Secret Service Failed and then the Trade Agreement Failed Over Cuba

Enrique Marcarian / Reuters

President Barack Obama and other leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean pose at the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia, on Sunday.

(By msnbc.com and news services)

CARTAGENA, Colombia -- Unprecedented Latin American opposition to U.S. sanctions on communist Cuba left President Barack Obama isolated at the Summit of the Americas on Sunday and illustrated Washington's waning influence in the region.

In contrast to the rock-star status he enjoyed at the 2009 summit in Trinidad and Tobago shortly after taking office, Obama has had a bruising time at the two-day meeting in Colombia of some 30 heads of state from across the Americas. 

Eleven Secret Service agents and five military personnel were caught in an embarrassing prostitution scandal, Brazil and others have bashed Obama over U.S. monetary policy, and he has been on the defensive over calls to legalize drugs. 

Thanks to the U.S. and Canadian line on Cuba, the heads of state were unable to produce a final declaration as the summit fizzled out on Sunday.

"There was no declaration because there was no consensus," said Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who hosted the summit.

"That is not a failure, on the contrary," he said, trying to spin the outcome and frank exchange of different views as a sign of strength.

At a press conference with Santos, Obama responded to a question about Cuba by saying that while his administration has eased travel by Cuban Americans to Cuba, the Cuban government had not taken steps toward democracy and "has not yet observed basic human rights."

The prostitution saga, above all, was a major blow to the prestige of Obama's Secret Service bodyguards and turned into the unexpected talk of the town in the historic city of Cartagena.

For the first time, conservative U.S-allied nations like Colombia are throwing their weight behind the traditional demand of leftist governments that Cuba be in the next meeting of the Organization of American States.

"The isolation, the embargo, the indifference, looking the other way, have been ineffective," Santos said.

A major U.S. ally in the region who has relied on Washington for financial and military help to fight guerrillas and drug traffickers, Santos has become vocal over Cuba despite his strong ideological differences with Havana.

In an ironic twist, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went dancing after midnight on Sunday at a Cartagena bar called "Cafe Havana" where Cuban music is played.

Havana was kicked out of the OAS a few years after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, and has been excluded from its summits due to opposition from the United States and Canada. Latin Americans also oppose Washington's trade embargo on the island.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez, who has insisted Washington recognize its claim to the Falkland Islands controlled by Britain, left the summit on Sunday morning, before its official closure.

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa boycotted the meeting over Cuba, and fellow leftist Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua also stayed at home. The leftist ALBA bloc of nations - including Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua and some Caribbean nations - said they will not attend future summits without Cuba's presence.

"It's not a favor anyone would be doing to Cuba. It's a right they've had taken away from them," Ortega said from Managua. "At this meeting in Cartagena, I think it's time for the U.S. government, all President Obama's advisers, to listen to all the Latin American nations."

Though there were widespread hopes for a rapprochement with Cuba under Obama when he took office, Washington has done little beyond ease some travel restrictions, saying democratic changes must come on the island before any further steps can be taken.

Obama has not spoken of Cuba in Colombia, though he did complain that Cold War-era issues, some dating from before his birth, were hindering perspectives on regional integration.

"Sometimes I feel as if in some of these discussions, or at least the press reports, we're caught in a time warp, going back to the 1950s and gunboat diplomacy and Yankees and the Cold War, and this and that and the other," the 50-year-old Obama said.

"That's not the world we live in today."

The controversy at the summit added to strain on the Washington-dominated system of hemispheric diplomacy that was built around the OAS but is struggling to evolve with changes in the region. 

Perceived U.S. neglect of Latin America has allowed China to move strongly into the region and become the leading trade partner of Brazil and various other nations.

Regional economic powerhouse Brazil has led criticism at the summit of U.S. and other rich nations' expansionist monetary policy that is sending a flood of funds into developing nations, forcing up local currencies and hurting competitiveness.

Cheering the mood a bit, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced that a U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement will come into force in the middle of May.

