Heywood Jablowme's blog: "Amazing Life Facts"

WORLD'S EASIEST QUIZ (Passing requires 4 correct answers) 1) How long did the Hundred Years' War last? 2) Which country makes Panama hats? 3) From which animal do we get cat gut? 4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? 5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? 6) The Canary Islands in the Atlantic are named after what animal? 7) What was King George VI's first name? 8) What color is a purple finch? 9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? 10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Remember, you need 4 correct answers to pass. Check your answers below. ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ 1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years 2) Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador 3) From which animal do we get cat gut? Sheep and Horses 4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? November 5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? Squirrel fur 6) The Canary Islands in the Atlantic are named after what animal? Dogs (canine) 7) What was King George VI's first name? Albert 8) What color is a purple finch? Crimson 9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand 10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Orange (of course) What do you mean, you failed? Me, too.

Evangelist: 'Puberty' is age of sexual consent Six children being interviewed following raid on Arkansas compound Evangelist Tony Alamo denies wrongdoing, compares self to Jesus Alamo, a convicted tax evader, has a long history with law enforcement LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP) -- Since Tony Alamo's start as a California street preacher more than 40 years ago, the self-styled evangelist's story has been colorful and checkered. When his wife died of cancer, Alamo claimed that she would be resurrected and kept her body on display for six months while their followers prayed. It would be 16 years before her body was returned to her family. For a time, his elaborately painted denim jackets were a must-have in Hollywood, but sales contributed to tax problems that landed him in prison for four years in the 1990s. Alamo was charged but not convicted of other crimes, including child abuse. Now the 74-year-old is accused by former church members of abusing children and running an organization in which girls who just reached puberty can marry. Agents raided his southwest Arkansas compound Saturday and placed six girls in state custody. On Monday, Alamo spoke of the allegations with a mix of denial and defiance, saying that he never promoted sexual abuse but that he believes there's a mandate from the Bible for young girls to marry. "In the Bible, it happened. But girls today, I don't marry 'em if they want to at 14, 15 years old. Because we won't do it, even though I believe it's OK," Alamo said. On Saturday, he had said that for girls having sex, "consent is puberty." On Monday, he bristled at descriptions of his organization as a cult, saying enemies want to cast him as a "weirdo for preaching what the Bible says." People who have left Alamo's organization say they have witnessed older men marrying girls who just reached puberty. The U.S. Attorney's Office said in an e-mail that was inadvertently sent to media last week that agents expected to find children ages 12 to 14 who had been abused and that they expected to file charges. The e-mail said agents believed that child pornography was being produced at the compound in Fouke. Alamo also denied creating any pornography. Government agents "have got six of our girls in custody. Little girls. They probably disrobed them. I mean, it's the most filthy bunch of devils that I've ever heard of," Alamo said. As for former followers making the allegations, Alamo said, "I've kicked a lot of people out of the church, and they'll say anything to get back at me." He suggested that efforts to gather evidence against him will only bring more people to his ministry, noting that daily traffic on his Web site has grown more than 10-fold, to more than 1 million hits, since the raid. "They're really making us famous," he said with a laugh. Alamo, who now lives in California, said he still preaches daily. He bought land in Arkansas in 1975 for a complex near Alma and from there grew to own a number of businesses. Fashion was his best-known business. His painted denim jackets were worn by celebrities for a time and even now are offered for hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the Internet. Alamo's Web site features a picture of Mr. T wearing one. Alamo went to prison for tax evasion after the complex was raided in 1991. He fled with his followers before the raid, taking with him the body of his wife, who had died nine years earlier. In order to be released from his sentence in 1998, Alamo followed a judge's order to return Susan Alamo's remains to members of her family. And Alamo's property had been raided once before, in 1988 in Santa Ana, California, where state officials came to seize three boys and return them to their fathers' custody. An 11-year-old boy told police that Alamo directed four men to strike him 140 times with a wooden paddle as punishment for minor offenses. Alamo briefly faced a child-abuse charge, but a prosecutor directed that the count be dropped, citing a lack of evidence. In 1991, Alamo was acquitted on a charge that he threatened to kidnap a federal judge. Alamo claims to be