Immigration Lawyers

GLOBAL HEALTH AND ITS IMPACT ON INDIAN HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY PROJECT & RESEARCH BY :
KAUSHIK. V. PANDYA
CELL: +91 9825414144
Email: kaushik_pandya@hotmail.com POPULATION IMPLOSION AND ITS IMPACT ON HEALTHCARE The Old World
Percent of Population 65 and Above
(Projected)
Country 2000 2025
Algeria 4.0 7.1
Brazil 5 3 11.3
China 7.0 13.5
Ethiopia 2.8 2.7
India 4.6 7.8
Iraq 3.1 4.3
Saudi Arabia 2.6 5.6
South Africa 4.8 9.6
Germany 16.2 23.1
Japan 17.0 27.6
Russia 12.6 18.5
Spain 16.9 23.5
United States 12.6 18.5

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Censes, International Data Base
AGEING GLOBAL POPULATION & FALLING FERTILITY RATES
•Mainland China Facing Aging Population Problem. Due to its one-child policy, China's number of elderly people may triple from 130 million to 400 million over the next five years, Currently one young person in mainland China supports an average of four elderly people.
•All five East Asian tigers--Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan--have reported sub replacement fertility levels
•Experts predict that Italy's population will shrink 28 percent to 41 million by 2050
•The immediate result of "below replacement fertility" is population aging. As the older population grows to retirement age, they must rely on rapidly expanding social security and medical systems.
•Europe: 35 nations are dying in both Eastern and Western Europe.
•20 European countries now fill more coffins than cradles.
•Europe's population is expected to decrease from 728 million now to 658 million by 2050, due to declining birth rates. Europe registers the world's lowest growth rate at 0.03 percent. In the region of Eastern Europe, population growth is -0.2 percent
•Germany could easily lose the equivalent of the current population of what was once East Germany over the next half-century. . The home healthcare market in Germany is the third largest in the world and the largest in Europe. It was valued at euro 14.62 billion in 2003.
•Russia's population is already contracting by three quarters of a million a year.
•Japan: Incentives Offered To Reverse Falling Birthrate. The average birthrate for a Japanese woman was just 1.38 in 1998, Japan's record low and among the lowest in the world.
•50 Years From Now, It'll Be a Grey India. By 2051, only 19% of the country's population would be up to the age of 14 years. Currently this group constitutes almost 38% of the population. The median age will rise by 17 years from 21 years now to 38 years in 2051. Couples are opting for one child, or at the most two - and with advancement in health services, about 15% of the population will be over the age of 65 by 2051. The total fertility rate - number of children per woman) in India would is expected to come down to 2.52 between 2011 and 2016, and is expected to reach 2.1 in 2026.
•Canadians are becoming an endangered species," with the Canadian fertility rate at an all-time low. Canada's fertility rate stands at an all-time low of 1.5 children per woman, far below the 2.1 stand-still replacement rate, with an overall population growth of just 4.3 per cent.
•Mexico fertility rates have dropped so dramatically, the country is now ageing five times faster than the US.
•Fertility rates are falling faster in the Middle East than anywhere else on earth, and as a result, the region's population is ageing at an unprecedented rate.
•Would a depopulating planet be a planet of wheelchairs--of increasingly infirm and brittle senior citizens with correspondingly escalating demands for medical services and care from the rest of society?

Uninsured America
•45 Million Uninsured Americans
•How large is 45 million?
45 million uninsured Americans is more than...

• All Americans age 65 and older (35.9 million).

•12 million more than the population of Canada (32.2 million).
•Nearly five times more than the number of Americans living with cancer.
There are...
• Nearly 150 uninsured Americans for each physician in America
• Nearly 7,500 uninsured Americans for each hospital in America
• Over 84,000 uninsured Americans for each Member of Congress
•People without insurance are less likely to seek health care when needed
•97 percent said uninsured patients are having a more difficult time getting access to primary care and therefore are coming first to emergency departments.
•94 percent said uninsured patients often have medical conditions that have persisted or worsened because of a lack of early intervention or preventive care.
•71 percent said uninsured patients tend to be sicker and have more serious medical conditions than patients with health coverage.
•95 percent said uninsured patients are less likely to receive recommended health screening services.
•93 percent said uninsured patients lack regular access to medications needed to manage conditions like hypertension or diabetes.
•93 percent said it is more difficult arranging or securing follow-up care for an uninsured patient with a serious medical problem than for a patient with health coverage.

•Hospitals have become dangerous places. A recent article in Consumer Reports, "How safe is your hospital?" reports on the increase in medication errors, hospital acquired illnesses and inadequate administration of pain relief medication.
•Almost 1 million (902,000) persons between the ages of 62 and 64 were uninsured.

•In the US, the number of persons aged 60 years or older is estimated to be 60 million.
The Medicare prescription drug bill needs to be completely overhauled.


•Every day in the United States another 6,000 people reach the age of 65.
•In the US for example, the dramatic increases in obesity and sedentary lifestyles are already causing disability rates to rise among the population 59 and younger. Researchers say that this trend will cause a 10 to 20 per cent increase in the demand for nursing homes over what would otherwise occur from mere population ageing, and a 10 to 15 per cent increase in Medicare expenditures on top of the program's already exploding costs. With shortages of service industry workers and health care personnel to care for older people
•"You want security in your old age? Then you don’t put dollars into Social Security – you put in babies."
•Accordingly, in another 20 years, the US will be no more able to afford the role of world policeman than Europe or Japan can today. Nor will China be able to assume the job, since it will soon suffer from the kind of hyper-ageing that Japan is already experiencing.
•Demand for inpatient services, due in part to an aging population, will increase and stimulate building and expansion in some markets. A greater demand for chronic care capabilities may result in long-term acute care units and more skilled nursing, adult day care, and assisted living options. Hospitals will increasingly offer premier and niche services and give patients more control of their room environment. They will face recruitment and retention problems and struggle with their ability to embrace new technology.
•Healthcare costs are projected to double by 2007.New and better diagnostic and therapeutic interventions were developed. And everyone demanded access to the best regardless of cost.

The demand for beds in U.S. hospitals is projected to increase by as much as 46% in the next 25 years, according to a new study published by Solucient. This increase of an additional 238,000 beds is expected to result from long-term demographic shifts in the U.S. population, which could drive up demand for inpatient acute care through 2027. The new long-term forecasts also show that total acute care admissions are projected to increase by 13 million cases during that same time frame—a 41% increase from the current number of national admissions. Such forecasts come at a time when many acute care hospitals nationwide are experiencing increases in hospitalizations, resulting in capacity constraints, and an unprecedented boom in hospital construction and expansion projects. “To achieve long-term success, capital-intensive projects must not only relieve current capacity issues in the market,” says Paul Presken, “but also anticipate future demand for care over the next five to 25 years.” Several demographic factors are likely to contribute to the 25-year growth in inpatient care, including the aging of the baby boom generation, increasing life expectancy, rising fertility rates, and continued immigration. These factors, however, will not affect each market equally.
JCI MANTRA
Health care should be safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitableWHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR INDIA IN THE GLOBAL HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY?
STRENGTHS
•POTENTIAL TO EARN Rs 1000 CR PER ANNUM IN FOREIGN EXCHANGE, GROWING AT 25% PER ANNUM.
•POTENTIAL TO EARN ATLEAST THE SAME BY TOURISM AND TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.
•FOREIGN TOURISTS ACCUSTOMED WITH INDIAN DOCTORS IN THE US & UK.
•LARGE CONCENTRATION OF NRI,S & NRG,S IN AMERICA & UK MAKES IT EASIER FOR INDIA TO PROMOTE QUALITY HEALTHCARE.
•LEADING EDGE TECHNOLOGY AT MOST CORPORATE HOSPITALS IN INDIA.
•EXCELLENT I.T SUPPORT FOR MAINTAINING ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS.
•INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION (JCI) BY MANY CORPORATE HOSPITALS.
•Health care professionals have credentials from some of the India’s leading medical schools and teaching centers.
•MEDIUM OF SPOKEN ENGLISH AND MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY WIDELY ACCEPTED BY FOREIGNERS.
•POSITIVE APPROACH BY GOVT.TO REMOVE HURDLES RELATING TO TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE, IMMIGRATION, AND SECURITY.
•CONTINUOUS PRESSURE ON HEALTHCARE FACILITIES IN MAJOR COUNTRIES IN EUROPE AND AMERICA DUE TO AGEING.
•UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH IN HEALTHCARE COSTS IN EUROPE AND AMERICA.
•UNAFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS.
•TREMENDOUS SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS, NURSES AND PARA-MEDICAL STAFF.
•LESS THAN 1% OF INDIAN POPULATION COVERED UNDER MEDICLAIM INSURANCE.
WHAT HAPPENS EVEN IF THERE IS A POPULATION EXPLOSION IN EUROPE AND AMERICA? HEALTHCARE FACILITIES ARE ALREADY UNDER PRESSURE AND HEALTHCARE COSTS ARE GOING THROUGH THE ROOF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PROJECT & RESEARCH BY :
KAUSHIK V PANDYA
CELL: +91 9825414144
Email: kaushik_pandya@hotmail.com

From epic skyscrapers to electrically charged ambience, initial experience of New York City can leave you utterly overwhelmed. Romance radiates from every street corner as film sets burst into life. New York is the city of the future.

Originally named New Amsterdam by Dutch colonists, it wasn’t until British occupation in 1664 it became recognized as present day New York. The creation of the Erie Canal in 1825 was the mechanism for trade and industrial growth that bought about the thriving city of today.

For visitors travelling via boat, opening port of call is the majestic Statue of Liberty. This illustrious emblem of the American Dream was designed by Gustave Eiffel – he of Eiffel Tower notoriety – and erected in 1886. For security purposes the Statue no longer offers public admission, however access to Liberty Island is still permitted, providing an exceptional picture of the elegant lady.

Opposite the Statue rests Ellis Island, an immigration station until the midpoint of last century. Formerly used by the English for disciplining buccaneers, Ellis Island supervised the influx of millions of European immigrants during the first half of the twentieth-century. The museum – open daily with free admission – is well worth a couple of hours of your time.

Straddling East River, Brooklyn Bridge is recognizable to anyone who has been to the movies. Affording some of the most breathtaking sights of Manhattan, Brooklyn Bridge was constructed in 1883, and at time of completion was the worlds biggest suspension bridge and earliest to utilize steel cables.

Off 42nd Street sits the vast, cathedral-like Grand Central Station. At one hundred and fifty feet tall, the stylishly decorated starry sky ceiling is a magnificent spectacle to behold. You may explore the station yourself, however best alternative is to seize advantage of the frequent free tours. If seafood is your thing, the Oyster Bar is a must, offering exceptional cuisine and a cool view.

In the heart of Manhattan lies Central Park, providing immense contrast to demanding urban life. Conceived in 1876, a recreational area was developed to afford the citizens a respite from modern living. By now New York was a flourishing town and authorities felt individuals required a contrast to bricks and mortar. Central Park Zoo is continually popular, as is the Wollman Rink, a delight in winter. Shakespeare in the Park – an admirable production – is located at the Delacorte Theatre and is free, however obtain your tickets in advance.

If you've retired anywhere outside the US, you've done the Radical Retirement. Disbelief from family and friends is proof enough. Today people everywhere are opting for radical retirement.

Take Bali for instance. Bali's weather is tropical with the warm ocean waters that you'd expect to find. There's a landscape of rice paddies at the bottom of volcanoes, an eclectic local culture and miles of extraordinarily beautiful beaches.

Exploring Bali will lead you to over 10,000 Hindu temples. Balinese music plays everywhere at night accompanied by dancing. The island has an active arts and craft scene and the best shopping and prices in Asia.

A cute 2 storey house with small plunge pool, 2 bedrooms, AC and 2 baths will cost you approx. $600+ US. a month. Apts. are even cheaper.

There are approx. 20,000 foreigners living in Bali, with a high concentration on the southern coast from Sanur to Seminyak and in the center of the island, in Ubud. The Ubud expatriates are for the most part artists, traders, and businessmen and women who offer services to tourists and the expatriate community.

People who live in Bali tend to be people who let life lead them rather than trying to control it. The Balinese don't have a word for future -they don't think about tomorrow the way we do. Sound familiar?

Expatriates living in Indonesia, have the unique advantage of being within a few hours flight or drive from beautiful pristine beaches, towering volcanic mountains, verdant rain forest, wildlife refugees and fascinating cultural experiences. All the normal activities such as golf, tennis and scuba driving are also available. The expatriate community is well organized and very sophisticate with many of the activities and groups you would find in most communities.

When it comes to medical needs there are many small hospitals throughout the island and serious medical needs are usually referred to Jakarta. There are many public hospitals but you can also find many private hospitals. Medical coverage from private insurers is recommended.

One usually enters Bali with a temporary 30 day visa and it's a long and winding road to obtain a longer stay visa. One is advised to seek professional help to work your way through the immigration maze.

Rachel Greaves, offers this advise to those considering this expatriate community. Make friends with the local people, learn the language, acknowledge the dangers, take care on the roads, accept the things you can·t change, embrace the challenges, explore the island and the culture, and be open to the intense spiritual energy here. Bali is full of magic and wonder, if you truly want to be here you will find a way to make it work. There are a lot of lessons to be learned on the way, but if you have a passion for Bali, the joy and rewards of living here are immeasurable.

If you would like website references for more information, please email me. I would enjoy your comments and recommendations for other expatriate destinations to feature. webmaster@retireresource.com

No Cost American Citizenship
By
William Cate

Full employment is a cornerstone to political stability everywhere in the world. In Democratic societies, elections that follow a Recession or Depression usually ensure that the politicians in power lose their jobs to a new wave of politicians promising full employment. In this context, many countries' immigration policy reflects their recognition for the need to create jobs. The United States has taken limited steps to use its immigration policy to encourage an increase in domestic employment. Any astute multinational corporation can use the opportunity that the U.S. Government's immigration policy has created to allow key employees to become American citizens without cost.

There are four American immigration visas that multinational corporations have used to convert U.S. residency into American citizenship

I. EB-1-3 Multinational Executive Visa is a request for permanent US residence. Applicants do not go through the lengthy and burdensome process of labor certification. The only visa requirement is that the multinational corporation furnishes the applicant a job. The visa application must state that the applicant will be employed in the United States in a managerial or executive capacity. The multinational corporation must have been doing business, for at least one year in the United States, before submitting a EB-1-3 Visa application. The applicant must have worked for the company outside the USA as an executive or manager for at least three years prior to filing the Visa Application. This visa is intended to give the executive permanent residency status in the United States. In theory, it precludes the visa holder from applying for U.S. citizenship. However, working in the multinational corporation's U.S. office allows the executive to attain a "green card." With a green card, the executive is on the path to being a U.S. citizen.

II. The L-1 Intra-Company Transfer Visa is designed to allow employees of a multinational corporation, with an affiliate, subsidiary company or branch operating in the US, to come to work for that branch in the US. There is no annual quota. The multinational corporation must have continuously employed the L-1 applicant outside the USA for at least one year within the past three years. The multinational corporation must own the U.S. subsidiary. The applicant must be employed as a manager, executive or have "specialized knowledge." The applicant must intend to depart the US when his or her stay is over. However, the applicant may also pursue permanent residency (An EB-1-3 Visa) simultaneously with his or her residence, without a negative impact on the ability to keep or extend an L-visa.

III. III. E-2 Investor Visa only applies to passport holders from a select group of countries. The multinational corporation must be incorporated in one of this select group of countries. The visa applicant must be an active investor in the company. They must work as a manager or executive for the multinational corporation. The applicant investor must plan to depart the USA when the E-2 visa expires.

In theory, none of the above three U.S. Visas allow the visa holder to
become a U.S. citizen. However, attorneys can use any of these visas as a basis for a citizenship application. It takes time and there is an uncertain outcome to anyone relying on these visas as the path to U.S. Citizenship. Under present U.S. Law, the U.S. EB-5 Visa is the only application that can directly lead to eventual U.S. Citizenship

IV. The statutory requirements of the U.S. EB-5 Visa category are onerous. This option could require that your multinational corporation lend a U.S. Government approved project US$1,000,000 to create at least ten U.S. jobs. There is an annual quota of 10,000 EB-5 visas. However, only about 1,000 applicants are actually accepted into the United States each year under the EB-5 Visa program. There is a rigorous and lengthy application process. Qualifying a person for EB-5 status is one of the most complicated subspecialties in immigration law. A sophisticated knowledge of corporate, tax, investment and immigration laws are all required. Multinational corporations must discard normal investment opportunities in favor of investments structured to meet the unrealistic requirements of the EB-5 Visa regulations.

To use any of these U.S. Visa options, your road to becoming a U.S. citizen without cost requires that you must solve three related problems.

The 21st Century will be the Century of the Multinational Corporation. No cost American citizenship is only one advantage that multinational corporations have over national companies. Any national company that hasn't considered evolving into a multinational corporation doesn't see the economic handwriting on the wall. The ebook, Venture Capital Profits, offers one logical way to move your company forward into the global village. The money needed to follow this international vision is readily available.

You will need a creative and competent immigration law firm to make the current American visa process work for you. I've outlined the requirements for the U.S. visas that have worked for multinational corporations. However, I'm not an attorney. The advantages of the law firm that I recommend are outlined at: [http://home.earthlink.net/~beowulfinvestments/id36.html]

Creating jobs is the justification for allowing executives of multinational corporations to become U.S. citizenship without cost. Like all legal systems, there is an Achilles heel that leverages a positive outcome from any of these visa applications. You can research and find this outcome on the Net. Or, you can work with Beowulf Investments and we'll suggest it. In either case, you'll find that it is possible to get a U.S. passport, without wading across the Rio Grande River.

No Cost Canadian Citizenship
By
William Cate

Go North successful businessperson; go North. Canada wants you. The Canadian business immigration program is designed to encourage and facilitate your admission to Canada.