 With a presidential election looming, Obama has portrayed his visit to the summit as a way to generate jobs at home by boosting trade with the region.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Now We Have Legally Nazis in DC } The More Things Change The More they Stay the Same

The American Nazi Party has registered its first lobbyist in Washington DC.

John Bowles, 55, told US media he wanted to address political rights and ballot access and he expected congressmen would accept meetings.

Lobbying was something the party would "try out for the first time and see if it flies," Mr Bowles told ABC News. He registered as a lobbyist this week.

Lobbying is a common practice in US politics and lobby groups are required to disclose their interests in detail.

Mr Bowles' Capitol Hill registration also listed his lobbying interests as agriculture, clean air and water, civil rights, the constitution, healthcare, immigration, manufacturing, and retirement.

Mr Bowles said he would not be paid for his work on Capitol Hill and would take a "careful and objective" approach.

"I'm not going to go in and shove a swastika in their face," he said.

He conceded that there might be some resistance to holding meetings with him. "There might be some congressmen who crumple up the paper and some who say: 'This is interesting,'" he told ABC.

Mr Bowles also said that his move to officially register as a lobbyist was inspired by his reading of the constitution, congressional newspaper The Hill reported.

Mr Bowles previously stood as a presidential candidate for the National Socialist Movement in 2008.

The American Nazi Party traces its ideology to George Lincoln Rockwell, who founded a post-war National Socialist white supremacist movement in the US.

The group reportedly holds meetings in South Carolina and lists a postal address via a post office box in Michigan.

The reminder of 20th Century ideology comes at the end of a week in which Florida Congressman Allen West said publicly that as many as 81 members of Congress are active members of the Communist Party. http://www.bbc.co.uk

Italian Footballer Dies After Collapsing During Game

(CNN) -- Italian footballer Piermario Morosini has died after collapsing during a Serie B match at Pescara on Saturday, according to Italian media reports.

The 25-year-old collapsed after suffering a heart attack during the first half of the game of the match between Pescara and Livorno in Italian football's second division.

He was treated on the pitch before being rushed by ambulance to Pescara's Civile Santo Spirito hospital but was later pronounced dead.

A statement on the official Serie A web site said: "The world of soccer is in mourning for the tragedy that took place this afternoon in Pescara, where during a match between the home team and Livorno, the soccer player Piermario Morosini collapsed on the ground (struck down) by a heart attack.

It is hard to believe what has happened and of course it was right to postpone all league games. My thoughts and those of all my teammates go out to all his family
Javier Zanetti

"The young midfield player came under pharmacological coma, but he died around 17:00."

Morosini, a former Italy under-21 international, was on loan at Livorno from Serie A side Udinese.

The match was immediately abandoned and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced a short time later that all football fixtures this weekend have been canceled.

Inter Milan captain, Javier Zanetti, who learned of the news as his team were preparing for their Serie A fixture against Udinese, said the whole team was shocked by the news.

"We're all deeply dismayed and very sorry," Zanetti said in a statement published on Inter's web site.

"It is hard to believe what has happened and of course it was right to postpone all league games. My thoughts and those of all my teammates go out to all his family," Zanetti added.

Fellow professionals have also taken to Twitter to express their sadness at the player's passing.

Manchester City's Argentine international Sergio Aguero said: "Livorno Piermario Morosini's passing is a great blow to everyone. It's a sad day for me as well. My condolences to his family."

While Wesley Sniejder of Inter Milan wrote: "Rest in peace Piermario Morosini, riposa in pace...."

Morosini's death comes just under a month after English Premier League player Fabrice Muamba collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup match between Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on March 17.

The 24-year-old's heart stopped for 78 minutes as doctors struggled to keep him alive at the stadium and then later at the London Chest Hospital on March 17.

The Bolton midfielder has since made a remarkable recovery.

Bye 100 Watts Bulb It Will Be Turned Off Shortly

by Denise DiFulco

By 2014, the lightbulb as we've known it for more than a century will be turned off -- for good. Laws phasing out incandescent lamps in favor of more energy-efficient versions are about to change not only the way we purchase our replacement bulbs, but also the way we view lighting in general.

