Wouldn’t that be a fair deal? If he (or the next president, maybe McCain) feels that the war and the goals we have over there are of grave importance to America then they should be willing to do this as a patriotic duty. We’ll put in writing that the funds won’t end and the troops won’t come home until all those goals we have over there are met, so long as they give us just one ritual suicide. I think it is only fair that they prove the cause is worth dying for BEFORE we force others to die for it (most of which probably don’t want to be there). And I think it might prove something: that if they aren’t willing to die for the cause, why should anyone else have to?

Anyone else see this as a fair trade off?
This might be a good way to find out just how important the war really is. I think the troops would be home tomorrow if you put this proposition on Bush’s desk.
JJ P I can summarize Iraq into one word: Fear.

I think we need to grow up and stop being afraid of the boogie man. Terrorists aren’t going to go away just because we are moping around Iraq for a decade.

this is terrible! 11 year old boy in Atlanta, Jaheem Herrera, commited suicide because he was being bullied by his elementry school classmates. this makes my heart ache. this is the 2nd 11 year old boy in 2 weeks that has killed himself! Why aren’t parents explaining to these s h i t t y bratty kids of theirs that bullying is NOT allowed and it is WRONG. I remember being bullied at that age because of my race and because i was fat!…( i went to catholic school) and i told my parents that I wanted to switch schools..but can you imagine this little boy had it SO bad that he killed himself?…this is just horrible =( has anyone else ever been bullied? and if so, for what? there should be a law passed!!

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2009/04/21/boy_suicide_bullying_decatur.html

I found this news story recently

http://stcharlesjournal.stltoday.com/news/sj2tn20071110-1111stc_pokin_1.ii1.txt

and was shocked to find out the MOTHER of the former friend set up the false account to harass this young girl. Should she go to jail? Your opinions, please…

The world of football is in mourning for Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke, who has died after being struck by a train in an apparent suicide. Enke, 32, who played for Hannover 96 and was rumoured to be suffering from depression was hit by a train at a level crossing near Hannover. He is thought to have struggled to cope with the loss of

his daughter Lara, who died aged two in 2006 of a rare heart condition,

Oliver Bierhoff, the German football team’s general manager, said: “We are all shocked. We are lost for words.” Germany cancelled a planned training session and all interviews. Germany’s friendly against Chile on Saturday may be postponed, even though Enke was not in the squad having recently recovered from a virus. He was expected to be Germany’s number one goalkeeper for next years World cup in South Africa.

Fans at Hannover’s Niedersachsen Stadium overnight laid flowers and lit candles at the gates in memory of their captain, who signed in 2004. More queued to sign an official book of condolence. Hannover 96 removed all links to the regular content on their website showing instead a black page reading “Wir trauern um Robert Enke” (“We are mourning Robert Enke”).

The German Football League has announced a minute’s silence will be held at grounds ahead of the next round of the top two divisions of the Bundesliga for the weekend of 21-22 November, with all players wearing black armbands.

Enke was born in Jena, East Germany in 1977 and played for Carl Zeiss Jena, Borussia Monchengladbach, Benfica, Barcelona, Fenerbahce, and Tenerife before joinging Hannover 96. He made his debut for Germany against Denmark in 2007 winning 8 caps and was Bundesliga goalkeeper of the season 2008-09

This long and deep recession has produced several tragic headline stories. I can’t remember so many homocide-suicides involving so many people as I’ve read? about over the last 6-12 months. Why must a man, the bread winner, kill his wife and his children,a nd then himself? Misery loves company? I guess any form of suicide is difficult to comprehend; however, the suicide of David Kellermann will be “front page” for some time.?

Everyone has to wonder, what’s up with Freddie Mac? Is there much more than we already know?

The Fairfax County police responded to a 911-call at 4:48 a.m. at the suburban Virginia home Kellermann shared with his wife Donna and five-year-old daughter Grace. The police would not release the exact cause of death, but spokesman Eddy Azcarate said Kellermann’s body was found in the basement. At least David only took his own life. But why? What could be so bad to cause someone to take their own life?

Daivd had what appeared to be a good life.

Kellermann, 41, lived in Hunter Mill Estates, a well-off neighborhood of large single-family homes with manicured lawns. County records show Kellermann’s home is worth about $900,000. Paul Unger, who lives across the street from the Kellermanns, called the family a “solid, salt-of-the-earth kind of family” that hosted the neighborhood’s Halloween party. “He was just a nice guy … You cannot imagine what kind of pressures he must have been under,” Unger said.

Solid family?

Some neighbors said Kellermann had lost a noticeable amount of weight under the strain of the job, and some said they suggested to him he should quit to avoid the stress. The neighbors did not want to be quoted by name because they didn’t want to upset the family. Is making millions worth the trade-off?

Kellermann’s death is the latest in a string of blows to Freddie Mac, which owns or guarantees about 13 million mortgages and us the No. 2 mortgage finance company after sibling Fannie Mae. The company has been criticized for financing risky mortgage loans that fueled the real estate bubble, and its first government-appointed CEO, David Moffett, resigned last month after six months on the job.

As the company’s financial chief, Kellermann was working on the company’s first quarter financial report, due at the end of May, with federal regulators closely overseeing the company’s books and signing off on major decisions.

That relationship has been tense at times. Freddie Mac executives recently battled with federal regulators over whether to disclose potential losses on mortgage securities tied to the Obama administration’s housing plan, said a person familiar with the deliberations who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Federal prosecutors in Virginia have been investigating Freddie Mac’s business practices.

I am sure there’s more to come and it can’t be good.