In my June 2008 article (http://briankapito.blogspot.com/2008/06/why-ukusa-has-let-zimbabwemorgan.html) on Zimbabwe I opined that both Mugabe and Tsvangirai would not last as Zim leaders, in Arthur Mutambara, leader of a breakaway faction of the opposition MDC however perhaps one finds a unifying leader for both factions.
Quote: "This agreement is a flawed arrangement. It is imperfect. But it is the best short-term answer to provide a platform to extricate our country from its worst crisis," Mutambara said.
Mutambara, a former student leader who is recognised as one of Africa's most prominent scientists, said the world had a tendency to simplify the Zimbabwe crisis and see Mugabe as a "devil", to Tsvangirai's "angel".
"There is no devil and there is no angel. There are two political parties. There are two political leaders," he said.
"Let's forget our political differences and think about Zimbabwe's national interests, let's try to work together to salvage our economy, to salvage our business," he said.........
Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, also attending the Davos meeting in Switzerland, urged world leaders on Saturday to help rebuild Zimbabwe. As he passed Mutambara in the corridor, he told him: "Congratulations on the decision."
Mutambara called for aid to rebuild the country, but said investment was even more important, saying he had been approached by businessmen meeting in the Swiss Alpine resort.
"There is a lot of appetite to be involved in Zimbabwe in Davos," he said. "People want to be involved in Zimbabwe, not for charity, but for economics."
"Our foundation is very strong. Our fundamentals are very robust," he said, noting that Zimbabwe was rich in natural resources, like platinum, gold and uranium, while its people were also very well educated by African standards. Unquote.
Ladies and Gentlemen Zimbabwe is back and while the two main cocks were fighting, a third emerged seemingly much more ready to lead than the rest, he may not be perfect for the Zim's themselves and in some circles is referred to quite negatively but as an outsider I see no perfection in the others either. At the end of the day its for Zimbabwe and its own to decide.
Executive Order Regarding Guantanamo Bay Detainees Executive order requires closure of the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, no later than one year from the date of the order. Closure of the facility is the ultimate goal but not the first step. The order establishes a review process with the goal of disposing of the detainees before closing the facility.
The order sets up an immediate review to determine whether it is possible to transfer detainees to third countries, consistent with national security. If transfer is not approved, a second review will determine whether prosecution is possible and in what forum. The preference is for prosecution in Article III courts or under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), but military commissions, perhaps with revised authorities, would remain an option. If there are detainees who cannot be transferred or prosecuted, the review will examine the lawful options for dealing with them. The attorney general will coordinate the review and the secretaries of defense, state and homeland security as well as the (director of national intelligence) and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff will participate.
The executive order directs the secretary of state to seek international cooperation aimed at achieving the transfers of detainees.
The order directs the secretary of defense to halt military commission proceedings pending the results of the review.
Finally, the executive order requires that conditions of confinement at Guantanamo, until its closure, comply with Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions and all other applicable laws.
Executive Order Regarding Detainee Policy Executive order creates a special task force, co-chaired by the attorney general and the secretary of defense, to conduct a review of detainee policy going forward. The group will consider policy options for apprehension, detention, trial, transfer or release of detainees. Other task force participants include the secretary of state, the secretary of homeland security, the director of national intelligence, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. The special task force must submit its report to the president within 180 days.
Executive Order Regarding Interrogation Executive order revokes Executive Order 13440 that interpreted Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. It requires that all interrogations of detainees in armed conflict, by any government agency, follow the Army Field Manual interrogation guidelines. The order also prohibits reliance on any department of justice or other legal advice concerning interrogation that was issued between September 11, 2001, and January 20, 2009. The order requires all departments and agencies to provide the (International Committee of the Red Cross) access to detainees in a manner consistent with department of defense regulations and practice. It also orders the CIA to close all existing detention facilities and prohibits it from operating detention facilities in the future.
