Say Anything Blog

Just a note to keep everyone up to speed on the “getting warmer” thingy.

That is the Alleghany River, at East Brady, PA. Looks all toasty and warm, don’t it?
You can see the new bridge in the first one. It is going to open in spring, 2005. PennDOT says so, it must be true!

Is that what these articles are telling us?

From Xinhua,
U.S. top nuclear envoy expects “real changes” in six-party talks
http://www.chinaview.cn 2007-02-03 21:34:08

Related report: Six-party talks - 3rd phase of 5th round

SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Xinhua)—Christopher Hill, U.S. chief negotiator for the six-party talks, said Saturday here that he expects “some real changes” in next week’s six-party talks.

“I am not going to get into specific elements, but I think we need to see some real changes on the ground,” Hill, who is also the assistant secretary of State, told reporters upon his arrival at the Incheon International Airport.

“We’ve had a lot of consultations for this round, and reasonably we can make some progress,” Hill said. “Let’s see if some of those useful, substantive conversations we’ve had can be put to use in negotiations.”

“I think we have to go from having various declarations to having agreement on implementation,” Hill added. “So I am looking for some implementation of the September 2005 agreement, meaning something changes on the ground.”

Diplomats from China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea(DPRK), the United States, South Korea, Russia and Japan will gather in Beijing next Wednesday to launch the third session of the fifth round of the six-party talks on the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula.

Hill will stay in South Korea until next Monday to fine-tune a strategy for the negotiation with Seoul and then fly to Japan.

At a joint statement adopted in the fourth round of the six-party talks on Sept. 19 2005, DPRK agreed to drop its nuclear weapon program in exchange for security guarantee, economic aids and normalization of diplomatic ties with the United States. However, the statement has not been implemented so far.

Related: U.S. hopes to make progress in six-party talks

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua)—The United States said on Thursday it hopes to make progress when the six-party talks aimed at dissolving the nuclear programs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) resume on Feb. 8.

“We do believe we have a basis for making progress at this round,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said at a briefing.

China hopes upcoming 6-party talks to end in 3-4 days

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua)—Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, who is also China’s chief negotiator to the six-party talks, said on Wednesday that he hopes the upcoming session of six-party talks will accomplish its mission within three to four days.

Wu’s remarks came after the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea ended their second-day of talks on financial issues.

From the Gaurdian, via AsiaPacificNews
U.S. Nuclear Envoy Due in South Korea

Saturday February 3, 2007 6:46 AM

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The main U.S. negotiator with North Korea was to arrive in Seoul on Saturday to coordinate strategies for upcoming six-nation talks on the North’s nuclear program.

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill was scheduled to meet his South Korean counterpart, Chun Yung-woo, and other officials during a three-day visit on how to make progress in nuclear talks set to resume Thursday.

Hill will visit Tokyo on Monday for similar discussions before flying to Beijing on Wednesday for the nuclear negotiations.

Hopes are higher than ever that the upcoming discussions with North Korea could yield concrete results amid indications that Washington and Pyongyang have narrowed differences over a key financial dispute that has hindered negotiations.

Before his departure, Hill said in Washington there is a ``basis for making progress at this round.’’

The negotiations - involving China, Japan, the two Koreas, Russia and the U.S. - have made little headway since their first and only agreement in September 2005, in which North Korea said it would give up its nuclear program in exchange for aid and security guarantees.

Progress stalled soon afterward because of Pyongyang’s objection to U.S. financial restrictions targeting the North for its alleged counterfeiting of U.S. currency and money laundering.

At the latest round in December - the first after the North’s October nuclear test - Pyongyang refused to address disarmament issues and demanded the U.S. lift financial restrictions first. The North claims the measures show Washington’s hostile attitude and illustrate its need for a nuclear deterrent.
And AP, via FoxNews
Report: North Korea Would Freeze Nuclear Facility in Exchange for Oil

Sunday , February 04, 2007

AP
ADVERTISEMENT

SEOUL, South Korea —
The main U.S. envoy to North Korea nuclear talks said Sunday the upcoming round could see agreements on initial steps toward the communist nation’s disarmament, but he cautioned it would take longer for the North to completely give up its nuclear weapons drive.

