December 28, 2008The Gaza Air Strikes: Why Israel Attacked - By Aaron J. Klein / Jerusalem -TIME MAGAZINE
Israel's strike on Gaza had been expected for days, but it was still a surprise when it finally came. Taking advantage of good weather, which is forecast to last at least three days, Israeli planes bombed some 40 Palestinian police stations, posts and other targets early Saturday morning, killing more than 150 people including a number of senior Hamas military leaders. The first strikes came in a coordinated three-minute blitz. Israeli officials say the strikes were necessary to force an end to the rocket attacks from Gaza, which is ruled by the radical Islamist group Hamas after it split from the Palestinian Authority run by President Mahmoud Abbas out of the West Bank. Palestinian militants in Gaza have long launched Kassam and other rockets at Israeli towns across the border, and in the past six weeks the number of attacks has increased dramatically. After the attack, Israeli officials said the number of Palestinian rocket attacks could now spike to 200 a day. Hamas announced that it had sent a rocket toward Askelon; one man in the Israeli town of Netivot, east of the Gaza strip, was killed. Israel also expects Hamas to launch suicide attacks against Israel. A Hamas leader promised as much Saturday. But Israel is prepared to ratchet up the pressure still further in the hope that it will force a workable ceasefire. Saturday's attack was authorized two days previously, and though no Israeli ground troops have crossed into Gaza so far, that remains an option according to Israeli officials. Dozens of Israeli air force planes remain in the skies above Gaza. "If they retaliate they will feel it stronger and the number [of casualties] on the Gaza side will rise", a senior Israeli military source told TIME. But Israel will need to move carefully. Air strikes that kill large numbers of Palestinian civilians are only likely to fuel support for Hamas, and ramp up international pressure to end the operation quickly. (See photos of Gaza border tension.) Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in June. Israel wants the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and is extremely wary of becoming embroiled in a military operation in Gaza with no clear exit strategy. Hamas needed the truce to relieve the catastrophic economic strain imposed by the Israeli siege and to consolidate its control over Gaza. And so, for very different reasons, the two sides found themselves negotiating — not directly, because neither side recognizes the other — but through an Egyptian mediator. But in the past few weeks the ceasefire has all but broken down. Indeed, even as the Israelis said the operation was continuing, Egypt was among the diplomatic casualties. Cairo had played host to Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Dec. 25. She took the opportunity to criticize Hamas for its rocket attacks. The silence of her Egyptian hosts is now being seen by Palestinians as indirect collusion with Israel, damaging Cairo's ability to play mediator. Furthermore, in the contest for primacy between Hamas and Abbas's Palestinian Authority (PA), Hamas, as the "victim" of this episode, emerges as the victor in the eyes of Arabs and Palestinians. Already, elements of Abbas' own Fatah Party, the bulwark of the PA, are campaigning against the security cooperation with Israel and talking about boycotting meetings with the Jewish state. Both Israel and Hamas have their reasons for a return to open hostilities. Livni and her allies face a looming election against the more hawkish former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas may be pushing for tactical gains, like doing away with a 600-meter no-man's land established by the Israeli military on the Palestinian side of the boundary fence. The recent rocket attacks were also well timed because of the political vacuum in the U.S. In Washington, officials have been urging Israel to refrain from an invasion or other operations in Gaza during the White House transition. The air attack on Gaza has shattered that hope. With reporting by Jamil Hamad/Bethlehem Related Groups:
Free Palestine
Posted on 12/28/2008 5:48 AM Comments (0)
Israele pronto a entrare a Gaza - www.corriere.itl'analisi del conflittoIsraele pronto a entrare a Gaza
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December 26, 2008
SANTA CLAUS OFFICE
Santa Claus Office

We all know that each Christmas Santa travels all over the world bearing presents and good will. And surely anyone’s dream must be to make a return visit to him in his very own office? Well now you can!.
Santa’s Office far away in the North of Finland on the Arctic Circle is quite unique in that every day of the year people come from all over the world to see him there. Thousands upon thousands of them. Santa’s Office is a place where dreams come true.
These pages allow you to take a peep inside Santa’s Office. You will naturally meet the man himself, for whom the virtual world is as familiar as, say, the reindeer grazing grounds of his own home mountain or the chimneys of Manchester. And maybe you’ll find the answers to some of the questions that have been puzzling you. For there are so many strange stories about Santa going round the world, each more peculiar than the last, that they often make Santa chuckle out loud.
Having made your armchair journey, pause for a while at the section entitled A Visit to Santa and start planning a real journey - honestly!
Stay tuned for high quality video streaming from the capital of Lapland!
Lights and sounds from Rovaniemi!
The official international website of the City of Rovaniemi launched its video streaming service. The Mayor of Rovaniemi, Mauri Gardin along with Santa Claus welcome the visitors of our international website to Rovaniemi and send their Christmas Greetings. Also, watch high-quality, streaming videos featuring the beauty of Lapland, Rovaniemi’s 8 seasons, local history and traditions. Stay tuned for more!!
