Salam Pax is back and blogging from Iraq. Some interesting observations from the true front line.


Buy gold, the dollar is going down....and down....and down...

Timmy Duncan MVP once again... respect.

Great Blog on Venezuela and its dictator in the making Hugo Chavez.

Mr. Warren Buffet came out swinging again against corporate pay excess. It is about time shareholders took a stand against the ridiculous and ever growing pay of the corporate elite. Hopefully something will be done.

Mr Buffett, 72, is one of the fiercest critics of US executive compensation and the abuse of stock option grants, which he blames for fuelling the corporate scandals of the past 18 months. Last year, he received a salary of only $100,000 and total annual compensation of just under $300,000.

He told shareholders that as owners of companies they had to "provide some countervailing force [against executives] or you will have what we had in the last 20 years - that is, an enormous disparity in the rates of compensation between people at the top and people at the bottom, and a disconnect between people at the top and the share owners who give them the money".

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review, my paper of choice when in the burgh, ran a nice article on a former high school classmate, Rachel Librecht, who died in a car accident earlier this year, and people running for her in this year's Pittburgh Marathon.

"It was hard to lose Rachel," said Ondriezek, who will participate in the 5K run. "She was my health buddy. We used to talk about working out and running. She motivated me to run. I owe this to her for all she did for me."

Librecht, a Montour High School and Gannon University graduate who was the all-time leading scorer for the Montour girls soccer team, did a lot for many people.

That is why 53 individuals -- family, and friends from Seneca Valley -- will be running today because Librecht planned to run in the relay. One of her grade school friends, Amy Zupko, will take Librecht's spot on the relay.

Librecht had talked about running today for the past year. She also planned on her team winning. Librecht's boyfriend, Justin Police of Kennedy Township, said some people asked him to take her place, but he wanted to keep it the way she wanted it -- four women.

"When Rachel would come into a room, everyone would smile because she smiled," Police said. "We would be in the mall and kids would go out of their way to say 'Hi, Miss L.' We want to keep that memory alive."