“Frankly, we cannot accept anything less than 100 percent implementation of the September statement,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill told reporters, referring to a 2005 pledge in which the North agreed to give up its nuclear program in exchange for aid and security guarantees.

“We won’t get it this month, but maybe we can have a good beginning,” Hill said before a meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Chun Yung-woo, to coordinate strategy ahead of the nuclear talks set to resume Thursday in Beijing.

• Monitor the nuclear showdown on the Korean Peninsula in FOXNews.com’s North Korea Center.

“But, the ultimate task for us is to complete denuclearization, not just begin denuclearization,” Hill said.

Hill’s comments came after a Japanese news report on Sunday said that North Korea is prepared to halt operations at a key nuclear facility in exchange for oil and an easing of U.S. financial restrictions.

Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported that North Korea was prepared to close the reactor in its main nuclear complex in Yongbyon and accept inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency—though the reactor itself would remain off-limits.

Asahi quoted former U.S. State Department official Joel Wit, who was in Beijing following meetings with chief North Korean arms negotiator Kim Kye Gwan and other senior officials in Pyongyang days ago.

The North, however, does not intend to close the site used for its October nuclear weapons test, will not allow inspections there, and is not prepared to reveal details of its nuclear weapons program, the report cited Wit as saying.

Hill declined to comment on the report.

At the coming disarmament talks this week, North Korea also will demand it be taken off Washington’s list of states sponsoring terrorism, the report said.

In return, Pyongyang plans to demand energy aid of more than 500,000 tons of crude oil a year to compensate for an aborted project to build two light-water reactors in the country, according to the report.

The North also will insist that Washington take steps to lift financial sanctions against North Korean assets held in Macau, imposed over the communist regime’s alleged counterfeiting of U.S. dollar bills and money laundering activities, the report said.

U.S. treasury and North Korean officials last week wrapped up another inconclusive round of negotiations over the financial sanctions. But U.S. officials have since expressed optimism the financial dispute would not disrupt the main nuclear talks.

Wit was accompanied by U.S. nuclear expert David Albright and traveled to Pyongyang on an official invitation, the report said.

The United States had supplied 500,000 tons of heavy fuel oil annually to the North until Pyongyang received the two light-water reactors as a reward under a 1994 deal to freeze its nuclear program.

The deal was scrapped in 2002, however, when the nuclear crisis re-emerged and North Korea kicked out IAEA inspectors.

The international arms talks, which involve the U.S., the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia, have made little headway since the 2005 accord, the only agreement reached in the process.

At the latest round of discussions in December, the first since the North’s Oct. 9 nuclear test, Pyongyang refused to discuss disarmament and demanded the U.S. lift financial sanctions first.

Complete coverage is available in FOXNews.com’s North Korea Center.

It would certainly seem so.

A challenge for our left-leaning regulars. Read this article and point out what of this is good for the people of Venezuela.

Chavez to be granted new powers
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
Critics say Mr Chavez is gathering powers in his own hands
Venezuela’s assembly is holding an extraordinary session in the main square of Caracas which is expected to grant special powers to the president.

If passed, Hugo Chavez will be able to rule by decree for the next 18 months.

His planned reforms would affect the energy sector, telecommunications, the economy and defence, among others.

Mr Chavez has said the legislation will transform the country into a socialist society. Opponents describe the new law as an abuse of power.

Commanding position

It is expected that President Chavez will, in effect, nationalise the oil and gas industries, taking a majority share in their ownership.

That would involve companies like Exxon, BP and Chevron.

It is not certain what, if any, form of compensation those companies might receive.

Mr Chavez has popular support after his re-election victory last year, the assembly is on his side after the opposition boycotted parliamentary elections in 2005, and Venezuela is reaping huge revenues from high oil prices.

He wants to scrap presidential term limits and rewrite the constitution to build what he calls “socialism for the 21st Century”.

Officials say he has no intention of turning Venezuela into a communist state, arguing that freedom of speech and religion will all be safe.

But the US has again been critical of his leadership.

John Negroponte told a hearing to confirm his position as the new deputy secretary of state that Mr Chavez has not been a “constructive force in the hemisphere”.