Image by Annett Pée - Mimosa-Arctica.com
December 24, 2008
Long, long ago
http://www.santaclauslive.com/
Santa Claus Office
Thu 2008.12.25
1:24 am (GMT +02:00)
Merry Christmas!
Smiles from the Office
Santa has always liked smiling, laughing faces. No wonder, therefore, that the elves have for years now been storing visitors’ smiles in the Big Smile Archive deep in the mountain where Santa lives. Smiles are naturally a source of smile power - and Santa has plenty of uses for that! His little elfin helpers whisper among themselves that smiles are one of the secrets of his long life.
The Smile Archive is ever so big and secret, but Santa has been persuaded by his visitors to open the door a crack. But watch out: smile power is very catching and may put a twinkle in your eye and run off with the furrows on your brow!
There’s always room for more smiles in the Archive, so come along and add your own!
Far, far away in the north, amid the endless wilderness of Finnish Lapland, is a mysterious mountain called Korvatunturi. Right at the foot, hidden from human eyes and ears, lives Santa Claus with his wife, his elves and his reindeer. He’s in fact been living there so long that he can’t quite remember when he first moved in. He doesn’t actually say much about his home, but he does let on that, as its name - Ear Mountain - suggests, it’s an excellent place for hearing and receiving the hopes and dreams of people of all ages.
Santa is anxious to keep his secrets; they are, after all, an important part of the Christmas story. But a traveller who happened to be passing about a hundred years ago brought news that soon spread of the mountain and its inhabitants. Santa wanted to make sure his hiding place was not invaded with visitors and hit upon a brilliant idea that would allow all his friends and anyone who loved Christmas to come and meet him. About half a century ago he began making regular visits to the Arctic Circle just outside the town of Rovaniemi.
Korvatunturi lies far, far away in the wilds of Lapland, but then if you live down south, the Arctic Circle may seem a long way away. And because Santa doesn’t want anyone to be disappointed, he has promised to be at his Office on the Arctic Circle every single day of the year, ready to receive friends from near and far.
December 22, 2008
Welcome to Rovaniemi
Let's wish bon voyage to Santa Claus when he leaves
to deliver gifts
Santa Claus leaves for his long journey to deliver gifts to children of the world
in day before Christmas eve. We all can be wishing him bon voyage and at the
same time send Christmas greetings to all over the world. If it is not possible to
come to Santa Claus Villag, Arctic Circle, you can watch live broadcast at this site.
Santa is on his way... 23rd December 2008 At 7 pm
in Santa Claus Village, Arctic Circle
Santa Claus is starting his trip
From Santa Claus’ point of view Christmas Eve is the most important day of the year. That is why he
makes all preparations very carefully. The previous day and night all presents have been loaded into
the sledges. All reindeers that will be pulling the sledges, have been fed with superpower lichen
collected from a secret place.
In the morning Santa Claus wakes up very early. He puts on his warmest underwear and his best
red jacket and brushes his beard. His beard is as long as one and a half younger elf. Then Santa
Claus goes into the big kitchen. Mrs Santa is there cooking porridge for breakfast. When breakfast is
over and Santa Claus has had his usual mug of reindeer milk, he goes to the stable to Rudolf, the
reindeer with the red nose.
Rudolf is the oldest and wisest of all reindeer. As a matter of fact Rudolf is the one that makes sure
Santa Claus is in the right place at the right time, but the old Whitebeard himself also wants to have
his “say” in the trip planning. Rudolf has an unique VSRNS, Very Special Reindeer Navigating
System. The system is so good that Santa Claus can take a nap when they are going from place to
place. And so he does! It was not so usual before, but nowadays that Santa Claus has hundreds of
years on his shoulders, he likes to rest and doze when Rudolf leads the team of reindeer with sledges
behind them through the night-skies. Really, every reindeer of Santa Claus can fly, although they
usually trot along on the ground. When there is nobody around, up towards the sky they jump,
sledges and Santa Claus with them. And with what speed; you might even hear a bang like a sonic
boom. 
But now we are still in Korvatunturi mountain. Also the elves have woken up and are busy with
their morning chores. Soon they are ready for the trip, in their best clothing. The reindeer are
stomping anxiously in the stable. They also know what day it is today. The cattleman elves have fed
them before their own breakfast. Now the antler-heads are full of superpower lichen and are very
ready to fly, with sparking hooves! Although all reindeer are not going on the trip this time,
everyone gets a special treat of that mysterious special lichen. It is fed only at Christmas time - it is
too strong to use during other seasons. Once an old buck was seen hovering near the stable ceiling,
perplexed and coughing. He has pilfered some superpower lichen left from Christmas.
The elves come to the stable and each of them brushes his favourite reindeer. So the reindeer are
very smooth-haired and glossy when they are harnessed. The sleigh bells are jingling as the reindeer
are led to the yard, where the sledges full of presents await. Santa Claus gives a good bye kiss to
Mrs Santa and waves to those staying at home. He glances once more at his row of escorts standing
ready and eager on the yard. All is OK. Let’s go then! A loud hurrah is heard from everywhere and
all are waving. Soon the sledges disappear into the wintry morning dusk behind the round topped
mountain. Then the elves stop their waving and rush into the big kitchen to eat delicious Christmas
porridge.