"It should be pretty exciting," says Mary Beth Gotti, manager of the GE Lighting & Electrical Institute in East Cleveland, Ohio. "It's going to let people play with light a little bit."

The phase-out begins in 2012, when 100-watt, incandescent bulbs disappear from store shelves. In their place you'll find three primary replacement options for existing fixtures: halogen bulbs, compact fluorescent lamps or light bulbs (CFLs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Halogen light looks and feels a lot like traditional lighting, because it comes from a type of incandescent bulb, albeit one that draws less power. The high operating temperature of halogen bulbs gives the light a particularly luminous quality that makes it ideal for a dining room, where you might want a little sparkle off the silverware and china.

CFLs, on the other hand, are best for general illumination -- in a table lamp, for instance. They've come a long way since they were introduced as those curlicue bulbs that never looked quite right popping up from under a lampshade. Currently the most energy-efficient and cost-effective of the new options, CFLs come in a full complement of cover shapes, from the classic A shape to globes and candelabras. Some still take a minute or two to warm up, but once they reach full output, the light is virtually indistinguishable from that of incandescent bulbs.

Then there are LEDs, excellent for task lighting and directed lighting. They also have a certain cool factor. They're already showing up in new construction embedded in staircases and railings, and also as toe kicks in bathrooms and kitchens -- both for safety and their elegance. "It has a real appeal for early adopters, people who want to be the first on their block with the latest and greatest toy," Gotti says.

Currently, there are few LEDs that can match the lumen output of a traditional 60-watt bulb, and their up-front cost is many times that of halogen bulbs and CFLs. Manufacturers, however, are constantly improving the technology and projecting extremely long lives that should make their products cost effective over time. "The consumer has to weigh that decision -- whether they think the lamp will last that long," cautions Jeremy Snyder, energy efficiency program director at the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

Picking the best replacement bulbs for your home requires a little bit of homework. First, you'll need to know the light output of your current lamp. We used to think of that primarily in terms of watts (or power), but now you'll be looking for lumens (light output). Next, check what shape of bulb you need. The three standard types are A, BR and PAR. Finally, measure the width and length of the bulb you want to replace, and compare it with what you find in the store to make sure it will fit.

For dimming fixtures, be sure to choose a replacement bulb rated for dimming (it should be indicated on the packaging). Same goes for three-way and outdoor lamps. Snyder suggests buying only one bulb and testing it at home before deciding to buy more. It's also a good idea to keep the packaging and receipt together in case the bulb dies out under warranty.

No matter which type of lighting you choose, you'll find many more choices in terms of color. Traditional bulbs gave a warm, white light -- what you'll now find listed on packaging as having a color temperature of 2,700 to 3,000 degrees Kelvin (K). Cooler-toned light, which can complement rooms painted blue or green or those with a modern décor, hovers in the 4,100 K range. Above 5,000 K, the light resembles daylight and can make matching socks in a laundry room far easier than ever.

Tim Tebow Believes in the Scriptures } Does He Gets Laid as Much as King David?

For any fundamentalist and for some one in any sports that marks his face with the numbers of scriptures of the bible verses….what the tittle of this article should be welcoming and challenging at the same time is….and  I know the story of King David and in not the the story, myth, or detail by detail even without video in which David killed the giant soldier with a single stone. Not impress by that because I know sometimes big people drop dead out of a heart attack for being fat and not taking care of their eating. Bug really, it doesn’t matter if it was Jehovah behind the stone…that’s fine with me. But what Im talking about is how many women did David bed, committing everything from sodomy to murder to accomplish any desire he wanted. This guy I think was for sure straight. As of the question is,  how many women did he bed? ok//lets leave that thought there and I put it here to make the reader think that even in the old testament there was punishment for such actions. As we know David lost his kingdom and a lot more. On god’s mercy he got his son Salomon to replace him to rule over the kingdom of Israel.

Well all that was the intro to Tim Tebow. Because he shows his faith for millions to watch. A likable fellow but one that has put his his life as an example by his ttheatrics…Im sure he might not seen them as such, but the thing is that if he is straight he is got more women after him than David did.