unique among Christian preachers because he was born a Jew and had a "supernatural experience" through which he became a born-again Christian. "I am a completed Jew," he said, though he added that he had never believed in Judaism. Alamo's anti-Catholic bias is evident as he speaks. He claims that the White House is in league with the Vatican, which he says also controls the United Nations. He said that being a Jew gives him special insight. "We wrote the Bible. I don't want these stinking gentiles in Rome telling me what it says. They don't know," he said. Under state law, investigators have to make a court filing after a search warrant is executed that details what the search found. But Circuit Judge Jim Hudson said the document would be kept under seal because of the juveniles involved. The six girls taken into state custody will require a hearing if they remain with the state on a long-term basis, but there was no indication Monday that a hearing had been set. Arkansas Department of Human Services spokeswoman Julie Munsell said the children were taken from the compound because they were "in harm's way or in imminent danger." She said the state is trying to identify the children's parents. As for what would inspire people to follow Alamo or other charismatic leaders, there is no single or easy answer, said David Bromley, professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. "These groups vary, and when they are at the hot stage, there is intense commitment. When people leave, when you have that kind of intensity, they tend to be rejected by the group, and they tend to be quite hostile when they leave," said Bromley, who is writing a book on why people join such movements. Bromley said that such organizations may not be as strong as they seem. "These groups are much more diverse than they appear on the surface. You have people who look and talk alike, but when you find out who the members are, you find the levels of commitment are enormously different," Bromley said. "It looks pretty solid to you from the outside, but you find out people have different reasons for being there and that half are on their way in and half are on their way out," he said. Alamo would not discuss how his organization operates beyond saying it accepts donations. He said he has workers who keep the books and pay the bills, including his $70,000 salary. "Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell, because the damn government would come right after [donors]," he said. "I wouldn't be that simple-minded to tell anybody where the money comes from. "You must think I'm very stupid after 44 years of this stuff," Alamo said.

MARRIAGE SEMINAR While attending a Marriage Seminar dealing with communication, Joe and his wife Ann listened to the instructor, 'It is essential that husbands and wives know each other's likes and dislikes.' He addressed the man, 'Can you name your wife's favorite flower?' Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, 'It's Pillsbury, isn't it?

Kegel exercises: How to strengthen pelvic floor muscles If you do them the right way, Kegel exercises can help you prevent or control urinary incontinence and prepare for childbirth. Find out how to perform Kegel exercises correctly. Kegel (KAY-gul or KEY-gul) exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which support the uterus, bladder and bowel. If you do Kegel exercises regularly and keep your pelvic floor muscles toned, you may reduce your risk of incontinence and similar problems as you get older. Kegel exercises can also help you control urinary incontinence. Learning how to perform Kegel exercises properly can be tricky. How do you know whether you're working the correct muscles? Here's a guide to perfecting Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises: Who can benefit CLICK TO ENLARGE Female pelvic floor muscles Many conditions put stress on your pelvic floor muscles: Pregnancy Childbirth Being overweight Aging A chronic cough A genetic predisposition to weak connective tissue When your pelvic floor muscles weaken, your pelvic organs descend and bulge into your vagina, a condition known as pelvic organ prolapse. The effects of pelvic organ prolapse range from uncomfortable pelvic pressure to leakage of urine or feces. Fortunately, Kegel exercises can strengthen pelvic muscles and delay or maybe even prevent pelvic organ prolapse. Kegel exercises are recommended especially during pregnancy. Well-toned pelvic floor muscles may make you more comfortable as your due date approaches. You may be less likely to develop urine leakage — common near the end of pregnancy and prone to persist after you've given birth. Finally, Kegel exercises — along with counseling and sex therapy — may be helpful to women who have persistent problems reaching orgasm. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Urinary incontinence Fecal incontinence Uterine prolapse Hemorrhoids Female sexual dysfunction How to do Kegel exercises It takes diligence to identify your pelvic floor muscles and learn how to contract and relax them. Here are some pointers: Find the right muscles To make sure you know how to contract your pelvic floor muscles, try to stop the flow of urine while you're going to the bathroom. If you succeed, you've got the basic move. Or try another technique: Insert a finger inside your vagina and try to squeeze the surrounding muscles. You should be able to feel your vagina tighten and your pelvic floor move upward. Then relax your muscles and feel your pelvic floor move down to the starting position. As your muscles become stronger — and you become more experienced with the exercises — this movement will be more pronounced. But don't make a habit of starting and stopping your urine stream. Doing Kegel exercises with a full bladder or while emptying your bladder can actually weaken the muscles. It can also lead to incomplete emptying of the bladder, which increases your risk of a urinary tract infection. If you're having trouble finding the right muscles, don't be embarrassed to ask for help. Your doctor or other health care provider can give you important feedback so that you learn to isolate and exercise the correct muscles. Perfect your technique Once you've identified your pelvic floor muscles, empty your bladder and sit or lie down. Then: Contract your pelvic floor muscles. Hold the contraction for three seconds then relax for three seconds. Repeat 10 times. Once you've perfected three-second muscle contractions, try it for four seconds at a time, alternating muscle contractions with a four-second rest period. Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions. To get the maximum benefit, focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles or isolating your pelvic floor muscles. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks. Also, try not to hold your breath. Just relax, breathe freely and focus on tightening the muscles around your vagina and rectum. Repeat three times a day Perform a set of 10 Kegel exercises three times a day. The exercises will get easier the more often you do them. You might make a practice of fitting in a set every time you do a routine task, such as checking e-mail or commuting to work. Vary your technique with one of these methods: Try sets of mini-Kegels. Count quickly to 10 or 20, contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles each time you say a number. Visualize an elevator. Slow down the exercises, gradually contracting and releasing your pelvic floor muscles one at a time. As you contract, visualize an elevator traveling up four floors. At each floor, contract your muscles a little more until you reach maximum contraction at the fourth floor. Hold the contraction and then slowly release the tension as you visualize the elevator returning to the ground floor. Repeat 10 times. Biofeedback training If you have trouble doing Kegel exercises, biofeedback training may help. In a biofeedback session, a nurse, therapist or technician will either insert a small monitoring probe into your vagina or place adhesive electrodes on the skin outside your vagina or rectal area. When you contract your pelvic floor muscles, you'll see a measurement on a monitor that lets you know whether you've successfully contracted the right muscles. You'll also be able to see how long you hold the contraction. Another technique uses electrical stimulation to help you feel the muscles contract. The procedure is painless, although you'll experience a buzzing feeling as a small electrical current is applied to your pelvic floor muscles, making them contract. Once you feel this sensation a few times, you'll probably be able to duplicate the exercise on your own. Because simpler methods work for most women, this technique is rarely used. When to expect results If you do your Kegel exercises faithfully, you can expect to see some results, such as less frequent urine leakage, within about eight to 12 weeks. Your improvement may be dramatic — or, at the very least, you may keep your problems from worsening. As with other forms of physical activity, you need to make Kegel exercises a lifelong practice to reap lifelong rewards.

Lawyer cut fees in return for nude dances Fri Sep 19, 6:17 PM ET An attorney was suspended for more than a year for accepting nude dances from a stripper as partial payment for the legal fees she owed him. The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission on Thursday said Scott Robert Erwin will begin serving a 15-month suspension for misconduct next month. Erwin, who practices in the northern Illinois city of DeKalb, and his client mutually agreed that she'd perform nude dances for him in his office as a way to reduce her legal fees, the commission's report said. He credited her for $534 toward his bill for services of various legal matters, the report said. While she agreed to the performances, the client contended he touched her inappropriately during those dances, and she went to police in 2002 with sexual assault allegations. Erwin denied any inappropriate touching happened, and he was never charged criminally, the report said. He declined to comment on the panel's decision Thursday. The woman no longer works as a stripper, the report said.

Wis. man convicted of robbing toddler's piggy bank Fri Sep 19, 6:45 PM ET SHEBOYGAN, Wis. - A man convicted of stealing $20 from a toddler's piggy bank has been sentenced to six years in prison. Four-time convicted burglar Ryan Mueller was convicted Thursday of felony burglary as a repeat offender in a Sheboygan, Wis., court. Prosecutors say the 31-year-old Mueller broke into a home in August 2007 and stole money from a 2-year-old girl's piggy bank while she slept. They say the girl's mother walked into the room and caught Mueller in the act. Mueller also was sentenced to five years' probation. His is to serve his sentence consecutively to a six-year prison sentence he was handed in June for a separate burglary conviction.