No Quotas

There are no quotas based on nationality, language skills or present citizenship. It's not that Canada wants Americans or Irish or Italian settlers. The Canadian focus is upon immigrants with skills that create a better and economically stable nation. You can come from Russia, China or Uganda and expect equal application treatment with those coming from the USA, Ireland or Italy.

UN Says Canada One of the Best

Canada has been voted to be one of the best places in the world to live with the highest living standard in the world for the past five years by the United Nations. Canada has a very low crime rate. Canadians living in major cities like Toronto rarely lock their front doors. A fact shown in Michael's Moore's documentary "Hunting for Columbine." Canada is a safe place for your children to grow up.

Canada is the Austria or Switzerland of North America. The Canadian population is about one-tenth that of the United States. Canada has an excellent and free school system. Its environment is pristine. It's cost of living well below that of the United States.

Spouse, Children and Parents Included

You, your spouse and your children can apply for Canadian citizenship. Once you become Canadian citizens, you can sponsor your parents and other family members. It's a ploy that works for my multinational company clients and it would work for you.

Canada's Federal Budget is primarily devoted to its Social Safety Net. Currently, there is a National Health Care program. The country's social support network is similar to that of Sweden. Unlike the United States, there is little money expended on its military. Thus, a person carrying a Canadian passport is a welcome visitor everywhere in the world.

Become a Multinational Corporation

My mantra to clients is "Become a Multinational Corporation." On the long list of benefits available to multinational corporations is the fact that Canada will welcome you or a close relative as a citizen. Your multinational corporation buys a Canadian business and you or a close relative qualifies for Canadian citizenship. Your multinational corporation develops its NAFTA distribution center in Canada and you or a close relative qualifies for Canadian citizenship. Of course your distribution center or acquired Canadian business must create jobs for at least one Canadian, but that seems to be a small price to pay for Canadian citizenship. Once you are a Canadian citizen, you can expand your business in the USA under the NAFTA agreement. If you are interested in my comparative general advice to multinational corporations about have a top corporate executive become an American or Canadian citizen visit: [http://home.earthlink.net/~beowulfinvestments/id36.html]

Income Tax Breaks

It takes three years from the date of your application to secure your Canadian citizenship. For the first five years of your Canadian residence, you are not subject to Canadian income taxes. Nor does Canada tax you on foreign-source income. After you secure your Canadian passport, if you choose to live outside of Canada for more than half of each year, you aren't subject to Canadian income taxes.

No Visa For US Visits

Canadian citizens are not required to have a visitor visa to enter the USA. When the Canadian Dollar is strong, you buy your supplies in the States. When the US Dollar is strong, you buy Canadian. It's been the Canadian way of controlling their inflation for decades. As a Canadian citizen, you can visit your present country of citizenship as often and whenever you wish.

Unlike the United States, the Canadian government quickly processes resident visa applications, similar to the US "Green Card."

How To Do It

If you are a successful businessperson running a national company anywhere in the world, here are your steps to your Canadian citizenship and untold wealth.
1. Read Venture Capital Profits.
2. Adapt the Venture Capital Profits strategy.
3. Become a regional multinational corporation by securing a PIPE financing through the Global Village Investment Club.
4. Leverage your cash by using your publicly traded shares to acquire cash producing assets.
5. Ensure that one of those cash-producing assets is in Canada.
6. Send a close relative to manage your Canadian subsidiary. Expect that relative to apply for Canadian citizenship.
7. After you complete the Venture Capital Profits strategy, you can have that Canadian relative sponsor you and your family into Canada.

No Cost

This entire immigration process costs you nothing. The costs are borne by your multinational corporation.

Costa Rica is a wonderful place to visit with your family or even alone.
Many couples honeymoon in Costa Rica combining romance, adventure and mystical visits to volcanoes, rainforest's, waterfalls, and secluded beaches. Our goal here is to provide a condensed guide that you can print and take with you to use for reference. For more detailed information about Costa Rica our website is the best information source on the web.

Country Information
Costa Rica is in Central America north of Panama and south of Nicaragua. The Pacific ocean borders the country to the west and the Caribbean to the east.

The citizens of Costa Rica are affectionately called Tico's and Tica's. In all of Latin America, the Tico's are most like North American's in their thought process. There are many cultural differences but tourism and tourists in general are welcomed warmly in this country.

Costa Rica has the highest literacy rate in Latin America. Every four years elections are held with 95% of the population participating in the voting process. Costa Rica has had no military forces since 1946. 27% of the country's budget is spent on health care. Although there are demonstrations occasionally civil unrest is not present. Costa Rica is considered to be the "Latin American success story".

The country has 110 volcanic craters, six active volcanoes,mountain ranges throughout the central portion of the country and secluded beaches with rain forest filled with wildlife butting right up to the shoreline.

Temperature varies with elevation. Humidity is present and noticeable, especially at sea level. Mosquitoes are obviously part of any rain forest but are not as noticeable as most parts of Florida, for instance due to the natural predators maintaining an ecological balance not found in places like Florida. (Bring repellent with Deet however!)

Costa Rica has a wet and dry season. The wet or "green" season is from May until November each year. During this time rainfall is more prevalent in most regions (Guanacaste province is the driest area in the country) with sunshine typical in the morning hours with showers in the afternoon and at night. Green season is when hotels offer discounts and crowds are minimized. As mentioned earlier, the northwestern portion of Costa Rica is the best "green" season destination due to rainfall considerations.

General Information
Entry requirements for visitors differ depending on your country of origin. US citizens, Canadians, and United Kingdom tourists need a valid passport but do not require a visa. The maximum stay under these conditions is 90 days but can be extended an additional 90 days through a travel agent or within the country through immigration.

Vaccinations are not required for malaria and other diseases to visit Costa Rica.

The water in most areas is safe to drink. Some coastal areas are exceptions however. Bottled water is recommended simply due to taste considerations. If you are at the Multiplaza mall in Escazu for instance the water is perfectly fine to drink. Smaller communities on the coast can be problematic however.

Costa Rica has the best fruit in the world in my opinion. Eat anything and everything in sight!

Driving in Costa Rica is an adventure! A stop sign in Costa Rica is treated like a yield sign in North America. Potholes in certain areas are HUGE. If renting a car consider the following:

The story behind the first maternity and paternity tests used for legal purposes.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of a remarkable discovery which forever changed the legal profession. In 1985, Alec Jeffreys (now Sir Alec), a young genetics professor at Leicester University, discovered DNA fingerprinting—the technique which allows for unambiguous human identification as well as relationship identification between different people. Since then, DNA testing has emerged as a powerful tool in both civil and criminal justice systems. DNA testing can not only reveal whether two or more individuals are related but can also determine the nature of this relationship. Today, it is possible to identify people by a single hair, as well as obtain information about their gender, ethnic background, and nearly their exact age.

In non-criminal legal practice, DNA testing is used primarily for immigration and child support cases. In 2004, more than 7,000 DNA tests were conducted in the UK for these purposes. When no reliable documentary evidence is available, DNA testing can assist in determining varying degrees of relatedness between individuals, as well as their ethnic background.

The landmark immigration case Sarbah vs. Home Office (1985) was the first to use DNA testing to prove a mother-son relationship between Christiana Sarbah and her son Andrew.

The case started in 1983 when Andrew, then 13, arrived in England after a long stay in Ghana with Christiana's estranged husband. Immigration officials held him at Heathrow Airport, claiming his passport was forged, or that a substitution had been made. Only after intervention by a local MP was Andrew allowed to stay at his family's home in London.

Various genetic-determining tests showed that Christiana and Andrew were almost certainly related; however, it was impossible to determine whether Christiana was his mother or merely an aunt (Christiana has several sisters in Ghana). The photographic evidence and depositions were rejected at an immigration hearing, but deportation was delayed pending an appeal.

Around the same time, an article in The Guardian reported the discovery of DNA fingerprinting by Prof. Alec Jeffreys and his team at the University of Leicester. After reading about their work, the legal team dealing with the case approached Prof. Jeffreys, and he agreed to take on the case. In order to prove that Christiana was Andrew’s mother, a DNA test was performed on blood samples from Christiana, Andrew, an unrelated individual, and Christiana's three undisputed children: David, Joyce, and Diana.

Using a recently discovered DNA probe, a DNA fingerprint was produced which confirmed that Christiana was indeed Andrew’s biological mother, and that David, Joyce and Diana were his siblings. Based on this evidence, the case was dropped by the Home Office and massive press coverage ensued. The discovery of DNA fingerprinting had huge implication for the non-criminal legal system and led to an overhaul of the UK’s Immigration legislation. Current UK immigration legislation accepts results of DNA testing as the ultimate proof or relationship between a child and his or her relatives. Accordingly, DNA test results will normally (although not invariably) provide conclusive evidence as to whether a child is related, as claimed, to one or both of his alleged parents.

Before January 1991, it was up to the applicant to decide whether or not to obtain DNA evidence in support of his or her application or appeal. In January 1991, a government scheme was introduced, which enables entry clearance officers (ECO) to offer to arrange DNA tests in cases where they are not satisfied that persons seeking admission as children are related to their UK sponsor.

A look at the role DNA testing plays in bringing family members into the United Kingdom

DNA testing is routinely used in immigration cases to prove whether a child under 18 is a biological child of or, in some cases, is related to an individual with a leave to remain in the UK. Most DNA tests for immigration reasons are parentage testing (paternity or maternity) but in some cases a grand parentage or avuncular (whether a child is a nephew or a niece of the sponsor) test is employed to prove an alleged relationship.

When the child is outside the UK, a DNA test is normally arranged by an ECO. In such cases, DNA samples are taken from applicants at a post overseas and sent to a UK-based laboratory together with the samples of the sponsor, which in most cases is taken in the UK. If the child is already in the UK, DNA testing could be conducted in a Home Office-appointed laboratory or arranged privately or via solicitor. The DNA testing report provides an assessment as to the nature of relationship between the tested individuals and states the probability of this relationship.

According to the Home Office guidelines, in assessing DNA reports, the question to be addressed is whether the evidence establishes the relevant relationships on a balance of probability. If a DNA report concludes that the probability of a claimed relationship is at least three-times greater than any other relationship, it should normally be accepted as proof of that relationship without further enquiry. If the probability of the claimed relationship is only twice as likely (or less) than any other relationship, the case is usually reviewed as a whole. However, the Home Office admits that even a low balance of probability in favor of the claimed relationship is substantial evidence and should be accepted unless there is strong evidence to the contrary. If relationship was the sole ground on which the application was refused, and it was later established by means of DNA evidence, the Home Office usually concedes the case.

In cases where several children are to be tested, the fact that some children are related to the claimant does not constitute the evidence in favor of other children who were not tested. The application with regards to the latter will be refused on the ground that there is not enough evidence to support the alleged relationship unless DNA testing results prove otherwise.

When DNA testing proves the alleged relationship, the Home Office usually concedes the application; however, in some cases, the Home Office has specific guidelines as to their treatment. This applies to cases when the child is related to only one of the parents, or is not related to them at all.

The immigration law treats a case where a child is related only to one of the parents differently. Treatment will depend on whether the child is related to the mother or to the father.

When the child is revealed to be the biological child of the father but not the mother, the Home Office usually seeks an explanation from the family on the following issues:

Providing that the father is not in a polygamous marriage, has exercised the sole responsibility for the child’s upbringing, and the child’s mother is not seeking entry to the UK, the application is usually conceded by the Home Office.

When the child is related only to the mother, the situation is again different. This is a very delicate case and is usually handled with great sensitivity as the child may be illegitimate and the father may not be aware (even if he saw the DNA report). The impact of a disclosure of adultery could be disastrous for the woman. If the child has been brought up as child of the family he or she is usually admitted.

If DNA testing results indicate that the child is unrelated to the claimant, there may still be grounds for the Home Office to concede the application. If there is evidence that the child has been brought up as a member of the family he or she may be qualified for admission as de facto adopted child. In cases where the child is not a biological child of the parents but is related to them, the child may qualify as a dependant of a relative other than a parent.

DNA technology has significantly improved from the times when it was discovered, and now DNA testing has become a gold standard for cases where the relationship between people needs to be determined. Since 1985, thousands of children have been legally admitted to the UK and hundreds of families have been reunited. This can be largely attributed to Sir Alec Jeffreys’ discovery of DNA fingerprinting 20 years ago.

Jet lag is a common sleep disorder suffered by many millions of travelers every day, whether traveling on business or for pleasure. In one recent survey of international business travelers, seventy four percent of those questioned said that they suffered frequently from jet lag.

Jet lag affects people of all ages, although its symptoms vary widely from person to person and tend to be more severe the older you get. Jet lag symptoms also tend to be worse if you are already suffering sleeping difficulties in advance of traveling.

Jet lag also increases with the number of time zones crossed during your journey. If the time difference between your starting point and destination is just two or three hours, then you are likely to experience little or no jet lag. However, once your journey extends across more than three time zones you will begin to experience the symptoms of jet lag, which will tend to worsen as the number of time zones increases.

So what causes jet lag?

Jet lag is caused by a significant and rapid change in time zones which result in a difference between the local time and the time recorded by your body’s internal clock.

Let’s say that you leave London at 11 o’clock on a Monday morning flying to Bangkok. The flight lasts twelve hours and you arrive in Bangkok at 11 o’clock that same evening London time. However, because you have flown across several time zones the local time in Bangkok is five o’clock on Tuesday morning.

By the time you’ve cleared immigration and customs and taken a taxi to your hotel, it’s probably getting on for seven thirty in the morning and breakfast is being served at the hotel. However, as far as your internal body clock is concerned, it’s still only one thirty in the morning and your body wants nothing more than to crawl into bed.

Your body contains its own internal clock which takes its time from the environment responding to such things as temperature, humidity and, most importantly, the normal daily change from daylight to darkness. These environmental factors cause your own body clock to run, much like your mantle clock, on a series of twenty four cycles, often referred to as your body’s circadian rhythms.

Much as our lives are controlled by time today, your body clock is also responsible for many of your body’s functions. In particular, your body clock tells your body when it is time to shut down for sleep and when it is time to wake up and start the day’s activities.

By flying across several time zones and placing your body clock out balance with local time you upset the whole rhythm of your day, giving rise to such things as problems sleeping at night, staying awake during the day and eating when you wouldn’t normally eat. This, in turn, leads to jet lag.

Copyright 2005 Donald Saunders – http://help-me-to-sleep.com

by Al Loy

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Chairman of the Immigration, Border Security and Citizenship subcommittee, and U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Chairman of the Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security subcommittee, introduced comprehensive border security and immigration reform legislation on Tuesday.

The Comprehensive Enforcement and Immigration Reform Act of 2005 will, S.1438, dramatically strengthen enforcement, bolster border security, and comprehensively reform our immigration laws. The key components of the bill include enhanced border security and interior enforcement, employer accountability, and reform that addresses temporary workers and the current illegal population.

Following is a summary of the bill:

Border Enforcement and Visa Security
• Authorizes sufficient resources, including 10,000 Border Patrol Agents (same figure as Intelligence Reform bill, with monthly reports to Congress on progress made in hiring and deploying the agents) and 1,250 new Customs and Border Protection Officers (working at ports of entry). Authorizes $5 billion over 5 years for accompanying technology (e.g. cameras and sensors) and infrastructure (e.g. stations and checkpoints), to stop illegal border crossing
• Expands and improves Expedited Removal, which provides a streamlined means of removing aliens who are clearly ineligible to enter the U.S. Authorizes $50 million over 5 years
• Strengthens US-VISIT entry-exit system to better track and identify aliens who enter the country and those who fail to depart
• Increases the bond amount for aliens from noncontiguous countries
• Cancels all visas in the possession of an alien if he or she fails to depart U.S. at end of stay
• Authorizes $50 million over 5 years in grants for American Indian Tribes on border adversely affected by illegal immigration.
Strengthening Interior Enforcement and Leveraging State and Local Law Resources
• Provides the Department of Homeland Security with 10,000 detention beds over 5 years to eliminate the release of illegal aliens into the country
• Clarifies State and local authority to enforce federal immigration laws
• Expands Institutional Removal Program to identify criminal aliens in federal and state correctional facilities and remove them upon completion of their sentences
• Authorizes $4.45 billion to reimburse states and counties for costs related to the incarceration of criminal illegal aliens and $200 million each year for the costs of processing criminal illegal immigrants through local criminal justice systems
• Authorizes 1,000 smuggling and status violations investigators over 5 years (200 more per year than Intelligence Reform bill)
• Authorizes 250 additional DOJ immigration judges and 500 DHS trial attorneys over 5 years
• Allows the Department of Homeland Security to expeditiously remove aliens who were previously deported and then reentered illegally
• Increases penalties for alien smuggling, document fraud, drug trafficking and gang violence
• Establishes new Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice to oversee immigration enforcement and litigation, to ensure high level DOJ attention and accountability Worksite Enforcement
• Authorizes 10,000 additional agents over 5 years to investigate employers who hire illegal aliens. Also 1,000 new investigators over 5 years to detect fraud in application process
• Increases the penalties for unauthorized employment of aliens, social security fraud and false claims to citizenship
• Requires within one year issuance of secure machine-readable, tamper-resistant Social Security cards
• Closes loopholes in identity theft by establishing minimum standards for state-issued birth certificates
• Requires within one year that all new hires participate in a Social Security-based electronic employment eligibility verification system
• Assists employers by reducing the number of documents that workers may present to establish identity and employment authorization

Obligations of Participating Countries
• Requires countries to enter into bilateral agreement with U.S. government before the nationals of the country are allowed to participate in a temporary worker visa program or Mandatory Departure status
• Requires aliens to have a minimum level of health coverage, which can be provided by the participating country, the alien or the employer
• Encourages countries to provide housing incentives for returning workers
• Requires participating country to:
1) Cooperate in efforts to control illegal immigration
2) Immediately accept return of nationals who are ordered removed from the U.S.
3) Work with U.S. to reduce gang violence, human trafficking and smuggling
4) Provide access to databases and information on criminal aliens and terrorists Temporary Worker Program
• Establishes new visa category that allows aliens to enter the U.S. to work temporarily when there are no available U.S. workers
• Limits the period of visa to two years, after which the alien must return home for one year. Alien may participate up to three times (for a total of 6 years of employment in the U.S.)
• Requires completion of background checks, health screening and issuance of biometric documentation to participating aliens
• Establishes a Temporary Worker Task Force to prepare a report on the effect of the temporary worker program on wages and employment of U.S. workers, which would then form basis of cap
• Family members may visit principal worker in the U.S. for no longer than 30 days within a given year

Mandatory Departure and Reentry in Legal Status
• Allows aliens who are present in the U.S. illegally to apply for Mandatory Departure, which enables them time to depart the United States voluntarily and reenter the country through normal legal channels (e.g. as temporary worker)
• Aliens granted Mandatory Departure status are ineligible to obtain permanent resident status (i.e. green card) while in the U.S. – they must depart and reenter through normal legal channels
• Aliens are registered, fingerprinted, and checked against all available criminal/terrorist lists
• Aliens are issued secure, biometric identity documentation. The documents will function as identity documents and employers will use document readers to verify identity and employment authorization
• Provides incentives for aliens to depart the United States immediately, but all aliens are required to depart prior to five years
• Aliens who return to home country within a short period of time may quickly reenter through legal channels as a temporary worker and are not required to spend up to 10 years outside of the country
• Aliens who fail to depart are ineligible for any other immigration benefit for a period of ten years

Circular Migration and Visa Backlog Reduction
• Creates temporary worker investment funds to encourage aliens to return home
• Reduces visa backlog waiting times by allowing the recapture of unused visa numbers and terminating the Diversity Visa Program.

