be able to get 150 by Monday. I really hope this goes to a full petition drive. Let's get 4,000 signatures from property owners in Valparaiso to show Mr. Butterfield and Mr. Essany and Mr. Harper that Mayor Costas is doing just fine.

Question, who will run against Tallian for State Senate. She was trained by Bob Harper and that means she will be against new jobs in Porter County. Simple, we need a new senator.

Oh good, the county is protecting us from bad contractors by charging $25 dollars to license. That'll keep out all the bad guys.

Try being Tom Peters' wife, and he tells the world you're stubborn by suggesting that you are just like President Grant, never turn back. Sounds like a good book too.

Lark News reports that ipods have been blessed in church. Yeah

In 1927, the very first transAtlantic telephone call was made from new york to london.

Will Mitch take a swipe at township government? Real estate blogs are hoping so, property tax relief aint ever happening in the current system.

I get a little fired up when I read that people in the Horn of Africa, I'll be there in 28 days, are dying from starvation. I get really ticked when i think that we pay our farmers cash so they won't grow food, so food can remain expensive, so it's even more expensive to fix the starvation problem. I'd be embarrased to be that farmer.

Any chance you see the same coincendence that I do? UN leader "kills self" in Haiti? I can see him quitting. I can see him taking bribes like most UN leaders. But kill himself. Why? He had to have been killed by forces aligned against the election. This election is an important first step to Haiti finally getting some form of peace.

Want a blog to check often for Iraq updates that haven't been bleached by the media, try this one.

And my wrap-up: Afganistan is reaching stability and I think in 2006 we will kill Bin Laden in Pakistan. Iraq is not stable, and we will gently reduce troop levels but we will be in Iraq for many years to come. We will escalate words with Iran, but not drop bombs. Sharon will die in Israel and Bush will have to restrain Netanyahu from attacking Syria or Iran. Lebanon will see greater openess. Syria will have an organized opposition. But, on the negative front, Saudi Arabia will too, and they will be Islamacists.

The economy will be hot, maybe too hot.
Housing will cool though, especially high-end and luxury.
Jobs are all imortant to every election. Those politicians that can get jobs will get elected.

Solutions to expensive medical will be in vogue. I back market based and open competition.

6,000 baby boomers every day will turn 60 and they didnt have enough kids to pay for their social security.

Taxes will remain stable at the federal level, but go up at local levels, pushing cost of living even higher.

In the name of peace or security, we have lost some rights. I believe the courts will tilt that balance back in 2006.