Finally, the order creates a special task force with two missions. The task force will conduct a review of the Army Field Manual interrogation guidelines to determine whether different or additional guidance is necessary for the CIA. It will also look at rendition and other policies for transferring individuals to third countries to be sure that our policies and practices comply with all obligations and are sufficient to ensure that individuals do not face torture and cruel treatment if transferred. This task force will be led by the attorney general with the secretary of defense and the director of national intelligence as co-vice chairs.
Presidential Memorandum on Review of the Detention of al-Marri The president instructed the attorney general, the secretaries of defense, state and homeland security, and the director of national intelligence to conduct a review of the status of the detainee Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri who is currently held at the Naval Brig in Charleston, S.C. This will ensure the same kind of legal and factual review is undertaken of the al-Marri case that is being undertaken of the Guantanamo cases.
Barack Obama has been sworn in as the 44th US president. Here is his inauguration speech in full.
My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honour them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have travelled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:
"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."
America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.
Source: http://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/4974.html Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics Author Info Makoka, Donald Kaluwa, Ben Kambewa, Patrick
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* Donald Makoka
Abstract
This study investigates the determinants of demand for private health insurance among formal sector employees in Malawi, a poor country with heavy pressure on under-funded free government health services. The study is based on membership in the Medical Aid Society of Malawi’s (MASM), three schemes, namely: the VIP, the best; the Executive, the intermediate; and the Econoplan, the minimum. The results indicate that formal sector employees prefer to receive medical treatment from private fee-charging health facilities, where health insurance would be relevant. The study finds that the probability of enrolling in any of MASM’s schemes increases with income and with age for the top and minimum schemes. More children and good health status reduce the probability of enrolling into the two lower schemes. The results suggest the potentially important roles that can be played by information and interventions that address the affordability factor such as through employer contributions that take into consideration income and family size. The lengthy description Download Info To download:
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Publisher Info Paper provided by University Library of Munich, Germany in its series MPRA Paper with number 4974.
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Royal Bank of Scotland which was part of October 2008's banking bailout in the UK is in line for the biggest loss in UK corporate history.
The bank is currently mainly owned by the government; Stephen Hester, the chief executive said it could make a full-year loss of up to £28 bn for 2008, the UK government is expected to pump an extra £5 bn into the bank. The lenders share price fell 40% to 21p in early trading today.
In the meanwhile my take of the UK government's second bailout package is that it is designed to urge banks to lend to small businesses and homeowners, and works more like an insurance policy basically tackling the lack of trust between banks and investors by insuring £120bn of bad loans held by banks, any failure in this plan would mean nationalisation of banks [while IMF tells African nations to privatise!, oh the joke of it all].
Lets look at this montrous amount of £28bn that could be above the UK's defense budget in Malawi Kwacha terms at todays rate of 1 GBP = 207.26719 MWK as per http://www.exchange-rates.org/converter/GBP/ MWK/28/Y - thats uhm [sorry my calculator will not be able to handle the zero's, let me truncate the number, ok here it is] Malawi Kwacha 6 trillion!!! Need I say more about the credit crunch! and thats only the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Our premier glossaries, InvestorWords.com and BusinessDictionary.com, have received high acclaim for providing the most clear, concise, and comprehensive financial and business terms and definitions online. We realize, however, that many of these definitions still have room for "interpretation". Take a look below at the amusing takes we found for a number of popular business terms, or visit our sister site InvestorWords.com to see some funny investing definitions!
ability
The virtue you are forced to use if your boss has no daughter.
adminisphere
The levels of management where big, impractical, and counterproductive decisions are made.
advertising
The art of convincing people to spend money they don't have for something they don't need. (Will Rogers)
all new
Not compatible with earlier versions.
ambiguity
The lack of clarity in speech, or something like that.
applicating
The act of submitting applications.