Mixed martial arts fighting its way into the mainstream By Josh Lubin CNN (CNN) -- Rich Franklin used to spend his days teaching math to high school students. Today, he spends his evenings in an octagon-shaped cage grounding and pounding fighters into submission in front of thousands of screaming fans. "I do love teaching and working with the students, but I can't imagine sitting at home on a Friday night grading math tests or sitting in a faculty meeting," he said at a news conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Franklin is one of the new stars of a rapidly growing sport called Mixed Martial Arts. Their fights are filling arenas and attracting large numbers of male television viewers between the ages of 18 and 49, according to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a pioneering brand in the sport. Unlike boxing, MMA fighters use a hybrid of techniques from wrestling, kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and more. Franklin began fighting professionally while still working as a teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio. He started playing football at a young age but didn't think he had the talent to play professionally, so he got into martial arts as a hobby after high school. He trained through college, and on a dare, he entered an amateur fight and won. After his fourth year of teaching, he decided to gamble his job security to fight professionally full time. "I'd rather be one of those guys who did and failed than wonder what could've, should've, would've been when I was 50," he said. See photos from UFC 88 » Having left the classroom behind, Franklin has achieved success as a fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has held the Middleweight title, had commercial endorsements, and recently earned $100,000 with a victory at UFC 88. Don't Miss UFC.com: Learn the rules SI.com: Lauzon ready to get back on track SI.com: Former UFC champ Tanner dies Mixed martial arts has a controversial past. Critics view the sport as a bloody free-for-all akin to gratuitous Tough Man competitions, where average Joes with no formal training duke it out for prize money. Rashad Evans, an undefeated UFC fighter, says that although the fights are full contact, it is not no-holds-barred brawling. "I wish people were more educated about the sport to know that it is not a Tough Man competition," he says. Franklin views his fights as a physical chess match where fighters must know how to defend themselves against various fighting styles. Fellow fighter Karo Parisyan, a judo specialist, agrees. He explains, "There are so many ways to win that you have to be constantly thinking. You make one mistake, and it's checkmate." In a recent bout, although Franklin's face is bruised and bleeding, he waits patiently and releases a lightning-fast kick to his opponent's rib cage. The contact of his shin snaps like a bullwhip. His challenger falls to the floor of the cage, visibly in agony, and Franklin adds another win to his record. Immediately after inflicting a TKO, Franklin rushes over to his opponent. He congratulates him and says, "Hats off to Matt, he fought a great fight." Nate Marquardt fell in love with the sport at a young age. Today, at age 29, he already has had 40 professional fights. His fights, especially the losses, have taught him valuable lessons. "After you lose, a champion gets better, and losing was a blessing in disguise for me, because it helped me recognize my mistakes," he said. Before his last fight, he had to drop 15 pounds, mostly water weight, from his already lean frame only days before the weigh-in. He said it wasn't easy, but he cut his intake of carbs and sodium, and he sat in a sauna, which did the trick. Marquardt trains year round in pursuit of his dream to become the UFC's next Middleweight Champion. His success has afforded him the luxury to do so. He earned $56,000 from his last victory. When he doesn't have a fight coming up, he teaches at his gym in Aurora, Colorado, a couple of times a week. He agrees that the lifestyle of a fighter gives him more flexibility to spend time with his immediate family than if he had a regular 9-to-5 job. He works his training schedule around spending time with his wife and caring for his 8-year-old daughter. Marquardt may not have had his fighting opportunities if there hadn't been a vast overhaul in the sport. MMA was on the verge of extinction because of a political backlash in the late 1990s. One notable critic, Republican presidential nominee John McCain, once called it the equivalent to "human cockfighting." Dana White purchased the fledgling Ultimate Fighting Championship for $2 million in 2001. His goal was to establish the UFC as the Super Bowl of the sport. He helped legitimize it by establishing rules and promoting the fighters' skills instead of showcasing the brutality. Forbes estimates the company will make $250 million this year. A UFC contract provides the potential for fighters to make a good living. Forrest Griffin, the UFC's current Light Heavyweight champ, earned $250,000 for a recent win in a main event. Sponsorships from sports drinks and apparel also help to supplement their income. UFC fights have earned more money than concerts by such marquee artists as Elton John and Billy Joel, according to a UFC press kit. At times, the organization says, they have had more viewers than Monday Night Football and NASCAR. In Montreal, they brought in more than 21,000 people to an event, the largest live audience to witness MMA in North America to date. Televising fights has increased the number of fans embracing the sport. And at live events and autograph sessions, fans can mingle freely with their favorite fighters and take pictures with them. "So many people are behind the sport now, and people are falling in love with it, so it's a matter of time before it's everywhere," says fighter Uriah Faber.