Santa Claus is sitting in his sledge. He is smiling. The snowy surface of the ground is left behind and
the lights of Korvatunturi mountain are soon only little needle pricks in the horizon. Santa Claus is
thinking of all those nice children he will meet during the day and he feels very, very happy.
Rovaniemi is Lapland’s energetic capital city. On the Arctic Circle at the junction
of two great rivers, the Kemijoki and the Ounasjoki, the city which has grown round
the Ounasvaara Hill recreation area is a part of nature itself. Lapland’s four seasons
provide the entire region with a wide range of attractive aspects.
December 21, 2008
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL... MY BUZZNET'S FRIENDS - PART TWO
December 20, 2008
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL.... MY GREAT BUZZNET'S FRIENDS!! - PART 0NE





December 19, 2008
Why History Can't Wait - TIME

You probably sat in a fancier conference room the last time you refinanced or heard a pitch about life insurance. There's a table, some off-brand mesh office chairs, a bookcase that looks as if it had been put together with an Allen wrench and instructions in Swedish.
To reach this room, you pass through a cubicle farm lightly populated by quiet young people. Either they have just arrived or they are just leaving, because their desks are almost bare. The place has a vaguely familiar feel to it, this air of transient shabbiness and nondescriptitude. You can't quite put your finger on it ...
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/personoftheyear/article/0,31682,1861543_1865068,00.html
December 17, 2008
MARILLEVA - TRENTINO - ALTO ADIGE - ITALY
MARILLEVA- belongs to the ski area Val di Sole, and is situated in the north eastern part of Italy at a height of 1400 m, 250 km from Milan, 70 km from the city of Trento and about 49 km from the famous ski resort Madonna di Campiglio. Marilleva and Madonna di Campiglio are connected to Folgardia through the same lift system, and together with other nearby ski resorts they create SKIRAMA that has a total of 260 km pisted slopes and 103 lifts. The slopes offers various skiing, both for snowboarders and regular skiiers – beginners and more advanced practicians. There are plenty of snow machines, that make sure that there is enough snow for great skiing during the winter season. In Marilleva you stay comfortably close to the ski lifts. You can choose between modern apartments in different sizes, or hotels with half- or fullboard. All apartments, most of them with balconys, have shower/wc and fully equipped kitchens. Some of the apartment residences offer you a “Holiday Club”, with access to swimming pools, sauna, fitness, cabarées and other night activities. In Marilleva you can also find banks, bars, restaurants, discotheques, shopping malls, boutiques, ski rental, ski schools, doctors and so much more! Marilleva 1400 can offer you a comfortable and snow rich vacation in a beautiful alpine surrounding that is perfect for both familys and young people. Both living and the nightlife is cheaper in Marilleva 1400 than it is in Madonna di Campiglio, but you still ski in the same slopes!
MARILLEVA - the price worthy alpine alternative!

Marilleva 900 e Marilleva 1400
(Comune di Mezzana)
Gli insediamenti di Marilleva costituiti principalmente da alberghi residence e appartamenti, vennero realizzati analogamente a quello di Folgarida attorno alla metà degli anni sessanta come centri turistici con numerosi Hotel e Residence. Marilleva 900 si trova di fronte al paese di Mezzana sulla sponda opposta del torrente Noce, ed è il punto di partenza della cabinovia posta più a valle dell'intera Valle di Sole. Proseguendo per la stessa strada, che salendo offre degli incantevoli panorami, si arriva a Marilleva 1400, posta appunto ad un altezza di 1400 metri sul livello del mare.
Oltre a moderne strutture ricettive, Alberghi Residence appartamenti e Hotel, a Marilleva negli ultimi anni, gli operatori turistici, in collaborazione con le amministrazioni locali, hanno dato vita a numerose iniziative per promuovere queste località anche nel periodo estivo. Sono stati realizzati impianti sul torrente Noce legati agli sport fluviali , tennis coperto, piscine coperte, campi da calcio, minigolf, pista ciclabile ed altro ancora. Inoltre soprattutto d'estate vengono organizzate manifestazioni sportive e culturali di ogni genere.
Inoltre si possono trovare negozi di abbigliamento e attrezzature sportive noleggio sci . Marilleva gode di notorietà principalmente grazie a una fitta rete di piste da sci e impianti di risalita costantemente all'avanguardia, collegati con Folgarida e Madonna di Campiglio.
Informazioni impianti e piste da sci Folgarida Marilleva Pejo e webcam: www.ski.it
Listino prezzi skipass Marilleva stagione 2008/2009
Marilleva offerte lastminute Hotel Settimana bianca Marilleva
http://www.trentino.to/home/detail.html?_aid=222724&_area=home&_lang=it
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La follìa suicida collettiva dell'islamismo integralista di Hamas a Gaza