Find more articles about immigration at LawyerIntl .com articles

Since its discovery 20 years ago, the use of DNA for human identity and relationship testing has emerged as a powerful tool in both civil and criminal justice systems. DNA testing can reveal whether two or more individuals are related as well as determining the nature of their relationship. Today, it is possible to identify people by a single hair, as well as obtain information about their gender and ethnic background, and, within the next couple of years, identify their age.

Before the advent of DNA testing, human identity testing was largely carried out through blood typing. DNA analysis has now superseded blood testing and is the most accurate method currently available for human identification.

The possibility that DNA could be used for human identity and relationship testing had been discussed from the time DNA was first revealed as the molecule which makes people unique. Yet, it was not until the discovery of DNA fingerprinting by Prof. Alec Jeffreys (now Sir Alec) of Leicester University in 1984 when the first practical testing system became available. As with conventional fingerprinting, where various loops and whorls are compared between two fingerprints, DNA testing relies on comparing certain DNA features called DNA markers between two individuals. If DNA patterns between the samples are identical, then they are likely to come from the same person. If the profiles are not identical but big similarities are observed, then the samples most probably come from related individuals. The degree of the similarity between DNA profiles is a representation of the degree of relatedness between people.

Currently, DNA testing is routinely used for both criminal and non-criminal applications. However there is a major difference between DNA testing for civil and for criminal cases. For civil cases, DNA testing is predominantly used to determine relationship between individuals while for criminal cases a crime scene stain has to be matched to the suspect.

In non-criminal legal practice, DNA testing is used primarily for immigration and child support cases. In 2004, more than 7,000 DNA tests were conducted for these purposes in the UK. Where no reliable documentary evidence is available, DNA testing can assist in determining varying degrees of relatedness between individuals concerned, as well as individual’s ethnic background.

The first time DNA testing was used for identity purposes was in the landmark immigration case Sarbah vs. Home Office (1985). In this case, DNA testing was used to prove the mother-son relationship between Christiana Sarbah and her son Andrew. Now, the Home Office accepts DNA testing as a virtually unquestionable proof of relatedness. The results will normally (although not invariably) provide conclusive evidence as to whether individuals in question are related as alleged.

UK Child Support Agency extensively uses DNA testing for establishing who the biological parent of the child is for purposes of providing child maintenance and support. Child support is one the main areas of non-criminal DNA testing.

Child adoption is another area where DNA testing is widely applied. Currently, UK adoption agencies adopt children into families which match their ethnic background. Sometimes, it is difficult to determine the ethical background of the child and here DNA testing can help. People of different races and ethnic groups have common facial and other features which are typical for this particular race or group. The same is also true for their genetic characteristics. Various racial and ethnic groups have genetic markers specific to these groups. When analysing these markers, it is possible to tell the proportion of individual’s ancestors who came from specific ethnic groups. It is, however, impossible to pinpoint at what stage the particular ancestors contributed their DNA and also their number. For example, the results of ethnicity DNA testing can show that an individual has 20% of markers specific to northern Europe, 50% to the Middle East, 10% to the Mediterranean and 20% to sub-Saharan Africa. Using this information the family with the closest ethnicity to the child can be chosen.

Although charged with the security of national borders by the "supreme" law of the land, Congress has pursued open door policies over the past century or longer. When lawmakers subvert the law they create, by deliberate non enforcement, they surrender all legal and moral authority to compel you and me to uphold their never ending laws. They encourage and allow the continuous daily invasion of this nation by those who understand American law amounts to window dressing. Now we are faced with a situation where Congressional criminals demand that citizens make life difficult for the guests they invite and encourage. If an employer of undocumented workers cannot win this case in court, it can only be the courts are as criminal as Congress itself. Do as we say, not as we do.

Illegal immigration is nearly as good for business as war. If we could choose one or the other, I would prefer the immigration. But this is America so we do both. If we could only admit whatever is good for business is good for everyone, we could end all the hypocrisy. We could all admit we serve money while pretending to serve God and humanity. We could all work for a dollar per day and fairly compete with workers all over the world. Of course, professionals and politicians would receive ten dollars per day to encourage sixteen or twenty years of education and indoctrination, just as we do now.

Let's end the hypocrisy. Let's throw the national doors open to any who want to live and work here. Let us make citizens of all who desire citizenship. However, if the hypocrisy is more profitable to business than an official open door policy, give us more. When corrupt and criminal government fails, as it always does, the undocumented worker will teach us how to feed ourselves and prosper in the cash economy. I swear there is an up side to every stupid rule. We only need patience to see and apply it. The region where I live is literally and figuratively hot. Migrants are filling the land from the North and the South. No matter what happens in Detroit or New York, boom times are here to stay in my neighborhood.

On 4 May, 2005, John Kyl, U.S. Congressman, appeared on public television telling Arizonans the important thing to remember about border security is; it is possible - which is to say, it remains possible for Congress to obey the law. The comfort I took from his message lasted only until I realized this law would be obeyed by Congress only at the expense of many long political careers no Congress people intend to sacrifice. After all, it is also possible to prevent people from flying airplanes into buildings. Possibility offers small comfort in the face of status quo. So long as people accept the politics of hypocrisy as normal, possibilities are irrelevant.

The long waiting time to get a Driving Test Appointment here in Ireland is of course the responsibility of the Department of Transport. Or is it? It is so easy to blame your Government for every ill that assails us, but let’s look at the real reasons for the delay.
There are many factors leading to the incredible waiting time for Driving Test.

1.Demographics --- here in Ireland we have a very high proportion of the population in the age group 17 to 30 which is the prime time for learning to drive.


2.Immigration --- As a result of our new-found prosperity: Celtic Tiger Economy and all that, we are not only attracting back expatriates but we have become flavor of the month for those looking to find a new life from both the European bloc and further distant countries. Since the accession of 10 new States to the EU during 2004 there are numerous ethnic groups wending their way to Ireland. Most of these families will ultimately be in a position to own cars and the children of these families will also aspire to drive when they are old enough.


3.Government Legislation --- introduced in JAN.2003,as part of EU Directives ,has led to a large chunk of drivers being forced to sit a Driving Test instead of being happy to drive on a provisional license for upwards of 25 years! In the lead up to this legislation, on one day alone, upwards of 8000 applications were received by the Driver Testing Section.


4.Candidates failing to turn up. Many Test candidates just don’t turn up at all. A recent grapevine comment from a Driving Tester indicated that four of his first six appointments on one day failed to show.


5.Cars not being up to the required Standard---Despite an extensive two page list of requirements on the Day, which is sent with all Test Appointments, cars are still being turned down .Some of the most common faults are :- Faulty Brake Lights; Cracked Windscreens; Faded and unreadable Insurance Discs; Poor Tyres.


6.Novice Drivers Unprepared---Learner Drivers are to a greater degree not taking adequate Driving Lessons. The result of this is a high first time failure rate. Lack of practice, in addition to Lessons is also contributing to candidates having to re- sit the Test.


7.Driving Test standards and requirements unknown---The changes due to recent Legislation will not always be known unless the candidate takes the trouble to enroll with a professional Driving School. Recently introduced on 14th February 2005 are the Technical checks which require a candidate to know their way around under the Bonnet (hood).


8.Cancellations ---Obviously there will be genuine reasons for last minute cancellations such as family problems, health problems and so on but there are too many cancellations from pupils who are chickening out at the last moment .A recent candidate told me that her car had been stolen twice and of course hiring a Driving School car for a Test at the last moment is not an advisable course of action. Getting used to strange car is not something that you can do in just a few minutes.


9.Overconfidence---It is a myth that the longer you are driving the better you become. If a learner Driver hasn’t been taught the basics and some more advanced skills at the start of their driving career they will very quickly pick up poor techniques and habits which will be difficult to rectify at short notice.


10.Learning to Drive with Mum, Dad, Boyfriend, Girlfriend.--- Many Adult Drivers have never taken a Driving Test, particularly those over 60 years of age and are not equipped to teach their offspring. In fact a high proportion of Adult Drivers exhibit such disregard for the basic Rules of the Road that they shouldn’t be permitted to be behind the wheel themselves, much less try to teach their children.

The Emancipation Proclamation Lie:

Why does the Immigration Department insist on asking the question who freed the slaves and saying it was Lincoln? Do you think Lincoln was in a position to free the slaves in the South? Perhaps he was but that was never settled in court and it was the matter of Civil War, in part. He did not free the slaves in the North where he actually was legally entitled to make such a Proclamation. This kind of management of public perception is almost considered wise by people when they learn that it is not true. They say things like ‘We need our heroes’.

If we need to lie about liars and racists or otherwise keep our heads in dark places and eat what mushrooms eat, how will we address the opportunities to stop fighting over the One Pie? How will we make more pies on other planets and who will own those planets or get the gene therapy to extend life to a potential of 900 years? Who thinks that sentient robots with human brain contents dumped therein (Stanford 1999) will be better workers and who will have jobs? Why work at any job that can be done by a robot? Has our education system been creating thinkers who can create the vast potential inherent in new technology and space colonization?

When General Fremont freed the slaves in Missouri he was upbraided by Lincoln and rather than telling lies about Lincoln freeing slaves I think the schools and Immigration Department should have people read the Lincoln-Douglas debates where he makes it clear that he is a racist. I know some people try to say Fremont did not free the slaves so I will give you a quote from people I agree with and a link to the information you might want to check into.

“’The property, real and personal, of all persons in the State of Missouri who shall take up arms against the United States, and who shall be directly proven to have taken active part with their enemies in the field, is declared to be confiscated to the public use, and their slaves, if they have any, are hereby declared free.’

It has been stated by some of the papers that in thus pronouncing the emancipation of the slaves of rebels General Fremont was only carrying out the Act known as the Confiscating Act passed by Congress at the extra session. An examination of that act will, however, show that its provisions do not warrant the step taken by the General.” (1)
http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/civil-war/1861/september/slave-proclamation.htm

HillarysVillage.com

Fearful that terrorists will next target Australia, Prime Minister John Howard broke the silence this week. He reopened the debate on issuing mandated national ID cards.

Those who live topside and think that internal political decisions made down under will have little bearing on our lives, should think again.

A national ID system in Australia will do more than raid that nation of personal liberty. It will set a precedent to be followed by the rest of the world.

So what's the big deal?

Once the national ID card is adopted in Australia, its effectiveness in curbing terrorism, illegal immigration and host of other social ills will be realized. That will make for an easy sell to Americans, Europeans and others weary of what ails society. The national ID will be seen as a quick fix.

The logical progression will lead to an international interlink between nations. An international ID card will be established. Then, to thwart card theft, the business-card sized documents will be replaced with permanent IDs: computer chips implanted in the hand (for convenience) and the forehead (for permanence).

Once established, implanted IDs will lend themselves for other conveniences, such as biotechnical debit cards and health histories.

So long to liberty

Implanted IDs will be effective. They will do wonders to end terrorism, tax evasion, kidnapping, money laundering and even purse snatching. With the exception of the cumbersome act of bartering, implanted IDs will be required for commerce of any kind. No ID implant? No buying and no selling.

While international IDs will provide a panache of benifits, they will also end personal liberty as we know it. And that, many believe, will be a fair exchange.

End of national sovereignty

The move toward internationalism is not new. What is new is a report issued recently by the Council on Foreign Relations. Like John Howard's quest to fend off terrorism, the CFR says terrorism can be held at bay if the Americas will form a coalition similar to the European Union.

Called "Building a North American Community," the plan calls for a "community" (rather than "union") of nations. It also mandates that national borders be replaced with "common perimeters".

Those who believe Americans would never agree to such a blantant abandon of national sovereignty will be surprised to know that conversative Republican George W. Bush has already agreed to the plan. Along with Mexican president Vincent Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, Bush committed the government to the CFR plan on March 23, 2005. That, you will remember, is that date that Bush, Fox and Martin met at Bush's ranch and at Waco, Texas.

What a plan!

In addition to effectively erasing national borders, the plan calls for American taxpayers to provide the following:

• "Long-term loans in pesos" to shore up Mexico's economy
• A North American Investment Fund to send U.S. private capital to Mexico.
• A "permanent tribunal [ie, court] for North American dispute resolution." (And you thought the Supreme Court's decisions were painful.)
• "Social Security Totalization Agreement negotiated between the United States and Mexico." That is, illegal immigrants living in the United States and will benefit from the Social Security system, a virtual guarantee of the its collapse.
• A fund to finance 60,000 Mexican students to study in U.S. colleges.

The move in Australia to impose a national ID system on that nation's citizens will get little press attention in America, Europe or elsewhere. But once affected and proven effective, Australia's national ID program will be one more step toward internationalism, the demise of national sovereignty and an end to personal liberty.

And it's all sold as an antidote for terrorism.

The Protocol plan 'will remain invisible until the moment when it has gained such strength that no cunning can any longer undermine it.' (Protocol 1) {Gardner's 1999 book and those of Barrett and the Blandford Publishers would seem to make it no longer "invisible”!}

-'Wars, so far as possible, should not result in territorial gains.' (Protocol 2)

-'(The) minds (of the masses) must be diverted toward industry and trade. Thus, all the nations will be swallowed up in the pursuit of gain and.. .will not take note of their common foe.' (Protocol 14)

-'We shall create an intensified centralization of government,' (Protocol 5) '… we must develop (a) Super-Government by representing it as the Protector and Benefactor of all those who voluntarily submit… {Remember Hobbes, see LEVIATHAN entry.}...We shall soon begin to establish huge monopolies... '(Protocol 6)

-'The intensification of armaments, the increase of police forces... (so that) in all the States of the world, besides ourselves, (there will be) only the masses of the proletariat, {With the non-lethal weapons and mind control psy-ops weapons developed in the last two decades the police and other enforcement of secret agencies under a variety of guises have expanded. Immigration, PATRIOT ACT or Mental hygiene, psychological teams in schools, medical use of drugs, tax collectors [There were no income taxes when these Protocols were written.] and a whole host of investigation and environmental or regulatory bodies have generated massive readjustments and further bureaucratization. Even the computer security has dual and multiple affects that allow major invasions of freedoms often only imagined in the annals of human culture. Soon the use of human body parts, genes and dumping of artificial and other implanted knowledge will occur directly.} a few millionaires devoted to our interests, police, and soldiers.' (Protocol 7)

-'We shall put (government power) in the hands of persons whose past and reputations are such that between them and the people lies an abyss, {E.g. South America and the Nazis, or Bush family} persons who, in case of disobedience to our instructions, must face criminal charges...' (Protocol 8)

-'We have fooled, bemused and corrupted the youth of the (masses) by rearing them in principles and theories which are known to us to be false... '(Protocol 9)

-'We shall destroy among the (masses) the importance of the family and its educational value.' (Protocol 10)

-'We have invented this whole policy and insinuated it into the minds of the (masses)... {Their early Greco Roman success and the patristic/Abrahamic 'baby-factories' is a precursor that when joined with 'The Original Sin' of Augustine made huge inroads of family ability to nurture each other. Women weren't allowed by law to become educated much less own things.} to obtain in a roundabout way what is... unattainable by the direct road... It is this which has served as the basis for our organization of secret masonry which is not known to, and aims which are not even so much as suspected by, these... cattle, attracted by us into the 'Show' army of Masonic Lodges in order to throw dust in the eyes of their fellows' (Protocol 11)

-What is the part played by the press today?... It serves selfish ends... It is often vapid, unjust, mendacious and the majority of the public have not the slightest idea what ends the press really serves. We shall saddle and bridle it with a tight curb Not a single announcement will reach the public without our control...'(Protocol 12)

-'The need for daily bread forces the (masses) to keep silent and be our humble servants In order that the masses themselves may not guess what they are about we further distract them with amusements, games, pastimes, passions, {The use of gambling and drugs or other addictions like lotteries and bingo.} people's palace (no TV at that time). Soon we shall begin through the press to propose competitions in art, in sports of all kinds...'(Protocol 13)

-'It will be undesirable for us that there should exist any other religion than ours… We must therefore sweep away all other forms of belief.' (Protocol 14) 'Freedom of conscience has been declared every- where, so that now only years divide us from the moment of the complete wrecking of that Christian religion, as to other religions we shall have less difficulty in dealing with them.'(Protocol 17)

