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         xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss"><docs>This is a RSS file. Copy the URL into your aggregator of choice. If you don't know what this means and want to learn more, please see: <span>http://platial.typepad.com/news/2006/04/really_simple_t.html</span> for more info.</docs>
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<description>TheBigPicToday Blog and News Map</description>
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<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4291191">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4291191</link>
<title>Jan 10, Pipe Deams - Obama Says Plan Can Add or Save Up to 4 Million Jobs</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        What's he cooking now? Well, nothing new really, as he has touted clean energy jobs for a while now. Oh, and by the way: US unemployment is now at 7.2%.

What to draw from the president-elect's economy plan is that he plans on using 800 million more than has already been spent to create alternative energy jobs, constructions jobs, and more.

Read More: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4291191">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-10 09:56:46.009211+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4291200">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4291200</link>
<title>Jan 9, In Iran: No credit cards, alcohol ... or urinals</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        Another news flash, but more of a news snippet.

So this guy, Rick Steves, got clearance to take a film crew into Iran as a tourist. Sort of a Coming to Iran theme. His article is completely one sided. I have to give the Iranian government a 'job well done' for hoodwinking this guy. Either that, or this guy is blind. In reality though, I think he just wants you to watch his show, and so he puts in things that are 'nice and neat.'

Read More: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4291200">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-10 09:59:15.595888+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4296606">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4296606</link>
<title>12 Jan, NYPD Wants to Jam Cell Phones During Terror Attack</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        I saw this title when perusing various sites this morning. I have been thinking over the last few days about a couple of questions that are bothering me regarding terrorism in the US.

First, is the United States combating terrorism correctly right now? How do you measure that? By how many 'terrorism' attacks there have been in a years time? 5 years time? 10? By how many people have died resulting from terrorism?

Read More: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4296606">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-12 06:20:18.97155+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4303054">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4303054</link>
<title>Jan 14, Russian gas to Europe 'blocked'</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        So Europe is constipated with natural gas from Russia, while they argue with the Ukraine. The story, if you haven't been following, is that Russia stopped natural gas supplies to Europe. Russia supplies 15-20% of Europe's gas. At first, Russia claimed that Ukraine, where the European pipeline for gas flows through, was siphoning gas and therefor cut supplies to figure out the stolen gas.

Read More: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4303054">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-14 10:12:46.870604+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4320762">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4320762</link>
<title>Jan 18, Gazans dig bodies from rubble as cease-fire begins (AP) </title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        AP - For Palestinians searching the rubble of this devastated refugee camp, the mounds of concrete and metal hid all they desperately wanted and needed: the bodies of dead relatives, belongings and — bitterly — scraps of bombs now valuable enough to sell as recycled aluminum.

Snip from www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4320762">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-18 12:57:02.627114+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4337705">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4337705</link>
<title>Jan 23, Russian Aggression</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        I’m not an alarmist. I don’t want another Cold War. Heck, I lived a few miles from a Russian cold war nuclear target (Sunflower ammunitions plant, and the Honeywell Defense Co) as a child in the 80s. Who didn’t? 

Read more: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4337705">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-23 15:03:26.291506+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4347159">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4347159</link>
<title>26 Jan, Child Soldiers and War Lords</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        Not something your used to seeing I'm sure. But there are tens of thousands of lives ruined from people exploiting children. I was going to write about how a rebel leader in the DRC, Laurent Nkunda, had been captured in Rwanda over the weekend, but as it turns out, it may be a hoax to protect more cronies. 

Read More: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4347159">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-27 06:55:52.423803+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4353728">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4353728</link>
<title>Jan 29, Skeptics: Expectations from Obama Stimulus Will set a Standard</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        Some (Republicans) that are not supportive of President Obama's stimulus package, whole or partial, that passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday fear that some of the programs congressmen and women have added to the bill in the last minute will have lasting effects. When it comes down to it, some believe that this increase will cause a dependency effect on organizations receiving a stimulus.