Nine types of guys to get over immediately There are certain types of men who should be nobody's type, By Judy McGuire But there are certain types of guys who should be NOBODY'S type. These guys are distinguished by one thing -- an overabundance of one or more very bad qualities. Here's your guide to boys to avoid: 1. The OverSharer: The current Overshare Poster Boy is Phillip Nobel, who wrote a highly hide-chapping account of his extramarital affair for Elle. The Oversharer will broadcast intimate episodes from your relationship to his mother, your mother, his blog readers and anyone else he can rope into paying attention. 2. The OverThinker: One of the great things about dating men is that you aren't subjected to long, excruciating interrogations over what you really meant when you reassured him that no, he didn't look fat in those pants. However, though they're rare birds, there are guys who will want to spend hours dissecting even the most innocuous comment, examining it for tone, content and what you might've been implying. 3. The OverTalker: Your friends say they've never known you to be so quiet. That's because this man does enough talking for both of you (and then some). When you do finally eke out a sentence or two he interrupts and talks over you anyway. You have two choices -- accept the fact that you will never speak again or tell him goodbye. Your call. 4. The OverDresser: This dandy makes Gossip Girl's Chuck Bass look sloppy and mismatched. That he takes longer than you to get ready is strike one against him, but the fact that he matches his socks to his underwear and to his ascot drives him out of the park. 5. The OverEater: It's an irritating fact that men can eat more than women. The overeater doesn't care. Food is his first love and he'll push cannolis and baked ziti on you like a crazed Italian granny. Unless you don't mind a future spent in stretch-pants, you might want to give this dude a pass. 6. The OverReactor: Remember when Russell Crowe threw a phone at that hotel clerk who somehow displeased him? That's this guy. From the old lady who accidentally bumped into him at the grocery store, to the SUV that cut him off on the highway -- everyone in his path will hear his wrath. You, most of all. Do not walk away -- run. 7. The Over-The-Topper: He's the life of the party and thinks nothing of driving his motorcycle through the bar if he thinks it'll get a laugh. He's certainly cute, but he just never stops. He's always on. And that, will quickly turn into a turn-off. 8. OverAchiever: Picture the male version of Tracy Flick in the movie "Election" in perfectly fitted jeans, a crisp white oxford shirt and a copy of his (perfect, naturally) SAT scores in his wallet. Now imagine making love to him. You can't, can you? 9. The OverCompensator: Maybe he was the homeliest kid in his eighth-grade class, but that doesn't mean you need to sit through a monologue about how much money he makes, how jealous his friends are over his new BMW, and how he totally could date supermodels if he wanted to. Next!