argument
An exchange of words between people with diametrically opposed views, all of whom know that they are right. (Kevin Boddington)
blamestorming
A method of collectively finding one to blame for a mistake no one is willing to confess to. Often occurs in the form of a meeting of colleagues at work, gathered to decide who is to blame for a problem.
boss
Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.
cell phone
An electronic device for one-to-one communication and one-to-many irritation. (Chris Simmons)
circular reasoning
See reasoning, circular.
civil servant
Someone who isn’t civil and doesn’t serve.
class action
A stylish deed.
clicklexia
A disorder often suffered by novice computer users in which they have a tendency to double-click on items which only require one click, often resulting in two items opening instead of just one.
clone
1. An exact duplicate; "Our product is a clone of their product." 2. A shoddy, spurious copy; "Their product is a clone of our product."
committee
An entity that keeps minutes and loses hours.
comprehension
Something that one has to get in order to get it. (Dave Peters)
compromise
The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.
computer expert
Someone who has not read the instructions, but who will nevertheless feel qualified to install a program and, when it does not function correctly, pronounce it incompatible with the operating system. (Priscilla Mann)
computer
An electronic time-saving device that is commonly used for time-wasting activities. (Warwick Annear)
cooperate
Used of oneself, to enter into a constructive collaboration with another person. Used of someone else, to do exactly as one is told. (Gordon Burnside)
corporation
An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. (Ambrose Bierce)
design
What you later regret not doing.
dictionary
The only place where success comes before work.
DIY
Damage-It-Yourself. (Mike Allen)
egosurfing
Typing your own name into google to see who’s talking about you.
experience
1. The ability to repeat one's mistakes with ever-increasing confidence. (Patrick Hoyte) 2. What you get when you don't get what you want.
FAQ
Frequently Avoided Questions. A company's attempt to answer commonly asked questions such as, "How do I get technical support?" (Guy Kawasaki)
feature
A hardware limitation, as described by a marketing representative.
flow chart
A graphic representation of a bowl of spaghetti.
freelance
To collect unemployment.
hardware
The parts of a computer which can be kicked.
inbox
A catch basin for everything you don't want to deal with, but are afraid to throw away.
initiative
Deliberately disobeying a destructive order from your manager and being right in the long run.
innumeracy
An ineptitude for mathematics which results in the fear of all sums. (Simon Stacey)
instruction manual
An explanation of how to use something written in a way that is easily understood only by the author. (Phil Smith)
jury
Twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer. (Robert Frost)
life insurance
term (coined by the greatest marketer of all time) for a plan that keeps you poor all your life so you can die rich
management consultant
Someone who tells you how to do improve doing something that he or she can't do at all. (Shankar Sivanandan)
management
The art of getting other people to do the work.
marketing
The art of selling a product that doesn't cost much to produce in such a way that people will take out a small loan to own it. (Jo Buckingham)
meeting
An assembly of people coming together to decide what person or department not represented in the room must solve a problem.
mouse
An input device designed to make computer errors easier to generate.
multislacking
Doing two or more useless activities simultaneously instead of working.
negotiate
To seek a meeting of the minds without the knocking together of heads.
outsourcery
The belief that all business problems can magically be solved by outsourcing.
password
Series of letters and numbers written on a post-it note and stuck on a monitor.
phonesia
The affliction of dialing a phone number and forgetting whom you were calling just as they answer. (Rich Hall)
The closest many of us will ever come to perfection.
search engine
A program that enables computer users to locate information and advertisers to locate computer users. (Damien Whinnery)
self-employed
Jobless.
state of the art
Anything that you can’t afford.
strategy
A long-range plan whose merit cannot be evaluated until sometime after those creating it have left the organization.
tact
The art of getting your point across without stabbing someone with it.
telecrastination
The act of always letting the phone ring at least twice before you pick it up, even when you're only six inches away.
television
A commercial delivery system.
timefoolery
Setting the alarm clock ahead of the real time in order to fool yourself into thinking you are not getting up so early. (Rich Hall)
unemployment office
A career placement service for humanities majors.
unfair competition
Selling more cheaply than we do.