{Add to this, the foundational support of science and guidance to academia that we showed in the case of Rockefeller and Yale interests.}

-'When we at last definitely come into our kingdom by the aid of 'coups d'etat' prepared everywhere for one and the same day...we shall make it our task to see that against us such things as plots shall no longer exist. {The success of monopolistic and imperialistic or economic [Fed, IMF etc.] made a unification unwarranted but what about space colonization and gene therapy or other technology they didn't have at their disposal?} With this purpose we shall slay without mercy all who take arms in hand to oppose our coming... Anything like a secret society will also be punishable with death..."(Protocol 15)

{The Gestapo had a lot of citizen help and the Nazis of Germany would be impressed with the denial of citizens going on today. There are strong indicators of major dependencies which lead away from freedom and people aren't even aware they aren't free due to the legalization and forced attendance at school not in existence in the time these ideas were formulated.} -'In our program one-third of (the masses) will keep the rest under observation from a sense of duty, on the principle of volunteer service to the State. {Machiavelli might say giving people perceived power to inform on others appeals to a lot of basic human urges.} It will be no disgrace to be a spy and informer, but a merit... how else (are) we to. .. increase… disorders?' (Protocol 17) 'Sedition-mongering is nothing more than the yapping of a lap-dog at an elephant... In order to destroy the prestige of heroism, for political crime we shall send it for trial in the category of thieving, murder and every kind of abominable and filthy crime. {The invocation of National Interest, increase in mutiny of the sea, fomentation of racial prejudices and the like served well for a century or more.} Public opinion will then... brand it with the same contempt.' (Protocol 19) 'Until (dissenters) commit some overt act we shall not lay a finger on them but only introduce into their midst observation elements...' (Protocol 18)

{The use of the Weathermen by J. Edgar Hoover was a fine example of this kind of management and encouragement to create a whipping dog to keep others from questioning whether the government was fair and open to criticism. Then they were brought down from within.}

Later Protocols deal with finances. Protocol 20 called for general taxation, 'the lawful confiscation of all sums of every kind for the regulation of their circulation in the State.' This would be followed by a 'progressive tax on property' and then finally a graduated income tax, a 'tax increasing in a percentage ratio to capital' as well as taxes on sales, 'receipt of money', inheritance, and property transfers. {The lack of actual taxes paid by the very rich allows further question. For example Rupert Murdoch is able to get preferred status by the creation of Congressional allowances just for him. Donations to the agencies of the Masons or churches are tax free and the investment in certain things they wanted allowed tax avoidance.} There was a discussion of 'the substitution of interest-bearing paper:' money since 'Economic crises have been produced by us... by no other means than the withdrawal of money from circulation.'

The Protocols also discuss at great length - loans, which it states 'hang like a sword of Damocles over the heads of rulers, who, instead of taking from their subjects by a temporary tax, come begging with outstretched palm to our bankers.'…

Despite their dubious origin, the Protocols were taken seriously by many powerful people, including Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II, Russia's Czar Nicholas II, and American industrialist Henry Ford, who used them to persuade the U.S. Senate not to join President Wilson's League of Nations.

The Ochrana's plan worked a bit too well. A counterrevolution took place and pogroms against Russian Jews were instituted by vigilantes called 'The Black Guard', incensed by the Czarist propaganda. Continuing instability and violence finally resulted in the 1905 Russian Revolution, during which the Protocols again were trotted out by pro-czarist elements to inflame the public.

Hitler saw the Protocols as a real proclamation despite the evidence of fabrication. In Mein Kampf he wrote, 'They are supposed to be a 'forgery' the Frankfurter Zeitung moans and cries out to the world once a week; the best proof that they are genuine after all... But the best criticism applied to them is reality. He who examines the historical development of the past hundred years, from the points of view of this book (the Protocols), will also immediately understand the clamor of the Jewish press. For once this book has become the common property of a people, the Jewish danger is bound to be considered as broken.'

As we all know that the legal industry is one of the most competitive industry today. Larger law firms often invest good portion in their marketing department to make sure that they are always in the public eye. Now with the help of Internet, Small law firms can reach out to public and give a good impression about their firm.

Here are some of the marketing tips that could be useful:

1. Create a website with your own domain name (i.e. www.yourname.com). Do not go for a one page profile that many sites offer with sub domain name (i.e. yourname.somesite.com). These days creating and maintain a small site is cheaper than ever. You could have someone create your site for $100-$300 and host it for $5-$10 per month.

2. Make sure the site looks professional and user friendly. I recommend studying some of the related sites on the Internet before having someone create yours.

3. Submit your site to all major search engines such as Google, MSN, AOL, Yahoo, iWon, Ask.com, Excite. Most traffic come from these top Search Engines. You don’t have to submit your site to thousands of search engines. Try to do manual submit to these Search Engines.

4. Make sure your business card has your website address (URL) and your email address (you@yoursite.com).

5. Try Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising campaign on Google or Overture (Yahoo) with as low as $0.10 per click. Make sure to use targeted keywords in these campaigns rather than generic. For Immigration services in Los Angeles, CA, “Immigration lawyer in Los Angeles” keyword would be more effective than “Immigration” or “Lawyer” keywords.

6. Find local community websites and advertise your banner on their website. These sites are cheaper and more effective since most people visiting the sites are local.

7. Make sure to keep your site up-to-date with the current information. List your achievements on your website. Ask your clients to give feedback and ask them if it is ok post them on the website.

Yesterday, London was hit by a series of explosions to the transport system. A number of people have lost their lives and there are numerous wounded. This barbaric act, another one in this mad world of ours, has hit hard – none more so than the Londoner and the Brit.

I called my mother yesterday, checked that all was okay. I did the normal things in life during such times, I worried and checked.
This morning I switched on the news, CNN are calling it “Terror in London” – a catchy title! It looks like they are giving it twenty-four hour coverage! But it was when I switched on my computer to pick up the mornings emails, I realized that so many people in this world are supersonic fast in benefiting themselves through tragedy! One of the emails that I received was from an Immigration Consultancy Firm in Canada called ACIC and the email was signed by a Russell Monsurate. He said:
To everyone we have come to know at ACIC:
We would like to express our sorrow and sympathy for those who have just experienced a very barbaric and unprovoked attack in London this morning, July 7, 2005. This was an attack not just on the United Kingdom, but on the civilized people of the world.
As Canadians we hope we speak for our country when we say our support is with those who are suffering through this trying time and with the government of Britain in their investigation into this matter. In the end justice will prevail.
I live in Taiwan. I am from Scotland; I have not been home for nearly three years! I recall in the dim past that I once had the idea of moving to Canada and that I filled out an application form for ACIC but I am sure that nobody at the firm ever came close to “knowing me”! Why would anybody on this planet want to send me an unsolicited email like the one above? It is neither the time nor place for Canadian Immigration Lawyers to send spam like emails when the British are trying to cope and return to life as they once knew it!

Further to this I had another email from a publisher requesting use of an article that I wrote on “how to cope with stress” and using a reason for requesting this piece as follows:

“In light of the recent London tragedy, as well as the ongoing tragedies of kidnapping and child abduction, our first reference will focus on "stress reduction."

Didn’t take you long to get off the mark! In fact the email I received from these publishers was written and sent in less than twelve hours after the actual explosions occurred in London. That must have been a straight rush to the computer that one ………… frightening stuff!

I expect in the next few days that I will receive many more like those mentioned above but at least they waited a day or two before jumping on the wagon!

Marriage and U.S. Citizenship

An extremely common practice in the USA is for an American citizen (or legal permanent resident) to have a spouse who is a foreign national. When this happens, the citizen most often desires that their spouse shares in the same opportunities and privileges they have as an American citizen. The process of securing a green card for the spouse is a long and complicated process, and can take anywhere from a couple months to several years. When seeking a green card for a spouse there are two options that one can take.

Because spouses of U.S. citizens are considered an “immediate relative,’ they can apply for a green card without the traditional waiting period. It takes around ten months for the application to be reviewed but while they are waiting, the spouse can usually obtain a work permit in about a month’s time.

A spouse of a legal permanent resident of the U.S. can apply for a green card, but the waiting period is much longer and in addition, the spouse is subject to annual quotas. One of the primary sources of investigation is the nation of origin.

If your application for citizenship takes longer than expected don’t worry. Immigration is a very time consuming process and many times you are treated as a number and not an individual. By consulting an experienced immigration lawyer you can make your case stand out. Contact an experienced immigration lawyer today!

Part I of this article listed all the things that you, an outsourcer, must do in preparation for a trip to India. It saw you up to the airport on your day of departure.

Now you’re on the plane and you’ve had dinner; your eyes close as you drift into sleep, to dream of maharajas, elephants and computer geeks…

After sailing the skies for an interminably long time, you finally arrive in the Indian subcontinent. Hot, humid air surrounds you as you disembark from the aircraft; flocks of parrots and other exotic birds streak by overhead.

Immigration takes anything between 10 and 90 minutes depending on the inflow of passengers... it pays to move fast and get a good position in the line.

Customs is usually a breeze, since the officers are only after the big offenders (and hopefully you’re not one of them!). They usually wave foreign citizens right by since they know these visitors are potential customers.

Incidentally, from the moment you entered the terminal, surveillance has been on, but since it's hidden, you've no idea it's in place.

If you now walk straight out of the terminal, voracious taxi drivers will descend upon you en masse, much like vultures on an African kill, after which they will proceed to confuse and destroy your thinking process in their attempt to sell you a ride.

So don't venture outside unprotected. Buy a controlled-rate coupon inside the terminal at the 'prepaid taxi' counter for a taxi ride to your hotel. The salesperson will also assign a taxi and driver to you.

The prepaid taxi coupon is your body armor against those unregulated taxi-drivers... they will not come near you when they see that slip of paper in your hands. You can walk to your taxi without fear of attack.

Once you're at your hotel, you're in safe hands, because indeed, Indian business hotels are havens for travellers. Their managements are seriously concerned about guests' well-being and comfort; their environs are restful and healing.

Knock back your welcome drink and decompress. Once that’s done, gently channel your thoughts towards acquiring a vital necessity: a mobile phone with GSM connectivity.

If you are a seasoned traveller, you will have a 'tri-band' mobile, in which case all you have to do is buy a SIM card and a prepaid connection, which will cost you about US$35 (as of 2005) including nearly 250 minutes of talk time.

If you don't have a tri-band, buy an inexpensive GSM mobile for about $45 in addition to a SIM card. SIM cards and phones are available at any of the myriad phone shops in any Indian metropolis; your concierge will tell you where the nearest one is.

Take this advice on mobiles very seriously... one cannot stress how important it is... I’ll be you $10 you’ll thank me for it later!

Inaugurate your new phone by calling the vendor you came to see. Get to the vendor's office by car (yours or theirs, as long as it has air conditioning); other means of transport like auto rickshaws may look exciting but will likely result in a missed appointment...

When at the vendor's place, look for:

* Capacity: (workstations and people);
* Supervisory arrangements: (floor managers, project leaders, group heads);
* Security: (controlled physical access and password-protected network resources).

Most importantly, meet the person who will be in charge of the project you are thinking of giving the vendor. Is s/he articulate? Tech-savvy? Quality conscious? Deadline oriented? Easy to get along with? Is there a second line to take over if s/he is away?

You must of course also hand over a copy of your RFP and discuss each point in fine detail.

Bear in mind that most often, Indians are formal to begin with. If you invite the key people to a meal, they will be very happy to relate to you on a personal level... this is better for all parties concerned.

Conclude each visit by asking for your quotation within a specified timeframe; encourage the vendor to email you freely regarding any questions s/he may have.

At the end of a visit, ask yourself if you have a good feeling about the interaction. If the answer is an overwhelming “NO!”, you had better strike the vendor off the hopefuls list. For any other answer, keep them in the running.

Follow these steps for all the hopefuls, and do extensive Internet research on the final candidates from the broadband connection in your hotel room.

Great, the business part of your trip is over, it’s time for recreation!

There are many unusual things to see in any Indian city, and you’d best ask your mentor what these are. There’s no point seeing typical big-city sights… look for the ancient or the ethnic (Akbar’s tomb, Kerala waterways or the Hindu temple at Madurai, for instance).

Be careful when deciding what to eat or drink. Only eat in restaurants that are clean by your country's standards; stick to bottled water from reputed companies like Kinley or Aqua Fina. And no matter how badly you may be tempted, do not eat from those small roadside carts and kiosks!

If you want to buy souvenirs to take home, ask your mentor where to shop, else you may very well end up paying twice what you should. Buy things that are not easy to come by in your home country: fine silks, carpets, and most importantly, Indian jewelry, of which only meagre selections are available outside the subcontinent.

So now, replete with silk, gold and an outsourcing vendor shortlist, you're at the end of a memorable journey. Get on a plane, push the seat back and wonder how it all went by so fast.

Dream about how much you’re going to save in costs, the quality improvements you will see, what a good thing you’ve done for your company, and how glad you were that you planned your trip carefully.

You now have valuable knowledge and experience about travelling to India, and might very well soon be recognized as an expert in the subject. Fare thee well, bold traveller, and fearlessly guide all those who may follow in your footsteps…

It wasn’t all that long ago that lenders blatantly discriminated when it came to approving credit for women and minority groups. Women were actually asked personal and demeaning questions like, how many children do you plan to have in the future or are you on birth control?

Despite the fact that they were entering the workforce in record numbers, single women were often required to get a cosigner or denied credit altogether. Members of minority groups were denied credit as well, even though they were fully qualified.

Today thanks to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, millions of consumers from all walks of life are given and equal chance to obtain and use credit to finance educations, buy or remodel homes or get small business loans.

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which was passed by congress in 1973 first banned discrimination in credit access on the basis of sex or marital status and was later amended to include race, religion, national origin and age. Of course, this doesn’t mean all consumers who apply for credit get it. Factors such as income, expenses, debt and credit history are considerations for credit worthiness.

But the law protects you when you deal with any creditor who regularly extends credit, including banks, small loan and finance companies, retail and department stores, credit card companies, and credit unions. Anyone involved in granting credit, such as real estate brokers who arrange financing, is covered by the law. Businesses applying for credit also are protected by the law.

When You Apply For Credit, A Creditor May Not.

Discourage you from applying for credit because of your sex, marital status, age, race, national origin, or because you receive public assistance income.

Ask you to reveal your sex, race, national origin, or religion. A creditor may ask you to voluntarily disclose this information, except for religion if you’re applying for a real estate loan. This information helps federal agencies enforce anti discrimination laws. You may be asked about your residence or immigration status.

Ask if you’re widowed or divorced. When permitted to ask marital status, a creditor may only use the terms: married, unmarried, or separated.

Ask about your marital status if you’re applying for a separate, unsecured account. A creditor may ask you to provide this information if you live in community property states, Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington. A creditor in any state may ask for this information if you apply for a joint credit account or one secured by property.

Request information about your spouse, except when your spouse is applying for credit with you. Note: your spouse will be allowed to use the credit account. You are relying on your spouse’s income or on alimony or child support income from a former spouse; or if you reside in a community property state.

Inquire about your plans for having or raising children.

Ask if you receive alimony, child support, or separate maintenance payments, unless you’re first told that, you don’t have to provide this information if you won’t rely on these payments to get credit. A creditor may ask if you have to pay alimony, child support, or separate maintenance payments.

A Special Note To Women

A good credit history, a record of how you paid past bills often is necessary to get credit. Unfortunately, this hurts many married, separated, divorced, and widowed women. There are two common reasons women don’t have credit histories in their own names: they lost their credit histories when they married and changed their names, or creditors reported accounts shared by married couples in the husband’s name only.

If you’re married, divorced, separated, or widowed, contact the credit bureaus to make sure all relevant information is in a file under your own name.

To find additional rights you have, what a creditor may not do: when deciding to give you credit or evaluating your income for credit and what to do if you suspect discrimination visit: http://www.creditandyou.com/yourcreditrights.html it’s a free information website!

Maybe I'm getting cynical as I get older or possibly I just know the smell of the perfume coated turd that is "spin". It seems that if nothing else, the government fully understands the working of UK public's mind and utilises every tactic possible to dodge, divert or just plaster over some of the most important liberty issues facing the people of the UK.

People by nature are trusting of their state's authority and this trust is often abused. The UK government sanctioned and helped finance the war in Iraq, in the public's name and with the public's purse. Other than the obvious, one of the major casualties of the coalition was the UN. Castrating the one organisation in a position to challenge any state with sinister ambitions was either a stupendous oversight or stroke of genius. Now any state can decide to act beyond the instruction of its UN peers and refer to past coalition action in its defence. Rejecting the democratic process on the one hand, the coalition is happy to preach freedom and democracy to the Arab States, Russia, North Korea and China.

The public's response to the Prevention of Terrorism Bill earlier in the year met with limited interest. Prevention of Terrorism Bill in its original form amounted to a suspension of habeas corpus, the right to a trial, which has been frozen only a handful of times since it was enshrined in English law in 1679. On one occasion when terrorist suspects were imprisoned without trial, the innocent were deprived of their freedom, while the terrorists were given a huge boost to recruitment. In Northern Ireland in the early 1970s, the policy turned out to be a failure. See Darkening of a nation

More recently the government is proposing the removal of juries in some complex fraud trials. On the face of it there seems to be good reason to debate this proposal in light of the millions of pounds of tax payers money wasted when such cases collapse. However, removing juries in these trials crosses a line that should remain sacred if we wish to hold on to current principles of freedom, liberty and human rights. See Juries face axe in fraud trials

Finally, the House of Lords took the crusty sheen off the governments "Entitlement Card" by renaming it the "ID Card". On the face of it, the ID Card has sound benefits. Some of the official uses of the card and national database include: national security, prevention or detection of crime, enforcement of immigration controls, enforcement of prohibitions on unauthorised working or employment, securing the efficient and effective provision of public services. However, although the concept may have been based on the best intentions, it offers ample opportunity to become a Pandora’s Box. Most people have reservations based on cost and the government's answer at the moment is to place a "Cap" on the price so as not to put people off the idea. However, like many other schemes aimed at reducing the burden on the public's purse, the government will no doubt slip the same money out of the public's back pocket.

