Swings and round-abouts

You've all jumped on a bandwagon. Permission has been given for the mosque to be built by the New York authorities (who have a better grasp of the situation and its pros and cons than any of us). The 'controversy' is exaggerated. After 3 days it's already forgotten about. The mosque will be built and there will be more 'controversy' on it's opening day only to be forgotten about a few days later. From what the Imam said, a mosque is needed in that part of Manhattan. People have contributed and want a mosque near where they live and work. We should be giving them the benefit of doubt and hope it transforms US public opinion when built.

Wenger only has himself to blame. Villa going to Barca means Henry will be sold.

Bal waayahay

^Gas/Oil same thing = $$$$

^This means if Inter struggle to a 1-0 win you were wrong. Agreed?

^It is. So the NFD and OG both have oil.

Inter are the favourites but it won't be easy. It will be a very tactical game and Van Gaal has been around the block long enough to come up with a plan. No Ribery for Bayern means they won't be facing that problem but Altintop can play there. No Motta means Stankovic may get a shout which is better for Bayern as he is more attack minded and frees up space for Bommel and Co. Snyder is the key. If he has a poor game Inter lose. Learnt yesterday that Inter, by selling Ibrahimocrap to Barca, bought them Eto, Snyder and Milito. Great business. ps Lucas naga daa saxib. Even when the season is finished baad hadal haysaa

Originally posted by NGONGE: ^^ I should do a thread to find out what side everyone is with these days. Horta are you still with Sh. Sharif or have you switched to Al Shabab by now? OR, are you back fully with SL? I'm in the despondent camp these days.

Wakaa Ngonge (or should it be Karl Polanyi)

Useless the lot of 'em!

East Africa oil boom builds excitement NAIROBI // The north and west African states of Nigeria, Angola, Algeria and Libya have long enjoyed the benefits of being the continent’s biggest oil producers. But in recent years, oil companies have turned their attention on east Africa, scouring the previously untapped region for more of the precious resource. Oil finds in Sudan and Uganda as well as natural gas deposits in Tanzania and Mozambique have oil companies excited about east Africa for the first time. As firms from around the world, including the Middle East and China, rush to prospect for oil in the region, experts have urged governments to astutely manage their newfound resources. Kenya is close to becoming the next oil-producing country. Thirteen companies have divided the country’s north and east and are drilling exploratory wells, according to Kiraitu Murungi, Kenya’s energy minister. “There is a lot of interest in oil exploration in our northern frontier region,” Mr Murungi said last week at a conference on east African oil in Nairobi. “We Kenyans are praying for a commercial discovery within the coming months. We are very encouraged by the results we have seen.” The China National Offshore Oil Corporation drilled a 5000-metre well in northern Kenya, the deepest well in the country, and has hit natural gas deposits. The company hopes that oil is also in the vicinity. Africa now provides China with 30 per cent of its oil needs. As the Chinese have scrambled to extract Africa’s mineral wealth to fuel its booming industrial complex, they usually offer governments more than money in return for resources. In Kenya, China is building hundreds of kilometres of new roads. “It’s a win-win situation for everyone,” said Shi Jicheng, east Africa manager of BGP, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation. “They get roads here and we get some benefit back in China.” Uganda, Kenya’s neighbour to the west, found oil along Lake Albert in 2006. London-based Tullow Oil estimates that there are more than 2 billion barrels of oil in the Lake Albert basin. “Lake Albert is a proven petroleum province,” said Fred Kabanda, the principal geologist in the Ugandan energy ministry. “It has opened the whole east African rift system to oil exploration.” Since Uganda is landlocked, development of its oil resources will require construction of a 1,200-kilometre pipeline to the coast of Kenya. Such a massive project has not been undertaken in Africa since the oil pipeline between Chad and Cameroon was launched in 2000. Tanzania is using natural gas found off its coast to provide half of its energy needs and drive the growing east African economy. Industries from beer bottlers to cement factories are powered with Tanzanian gas. “This has been a huge benefit,” said Peter Clutterbuck, deputy chairman of Orca Exploration, which is extracting gas in Tanzania. “Without the gas it would be a huge economic disaster for Tanzania.” Companies are also prospecting for oil in Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea and parts of Somalia. East Africa is the new west Africa in terms of oil exploration, according to industry leaders. “Why is everyone in east Africa? Because it’s underdeveloped,” said Rob Shepherd, finance director of Dominion Petroleum. “What we find exciting is that people are moving away from the traditional areas like Angola and Nigeria and they are chasing the geology in east Africa.” But as east African countries come to terms with their newfound wealth, experts warn that the resource could be a curse if not managed properly. Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, is dealing with an armed rebellion in its oil-rich Niger Delta. Other African oil states, such as Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, are plagued with corruption. Uganda and DR Congo have already clashed over the oil reserves in Lake Albert, which both countries share. The border region remains militarised and tense as the two countries try to delineate the border. “It is very important for the African continent that the energy industry is done properly,” said Duncan Clarke, chief executive of Global Pacific & Partners, an oil consulting firm. “Is there an oil curse? I think it’s a myth. The oil curse is a curse of politics, not one of oil. It’s up to governments to correct those themselves.” Kenya has already begun reviewing its energy regulatory regime in anticipation of potential oil finds. The review will involve putting in place oil and gas management policies aimed at ensuring equitable distribution of oil revenues while taking into account the interests of the communities in oil-producing regions, Mr Murungi said. “We don’t want to get caught up in the resource trap,” the minister said. “It is my belief that oil and gas should not be a curse. We will take into account the host communities and give the host communities their share.” The National

It will be a month of football overload and I'm looking forward to it IA. Should I buy the HD box??