Windows
The times between when companies innovate and when Microsoft incorporates. (Guy Kawasaki)
wisdom
Knowing what to do with what you know.
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Damage or injury that does not directly and immediately result from a wrongfulact, but instead indirectly and/or after elapse of some time. Consequential damage usually cannot be foreseen and is often unrecoverable through litigation, unless the offending party was notified in advance that the aggrieved party would suffer such damage. Also called indirect damage or special damage. See also consequential loss.
Our premier glossaries, InvestorWords.com and BusinessDictionary.com, have received high acclaim for providing the most clear, concise, and comprehensive financial and business terms and definitions online. We realize, however, that many of these definitions still have room for "interpretation."
As the fall 2008 registration began, the North Lake College faculties were at their busiest. Students not only from Texas but also from such faraway places as Zimbabwe, Malawi, New Zealand, Nepal and Nigeria were on the go registering for classes.
Course selection was the game of the moment. Where do I start from? For continuing students who have registered before, such questions are a piece of cake. However, for new students-especially international students like me-they are filled with excitement and greater expectation.
For me, to be at place where it all begins was a quest fulfilled.
The idea of joining an American college played in my mind like a far-fetched dream that was taking too long to come true. It was at the beginning of last August when I finally got my acceptance into North Lake College. As it had for thousands of others, the time had arrived when I would look into the future with much optimism about higher learning. It was time to pack my bags.
The plane started off from Chileka International Airport, in Blantyre, the biggest commercial city of Malawi, a country in the tropical part of southeastern Africa. Malawi's three regions are populated with about 13 million people of different tribes and several dialects. Malawi shares boundaries with Mozambique, which wraps around it on the southern tip, and both to the southeast and southwest; Tanzania in the northeast and Zambia in the northwest.
As the plane touched into the blue skies, I knew this was going to be a wonderful 18-hour flight across the Atlantic before landing at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on a calm Thursday morning.
Visiting the North Lake College Web site had become a hobby. The day had come when I would walk with my feet on campus. The pieces were practically merging as if I were completing a maze. I could not help but notice plenty of cars in the lots. I soon realized, in this country, people pursue education seriously, which is why the United States is so developed and is the world leader.
My first stop was the International Center. I quickly headed to room A-418, where I was welcomed by friendly and helpful people. My heart calmed because I realized that it was all going to be fine and good, just like home.
You see, Malawi is known to the world as the "Warm Heart of Africa" because of its friendly people, who always say, full of smiles, "Muli bwanji? Takulandirani." That means: "How are you? You are most welcome." Meeting the people I had been in contact with via e-mail was such a delight.
I had often asked myself: What will it be like? What is the learning style? Early Monday morning, I found myself sitting in a humanities class. The semester had begun. I was fascinated by the setup and the learning style. Fifty-five minutes later; I would be heading to the door, through the corridors to my next class.
In my second class, it took the professor's calling out my name, "Francis," for me to realize this was no longer a dream- I am in College.
- Francis Kapito is an international student studying business at North Lake.
Initially but most importantly all of us were simply born into the religions we would now want to defend with our lives.
Then again to expound on that, perhaps if we were to be born in different circumstances or in a different family on a different planet we would have defended a different religion than the one we currently hold. What does this say? That God is in all of us and we all worship a superior being at the end of the day.
The height of our ignorance in each other religions lies in the inability to have an open mind and understand and read enough on each other religions; most religions have kept meticulous records over the years, and these holy books of meticulous record are jealously, fervently and fanatically guarded, we swear on them as allegiance to one thing or the other, we use them to reinforce our religion, we call them different names:-
The Analects A collection of Confucius' teachings thought to have been recorded by his students. They are considered the only sayings that can safely be attributed to him.