Consider how new technology is currently being discussed, extend it with just a little imagination and you might see some of the following appear in the near future:

Governments Vision:
Your car transmits its position, time and speed using current satellite technology to bring about an age of pay as you go car tax.

or possibly:
Instant Speed Fines, Congestion charges in all cities, Peak time charges, to the penny expense claims enforcement for company car employees.

Governments Vision:
ID cards to prevent prohibitions on unauthorised working or employment

or possibly:
The week you are taking off sick is being traced by your employer via the government database. It seems that your visit to the Gym, Pub, Bookies, Garden Centre, Lake District, Golf Coarse etc is going to be causing you some embarrassment in the meeting on Monday.

You may sneer, but remember when personal phones with a face on a television were just seen on "Space 1999"... or is that just me?

turd (tûrd)

n. Vulgar

A piece of solid excrement.

[Middle English, from Old English tord.]

Bahamas is one of the favorite, hot and evergreen tourist spot. The charisma and the aura of the place are spell- binding. It seems that nature has given it all to this place with its 15 superb and exclusive islands, beaches, and the lovely Bahamians. The location of the place is such that it brings it nearest of al the Caribbean islands. Situated a few miles away from the tip of Florida, Bahamas has everything to mesmerize its visitors.
The two well known islands of this place are–The Out Island and the Nassau or Paradise Island. The Nassau is also the capital of Bahamas. The Out islands are a bunch of several islands like- the Abacos, the Acklins also known as the Crooked Island, the Andros, etc. then there are also breathtaking Brry islands, Bimni, Cat Island with the amazing landscapes, the Exumas famous for scuba dive, fish and the like. The rare West Indian Flamingos can be a treat to the eyes at the Inagua islands; the pulse of romance can be aggravated at the calm, quiet yet beautiful Mayaguana islands. Last but not the least the San Salvador Island that take to a journey into the past when Christopher Columbus first stepped there.

Besides the islands there are horde of soft and sandy beaches with turquoise blue water that make you experience paradise on earth. The most vibrant, active and lively beach is the Cable beach Nassau where you and your kids can take up any activity from snorkeling, scuba diving to bouncing banana boats. The Guana Beach at the Abaco islands has eye catching corals in waters while the Pink Sands beach of Harbour islands are endowed with mystifying pink sand. Along with these there are fine Beach at the Cat Islands, Taino Beach with outstanding oceans, water slides, restaurants at the Freeport. The Stocking Island Beach facilitates you with a rented scooter or bike to explore the beach differently.

Apart from the scenic splendor, Bahamas is also admired for its ecstatic nightlife. The casinos, discos, bars, restaurants all are meant to keep up your spirits even at night. The casinos on the islands of Nassau and Freeport like Atlantis Resort, Marriott Crystal Palace Resort or the Bahamas Princess casino offer you all types of gambling games. Be it slots, Caribbean stud poker, slot machines, roulette etc. the casinos have them all. There are games for kids too at the Atlantis casino situated at the Paradise Island.
The means to Reach Bahamas, the people, the culture and some do’s and don’s-
There are two ways to reach this land of water. You can take either take a plane or the sea route. You can choose amongst a private jet or a relaxing Mailboat, which takes just $35 a trip. Cruise liners are also a pleasant idea to reach Bahamas.

Once you reach the place you might not have problems in interacting for the language spoken there is English. You will start having the wonderful fragrance of the place the moment you step there for Bahamians are too keen to warmly and whole heartedly welcome their guests. The perfect time to go to Bahamas is between September and May when the temperature of the place is around 70 to 75 degrees. Bahamas has something different to offer like its dress codes which is a little strict in the capital but benign at the Out Islands. Most of the Bahamians are West Africans. They are amiable, gentle and generous people who are too social and fun loving.

While heading for this ravishing place, do not forget to bring a photo identification proof besides your passport. It can be your license, Identity card or any such proof. There is an immigration form to be filled before stepping in Bahamas. Your luggage will be carefully checked before you move out of the island. There are several taxes like $15 departure tax, 10% tax for commodities over $600 (the duty free granted merchandise). The currency that runs is Bahamian dollars but US dollars are readily accepted.

So pack your bags and explore the allure of the land of islands and crystal blue beaches---Bahamas.

Are you visiting America for the first time? It is exciting and thrilling isn't

it? Can't blame you for that good feeling because if you have been issued travel

documents to enter the US, you are one of the lucky ones!

Imagine, there are millions of people all around the world who wish to visit the

United States of America but more than two-thirds of those who applied for a US

visa are denied for some reasons! So congratulate yourself that you have your US

visa.

Always remember that having a visa is not the end of your struggle to have one.

It is just the beginning of more thrills ahead. For one thing, as you enter the

United States of America, you will go through the port of entries where

immigration officials will still determine if you can come in through the doors of

the country. If you got your visa fraudulently, you can be caught and be

deported!

If you are coming to the US as a tourist, the immigration officers at the port of

entry will also determine how long you will be granted to stay in the US.

Legally, you are only allowed to stay in the US only on the amount of time you are

granted by the immigrations officers. If you overstay, you become an over staying

alien and would be subject to possible deportation. However, you may apply for an

extension of stay. Your application for extension, however, does not guarantee

approval.

Remember, if you come to the US only as a tourist, you are simply regarded as a

visitor. Having a tourist visa does not grant you a working permit. This means

that a tourist is never allowed to work anywhere in the US.

Since you are visiting the US as a tourist, enjoy your vacation as there are lots

of places to go where you will really enjoy. When you go places, if you have a

credit card, you can make an online hotel

reservations. All you need is an access to a computer with internet access.

If you plan to have long travels within the US, public transportation is available

either by bus or air transportation. In the US mainland, the Greyhound Bus

Company provides interstate bus transportation. The only exception is if you plan

to go to Hawaii or Alaska.

If going by air, a lot of airline companies are available. An airline reservations is also possible online. Air travel can bring you to any of the 50 states of the USA.

Well, welcome to America!

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

A brief travel guide is also available at www.yourcheaphotels.com.

An attorney, judge, prosecutor, or any public defender cannot assume full responsibility over whole phase of legal work. Even with their outstanding and brilliant minds, they still cannot carry on without any assistant. With their hectic and extremely tight schedules, preparation for their legal duties must be given attention by an assistant before they can proceed with the formal proceedings. This is where paralegals come into the scene. And who are these paralegal assistants? These are the persons who had backgrounds in paralegal profession.

First, what is paralegal and who are these paralegal persons? Paralegal is called a profession, which endures most interesting aspects of legal activities like variety of tasks of legal community. Within the bounds of paralegal profession encompasses diverse range of responsibilities, projects, environments, and functions in legal industry. A paralegal may not assume the legal work of the lawyers, however they carry in their own hands tasks such as whole segment of trial preparation or case management. Their key duties include: analyses of documents and data in relation to legal proceedings of the cases, compiling, organizing, then presenting the newfound information to the lawyer. Presentation is carefully condensed into an outline with case history, plan of actions plus relevant notes that will help construct any precedents, case, hearings, or laws matters.

Among countless agencies where a paralegal assistant will be found are: courts, state and government agencies, corporations, finance companies, banks, accounting firms, engineering firms, consumer organizations, legal aid offices. Some of the commercial firms where a paralegal can provide services are: entertainment production outfits, public relations agencies, advertising companies, insurance agencies, or real estate agencies. Flexibility of paralegal profession may also be seen in surroundings like civil rights and criminal law, civil litigation, health care, family laws, environmental protection, corporate law, immigration, and others.

Rendering services for paralegal jobs does not really require a specific academic education. So, how does one become a paralegal? There are some who have only gone on-the-job-training. Many have formal education for paralegal studies like bachelor’s degree or two-year course for paralegal education while others have completed different paralegal certificates. Some paralegal certificates can be completed by merely a matter of months from a paralegal school. There is also a post-baccalaureate paralegal certificate offered by some paralegal education courses. Paralegal schools offer paralegal programs.

Paralegal studies are offered for students to bring them up into the rewarding careers of paralegal professionals. In paralegal training, each would be aided by lawyers in the legal industry. Paralegal courses will initially supply students with substantial knowledge so that they could be fully prepared to practical skills and meet high standards of industry in terms of proficiency, academic excellence, and professional integrity. Paralegal studies institutes are widely spread to meet solutions for the escalating demands of paralegal or legal assistants. Paralegal schools made it particularly practical and efficient by offering online paralegal studies for the students. If a student does not have the means to render much time to complete paralegal studies, he can opt for the online paralegal schools. Paralegal studies online are a flexible way to complete paralegal education such as paralegal certificates program, paralegal bachelor’s degree program, and paralegal post-bachelor’s certificates.

Responsibilities of paralegal positions have been increasing gradually that they are already running out of resources how to curtail the equally elevating workload of attorneys and lawyers. With this concern, paralegal schools now offer paralegal training courses in many paralegal certification programs. A student can search through online for the best paralegal schools that offer these courses.

African Aid
By
William Cate

Africa, like everywhere else in the world, has its fair share of honest, intelligent; hardworking people who want to see their families have a better standard of living. Unfortunately, most of these people are living below the poverty line. The reasons that Africa, with all of its natural resources, is an economic basket case are complex. They start with the 16th Century Africans' failure to adopt an effective immigration policy. The result was the European immigrants divided up the continent without regard to historic tribal boundaries. The modern result has been tribal wars waged with modern weapons from the Sudan to Rwanda.

After WWII, the West's development schemes have been a long litany in stupid projects. A few of my favorite examples include:
1. The British Groundnut Project: After WWII, the British found themselves with lots of heavy equipment that needed a use. The British shipped it to Africa and cleared thousands of hectares of tropical jungle. The idea was to grow peanuts and export them back to Britain. Nobody considered the fact that the soils in a jungle are lateritic and, once the jungle was cleared, the exposed areas quickly evolved into concrete parking lots. Not one peanut ever reached England.
2. The Americans Built Highways to Nowhere: After WWII, the Americans built four lane roads in countries with less than one hundred cars. The local Government owned most of the cars. Years later, I sat at a roadside food stand and counted three cars passing in the five hours it took the only bus to travel that road to pick me up.
3. If you think stupidity is limited to English speakers, consider that the Norwegian Government granted US$25 million to build a fish-freezing plant in rural Africa. After the plant was built, someone noticed that the local people don't catch or eat fish. They herd goats.
4. The Soviets built a milk bottling plant in North Africa. The local people don't drink bottled milk and there is no way to ship the milk elsewhere. The plant has yet to ship its first bottle of milk.
5. In East Africa, the Yugoslavian Government built a factory to can mangos. The factory has a capacity that exceeds the entire world's trade in canned mangos.
6. The Italians built a banana processing plant, but the quantity of bananas needed for the plant to breakeven exceed the entire country's banana production.
7. The Americans designed and the Soviet's build the Aswan Dam. Before it was built, studies showed that by 2006, the amount of new irrigation agriculture developed above the dam would be offset by the salinization of the Nile River Delta below the dam. Meanwhile, the Egyptian population would grow and the result would be a constant threat of national starvation. The studies were right.

Everywhere, politicians and bureaucrats produce nothing. In Africa
and elsewhere, the political system runs on the axiom: What's mine is mine. What's yours we'll share. In all but four countries, upon independence a one party political system evolved with a single ruler. The result was instant corruption. When Mobutu Sese Seko left office, he had accumulated a $10 billion dollar fortune. He could have written a check and paid off Zaire's $7 Billion foreign debt and still had enough to get by amply in the West. It isn't simply the fact that almost all African leaders are corrupt and dictatorial, it's the fact that most opposition party leaders are seeking office to rape the country. The result is a political vacuum that makes it nearly impossible to help the honest, hardworking Africans create a middle class and stabilize their country.

Today, Prime Minister Blair wants to make another attempt at saving African Swiss-Bank Socialism. His plan is to forgive the debt of the poorest African countries. I'd agree, since this debt will never be repaid. Tying it to countries "on the road to economic reform" is nonsense. Mr. Blair's plan is to double aid from rich nations' taxpayers to US$25 billion each year and US$50 billion annually starting in 2015. The Gnomes in Switzerland must be licking their chops. . Mr. Blair's proposal confirms that the Swiss banks can keep their African clients' accounts and expect to see those accounts grow annually by billions of dollars.

Thanks to the Prime Minister, President Bush has added US$674 million for humanitarian assistance of which US$414 million will go to food aid in the Horn of Africa. Certainly everyone realizes that starvation is a terrible way to slowly die. Unfortunately, due to Global Warming, the 21st Century epitaph for the Horn of Africa will be pending starvation.

Sending money to NGOs (Non-Government Agencies) does see some of that money converted into help for the local people. However, the taxpayer rarely gets fair value for the money sent to any third party. I think funding the eradication of assorted African diseases is in everyone's best interests. >From ridding the continent of River Blindness to finding a way to remove schistosomiasis from Africa's waterways, without damaging the environment, is everyone's social obligation. The West has started to address the issue of African AIDs. We are finding ways to ensure that everyone who is HIV positive has access to modern drugs. Better health for everyone in Africa is a key to allowing a large middle class to evolve.

Mr. Blair and the G8 leaders should realize that trickle down aid is the source of African Swiss-Bank Socialism. If the Prime Minister wants to help the honest, intelligent and hardworking people of Africa, he should take his lead from the women of West Africa. A group of women each put some money into a pot. Then one of the women uses the collected funds to buy something to start a business. As her business prospers, she repays her debt and the next woman, using the same risk capital, starts her business. Eventually, all the women are in business. Usually, about this time along comes a local bureaucrat seeking bribes to allow the women to remain in business. What if the West supplied the local pots of loan capital? What if the local tribal elders had the power to expose corrupt officials seeking bribes? What if the G8 required laws to protect the small businesspersons so that they could prosper? Sadly, none of these options needs to be considered as long as the West thinks African Swiss-Bank Socialism is the way to African Economic Growth. It isn't.

Given African reality, if I were an African businessperson, I'd follow the lead of African politicians and move my money offshore. My family would soon follow.

The Future and Your Family
By
William Cate

We're on the Titanic. The iceberg has been visible for over fifty years. Governments have done little to avoid the collision. Do you have a lifeboat for your children?

The World Economy Is An Illusion

Governments manipulate the economy to achieve short-term political stability. For instance, most Government statistics have a strong bias in favor of leaving the populace with a favorable view of the present economy. While special interest groups and many politicians may disproportionately benefit from the ongoing economic manipulation, the goal is to keep the electorate content. In general, Government manipulation has succeeded since the 1930s. However, the short term illusion has deferred long term problems. It hasn't solved them.

Fiscal conservatives argue that U.S. Government debt financing of over $5.7 trillion isn't in the public interest because it creates currency inflation. Over time, inflation destroys the populace's faith in the currency and the economy fails. What these fiscal conservatives fail to realize is that the trillions in debt financing creates jobs today in both the Government's growing bureaucracy and in the private sector that supplies whatever goods and services the government seeks. It creates a rosy now for a dark future.

At the end of WWII, the Bank of America introduced the first VISA credit card. The credit card industry has evolved into a multi-trillion dollar consumer-lending program. If you combine credit card debt and mortgages in the U.S, consumer debt is greater than Government debt. You can borrow your way to temporary happiness. You can't borrow your way to solvency.

Built upon this unstable Public/Private multi-trillion dollar debt structure is the multi-quadrillion dollar Derivative's Market. It puts at risk more than thirty-six times the value of all the currencies in the world. Banks and Hedge Funds are betting that governments can maintain their economies against growing debt. It's a bad bet.

In The Great Contraction by Milton Friedman and Anna
Schwartz, they argue that the Great Depression was the result of monetary forces. Applying this thesis the results are the Depression started when one Austrian bank failed. Within months, ten thousand banks failed. Unemployment was rampant for years. Extremists rose to power. WWII resulted. The Depression ended when debit spending for WWII created sufficient jobs. The success of debit spending paved the policy path for governments after 1945.

Today, the Public/Private debt structure is far worse. Derivatives put the world banking system at extreme risk. National economies are integrated. The first time a major government stumbles, the Mother of All Depressions will result. It will be global.

The Environmental Danger

Environmental issues are long term economic issues. From the Paleolithic to the present, technological advancement usually means increased population and reduced biodiversity. As any observant caver or aquarium owner realizes, the simpler the ecosystem, the more likely it is to fail.

The Industrial Revolution gave mankind the ability to destroy the global ecosystem. Most scientific research supports the fact that we are doing a very efficient job in increasing the world's population while reducing the ability to sustain that population over time. The results will be a multi-century Depression of unbelievable hardship.

Consider the Romans. Their technology produced no more than a quarter horsepower of power. Using their limited technology, they converted Southern Europe and the Mediterranean into arid agricultural land. Like wheat farming in Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle during WWI that resulted in the dustbowl of the Depression, the Romans soon learned that the resulting farms weren't profitable to work. Farmers fled the land for the cities. The Romans passed laws to keep the farmers on the land. These laws tying the poor farmers to the land formed the basis for the serf system of the Dark Ages that followed.

Global Warming

Global warming is reality. Ocean levels will rise. Low-lying countries will disappear. River deltas, like the Nile, will either be covered with salt water or salt water will invade the groundwater table making irrigation agricultural impossible. Since deltas are a major source of food production around the world, food supplies will diminish. Climatic zones will move North and South from the Equator. While the North American wheat belt will go north, it will take centuries for the Taiga soil to evolve to the point where it can support commercial wheat production. As global warming continues and the population grows, the food production will fall. Within thirty years, there won't be any food exporting countries. The economic bubbles that are India and China will have burst and the struggle will be to feed people not to export goods to the West.