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac execs now offering advice to Obama Senator's links to mortgage giants also include campaign contributions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: September 17, 2008 9:10 pm Eastern By Jerome R. Corsi © 2008 WorldNetDaily Fannie Mae headquarters in Washington, D.C. NEW YORK – Campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac made to Barack Obama may backfire if the Democratic presidential hopeful wages an aggressive campaign to cast blame on rival John McCain and the Republicans in Congress for the mortgage-related losses that forced the U.S. Treasury to take over the quasi-governmental mortgage giants. A review of Federal Election Commission records back to 1989 reveals Obama in his three complete years in the Senate is the second largest recipient of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae campaign contributions, behind only Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., the powerful chairman of the Senate banking committee. Dodd was first elected to the Senate in 1980. According to OpenSecrets.com, from 1989 to 2008, Dodd received $165,400 in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac campaign contributions, including contributions from PACs and individuals, followed by Obama, who received $126,349 in such contributions since being elected to the Senate in 2004. In contrast, McCain warned of the coming mortgage crisis as he pressed in 2005 for regulatory reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. "For years I have been concerned about the regulatory structure that governs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – known as government-sponsored entities or GSEs – and the sheer magnitude of these companies and the role they play in the housing market," McCain said on the floor of the Senate in 2005, speaking in favor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005. McCain pointed out Fannie Mae's regulator had stated the company's quarterly reports of profit growth over the past few years were "illusions deliberately and systematically created" by the company's senior management, which resulted in a $10.6 billion accounting scandal. The bill passed the House but was never brought up for a vote in the Senate, largely because of Democratic opposition to change in the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac regulatory structure that remained in place until the Treasury takeover two weeks ago. As evidenced by the failure to pass the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, the Democrats in Congress have repeatedly fought back Republican Party efforts to reform the two mortgage banking giants. Instead, Democrats in Congress have sought to preserve the quasi-governmental status of the mortgage giants, seeing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as places to locate former top Democratic Party operatives, where they have earned millions in compensation, despite a continuing series of financial scandals. Enron-like accounting manipulation, for example, boosted earnings to a level at which massive executive bonuses could be paid. In the aftermath of the U.S. government takeover, attention has focused on three Democrats with close ties to Obama who served as Fannie Mae executives: Franklin Raines, former Clinton administration budget director; James Johnson, former aide to Democratic Vice President Walter Mondale; and Jamie Gorelick, former Clinton administration deputy attorney general. All three Obama-related executives earned millions in compensation from Fannie Mae. Johnson earned $21 million in just his last year serving as Fannie Mae CEO from 1991 to 1998; Raines earned $90 million in his five years as Fannie Mae CEO, from 1999 to 2004; and Gorelick earned an estimated $26 million serving as vice chair of Fannie Mae from 1998 to 2003, according to author David Frum, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. All three have been involved in mortgage-related financial scandals. In 1998, according to the Washington Post, Gorelick, as Fannie Mae vice chairman, received a bonus of $779,625, despite a scandal in which employees falsified signatures on accounting transactions to manipulate books to meet 1998 earning targets. The moves, in turn, triggered multi-million-dollar bonuses for top executives. Gorelick was embroiled in another controversy over an alleged conflict of interest when a 1995 memo she authored as deputy attorney general surfaced while she was a member of the 9/11 commission. The memo, which became known as the "Gorelick Wall," appeared to establish barriers that barred federal anti-terrorist criminal investigators from accessing various federal records and databases that may have assisted them in their criminal investigations. According to the Associated Press, Raines and several other Fannie Mae top executives were ordered in a civil lawsuit to pay nearly $31.4 million for manipulating Fannie Mae earnings over a period of six years to trigger their massive bonuses. Raines was also forced in the settlement to give up Fannie Mae stock options valued at $15.6 million. Last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission alleged Freddie Mac had engaged in accounting fraud from 2000 to 2002, imposing a $50 million fine on the company and on four executives fines for amounts ranging from $65,000 to $250,000. Raines currently advises Obama on housing policy. Johnson was appointed to head Obama's vice presidential selection committee, until a controversy concerning an alleged $7 millions in questionable real estate loans he received on favorable terms from failed sub-prime mortgage lender Countrywide Financial surfaced and forced him to step down. WND previously reported a panel chaired by Elena Kagan, dean and professor of law at Harvard Law School, speculated at the June two-day meeting of the American Constitution Society that Gorelick was a possible attorney general cabinet appointment if Obama should be elected president. The decision by the U.S. Treasury to take over Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could end up costing the U.S. taxpayer as much as $100 billion, although the extent of losses at the two giant mortgage companies remains to be determined. According to the Wall Street Journal, Freddie and Fannie own or guarantee about $5.2 trillion worth of mortgages. The riskiest loans held by Freddie and Fannie are known as "Alt-A" and sub-prime mortgages, worth about $780 billion, or about 15 percent of the total portfolio. The federal government takeover of Freddie and Fannie passes to U.S. taxpayers the contingent liability for failures in the entire $5.2 trillion loan portfolio held by the two mortgage giants. Over the past four quarters, Freddie and Fannie have suffered losses of about $14 billion, as the mortgage market has been hit by a wave of defaults and foreclosures not seen in the U.S. since the 1930s.