Bhagavad Gita A Sanskrit poem that is part of the Indian epic known as the Mahabharata . It describes, in a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Prince Arjuna, the Hindu path to spiritual wisdom and the unity with God that can be achieved through karma (action), bhakti (devotion), and jnana (knowledge). The Bhagavad-Gita was probably written sometime between 200 B.C. and A.D. 200.
Five Classics Five works traditionally attributed to Confucius that form the basic texts of Confucianism. They are the Spring and Autumn Annals, a history of Confucius's native district; the I Ching (or Book of Changes ), a system of divining the future; the Book of Rites , which outlines ceremonies and describes the ideal government; the Book of History ; and the Book of Songs , a collection of poetry. Together they promulgate a system of ethics for managing society based on sympathy for others, etiquette, and ritual. Although the dates of these books are uncertain, they were probably written before the third century B.C.
Koran (Arabic, al-Qur'an) The primary holy book of Islam. It is made up of 114 suras, or chapters, which contain impassioned appeals for belief in God, encouragement to lead a moral life, portrayals of damnation and beatitude, stories of Islamic prophets, and rules governing the social and religious life of Muslims. Believers maintain that the Koran contains the verbatim word of God, revealed to the prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel. Some of the suras were written during Muhammad's lifetime, but an authoritative text was not produced until c. A.D. 650.
New Testament The second portion of the Christian Bible, which contains 27 books that form the basis of Christian belief. These books include the sayings of Jesus, the story of his life and work, the death and resurrection of Jesus now celebrated as Easter, the teachings and writings of the apostles, and instruction for converting nonbelievers and for performing baptisms, blessings, and other rituals. The New Testament is believed to have been written c. A.D. 100, some 70 to 90 years after the death of Jesus.
Old Testament The Christian name for the Hebrew Bible. It is the sacred scripture of Judaism and the first portion of the Christian Bible. According to Jewish teachings, it is made up of three parts: the Law (also known as the Torah or Pentateuch), comprising the first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), which describes the origins of the world, the covenant between the Lord and Israel, the exodus and entry into the promised land, and the various rules governing social and religious behavior; the Prophets , including the former prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel 1-2, Kings 1-2) and the latter prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the 12 minor prophets), which describes the history of the Israelites, the stories of heroes, kings, judges, and wars, and the choosing of David as leader of the Israelites; and the Writings (including Psalms, Job, Song of Solomon, and Ruth, among others), which describes the reactions of the people to the laws and covenants, as well as prayers and praises of the covenant. Some books of the Old Testament regarded as sacred by the Jews are not accepted as such by Christians; among Christians there are differences between Roman Catholics and Protestants about the inclusion of some books, the order of the books, and the original sources used in translating them. Scholars generally agree that the Old Testament was compiled from c. 1000 B.C. to c. 100 B.C.
Talmud A compilation of Jewish oral law and rabbinical teachings that is separate from the scriptures of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament. It is made up of two parts: the Mishna , which is the oral law itself, and the Gemara , a commentary on the Mishna . The Talmud contains both a legal section (the Halakah ) and a portion devoted to legends and stories (the Aggada ). The authoritative Babylonian Talmud was compiled in the sixth century.
Tao-te-ching (The Way and Its Power) The basic text of the Chinese philosophy and religion known as Taoism. It is made up of 81 short chapters or poems that describe a way of life marked by quiet effortlessness and freedom from desire. This is thought to be achieved by following the creative, spontaneous life force of the universe, called the Tao. The book is attributed to Lao-tzu, but it was probably a compilation by a number of writers over a long period of time.