There are scores of environmental problems whose bills will become due in the next fifty years. We lack the resources and technology to meet the challenges of these costs. The Mother of All Depressions will be followed by a Multi-Century Dark Ages.

Your Family's Lifeboat Options

If you're over 50 years of age and without descendants, you need not worry too much about the future. You won't be around when things really turn bad. If you have a family and want to see your children survive the future, there are some steps you should consider taking now:

1. If you live in a country that is likely to have severe economic and environment problems in this Century, immigrate now. Canada or New Zealand should be your first choices. You should consider Australia, Western Europe and the United States. Immigration is difficult, but it is certainly possible.

2. Anyone under 40 years of age should have some skill that would be needed in a Depression where the local currency has become worthless. For instance, if your profession is in construction, agriculture or medicine, you have such barter skills. If you are a store manager or a bureaucrat, you should consider developing a useful hobby, like gardening, canning, or fishing, into a barter skill. You should encourage your family members to do the same.

3. Globalize to Survive. While governments discourage their citizens from moving assets offshore, it is essential to do it for the long-term survival of any family. If your children must move to another country, having the money to do so is essential to making a success of life in their new home. It's not that difficult to open an offshore bank account or create a foreign corporation. It's a wise insurance policy against an uncertain and probably bad future.

If you disagree with my view of the future, make a copy of this article and read it again in twenty years. If you believe that the preponderance of evidence supports my vision of the future and want more detailed advice on how to function in a world gone mad, email me at: Beowulfinvestments@Earthlink.net

A powerful consumer market with annual spending power exceeding $350 billion, Hispanics—or should that be Latinos?—have become the largest minority group in the United States, and a marketplace well-worth looking into and with plenty to see--once you get the labels straight.

So which is it, “Hispanics” or “Latinos”?

Hispanics and Latinos have hotly debated that question for years, and apparently, picking one answer over the other means drawing political, social, and generational lines in the sand.

I’ll explain later, but for now let’s get some numbers on the table.

Hispanic Database – The Numbers Tell the Story

It made headlines! Hispanics are now the largest minority group in the U.S., outnumbering blacks by nearly 1 million (37 million v. 36.2 million).

That may have been news, but demographers and advocacy groups saw it coming; those population estimates merely confirmed it. With extensive immigration from economic basket case, Latin America--and a robust birthrate among predominantly Catholic Hispanics--this gap is expected to grow. By 2020, the Hispanic population could easily double to 70 million, or 21% of the U.S. population; by 2050 expect people of Hispanic origin to number more than 100 million. Hispanics are 11.4% of today’s work force, a figure that could easily double in a ten years.

• Over 7.6 million Hispanic households in the U.S. average 3.6 people per household.

• U.S. Hispanic households have 2 or more people employed full time; 58% of Hispanics over 18 are employed full time.

• About 1 million Hispanic households in the United States have incomes of $50,000 or more

• The average Hispanic household spends $31,013 annually.

• Hispanics are a young population. The median age of U.S. Hispanics is 26.5 compared to a median age of 32.2 for non-Hispanics

• 12.8 million Hispanics were foreign-born; of this number, 1 in 4 were naturalized citizens.

• Among foreign-born Hispanics, 43% entered the U.S. in the 1990s, while 27% entered before 1980.

• Although 74% of those who entered the country before 1970 had obtained citizenship by 2000, only 7% of those who entered between 1990 and 2000 had become citizens. (Becoming a naturalized citizen requires five years of residence in the U.S.)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2000 Census of Population and The Hispanic Population in the United States, March 2000, Roberto Ramirez and Melissa Therrien.

Flexing Economic and Political Muscle

Today, the 7.6 million-plus Hispanic households in the U.S. boast higher educational levels, greater access to credit and capital, and more finely tuned technological skills than ever. Consequently, with buying power exceeding $350 billion, the current generation of Hispanics is an economic powerhouse.

That Adds up to Prime Marketing Potential

More than half of all Hispanics in the U.S. are between ages 18-49, which means most of them are getting married, buying homes, starting families, launching careers, and in many cases, opening their own businesses.

A strong entrepreneurial streak runs through this market, with Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S. totaling 1.2 million firms employing over 1.3 million people and generating $186.3 billion in revenues in 1997, according to a report released this year by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau. Indeed, Hispanic-owned companies made up 6% of the 20.8 million non-farm businesses in the nation and 1% of the $18.6 trillion in receipts for all businesses.

Market Positioning Pays (As Always)

The longer Hispanics live in an area and the more prosperous they are the more invisible they become, and many school districts are having marked success with “immersion” English-language training among Hispanic grade school students. Yet assimilation may never be complete. In most Hispanic communities in the U.S., strong cultural identity persists, and that can affect how you market to them. So though the times are indeed a-changing (to borrow a phrase), you’ll still find that a fundamental understanding of Hispanic culture and working knowledge of Spanish are assets in this market—make that markets, since Hispanic communities are no more homogeneous than others.

Like any group, Hispanics in a community typically become reconfigured into distinct market segments—small-business owners, professionals, agribusiness, and so on—with all the usual qualifying characteristics: Common identity and accessibility; Common characteristics; Identifiable wants, needs and objectives; active communications networks.

Where is Home?

“The Southwest and Northeast still have the heaviest concentrations of Hispanic communities, but Latinos are changing the look, sound and feel of more and more cities across the nation that have not traditionally been home to Hispanics,” reports Gigi Anders in Hispanic Magazine, adding that Hispanic communities are developing at a record-breaking pace in other nontraditional states such as Arkansas, Oregon, Nevada, and South Carolina.

And Georgia!

Yolanda Rodríguez, writing in Hispanics Online: “In 1996, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce had 180 members and now has 931, ranging from multimillion dollar companies to small mom-and-pop operations.”

Business owners and professionals who understand that will enjoy a competitive edge in this marketplace and find it easier to build productive relationships with receptive Hispanic prospects and clients.

So, What is it: Hispanic or Latino?

We’re back to that question…

Those who call themselves Hispanic are typically more assimilated (or acculturated), politically conservative, and younger than those who use the term Latino, who, conversely, tend to be liberal, older, and at times, more radical.

“A recent presidential tracking poll by Hispanic Trends, Inc., a polling firm associated with Hispanic Magazine, wanted to put the identity issue to rest once and for all by asking registered voters which term they preferred--Hispanic or Latino?” Concludes Ms. Granado, “The result was something of a surprise: A majority prefers the term Hispanic.”

There, does that straighten the picture on the wall?

Reference Sources:

1. U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Population.

2. www.HispanicsOnline.com. This website is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to learn more about Hispanic culture, lifestyle, economics and demographics.

3. “Surveys Reveal Hispanics’ Family Concerns,” Humberto Cruz, The Savings Game, Tribune Media Services, 1/5/03

4. “Family Is Priority for Many Hispanic Workers,” Carol Kleiman, Tampa Tribune, 12/24/02

5. The Allied Media Publication Network allows you to target this market through publications whose editorial focus is directly linked to Hispanic culture.

6. “Bilingual Yellow Pages to Embrace Hispanics,” Rafael Morales, Tampa Tribune, 10/25/02

7. “Small Business Research Summary’s – Analysis of Hispanic-Owned Companies,” David Birch September 2000. Cognetics Marketing Services, Inc.

8. “The Hispanic Market Continues To Grow Everywhere!” Alex López Negrete, President/CEO, López Negrete Communications.

9. “The Hispanic Population in the United States, March 2000,” Roberto Ramirez and Melissa Therrien.

10. “Top 10 Cities For Hispanics 2002,” Gigi Anders, www.HispanicsOnline.com

11. “Hispanics Living in the Peach State,” Yolanda Rodríguez, www.HispanicsOnline.com

12. “'Hispanic' vs. 'Latino’: A New Poll Finds That The Term 'Hispanic' Is Preferred,” Christina Granado, www.Hispaniconline.Com

Want More? Send questions and comments to w.willard3@knology.net

BRITAIN AND BOOTY:

The bulk of this chapter will be taken from a book about the War of 1812. I must deconstruct the generalities and interpret the meaning as it relates to our investigation of hegemony and cronyism or Synarchy. Officers in the wars of these times got a percentage of the booty their underlings took. They also were frequently aligned with the enemy or other side as you can see in the movie Braveheart. The Black Market in modern wars has a lot of the same kind of thing. This incentive to go to war has a lot of impact on us still. The British had just taken about 2,000 slaves or ‘runaways’ from near Baltimore to be part of the workforce in the Canadian Maritime Provinces. As we have noted already, the American Enlightenment Experiment had come about when Nobles in America saw their British cousins were freeing their slaves. It was not the only reason to secede but it was probably more important than the reasons usually presented in American immigration exams or schools. Sometimes it is cheaper not to have to care for your workforce if you have a system that keeps them in place.

“New Orleans, located a hundred miles up the Mississippi River, was a particularly tempting target. With a population of almost 25,000, it was the largest city west of the Appalachian Mountains. It was also the principal outlet for western commodities, and millions of dollars of produce was blockaded in the port. Scottish naval officers like Cochrane were known to have a keen eye for booty, and the British brought large cargo ships with them to carry off their plunder. (1) Indeed, British prisoners of war and deserters claimed that the watch-word and countersign on the morning of the Battle of New Orleans was ‘beauty and booty’. (2)

Initially British officials saw this campaign as a means of taking pressure of Canada. But by the time the operation got under way, the objective had changed. General Ross—who was supposed to lead the expedition—was instructed ‘To obtain command of the embouchure [mouth] of the Mississippi, so as to deprive the back settlements of America of their communication with the sea’ and ‘to occupy some important and valuable possession, by the restoration of which the conditions of peace might be improved, or which we might be entitled to exact the cession of, as the price of peace.’ Ross was to encourage the free inhabitants to revolt but was to make no binding promises about the future. ‘[Y]ou must give them clearly to understand that Great Britain cannot pledge herself to make the independence of Louisiana, or its restoration to the Spanish Crown, a sine qua non of peace with the United States.’(3)

As a preliminary to the main expedition, in May of 1814 Cochrane dispatched a shipload of arms to Indians on the Apalachicola River in Spanish Florida.” (4)

So we are able to ask a lot of questions at this juncture I hope.

We know that the race card was being used by Britain in this war and there are reasons to think that the founding of the United State had more to do with slavery in the first place than any Tea Party or taxes. Britain had outlawed slavery a decade before the US was created. Slavery in Greece was worse than at any time in the US or elsewhere, although Columbus (an agent of the Holy Alliance and Hibernian or Alumbrados forces) certainly did more than most Greek states in this regard. He was engaging in mass genocide on purpose so I do not consider it mere slavery.

That is not the whole reason for the creation of the United States and there could be a good argument made for the forces of the so-called New World Order acting to make the US what it has become. I have shown the Indians are often agents for the Synarchists or elite and secret societies in many books and you can find the Sioux acting on behalf of them in this book. Joseph Brant and Sitting Bull are part of the same continuum including the Mediwiwin Society which was Masonic before the arrival of the explorers and some people think Abraham Lincoln was a Melungeon. I think the Bairds are similarly connected to the Huguenots we will see a religious Baird of the 19th Century wrote extensively about. But all of this intrigue is just the icing on the cake or superficial factoids of public sensationalism. The fact is far more sophisticated and the forces of power are using a ‘play both ends against the middle’ or Hegelian Dialectic.

The British were able to enter Pensacola with the assistance of the local Spanish officials. But the Spanish did not like Major Nicholls recruiting slaves and calling on all slaves to rebel against their ‘imbecile governments’. He then tried to take Mobile which had been taken by the Americans in 1813. I ask you to think long and hard about Jean Lafitte and his role as a Spanish agent at this juncture. Was he really just a businessman engaged in slavery? Why did he work with the Americans and were the Spanish not unlike the French in their sale of the Louisiana Purchase at a high level? I remind you that the Spanish Government was a mere vassal state for the Vatican since long before Rodrigo Borgia held the Papal Bull addressing incest over the heads of Isabella and Ferdinand.

Most important to consider is a secret arrangement between Britain and Rome that apparently was last expressed at the Treaty of Verona. This agreement is called the Holy Alliance and some people think the Maritime Laws are part of it. I am sure they are a mere and simple example of the whole gambit however. It is connected with the Treaty of Tordesillas and the make up of the New World Order. The elite have in fact managed both sides for far longer than this and therir are certain families who have used nations as mere fronts for a very long time. It goes back long before what we call history. Same people - all the time - in every century for at least the 5,000 years James Joyce referred to as a 'nightmare' as quoted by Campbell in Gimbutas' Language of the Goddess.

I have learned some new things in the last two days and thought I would share them with my readers. I am just a simple and humble columnist and op-ed writer. I usually don't try to write about anything too hard. There are your sophisticated writers and then there are your humorous writers like that guy, what's his name, who works for the Miami Herald but who is taking a small sabbatical (May he never return—I want his job.) I fall somewhere in the middle. Anyway.

New term: Ideological Imperialism.
Definition of term:

1.Ideological: Concerned with or suggestive of ideas.

2.Imperialism: A policy of extending your rule over foreign countries or a political orientation that advocates imperial interests.

I cannot say that I have coined this term. I think minds more mighty than my (feeble) own have thought this through and coined this term or phrase.

What got me to thinking about this is that recent business with the African-American Ideological Imperialists Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. They got their boxer shorts all twisted into a knot over President Vicente Fox's most innocuous statement about Mexicans doing jobs that even American blacks will not do—referring to the Mexican migrant worker issue.

In the Mexican mind, in their cultural context, it was an innocuous and harmless statement. I should know because I live in Mexico and am exposed to this daily. Mexican mothers affectionately call their lighter-skinned children Blanquito and their darker-skinned ones Negrito.

Nevertheless, all political correctness hell has broken loose with the African-American branch of the American Ideological Imperialists, Jesse and Al, with Warp engines at maximum and PC phasers at the ready.

Even as I write these words, the African-American Imperialist, Lord Jesse Jackson, is in Mexico City giving President Fox and earful of his ideology of what is Politically Correct and what is not as applied to African-Americans. Jackson will not leave this alone.

Let me tell you why this is a prime example of American Ideological Imperialism.

Jackson and his ilk have an ideology of what should and should not be said when referring to people of the black color. Or, for that matter, what should be said, thought, or felt. He is here in Mexico, right now, "extending his rule over Mexico with his political orientation that advocates imperial interests".

Jackson's imperial interest: Force the rest of the world to adhere to his African-American Political Correctness.
Do you see this? Are you getting what I am trying to say? Jackson, Sharpton, and their organizations are not alone.

American Ideological Imperialism applies to the Jackson and Sharpton blacks, the Gay Agenda Activists, the Feminists, the Abortionists, you name it—if there exists an American ideology about ANYTHING there will someone trying to force it down the throats of the rest of the world.

This is a major reason, I believe, why the world hates America! Why can't America get that? America engages in Ideological Imperialism, they will not stop, and the rest of the world recognizes this as the height of super-arrogance.

Americans apparently believe that their views, and no one else's, on issues of race, homosexuality, economics, terrorism, Mexican migrant workers, immigration, Homeland Security, feminism, and whatever else under the sun are the only right views!

"It's my way or the highway!"

And they seek to ram their ideology of human existence down the throats of the world—a.k.a. Jesse and Al, in Mexico. God only know what they are saying!

Ideological Imperialism—memorize it!

According to the September 2004 issue of the Nilson Report, around $588 billion dollars worth of debit cards were bought in the United States in 2003. By 2008 that volume is expected to grow to $1.231 trillion putting a significant dent in the nation’s use of pure credit cards as consumers continue to favor the use of prepaid debit cards. If you are among the nation’s millions who are currently using prepaid debit cards or are among those considering their use, you need to know two things that may detract and enhance your use of the prepaid debit card.

First, know what you’re getting. Most people understand the prepaid debit card as the retail gift card. Others know that such gift cards can be purchased through their local bank. What some consumers don’t know is that those purchased through their bank can come with hefty fees attached, and those fees can come in a myriad of disguises from up-front purchase fees to various administration fees including replacement costs account maintenance fees and fees for checking the balance. Such fees are currently being debated in the courts, but until a fair resolution is offered, it is up to the consumers to be aware of what they are buying.

Second, despite consumer and fair trade concerns, some applications of the prepaid debit card are both innovative and convenient. For example, there are now some tax preparation services offering what is known as the “stored value” card. In other words, in lieu of waiting for your refund to arrive, you can simply tell your tax preparation service that you would like to have your refund loaded onto your prepaid debit card. Once you have your prepaid debit card “loaded” you can make arrangements with your bank to assign it a routing number so that you may use it just like a checking account. Another new use of prepaid debit cards come from the currency exchange companies, better known as remittance services. The usual remittance companies such as Western Union and MoneyGram are facing new competition from small companies who are targeting the immigration population by offering speed and convenience in sending money on-line using a bank account, a credit card or a PayPal account. The customer simply electronically “loads” the desired amount onto a Visacard which is then mailed to the beneficiary.

With the help of the internet, the potential to send money via “loaded” cards is without precedent. The ease, speed and convenience of such services are becoming so popular that many companies are aggressively marketing prepaid debit cards to consumers through customization. Visa, for example, has a prepaid debit card marketed exclusively to teens, know as Buxx. American Express has the TravelFunds Card marketing “for people on the go” and MasterCard has its I-Gen MasterCard marketed to those who prefer to either forego traditional checking accounts or keep only a minimum amount while “loading” their card with the cash their budgets dictate they can spend.