^I agree with you on Chile. They will do well.

A couple of blocks is quite a distance in NYC. Nothing wrong with having a mosque there. Ailamos, how many mosques in Manhattan? Mosque to go up near New York's ground zeroBy Nicole Bliman, CNN May 7, 2010 -- Updated 0719 GMT (1519 HKT) New York (CNN) -- Plans to build a mosque two blocks away from ground zero have set off an emotional debate among area residents and relatives of victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. Cordoba House project calls for a 15-story community center including a mosque, performance art center, gym, swimming pool and other public spaces. The project is a collaboration between the American Society for Muslim Advancement and the Cordoba Initiative, both of which work to improve relations with followers of the religion. The two groups presented their vision to part of the Community Board of lower Manhattan on Wednesday night. Ro Sheffe, a board member who attended the meeting, said the project did not need to get the board's approval. "They own the land, and their plans don't have any zoning changes," Sheffe said. "They came to us for our opinions and to let us know their plans. It was purely voluntary on their part." The 12 members who were at the meeting voted unanimously to support the project. Community board members are appointed by the borough president and serve as advisers to the borough president and the mayor's office. Daisy Khan, executive director of the Muslim society, described her vision of a center led by Muslims, but serving the community as a whole. "It will have a real community feel, to celebrate the pluralism in the United States, as well as in the Islamic religion," Khan said. "It will also serve as a major platform for amplifying the silent voice of the majority of Muslims who have nothing to do with extremist ideologies. It will counter the extremist momentum." The need for the center is twofold, Khan said, because it will support the needs of the growing Muslim community. "The time for a center like this has come because Islam is an American religion," Khan said. "We need to take the 9/11 tragedy and turn it into something very positive." Sheffe said a community center for lower Manhattan residents is "desperately needed." The area was mostly commercial, Sheffe said, but as more people move downtown, the lack of residential amenities is a problem. The project got mixed reviews from families and friends of September 11 victims. "I think it's the right thing to do," said Marvin Bethea, who was a paramedic at ground zero. "I lost 16 friends down there. But Muslims also got killed on 9/11. It would be a good sign of faith that we're not condemning all Muslims and that the Muslims who did this happened to be extremists. As a black man, I know what it's like to be discriminated against when you haven't done anything." Herbert Ouida, whose son was killed in the attacks, supports the project as a way to bridge cultural divide. "I understand the anger, the bitterness and hatred, but it only generates more hatred," Ouida said. "Such a large part of the world has this faith, and to say anyone who has this faith is a terrorist, it's terrible." Others decried the idea of building a mosque so close to where their relatives died. "Lower Manhattan should be made into a shrine for the people who died there," said Michael Valentin, a retired city detective who worked at ground zero. "It breaks my heart for the families who have to put up with this. I understand they're [building] it in a respectful way, but it just shouldn't be down there." Others such as Barry Zelman said the site's location will be a painful reminder. "[The 9/11 terrorists] did this in the name of Islam," Zelman said. "It's a sacred ground where these people died, where my brother was murdered, and to be in the shadows of that religion, it's just hypocritical and sacrilegious. " However, Khan emphasized that the attacks killed Muslims, too. "Three hundred of the victims were Muslim, that's 10 percent of the victims," she said. "We are Americans too. The 9/11 tragedy hurt everybody including the Muslim community. We are all in this together and together we have to fight against extremism and terrorism." Cordoba House is still in its early stages of development. The American Society for Muslim Advancement is hoping to raise funds for the center to be completed in three to five years. CNN.com

Come on then, who is going to win and how? I'm in a peculiar position. I don't like Germans and I don't like Jose. I want Inter to win because I don't like AC (well now that Dhino is there I will watch them now and again) but I don't like Jose.

^You will be in A&T's good books for a long time to come. I can't make any predictions at the moment as at tournaments form goes out of the window. I will say that England will do better than you and many people think. I just hope Ngonge doesn't predict they will win

JB is Ngonge and Ngonge is JB???? I have a strong feeling Ngonge is also Karl Polanyi. I mean, who else thinks Lucas had a good season? As for the topic, much ado about nowt. As you were.

In the words of Jeremy Clarkson: "I love France, the only problem is the French live there".

A great man. Haven't heard anything from him for a long time. Thanks Safa.

Damn. Lakers look good.

Maybe Juje will be the next PM.

lol LeTiss was brilliant finisher but no comparison to goofy especially in his Barca days.

Are you Ngonge, are you Ngonge, are you Ngonge in disguise? Are you Ngonge in disguise?