Upanishads The basis of Hindu religion and philosophy that form the final portion of the Veda . The 112 Upanishads describe the relationship of the Brahman , or universal soul, to the atman , or individual soul; they also provide information about Vedic sacrifice and yoga. The original texts of the Upanishads come from various sources and were written beginning c. 900 B.C. Veda The sacred scripture of Hinduism. Four Vedas make up the Samhita , a collection of prayers and hymns that are considered to be revelations of eternal truth written by seer-poets inspired by the gods. The Rig-Veda , the Sama-Veda , and the Yajur-Veda are books of hymns; the Atharva-Veda compiles magic spells. These writings maintain that the Brahman , or Absolute Self, underlies all reality and can be known by invoking gods through the use of hymns or mantes. The Vedic texts were compiled between c. 1000 B.C. and c. 500 B.C., making them the oldest known group of religious writings.
A simple question to those who have studied the sacred scripts would be; how can we tell which religion is superior to the other when for all the different peoples that claim a religion it has their historic origins intertwined in the scripture? difficult I would say.
My forefathers worshipped the spirits of their ancestors and nature but I was born into an adopted Christian religion, and claim to be a christian, as I would have claimed to be a moslem had I been born in a Moslem family. The most I am looking at in life these days is not to wholesomely find fault with any religion, it is simply to appreciate what it has contributed to the world as we now know it, for starters lets look at Islam from a very basic view as would dictate and characterise me as an armchair historian, lets look at a basic item we all use in the world today called 'Soap', where did it come from, 'Europe' I guess you would say, a big 'No' would be my answer and that of history, it was more in Africa and the Arab world prior to its being championed in Europe that soap came from, Okay lets talk of Alchemy, no no no Chemistry, which religion most of all developed Chemistry? there you will find again it is Islam and I quote below:
"Chemistry as a science was almost created by the Moslems; for in this field, where the Greeks (so far as we know) were confined to industrial experience and vague hypothesis, the Saracens introduced precise observation, controlled experiment, and careful records. They invented and named the alembic (al-anbiq), chemically analyzed innumerable substances, composed lapidaries, distinguished alkalis and acids, investigated their affinities, studied and manufactured hundreds of drugs. Alchemy, which the Moslems inherited from Egypt, contributed to chemistry by a thousand incidental discoveries, and by its method, which was the most scientific of all medieval operations."[22]
Robert Briffault wrote in The Making of Humanity: "Chemistry, the rudiments of which arose in the processes employed by Egyptianmetallurgists and jewellers combining metals into various alloys and 'tinting' them to resemble gold processes long preserved as a secret monopoly of the priestly colleges, and clad in the usual mystic formulas, developed in the hands of the Arabs into a widespread, organized passion for research which led them to the invention of pure distillation, sublimation, filtration, to the discovery of alcohol, of nitric and sulfuric acids (the only acid known to the ancients was vinegar), of the alkalis, of the salts of mercury, of antimony and bismuth, and laid the basis of all subsequent chemistry and physical research."[11]
I must rest my case with these few words, do not be ignorant and speak without having a historical background on anything at all, let us all take time to learn of the world around us and appreciate other cultures, only then will we see the world for the labour of love it truly is regardless of religion.
Some homework for you then, if I may, what are the origins of the word 'alkali'?
Yea, You that you are in all places are in Everything as well, in all that I do, I pray you hearken to my prayer for I am no more than Dust, but a Mist that emerges from the Earth with little merit to share; You have given me a Soul, and laws to govern it; according to the Eternal Law that you first set forth to govern Man, ordering our ways; making me mindful of your Glory in all my ways; and while I cannot know you fully because of my limited understanding, but also my ignorance, still I can revere you. You who are All can be perfect; Your revelation brings happiness; without anger, Oh Divine and only, Oh God the very grand Creator, if you wish, allow that these manifest secrets be revealed, your single Gift, not for my gratification, but for your Glory.
In my June 2008 article (http://briankapito.blogspot.com/2008/06/why-ukusa-has-let-zimbabwemorgan.html) on Zimbabwe I opined that both Mugabe and Tsvangirai would not last as Zim leaders, in Arthur Mutambara, leader of a breakaway faction of the opposition MDC however perhaps one finds a unifying leader for both factions.
My fellow citizens: 