Read more: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4353728">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-29 09:13:06.90958+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4353724">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4353724</link>
<title>28 Jan, Tens of Thousands of layoffs </title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        So the story broke after the markets had closed on Monday. Seems a domino effect of death has struck all the titans of industry. In the economy's latest deathgrip, some 62,000 jobs are being cut. My heart goes out to everyone who has a pinkslip in their hand right now.

Read More:
www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4353724">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-29 09:10:42.083935+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4356377">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4356377</link>
<title>30 Jan, Series Friday: US Missile Defense</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        As promised, in continuing to grow this blog, I am giving you the second part of my Russian Aggression series. The first was a time line of events. The first event, the Cold War, I am skipping in a hope that they covered that in history class or you lived it (most of us have). You don't have to read it if you don't want to, but I think it is a good time line the draws a picture that most haven't heard of because of the lack of coverage until recently.

Read More: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4356377">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-30 09:24:17.853539+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4363756">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4363756</link>
<title>Feb 2, 20,000,000 Jobless in China, Let's Break our Dependency</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        World economic turmoil has caused tens of thousands, and now a few million to be without jobs in Europe and the US. If the west has less money to spend and is trying to make every dollar stretch, then are we putting people who get paid dirt to make our happy meal toys out of jobs? The answer is yes.

Read More: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4363756">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-02-02 10:19:08.199961+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4369559">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4369559</link>
<title>Feb 4, Obama Wants to Limit Compensation Limits on Executives</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        First thing I thought when I read this....mwahahahahahaha. Sorry, but it's true. President Obama is suggesting that an executive pay cap be inserted into the bailout legislation to be voted on by the senate soon. Get this:

Read More: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4369559">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-02-04 06:18:53.211263+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4373230">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4373230</link>
<title>Feb 5, The Good and the Bad</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        The good news or the bad news, first? Well, any time I see someone being asked, the answer seems to be the bad news first. That way, the good news ices over the bad and just maybe we forget or can't see the bad.

The bad news is that initial unemployment claims have shot up during January 09, with a total of 626k initial claims.

Read More: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4373230">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-02-05 11:18:10.082158+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4376044">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4376044</link>
<title>6 Feb, Series Friday: Russian Aggression Part III</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        In continuing my popular Series Friday blog, Russian Aggression I am to draw a larger picture of how the ex-communist state, over the last few years, has been coming out of their post Cold War shell and has stepped into the world power waters again. In the first blog in this series I simply drew a timeline of events over the last, almost, two decades that point out interesting aggressive moves Russia has made to isolate itself.

Read More: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4376044">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-02-06 07:43:36.588956+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4411027">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4411027</link>
<title>Feb, 16, Hugo ends presidential term limits</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        Hugo Chavez has hoodwinked Venezuela for good. Following suit with Putin and getting his wildest dreams, Hugo has achieved god status. He has successfully, and legally removed term limits to being president of Venezuela. Good ol' Hugo can run for president for as many times as he wants, and so can any public official.

Read More: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4411027">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-02-16 12:11:10.588035+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4254785">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4254785</link>
<title>Laurent Nkunda</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        Human rights

Throughout the years Nkunda has come under scrutiny and been accused by a number of organizations of committing human rights abuses. Nkunda has been indicted for war crimes in September 2005 and is under investigation by the International Criminal Court.[12]

According to human rights monitors such as Refugees International, Nkunda's troops have been alleged to have committed acts of murder, rape, and pillaging of civilian villages; a charge which Nkunda denies.[18] Amnesty International says his troops have abducted children as young as 12 and forced them to serve as child soldiers.[19]

In May 2002, he was accused of massacring 160 people in Kisangani, prompting UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson to call for his arrest following the abduction and beating of two UN investigators by his troops.[12] He has claimed that the UN have ignored the widespread attacks on Tutsis in the region as they did during the Rwandan Genocide in 1994.