Does he have the fortitude to stay true?……to one women and only after marriage for ever.  Faith is personal and is between you and the force beyond you.,…I respect his faith, because I got mine… no religion for good reasons  and I could articulate to anybody interested in such a conversation…which I don t enjoy.  I like people to have faith to be able rto see not to be blinded by it and mortal men that would direct you..but I feel bad for such a person.. I will show you some of the pictures showing how ugly he is and why no women would want haahaa..kidding)…..Im not talking about women that would want to marry him….gosh if every guy that was with me wanted to be with me for ever I would have a kingdom of my own. There is a truth that might not have a verse in the bible, but to us is has meaning because it happens: “Thank You mam, etc….thank you guy(dude) see you around.”

I could not just post pics of Tebow without a background that I am willing to defend:
AF*

Is Is Charlie Sheen been Resurrected or is he still a Stiff?

We can’t proof that a resurrection happened to a man named Jesus. You have to take it it because you are told and you believe it…in other words faith.

 These  does have talent. He is got talent.Booze and drugs almost destroyed that.

With Charlie, he has become a good comedic actor.Therrefore we will soon find out if he has been resurrected…however in this case we have

 At least the technology to find out fairly quickly if he still a stiff of he has come back. AF*

. 

Mischief: Charlie furrows his brow intriguingly as the clip whizzes to an end 

 meltdown.

 

2012 Travel Gay Expo Tour } Dated Material

Photo by Ezequiel de la Rosa

Find out about well-kept secret getaways, the best LGBT cruises, and new exotic destinations, all at the 2012 GLBT Travel Expo Tour. The event will be arriving in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York throughout the month of May, and travelers should make their way to the Expo and plan their next adventure with the best GLBT-friendly travel providers, agents, and cruises. Stop by and say hi to us at New York City’s LGBT Center on May 5.

In London } 'Gay Cure' Bus Advertising is Banned

                                                             

   inNational News 

An advert which suggested gay people could be cured has been banned from London buses

Adverts which suggested gay people could be cured have been banned from London buses, transport chiefs have said.

The campaign was due to run for two weeks on the side of vehicles serving five routes in the capital, including top tourist destinations such as St Paul's Cathedral, Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.

The posters, by Christian group Core Issues Trust, stated: "Not gay! Post-gay, ex-gay and proud. Get over it!" and were believed to mock pro-gay group Stonewall's recent campaign which featured adverts saying: "Some people are gay. Get over it."

But following a huge public outcry which labelled the Core Issues' campaign homophobic, London Mayor Boris Johnson, who chairs Transport for London (TfL), tonight ordered the adverts to be pulled.

Mr Johnson, who is standing for re-election next month, said: "London is one of the most tolerant cities in the world and intolerant of intolerance. It is clearly offensive to suggest being gay is an illness someone recovers from and I am not prepared to have that suggestion driven around London on our buses."

 The doomed campaign, which was backed by Christian group Anglican Mainstream and cleared by industry regulator the Advertising Standards Authority, claimed therapy could change sexual orientation. It was due to run on London buses from Monday.

Core Issues' co-director Mike Davidson criticised the decision to axe the adverts, saying: "I didn't realise censorship was in place. We went through the correct channels and we were encouraged by the bus company to go through their procedures. They okayed it and now it has been pulled. I would be interested to know on what basis they have done that."

He added: "It is of deep concern that there can only be one point of view and that is the point of view of individuals who are determined to push through gay marriage and apparently believe that homosexuality cannot be altered in any possible way. That is not a universally held view. This is a disturbing development and it is disappointing the UK finds itself in this position."

But Stonewall spokesman Andy Wasley welcomed the move, saying: "We are delighted by TfL's clear commitment to diversity. It is fantastic that no adverts will be promoting voodoo, gay-cure therapy in London."

A TfL spokeswoman said: "The adverts are not currently running on any London buses and they will not do so. This advertisement has just been brought to our attention by our advertising agency, CBSO, and we have decided that it should not run on London's bus or transport networks. We do not believe these specific ads are consistent with TfL's commitment to a tolerant and inclusive London."