Panama’s program for retirees is said to be the best in the world. There is no age limit to qualify for the Tourist Pensionado Visa Program. You need only to be able to prove a monthly pension or retirement income of US$500 from a government or corporation, plus US$100 for each dependent. Legally, you could be as young as 18 to retire in Panama.
You will need documentation proving your pension income, certified and stamped by the Panamanian embassy in your country of origin, plus a valid passport and a clear police record for the past five years.
If you don’t have a pension, you can still qualify by depositing sufficient funds in the National Bank of Panama to generate $750 a month. This amount covers any number of dependents. Alternatively, you could start a qualified tourism-related business, or invest in a forestry project.
You must use a Panamanian immigration lawyer, pass a medical on arrival in Panama and be tested free of HIV. Your legal representative will shepherd you through the immigration office, once to register various documents and a second time to have your photograph taken and be presented with your identity card (carnet).
Carry this card with you at all times. You can be fined for not doing so. Prior to receiving your carnet, carry your passport or a photocopy of it.
Legal expenses and fees can vary depending on size of family and complexity, but should be around $1,500 for one person, or $2,000 for a couple.
The immigration process must be started before you leave your home country. Once you arrive in Panama as a tourist, you will be able to stay for up to 90 days. This can be extended for a further 90 days if needed.
Qualifying for permanent residence takes from 30 to 60 days, depending on the time of year and the availability of certain key immigration officials. Given all the public holidays, November and December are good months to avoid.
Although not required, it will be helpful for you to obtain letters of good standing from your bank or banks and any other financial institutions. Do not close your bank accounts. You will need at least one, and preferably two, open bank accounts somewhere in the world before you will be able to open an account here.
Also, keep at least some credit cards. Getting credit cards in a new country ranges from difficult to impossible. One bank here, HSBC, offered the writer a card with a $5,000 credit limit provided $10,000 was placed on deposit.
Finally, go to your local automobile association and get an international driver’s license. Your own license is good here for 90 days, but there is no limit on an international license. (Expect lots of puzzled looks from local traffic police as they thumb through the multi-page document written in several languages.)

The city of Cape Town is situated on the south western tip of the African continent, in one of the most beautiful natural locations in the world.
The original inhabitants of the Cape region were the Khoi San people whose ancestry can be traced back thousands of years, through the discovery of fossils and artifacts, to the origins of humanity in Central Africa.

The "Mother City" as Cape Town has become known over the years was the first South African port established by European settlers in the 16th century.

Dutch sailors working for the VOC - Dutch East India Company set up a refreshment station at the Cape. They also established the Company Gardens in the city which was used to provide passing ships on route to the West Indies with fresh produce. The gardens still exist and have been cultivated and transformed into a place of relaxation for Capetonians.

Early Culture and language.
The first Muslim slaves were brought in to the Cape from Madagascar in the 17th century to help run the refreshment station. This immigration continued until 1834 and was expanded to include slaves from African countries such as Angola and Mozambique, the West Indies and Sri Lanka.

Various languages were spoken in those early days but the most predominant was Malay. Gradually the Afrikaans language, a simplified form of Dutch containing elements of Malay and originally used for communicating with their masters, took over among the slaves. It spread inland throughout South Africa when descendants of Cape Dutch and French settlers trekked north to colonise the interior and eventually establish the Afrikaner nation.

The Cape Malays of today with their unique Muslim cultural heritage, and the Christian 'coloured' community descended from mixed blood unions between the early settlers, the indigenous Khoi and the slaves who brought their African Indian culture into the Cape.

In the 17th century British settlers arrived and annexed the Cape declaring it a British Colony. They developed the city of Cape Town using slave labour. Slavery was eventually abolished in the 19th century.
The British went on to develop and colonise South Africa. Elements of their influence in the Cape are still visble in the architecture of many buildings in the surrounding coastal towns eg. Simonstown

Cape Town Attractions.
The ancient Table Mountain often draped in swirling cloud and flanked by its attendants Devil's Peak and Lion's Head, forms an impressive backdrop to the sprawling city of Cape Town and is a well known subject for many postcards and photographs. It stands at the head of a chain of mountains forming the Cape Peninsula National Park which follow the line of the Peninsula to Cape Point.

On the eastern slopes of Table Mountain lie the well known Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens the largest of its kind in South Africa, and home to thousands of varieties of indigenous plants. The oldest wine farm in the country, Groot Constantia, established in the 17th century is situated on the lower slopes of the "Back Table" Its modernised winery is in full production.

The rugged Cape coast is dotted with upmarket suburbs, quaint fishing villages and stretches of sandy beaches separated by massive rocky outcrops - remnants of the original geological formations from which Table Mountain developed. The well known extensive Winelands and historic Cape towns such as Stellenbosch and Paarl, interspersed with rugged mountain ranges are situated an hour or two away, inland.

Cape Town is known for its historic and unique architecture which is still apparent in the city and many of the surrounding communities. It has developed from a number of diverse influences such as Cape Dutch, British and Muslim.

The original stone fort, oldest building in South Africa, now significantly upgraded and known as the Castle, was built on the early shoreline by the Dutch in about 1670 to repel invaders. Another well known city landmark is the Groote Kerk (big church) built around 1700.

Cape Town's location at the juncture of the Atlantic and Indian oceans, and the influence of the nearby mountain ranges on prevailing air currents means that the Cape experiences a Mediterranean type climate with dry warm to hot summers cooled by south easterly winds, and cool wet winters. The Atlantic sea temperature off the west coast is generally a few degrees colder than that of the Indian Ocean.

The commercial centre in the city bowl comprises modern high rise office blocks and hotels often sandwiching smaller historic buildings built in the original Cape Dutch style. The new Cape Town Convention Centre on the Foreshore is a popular venue for trade exhibitions and music festivals.

The thriving upmarket Cape Town Waterfront is a major attraction for tourists and locals alike. It has developed into one of the most popular venues in the country with its combination of modern retail outlets, artistic markets and laid back entertainment, and is crowded throughout the year

Your Nike shoes that cost you 150 dollar and your 70 dollar pair of Levi Strauss jeans were most likely made by a young person from the age of 5-14 living in Indonesia, Honduras, China or Haiti. They are forced to work with no benefits, low wages, long hours, and unsanitary conditions. They are basically slaves. Some factory management assault, rape, and abuse the workers.

Children are the majority that dies from this immoral exploitation. According to http://www.solidaritycenter.org Children are forced to work up to 15 hours a day, seven days a week in factories and in fields. These children are deprived of schooling, beaten, sexually abused, engorged and forced to work in dangerous unsanitary conditions. The children are sold to employers who pay families for the use of their child.

211 million children from the ages of 5-14 work worldwide in sweatshops. The U.S. government estimated that, 50,000 to 100,000 each year women and children are trafficked in the United States, half of which are trafficked into domestic servitude and sweatshop labors from various countries. Trafficking is a slavery-like practice that must be eliminated. Trafficking in women and children is now considered the third largest source of profits for organized crime, behind only drugs and guns," An estimated 200,000 Bangladeshi women have been trafficked to Pakistan over the last 10 years, the majority being young women.

According to a Press Release March 2005

With an estimated 600,000–800,000 people trafficked worldwide in 2004 alone, human trafficking is a $5.7 billion a year industry The Lawyers Committee for Human Rights urges you to take the following actions:

"Help End Sweatshop Practices" Action Alert on http://www.lchr.org

US Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a comprehensive legislation to tackle the violations of human rights in the context of the trafficking of persons, particularly women and children, for purposes of forced labor and sexual exploitation. Please send the following message to your state representative asking him or her to support the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. To review the Act, go to; http://thomas.loc.gov and type in the following Bill Number: S. 2449.

Dear NAME OF YOUR SENATOR HERE:

I write to you as a concerned citizen and I am asking for your support. Each year thousands of persons are trafficked into the US and are held under slave like conditions. This is a gross and escalating human rights violation and a worldwide problem that must be addressed in the US, even as the US government continues to fight it on the international front. I therefore ask you to support the Bill S.2449 by Senator Wellstone to combat trafficking of women and children. The Trafficking Victims Act 2000 strikes at a domestic and international problem which has been neglected for too long. In a recent report on trafficking, the CIA estimated that every year more than 50,000 women and children are brought to the United States and are forced to work as prostitutes, forced laborers or servants. Worldwide, trafficking affects up to 2 million persons each year. This is a gross human rights violation.

The Bill S.2449 by Senator Paul Wellstone aims to prevent trafficking in persons, provide protection and assistance to those who have been trafficked, and punish those responsible for trafficking. It will ensure that the State Department and U.S. law enforcement agencies are fully engaged in the issue, that our immigration laws do not encourage rapid deportation of victims, and that trafficking victims receive needed services and safe shelter. In addition, the Bill toughens criminal penalties, and provides substantial resources to programs assisting victims at home and abroad.

I urgently ask you to sign on as a co-sponsor for Senator Wellstone's Bill and to vote in favor of it.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Your Address

Free the Children is an international network of children helping children at a local, national and international level through representation, leadership and action. Co-op America's Sweatshops.org aims to end sweatshops and child labor; supports fair trade, international human and labor rights. Download “Ending Public Subsidies of Sweatshop Abuses: A Guide to ‘Sweatfree’ Procurement Laws,” a manual by the group No More Sweatshops!

Children are being stripped of their rights and forced to work long hours in harsh sweatshop conditions for wages of 20-30¢ an hour. It's time to work together and end child labor. You can get lists of companies using sweatshop labor from The Just Shopper's Guide.
Resources for this article:

http://www.ncjw.org/html/News/PressReleases/050304/
http://shell.ihug.co.nz/~stu/shoppersguide.htm
http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/
http://www.freethechildren.org/

Here they are, our Ladies of Mercy and Divine Benevolence. Petitioning the Saints for Special Favours has been a big subject in the chat rooms lately, so in the spirit of Christmas and the Goddess energies associated with these martyrs and popularized pagan deities, I have compiled a list that tells you how to use candle burning to request favours.
When you ask the Catholic Saints for help, it is common to write your request on a piece of paper and place it on the appropriately coloured candle. If a totem animal, emblem or object is suggested, you can also place that item, or a picture of that item on her altar as well. If you can find a picture of the Saint in a religious store and place it on the altar that is even better.
Saint Agnes
Burn a white or blue candle on a Friday to ask for her help to: keep a husband faithful, find a soulmate, or reveal dishonesty in a relationship (find out the truth about someone). Her animal is the lamb.
Saint Ann (also known as Anne and Ana)
Burn a white candle on a Monday to ask her for a peaceful and happy home. She is the patron Saint of grandmothers, housekeepers, housewives, mothers and women in labour. Petition her for help with the deaf and the blind.
Saint Barbara
Burn a red candle on a Saturday to drive a way evil, to protect your relationship from rivals, to protect yourself from meddling in-laws, to clear your path of obstacles, to help someone be released from prison and for protection from storms. She is also the patron saint of wives whose men are at war. Her emblem is the Tower.
Saint Maria Goretti
Burn a pink candle on a Friday to ask for fidelity in marriage, help with an abusive or battering male partner and a pardon from the death penalty.
Saint Brigid of Kildare
Burn a yellow candle on a Sunday to ask her: to become fertile, for healing, for happiness and health of pets and farmyard animals, to assist with breeding livestock, for inspiration, for literary gifts (especially poetry) and the gift of prophecy. Her symbol is a cow.
Saint Clare of Assisi
Burn a white candle on a Monday for protection against astral attack and for help overcoming addiction to drug and alcohol.
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Burn a yellow or white candle on a Saturday to petition her for beauty, fertility, a peaceful death, confidence, seductiveness and confidence when public speaking. Her symbol is the wheel.
Saint Dymphna
Burn a blue candle on a Monday for help with nervous disorders, mental afflictions, epilepsy, insanity, obsession and astral attack. Her symbol is a sword pointed downwards.
Saint Cecilia
Burn a green candle on a Wednesday for success in a career in the arts, particularly if you are a musician, poet or singer. Her emblem is an organ.
Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini
Burn a white candle on a Sunday to help with matters of immigration, with moving to another city or state or for matters pertaining to health, education or insurance.
Saint Helen of Jerusalem
Burn a pink or red candle on a Friday to ask for the return of a strayed lover and to overcome sorrow, obsession and unhappiness. Her emblem is a cross.
Saint Joan Of Arc
Burn a grey candle on a Tuesday to petition her for spiritual strength, freedom from prisons of all kinds (emotional and otherwise) and for ways to overcome rivals and energies.
Saint Lucy
Burn a white candle on a Wednesday to ask her to help with insoluble or impossible problems, depression, and protection from the evil eye or astral attack, to help you to find the right lawyer and to conquer temptations or addictions.
Saint Martha
Burn a green and/or a white candle on a Tuesday to ask for aid with financial problems, the necessities of life, to bring a lover closer, to keep a husband or boyfriend faithful, to subdue or conquer romantic rivals or enemies or bring a new love. Her symbol is a dragon.
Saint Philomena
Burn a pink or green candle on a Saturday to help with desperate situations, problems with children, unhappiness in the home, the sick, selling real estate, food for the poor and mental illness. Philomena is a favourite of single mothers. Her symbol is an anchor.
Saint Rita of Cascia
Burn a white candle on a Sunday to assist with an abusive relationship, to relieve loneliness, for deliverance from evil and for spiritual fortitude and strength
Saint Therese of Liseux
Burn a yellow candle on a Wednesday to be loved by all, for popularity, for help with addiction and alcoholism, for protection from black magick and to restore faith. Her emblem is a bouquet of roses.

HI would like to share with you a ritual I do every New Year's that is quite involved and requires a lot of thought and meditation time. It is derived from an ancient Greek ritual for prosperity and fertility. As you may recall, ancient Mediterranean Kings and Queens used to wear garlands of bay leaves (as well as olive leaves) as crowns. Bay leaves, and often bayberry leaves, are often used in Alexandrian magic as well, as well to draw success in business and finances. I like this ritual because first of all it is very "white" and it also involves the writing down of your wishes. The writing down of your wishes on 108 bay leaves works in the same way as a positive affirmation. The stating of your goals and desires allows you to properly manifest them in real life. Every year I pull out my old bay leaves and sort through them and I am always astounded by how many of my wishes have actually been granted.
For this you will need:
a blank check
a gold or silver pen (but a green will do if you can't get those colours)
Cinnamon incense
a green, an orange or a yellow or GOLD candle (whichever colour attracts you the most)
Orange oil, bergamot or success oil or Horn of Plenty oil
a package of bay leaves (whole)
an envelope
pretty ribbon
This ritual is for multiple wishes and is best done when you have at least two hours to spare in meditation and quiet. It is best done within ten days before or after the New Year's. After the New Years or on New Year's Day is preferable.
First of all, take a bath in your favourite bubbles (Calgon, take me away!) and put yourself in a calm and peaceful state. You can play some steady rhythmic music if you like - anything that puts you into a bit of a trance (chanting, new age.)
The first thing you are going to do is light the cinnamon incense. Cinnamon is related to the planet Mercury and symbolizes communication and quick results. Then I want you to scratch your name and birth date on the side of the candle. Put the candle plate that is wrapped in tin foil (to represent the moon).
Then I want you to take the blank cheque and write the amount of money that you think you would like to make this year or the amount you need to get out of trouble using a gold or silver pen. Make the cheque payable to the order of yourself and be sure to add a few more bucks in there as fun money.

The idea here is to make this cheque as pretty as possible. Decorate it with lucky symbols such as dollar signs, hearts and flowers so this money is brought to you with a sense of joy. Once you are happy with your cheque, and have signed and endorsed it and everything, I want you to anoint all four corners of the cheque with one or more of the oils mentioned above. To make it even more person adds a dab of your personal perfume.
Place the cheque you wrote to yourself under the dish. Light the candle and say:
"In the name of the I Am that I Am I pray to the Archangels and their legions of light, I pray to the blessed Virgin and her angels of compassion for the following assistance and blessings"
Now open the package of bay leaves. There are two ways of doing this spell -- in a really BIG way or in a more efficient manner. It depends how much time you have. When I did this on my birthday I used 108 bay leaves (or fragments of leaves because sometimes they crumble in the package) but you can use less if you like. I used 108 because it is a real magic number, but you can just do as many bay leaves as you can.
As the candle burns and the incense is burning too, I want you to write on each bay leaf, a single word that represents each thing you would like to happen in the near future. For instance, if you are looking for immigration status thing write the word "Citizenship" on the bay leaf. If you owe the dentist money write, "dentist bill paid". If you would like a lover to return write "lover returns". Each leaf has a wish written on it. On the leaf after write "high paying job", on the next one "safety", "security", "soulmate"... Place the leaves in a circle around the candle in the shape of wreathe so that it looks pretty and keep on doing this until you are all wished out. Your candle should be circled by bay leaves each with a wish written on it.
This usually takes most people quite a while, and before they know it, the candle has burned down.

If you finish writing the leaves early that is ok too, keep burning the candle down to the bottom (so don't get a candle that is too big.) After you have written a wish too, it helps if you "let go of it" and resign your self to the fact that the higher powers are taking care of it.
After you are done writing all of your wishes, I want you to say:
"I consider this done in this hour, in full power according to the will of God, helping all and harming none Amen."
After the candle burns out, I want you to take the leaves and the cheque and put them in an envelope. Seal the envelope, wrap it with a nice ribbon, kiss it and put it in a safe place. Don't look at this again for a year. Just rest assure that all is unfolding in the Universe as it should.
Blessings to all of you this New Year. xxx Samantha

Ever wondered how to go about emigrating to Australia and go about getting an Australian visa? Wondering what the various options were and how to go about the different schemes without too much red tape or expense? There are lots of ways to emigrate to australia from the UK. This article spells it out in 9 easy stages. Like everything else, applying to emigrate to australia need never be difficult if you plan your route in stages.

1. There are many ways you can start off getting help to emigrate
to Australia. The Australian economy has never been stronger and the Australian government are particularly looking out for skilled people with a specialisation in many business and trade areas. In order to emigrate you could go the route of an expensive lawyer, or you could get the advice of specilist Australian immigration consultants to see if you qualify for Australian immigration eligibility.