These last two weeks have been remarkably long. Mostly because of the heat, but also because we are on the backside of the deployment so time has decided to slow down. One of the other squadrons here has already had the advance party for their replacements show up. It was funny seeing all these new people walking around looking a little lost. I guess that is what we looked like only a few months ago. It all changes pretty fast. But time has definitely slowed down. The other factor is the heat. I was turning an aircraft a few days ago right at sunrise (about 5:30 am) and the crew chief and I were commenting on how nice the morning was and how it was cool and the slight breeze was good. We looked at the temperature gauge and saw that it was only 40 deg Celsius. (For those, like me, who have to look it up, that is 104 deg Fahrenheit!) And that is the coolest part of the entire day. I thought the heat was bad before but it has been astounding these last few weeks. It is a strange feeling to walk around outside for a few minutes and feel wetness on your pinky and ring fingers. I look down and realize that it is the sweat which has accumulated so much that it is a stream down my arm around my hand and dripping off my last two fingers. After only being outside for a few minutes! I was working out as part of the Marine Corps Martial Arts program (another way for the Corps to officially torture us) from 7-9:30am and when I was done not only had the sweat soaked all my clothes it had even soaked through my boots. I did not have a dry t-shirt or skivvies for the rest of my shift. Let alone the wet socks! I still hurt from that workout and it was two days ago! (Getting old is no fun.) Needless to say/repeat/emphasize but I am going to anyway, IT IS HOT! We are all looking forward to the end of the month when we are all assured that it will get better. It is so hot that flying is not relief. The air that flows around the helicopter is not a cooling air flow of 100 knots air that blows the heat away. Instead it is 100 knots of air that is as hot, or hotter, than the air that is already in the cabin! I actually shut my outside air vents when I go flying now. There have been a couple of flights when our windscreen defrost system has accidentally come on and we did not notice! (For those that are concerned with my lack of attention to checklists, it is a lever that loosens over time. Normally we notice if it comes on because of the sudden flow of warm air over the windscreen. That does not work so well these days!) Then there is the wildlife. There are these crows out here that you do not see that often but every once in a while they appear. Physically they are built like regular crows, but their coloration is rather interesting. They are black headed and have fringes of black on their wings and tails – fringes that are about one to two inches long – but are otherwise grey. They are the same grey that you see on morning coats. So these crows fly around our flight line all dressed up for something formal, but we can never figure out what event it is. The other day one of these crows was taking a remarkable interest in himself. On our helicopters we have a piece of gear that we call a "disco ball" because that is exactly what it looks like, a shiny, rose colored disco ball that sits on top of our helicopters. It is part of our defensive systems and so the glass has to be kept very clean. This particular crow was fascinated with his reflection in the disco ball. He flew up to one of the helicopters and stared at his reflection. He did not just stare, he studied his reflection. I got closer because I was walking past the helicopter and he shifted so he could stare at himself and keep an eye on me at the same time. I stepped just close enough that he took a leisurely hop, flapped away, and gently glided over to the next helicopter to study himself some more. I left him alone after that, figuring that the vain little thing had enough on his mind. Other birds have built nests in our helicopters, stolen loose wires, rubber, anything. It is amazing how these creatures survive out here. I am sure that this place looks like a paradise to them. Between all the new and fascinating things to look at as well as the plethora of food, water, and general stuff for them to take the wildlife is enjoying themselves. On the flying front, I have managed to keep myself sort of busy. Right now is the month of Ramadan and we are not flying a whole lot. Both because we are trying to not disturb people so much and the Iraqis have taken over control of al Anbar Province so they are starting to run the show. The Marines are stepping back and watching to see how things go. We are still conducting missions and still doing things here, but the Iraqis are starting to lead missions. It is interesting so far, we shall see how this develops. I have attached a picture I took of my helicopter in a landing zone that is between the crossed swords that Saddam used to hold all his parades through. To the left of the picture (that you can't see) they still have the reviewing stands where Saddam and his favored used to sit to watch the parades. We do not land their often and we had to grab these pictures when we could. The second picture is of me and my co-pilot at the same place. Since I always take the pictures it is rare that there is actually a picture of me. That is about it at this end of the world. I hope everything is going well with you and yours. Until next time!