“He has been trying to export his kind of radical populism and I think that his behaviour is threatening to democracies in the region,” Mr Negroponte said.

Can you say “El Presidento” for live?

I knew you could!

Over the years I have seen reups done in some strange places, this one is way cool!

Talk about do as we say not as we do.
South Dakota Senate Panel Recommends Censure for Senator Accused of Groping Male Page

Oh. My. God!!  The Sun gets warmer and cooler?!?!  And humans are not the cause?!?!?! How could this be!

Ok, seriously, this turned up in my bloglines feed a couple of days ago. The opening line is just priceless.

Is it possible that Iran is involved in supporting terrorists in the Middle-East? What an odd notion!

We are heading to DC for the holiday, and Friday I will spend at Arlington. Hope everyone has an excellent Thanksgiving. Even those I disagree with.

” /> We will be a long time finding a dog to match Gunther. She was much too smart for her own good, thankfully, agressive with that just so edge of control. She was an excellent judge of character, if she did not like you then off the property you went, whole skinned or bleeding, it was entirely your choice.

There were times I seriously did not like her, overall it balanced out.  She is, and will be, missed.

I have been a bit behind on my reading of late and missed posting on John Keegan’s article in the New York Sun yesterday. Never fear! I got it in the Telegraph this morning. Be sure to check out the comments with the Telegraph piece, that is a feature more news papers need.

For those of you not familiar with Mr Keegan’s work, get so. His analysis of matters political/military are extremely insightful and well written, for a civ. He has written a great deal on the cause and effect of war and political infighting.

I would suggest Faces of War as a good starting point. It gives a broad perspective on the effects of warfare on society at 3 points in western history. From there you can move into his more specific works, as well as his published papers from universities and the War College, as well as West Point.

And a big hattip to Scott and Paul over at powerline, fellow fans of Sir John!

I was getting these pics ready to send to Gorilla Glue and figured it would be a good test to post them here.  And to tell everybody to buy Gorilla Glue products, they work!

I am in the process of putting in a stone patio and walkways, crawling around on gravel and stone all day. Did not want to ruin all my work pants so I was wearing the ones with torn knees already, and put duct tape over the holes. Two days working in this pair and the tape is not peeling off.

Inside or out.

And this is what I was crawling over.

This stuff works, and how!

Thanks to John over at Powerline. I just saw this in my RSS feed and it is hilarious. Go check it out. The RNC has got to get together with this man, he is a genius!

I just noticed this lovely tidbit in the news scroll below the comments box,"Celebrities Protest Malibu Gas Facility.” This is just priceless. The enviro crowd has been screeching about clean energy, and then when it is being worked on they protest. According to the article it would be 14 miles offshore. Jeebus! People would not even be able to see any of it, with the exception of the aircraft warning lights.
The brazen stupidity of these people is simply stunning. No matter what is done to improve the situation they kick and scream and fight it every step of the way.

Well, gang, here is another round of media bias v public apathy. As this week has been consumed with Democrats bashing gays and Republicans running for cover hundereds more children and women have died at the hands of President al-Bashir’s Islamic terrorist armies. We began this week with a BBC article in which Sudan refuses to allow UN forces to assist the AU force and refugees in Darfur. The we get Sudan denying that their letter said that. And then we get Sudan denying that they will continue attacks against the AU force in Darfur.

And what does the American media have to say about all this,,,,, That is right, deafening silence. It is far too fun screeching about a guy writting dirty notes on his computer. Oh, well, its not like they can vote, anyway.

We may as well move on to Thailand,this is an encouraging development. Suryad Chulanont appears to be the man for the job. He seems to be Thailand’s version of McArthur and had to have a great deal of persuasion applied to even take the job. His swearing in has allayed the fears of most parties, and the openning of talks with rebel factions in the south appears to be another step in the right direction.

So, what is the verdict on this weeks entrants, bias or apathy?

In my rush to shut down before being struck by lightining I neglected to place the link to the BBC BBC, Sudan to eject Peacekeepersarticle. Please keep the crushing recriminations to a minimum, and let the firey debate begin!