2. If you are wondering about work skills needed to emigrate to
Australia or qualifications needed to emigrate to Australia then it's
worth bearing in mind that there is a points system for applying for
what is known as the Skilled Visa. You can fill in an online form to
see if you satisfy the Australian immigration points system as set out by the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural
Affairs (DIMIA). A positive assessment does not guarantee eligibility but it does satisfy the basic criteria.Other types of visa are also available. If you want to see how many points do you need to emigrate to australia then you can quickly seek the help of an online Australian immigration visa service.

3. An Australia working visa. Managers, qualified professionals and skilled tradespeople are especially in demand under the Skilled Visa program. Schemes are available for skilled visas on a permanent or temporary basis, and are all based on points needed to emigrate to Australia as set out by the Australian Immigration Department. With the Australian job market advertising over 150,000 jobs each week and unemployment at its lowest in 10 years, being eligible for an Australia work visa has never been more possible. There is a huge demand in the plumbing, security, printing and the building trades in particular. However, despite the huge demand across the board there was a shortage of candidates for jobs in 2004.

4. An Australia working holiday visa. These are exactly what they
sound like. There are many people who dream of being able to emigrate to Western Australia or, more specifically, emigrate to Perth Australia for the amazing weather and facilities there. If you are
between 18 and 30 and are looking to spend 12 months in Australia then you may qualify for one of the many Australian working holiday visas that are available every year. This visa only permits you to work in a temporary or casual vocation. You may not enter into employment with one employer for a period of longer than 3 months. Also known as an Australia travel visa.

5. Family Visa. If you have an Australian partner, or members of your immediate family are permanently based in Australia then you may qualify for one of several family stream visas. Your application to emigrate to Australia can be done online. The Government of Australia encourages emigration in order to bring families together. Under the Family Visa Emigration Programme, migrants considering emigration must be sponsored by a close family member or fiancé(e) living in Australia. There are 4 schemes to choose from in order to find out if you are eligible for emigration. Select the one that best describes your situation. The sponsor must be either an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and would usually be 18 years of age or older.

6. Visitors and tourists. All travellers, except New Zealand citizens, must obtain a visa or travel authority before they travel to Australia. But now there is no need to worry about visiting the Australian Embassy or High Commission to get your visa. You can now get your visa online. If you are planning to travel to Australia as a
visitor or even on a business trip then you may need either a visa or
an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority). An ETA will allow you to spend up to 3 months in Australia and you are free to travel anywhere you like.Find out whether you meet the criteria by taking a free online visa assessment. With the introduction of the ETA you are able to apply online; there is no need to even leave your desk or home.

7. Business and investment visas. If you have had a successful
business career either at a senior executive level or as an owner of
your own business you may qualify for one of several visas under the Australian business visa program. Under the two-stage arrangements introduced on 1 March 2003, business migrants are granted a Business Skills (Provisional) visa for four years and, after establishing the requisite level of business presence required by the DIMIA or maintaining their minimum investment, are eligible to make an application for a Business Skills (Residence) visa. There are 4 schemes available under which a business applicant may emigrate to Australia. Choose the one that best describes you by taking a free online assessment.

8. If you are an employee who is head-hunted or moved to your company's Australia office then you can apply under the Australia
sponsored work visa. Your employer can effectively sponsor you for this by becoming your Australia Immigration Sponsor. Under this system, if you are an established professional, you can emigrate to Australia without a degree.

9. Retirement visas. If you wish to emigrate to Australia on retirement then you may be eligible for an Asyralia retirement visa
given each year. If you are financially secure and would like to
spend some of your retirement years in the warmer climates of
Australia, find out if you qualify with our free online assessment.
Under this system retired people may also choose to work part time if they so wish, so there is a degree of built-in flexibility.

There has never been a better time to emigrate to Australia or to
apply for an Autralia Work Permit or Australia visa application.
Review the above points and see which approach you are best
suited to.

"Ouvea is everything you'd expect in a South Pacific island. Twenty kilometers of unbroken white sands border the lagoon on the west side of the island and extend far out from shore to give the water a turquoise hue. The wide western lagoon, protected by a string of coral islands and a barrier reef, is the only of its kind in the Loyalties. On the ocean side are rocky cliffs, pounded by surf, but fine beaches may be found even here. At one point on this narrow atoll only 450 meters separates the two coasts. Traditional circular houses with pointed thatched roofs are still common in the villages."

Those words appeared in the 1985 edition of my South Pacific Handbook after a visit in 1983. Just over 20 years later I returned to Ouvea to discover that little had changed in this large French colony east of Australia.

Most Ouveans still live in traditional thatched case (houses) and the beach is as dazzling as ever. On my first evening there, as I watched the red fireball set slowly across the lagoon, I felt a strong affinity with my previous visit.

Yet something terrible had happened in my absence. On May 5, 1988, 300 French elite troops stormed a cave near Gossanah in northern Ouvea to rescue 16 gendarmes captured two weeks earlier by Melanesian freedom fighters.

Nineteen Kanaks (the collective name used by the indigenous peoples of New Caledonia) died in the assault, including several who suffered extrajudicial execution at the hands of the French police after being wounded and taken prisoner.

None of the hostages had been harmed. Thus began one of the final chapters of what is now known as the evenements (events) of the 1980s. Three years earlier independence leader Eloi Machoro had been murdered in cold blood by police snipers as he stood outside a rural farmhouse near La Foa, on New Caledonia's main island, Grand Terre.

By 1987 France had 14,000 troops stationed in its mineral-rich Melanesian colony, one for every five Kanaks. The independence movement was to be crushed one way or another.

When I tried to visit the cave at Gossanah on my recent trip, I was told that the area was taboo to allow the spirits time to rest.

Instead I was permitted to visit the grave of Djoubelly Wea in Gossanah and allowed to take pictures of his home. My host on Ouvea told me the story. Evidently, the hostages had been taken by young Kanak activists from other parts of the island, and the captive gendarmes were brought to Gossanah only because the cave was considered remote.

Residents of the area weren't involved. Yet when the French police arrived in search of their comrades, they rounded up the people of Gossanah and assembled them on a football field in front of the village church.

There they were tortured for information, and Wea's father was among those who died of shock. Later 33 Ouveans were sent to prison in France, Djoubelly Wea among them.

These events chastened Kanaks and French alike, and the heads of the main political parties, the Kanak leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou and the representative of the French settlers Jacques Lafleur, were called to Paris by Prime Minister Michel Rocard to negotiate and eventually sign a peace treaty known as the Matignon Accords.

A referendum on independence was promised in 1998, and massive economic aid was to be channeled into the Kanak regions. An amnesty was granted to all those arrested during the troubles, and no investigation into the Ouvea massacre or the murders of several dozen other Kanaks by French settlers or troops would be required.

Fast forward to May 1989, as the top Kanak leaders Jean-Marie Tjibaou and Yeiwene Yeiwene arrive on Ouvea for a commemorative ceremony exactly one year after the massacre.

As the leaders are being received at the chefferie (chiefly house) of Wadrilla near the center of the island, Djoubelly Wea steps forward and shoots the pair dead at point blank range. Wea was reflecting a feeling still palpable in New Caledonia that Tjibaou had sold out to the French and derailed the struggle of independence.

Tjibaou's bodyguard killed Wea, the final shot of the evenements. Today the chefferie of Wadrilla is much the same as it was in 1989, a large thatched case surrounded by a palisade of driftwood logs.

Across the coastal highway, a large monument has been erected to the 19 Kanak martyrs of 1988. Designed with two curving white walls to resemble a cave, the monument bears the photo, name, and date of birth of each victim.

Their traditional war clubs have been placed on the back side of the monument and their remains are interred below.

No memorial to Jean-Marie Tjibaou exists on Ouvea but the French have constructed a massive cultural center to his memory in their stronghold Noumea.

In fairness, it must be said that Tjibaou only considered the Matignon Accords a temporary stop on the road to independence. His assassination froze the agreement into a sort of permanent solution which the French have used to justify continuing colonial rule ever since.

The promised 1998 referendum was never held. Instead an updated treaty called the Noumea Accord was signed. This postponed the referendum for another 15 or 20 years and promised many things the French government has yet to deliver.

For example, a key provision creating a special New Caledonian citizenship status intended to control immigration from France was declared unconstitutional by a French court in 1999.

Metros (metropolitan French) continue to flood into the territory (in violation of United nations resolutions on the norms of conduct for colonial powers in non-self-governing areas) and Europeans may soon from a clear majority of the population.

Toward the end of my stay I visited the Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center in the Tina Peninsula, 12 kilometers northeast of New Caledonia's capital Noumea. Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, it was built by French contractors between 1994 and 1998 at a cost of over US$50 million. The center opened on May 4, 1998, 10th anniversary of the assassination of Jean-Marie Tjibaou.

No visitor can help but be impressed by the spectacular botanical garden interwoven with references to Kanak legends which encircles the center's three villages.

A contemporary art gallery, temporary and permanent exhibitions of Kanak and other Pacific art, a library, an audiovisual room, indoor and outdoor theaters, and a large ceremonial area are only some of the center's outstanding features.

Yet the Tjibaou Cultural Center presents Kanak culture as a regional folklore rather than a national tradition.

Events such as the Ouvea Massacre and the other murders of the 1980s are barely mentioned. A room in Village Three provides photos and texts on the life of Jean-Marie Tjibaou, but there's no explanation as to why he was assassinated or the background of his assassin.

The 19th century land seizures and the muscle flexing and maneuvering that have prevented independence are carefully avoided. The highlight for me was an amazing three-meter-high bronze statue of Tjibaou himself, clad in a Roman toga, on a hill overlooking the center.

Tjibaou was the last real Kanak leader, and in a land where the spirits of the dead have an important role in the lives of the living, his soul must be suffering.

The Department of Labor (DOL) recently published the regulations for its Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) program after two years. The regulations will take effect on March 28, 2005.

February 16, 2005- The Department of Labor (DOL) recently published the regulations for its Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) program after two years. The regulations will take effect on March 28, 2005.

The PERM regulations were first proposed in May 2002. They were created to help streamline the permanent labor certification system, thus providing an answer to the current labor certification backlog.

PERM is an electronic process that will be used for filing and processing labor certification applications for permanent employment-based immigration.

One of the most significant changes to the process, under the new PERM regulations, would be the 45-to-60-days-period of processing for electronically submitted applications through PERM. This means that DOL expects that files submitted will be decided within 45-60 days. Current situation can take up to three (3) years of processing for labor certification applications. With the new PERM regulations, DOL contends that it will definitely speed up the process and provide for the means to get the present backlog done in no time.

Employers will be able to file a form electronically via DOL's website when the rule takes effect in March. In addition, employers can also file labor certification applications by mailing them directly to the centralized processing center available. A listing may be viewed at http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/foreign.

Some of the key features of the new PERM regulations include:

1.The employer must pay the sponsored employee at least 100% of the prevailing wage for the position as determined by DOL.
2.The employer must provide the following requirements for recruitment: (a) advertisement to two Sunday newspaper editions; (b) undertake at least three additional means of recruitment as alternate forms of advertising. For positions that require experience and an advanced degree, the employer is advised to substitute an advertisement in a national journal or publication for one Sunday newspaper advertisement; and (c) place a 30-day job order with the DOL for the offered position.
3.The employer is required to provide a conduct of recruitment for disqualifying candidates, layoffs, and audit, among others.
4.Employer with 10 or fewer employees must document any family relationship between its employees and sponsored employee.
5.The DOL may question whether or not the position is open to US workers if the employee is "required" to pay legal fees.
6.Employers are allowed to withdraw and re-file Labor Certification Applications, while preserving the original filing date. However, applications found not to have "identical job opportunity" will be withdrawn and re-filed under a new filing date.

In today’s society, the world really is getting smaller. As we leap from one technological breakthrough to the next, we find that within micro-seconds we can transfer information from one side of the earth to the other. We can live on one continent and be employed by a company on another. Air-travel means that many people are part of a global workforce that commutes around the globe attending meetings in every international outpost of the company.

This minimizing the world is filtering slowly down through the professional world, and into our personal lives. No longer are we of the mind set that we will one day grow up and marry the boy next door. It happens, but it’s just as likely to marry the boy in the next State, or next country …….or the one who lives on the other side of the world. The Internet is probably the biggest influencing factor on current day international dating.

Throughout history there have been mail-order brides. From the women who were sent to the colonies, to the women who answered small ads from ranchers out west, and more recently, the Russian (and I’m sure other nationalities) who place ads of their own looking for a partner outside of their homelands. Despite this history, finding a mate through some form of media has maintained a “desperate” image – as if the person seeking is unable to find someone to have them locally. The Internet, even with its reputation for “adult” sites has somehow managed to remove some of the stigma, and there is now a healthy and steadily growing international dating scene.

The big question is always “Can international dating lead to anything permanent”? The answer to this is a resounding YES! Many people are prepared to take a chance on love, and move themselves and their lives to be closer to their overseas loved one. Those who do this find that they are suddenly face-to-face on a daily basis with the name they’ve been typing too for a period of time, learning how to co-habit with someone who is physically a stranger, whilst at the same time learning how to handle living in a new country. By far the worst of this is being removed from family, and taking the place of communicating with your partner online, you now spend your time communicating with your family online instead!

There are still many people who regard international dating as desperate, and deem any relationship that comes of such an enterprise to be a failure waiting to happen. Ok, so it might happen, but there are never any guarantees in the love and romance game. Even if you shared a sandbox with the partner you marry, there’s no guarantee that the flame wont go out and one day you’ll wake up and find you have nothing in common with the person who shares your life, your home, your bed. In the best of situations, things go wrong. If the relationship came from an exercise in internet dating, the fallout is messier because then someone is left in a strange country with little by way of personal support system. They then face the situation of either toughing it out in their new country if the local immigration laws permit, or they can return to their homeland and face unemployment amidst the “I told you so” looks of friends.

For every naysayer on whether international dating can turn into a permanent loving relationship, there are two people who can stand together and say “It can work. We are proof of it!”

Whether you’re looking for a long-term relationship, or just a little cultural difference, internet dating can offer you the opportunity to meet up with potential partners who may just be the person you’ve spent your life seeking!

Successful Canadian Immigration

One of the most disheartening things I hear about Canadian Immigration is the stories of families who return to their original country after unsuccessfully attempting to settle in Canada. One of the main reasons for the failures, it seems, is that the principal member of the household that normally supports everyone financially is unable to gain meaningful employment in their chosen profession or trade.

Many of these stories state that once in Canada it is quickly discovered that the foreign qualifications do not meet Canadian standards and so they cannot find employment without extensive retraining. Most of these cases may have been avoidable if the prospective employment requirements had been thoroughly researched well in advance of landing. Canada has an extremely high standard of education and many other systems simply don’t measure up against theirs – a degree program is 4 years for instance. So the chances are you will have to retrain, recertify or normally as a minimum, start again at the bottom. This may seem crazy but it’s the way it is – at least once your experience is apparent you may well soon find yourself rising up the ranks.

When my wife and I moved to Canada I believe we had exceptional luck, but we had also spent two years thoroughly researching our respective occupations in the Province of our intended destination. When I realized that my qualifications would not suffice I had to make alternative plans and so set about working towards qualifications that would be attractive to any employer – not just my “niche”.

A first aid at work course run by the St Johns ambulance will only cost 2 days of your time and around $150.00 and will instantly make you slightly more attractive to any employer – most Provinces have Laws requiring employers to train their staff. Being computer literate with a variety of applications is almost imperative. Anything that makes you stand out and will reduce the cost and time needed to train you, will be a massive boost to your Resume. Also, employers are the same the world over – everyone prefers people who are keen to self improve and make themselves more employable.

The first step is to decide which Province you wish to settle in as each has its own educational assessment agencies and occupational regulators. The Federal application for skilled trades bases your trade on the National Occupation Classification (NOC) list. However, some “Red Seal” trades are regulated in such ways that they transfer between Provinces, but the majority of trades and professions do not, which means recertification if you ever move.

Once you have an idea whereabouts in Canada you want to settle, contact the agency that will carryout your educational assessment and follow their instructions. Once you know what your qualifications equate to you will have a good point from which to start. Then using the PROVINCIAL regulators find out exactly where you stand with regards your intended field of expertise. The International Credential Assessment Service (ICAS) in Ontario provides a service that evaluates educational documents to provide a Canadian equivalent that can be used for employment, immigration or further education. ICAS also has information and advisory services for all types and levels of education - elementary, secondary, postsecondary and technical. I would definitely recommend contacting them well in advance for some professional advice. You can find the contact details on our website “Job search” and “Ontario Immigration assistance” pages at http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com.

If you only need to complete a few exams or courses to change over to the Canadian system then great, if not, make plans so that you can support yourselves during the time it takes to recertify. Also, try to make sure that there will be a good chance of employment available once you’ve qualified.

Definitely have a back up career chosen or identify anything you could easily cross over into as things rarely work out as you intend. If you read the “Our Story” page on our Canadian Immigration information website http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com , you’ll see that events transpired that meant my Plan A and Plan B both went wrong. Luckily some earlier research paid off and I managed to “the right job” within 6 weeks.

To close this article, DO NOT rely on your settling funds to last – I would thoroughly recommend working anywhere to start with – our budget gave us 6 months without work but in reality we’d have been in trouble in 4!!!! A servers or Bar job can be very lucrative but even $1,000 a month means that your money will last longer or help with retraining costs. My wife, Andie, worked in the local movie store almost straight away and apart from the money it means you meet people and start making contacts. As the saying goes “it’s not what you know it’s who you know”.

Whatever you decide about your Canadian Immigration adventure, please ensure you fully research your employability – http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com is packed full of great FREE information about Canadian Immigration and if it’s not on the site, there’ll be a link to the relevant authority.

GOOD LUCK

Dave Lympany

The author immigrated to Canada in 2003 and has constructed a free information website
http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com about Canadian Immigration based on his family’s experiences.