from my lips to God's ears....
ht Politico

PALIN PLANS, from very close friends: Plans to remain
extremely visible and will give serious consideration to
running for president in 2012, but has made no decision.
she'll be very busy as a mother of five, which friends say
is her top priority. She plans paid speeches, and will spend
time writing her book, which is due this fall, then promote
it heavily when it comes out in spring 2010. She's the
Republican Party's biggest draw for fund-raisers and
conservative events (along with Cheney and Gingrich), and
she plans to spend a lot of time traveling in 'the lower 48'
states, as Alaskans call the continental U.S. The governor
also plans to make free GOP appearances, collecting
political IOUs for herself as she raises money for the
party, for candidates and for issues.

ht BBC
North Korea is facing a "critical" food shortage, especially for children, the UN's food agency has said.

The World Food Programme's director for North Korea said the agency was unable to reach millions of North Koreans due to a shortfall in funding.

The director, Torben Due, said the WFP had received no new donations for North Korea since Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test in May.

He also said Pyongyang had barred the WFP from using Korean-speaking staff.

North Korea had given no reason for that decision, he added.

Mr Due told reporters in Beijing that the WFP had received only 15% of an international appeal for $504m (£306m) and had to cut back plans to provide food aid to 6.2 million North Koreans to 2.27 million.



North Korea has relied on food aid from China, South Korea and aid agencies to feed millions of its people since a famine in the 1990s resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands.

Recent flooding and the suspension of South Korean fertiliser aid shipments have hindered food production.


Is North Korea facing famine?

We are now in the middle of the lean season in North Korea, where food supplies are low and it's a very difficult situation for many people in the country "

We should make more public how much aid we give to NK for food aid.

Job for Sarah Palin - go to South Korea, talk about food aid, peace, and a new American policy," walk quietly, help the starving, proclaim righteousness and freedom, encourage capitalism"

North Korea is going through its succession, and for whatever reason, they are being belligerent. Now, the reality is that they are on a very short leash from China. All of our discussions about North Korea should be with China.

Here is something to ponder. What would happen if China US trade dropped in half. US demand for inexpensive products would be filled immediately from other countries, and from increased domestic manufacturing. China has an ongoing boom based largely on internal business and trade worldwide, not just US.

We could easily live through a trade war with China, if it was necessary to push China to restrain North Korea.

And, by the way, North Korea is testing Skud missiles, not exactly anything more powerful than WWII German V-2 missiles. Everyone, chillax.

The buzz on the net is that there may be a serious problem with Governor Palin using donated money for her house. Her husband had claimed he did the work himself, but this would be one of the "ethics" problems that might stick. Hey, I'm from Massachusetts. Our last three speakers of the House have been indicted and quit in shame.

She should start a weekly column, the book, lots of interviews, and she should be the spine of the Republican party. Who else is standing up to Obama's new socialism? And, she needs to do some serious fund-raising for all Republican senators and Congressmen. She may never again be on the top ticket, but she could get a super job in a new Republican administration.

Just a question...who had an interest in the death of MJ. Who stood to gain if he died when he did, of natural causes, or accidental causes?