[edit] Child Soldiers

Nkunda strongly denies recruiting child soldiers, stating that as of 2005 he has demobilised 2,500 "young soldiers"[20] and is still doing so, making it ridiculous to then still recruit more. His total army is estimated at 7,000 - 8,000 men.

(Source: Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurent_Nkunda)<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4254785">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2008-12-31 06:10:20.023351+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4264370">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4264370</link>
<title>Gas countries to create a gas-OPEC? Please </title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        So this story has been published by the papers, but what’s the big picture? Ol’ Putin is whispering into the oil and gas producing countries to create a gas-OPEC.

These countries attended his henchmen meeting: Algeria, Bolivia, Brunei, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Libya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Equatorial Guinea and Norway are attending as observers.

Do you find this funny? I do. Natural gas is an abundant source of energy. Sure, you can link the cost of oil drilling rising to slightly higher costs of gas, but it’s a bi-product. Have you ever driven past an oil well. I lived in Bahrain for a year, in the middle east, and I have. They have so much gas being produced from oil drilling, they burn off excess. A common practice. 

Read More http:thebigpictoday.blogspot.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4264370">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-02 10:31:21.168592+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4267318">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4267318</link>
<title>3 Jan, Gas disputes continue in eastern europe... </title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        
Get Your Map!
Powered by Platial
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Gas disputes continue in eastern europe...
Can we not settle this like civilized people?

The background on this is that Russia cut off natural gas deliveries to the Ukraine on new years day in a supposed price dispute, but promised that the rest of Europe wouldn't notice a change as the EU receives 20% of their gas from Russia. However this isn't the case as other countries are reporting a drop in pipeline pressure or late deliveries.

"Russia's business decisions seem to be as cold as the Siberia by cutting off supply in January when temperatures are dropping below 0." --

Read more: http://www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4267318">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-03 08:13:34.836402+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4269737">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4269737</link>
<title>4 Jan, Raise gasoline tax? What are they thinking? </title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        Last night I came across an article titled : Raise gasoline tax by 10 cents, Congress urged (photo credit as well)

I'm baffled. I agree that the US enjoys a low gasoline tax, but right now isn't the time to raise gasoline prices, which is effectively what they'll do when they raise taxes. It's simply a horrible idea! Unemployment is very high and consumer confidence is lowering day by day. With the demand of gasoline dropping, sure you need to find a way to finance road improvements already promised, but not through gas tax increases.

Read more: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4269737">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-04 05:24:44.066064+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4275094">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4275094</link>
<title>U.S. manufacturing weakest in 28 years</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        I read this last night and I'm not surprised. Are you? U.S. manufacturing weakest in 28 years - Economy in Turmoil- msnbc.com

The industrial revolution is long gone in America. In the last 25 years, America switched from exporting raw goods to providing services and brain power. Our calluses have softened. So I would say that 'they', the good ol boys of the manufacturing index, are wrong and need to lower the score of 50 as being the tipping point in the economy.

Read More: http://www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4275094">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-05 13:49:50.753989+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4287604">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4287604</link>
<title>9 Jan, Israel hits U.N. truck; aid halted </title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        headline from www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4287604">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-09 09:34:56.839953+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://platial.com/post/4284832">
<link>http://platial.com/post/4284832</link>
<title>8 Jan, Israel beating Hamas at what cost</title>
<description>
        <![CDATA[
        I've tried not to be sucked into this, but I can no longer ignore this one particular conflict: Israel and Hamas.

Israel can and always will be able to militarily defeat their neighbors, but at what cost and what have they gained? Nothing really. For now, the rockets will decrease, simply because the people loading the rockets must now stand their ground and fight Israeli solders on the ground.

Read More: www.thebigpictoday.com<br /><br /><a href="http://platial.com/post/4284832">Map this on Platial</a><br /> 
        ]]>
        </description>
<georss:point> </georss:point>
<dc:creator></dc:creator>
<dc:date>2009-01-08 09:24:53.69633+00:00</dc:date>
</item>
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