On Chicken Choking

Some people get a kick out of chicken choking. We here at Blue Crab Boulevard, however, want to go on the record as being four-square against it. There are a lot of things one can do with one's chicken, as this person has obviously found out. But choking it is, in our opinion, right out. Therefore we decry the latest in Chinese products. We do not endorse bottled chicken-choking water. Period.

It appears the tainted Chinese product scandal is even worse than imagined. I've known of places where it's not safe to drink the water, but this is ridiculous.

Chinese chicken chokes after testing the water

BEIJING (Reuters) - Think a bottle of mineral water might have poisoned you? Then test it on a chicken.

One Chinese family on the southern island province of Hainan had just that idea when one of their number started vomiting blood after drinking a bottle of water, a newspaper said.

They fed the luckless chicken the rest of the water to see what would happen, the Beijing News said, citing a report in a local paper. "The result was the chicken died within a minute,"

Yes, we know that choking the chicken is popular in some circles, but we simply can't endorse it here. We are principled that way. Which is why we also do not want any of that bottled water. We're chicken that way.

Timing Is Everything

This is why Fred Thompson is dangerous - to candidates from either party. He saw the reactions to the MoveOn smear campaign against General David Petraeus and he saw an opening to slip the shiv in. And he did it. He's calling for Democrats to return MoveOn's money. And you know what? MoveOn support ain't worth a whole lot of money, despite their claims of ownership of the Democratic party.

"I understand there's a front page ad that's been taken out by this outfit called MoveOn.org in the New York Times today," said Thompson at a campaign rally at Doc's Barbecue in this capital city. "And it basically accuses our general who's leading our troops in Iraq right now of betraying his own country. This outfit basically, in large part, funds the Democratic party. I call upon the Democratic party and all those Democratic contenders for the White House to disavow this libel against this brave American." (Related: Dems join GOP in slamming ad attacking Petraeus)

Moveon.org supporters have contributed over $108,000 to Democratic presidential candidates this year through the group’s political action committee, according to Federal Election Commission records. Sen. Barack Obama lead his party’s field in contributions received through Moveon.org, with just over $30,000 received since the start of his campaign. Rep. Dennis Kucinich received almost $25,000 compared to just over $23,000 for former Sen. John Edwards and $18,000 for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden each received between $5,000 and $6000, while Sen. Chris Dodd received just under $1000.

There is a lot of talk about how much money these folks raise - but those figures show MoveOn isn't exactly the powerhouse they claim to be. Why, one single apparently crooked bagman for the Democrats raised MUCH more than that in a short while. They are loud, they are crass and they are ultimately without any class, but money gurus they are not.

Why are the Democrats afraid of them? Thompson has just put the Dems on the spot.

Who You Calling Old?

I really get a kick out of stories like this. A thug tried to rob a 74-year old man, thinking he had an easy mark. The thug, armed with a tire iron, attempted to get Bruce Ferraro to hand over his wallet. Ferraro, however, didn't play the game the way the thug wanted.

He took away the tire iron.

Bruce Ferraro had no idea someone was following him as he walked out of a department store at the South Shore Mall (Ed Note: in Bay Shore, New York) on Saturday and got into his car, police said. But then a man pounded on Ferraro's window and demanded cash.

"Ferraro says, 'What, are you kidding me?' and he actually gets out of the car," said Det. Sgt. Thomas Groneman, of the Suffolk County Police Department.

The mugger demanded Ferraro hand over his wallet, calling the Bay Shore resident an "old man" and threatening to hit him with the tire iron, Groneman said.

Instead, Ferraro grabbed the bar and the two fought, until the septaugenarian managed to snatch away the tire iron, police said.

Groneman said Ferraro did "a good job" of disarming his would-be assailant, though he would not recommend other people attempt such a brazen act of self-defense.

Without the weapon, the 32-year-old suspect ran to his car and attempted to drive away, police said. But the vehicle stalled, and the man got out of the car and fled on foot. Ferraro later helped police identify the suspect.

The thug was 32-years old. And he got his butt kicked by a man more than twice his age. Sometimes it just works out perfectly, doesn't it? Nice work, Mr. Ferraro.

And The Stink Gets Results

Well, well, well. The stink over Norman Hsu has paid dividends at last. Hillary! Clinton is returning $850,000 in contributions from the disgraced - and prone to go fugitive - fundraiser for Democrats. The dam just broke and there will be a scramble to unload Hsu's dirty money as fast as possible.

Clinton, D-N.Y., previously had planned only to give to charity $23,000 she received from Hsu for her presidential and senatorial campaigns and to her political action committee, HillPac.

The FBI is investigating whether Hsu paid so-called straw donors to send campaign contributions to Clinton and other candidates, a law enforcement official said Monday.

"In light of recent events and allegations that Mr. Norman Hsu engaged in an illegal investment scheme, we have decided out of an abundance of caution to return the money he raised for our campaign," Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said in a statement Monday night. "An estimated 260 donors this week will receive refunds totaling approximately $850,000 from the campaign."

Wolfson said the Clinton campaign also will vigorously review its fundraisers, including thorough criminal background checks, in the future. "In any instances where a source of a bundler's income is in question, the campaign will take affirmative steps to verify its origin," he said.

The amount that the campaign identified as raised by Hsu would make him one of her top fundraisers. During the first six months of this year, her presidential campaign raised $52 million from individual contributors, second to Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., who raised $58.5 million.

Since 2004, Hsu has donated $260,000 to Democratic Party groups and federal candidates, and raised hundreds of thousands of additional dollars. He was regarded as a top party fundraiser until recent reports surfaced that he was wanted on a warrant in California in connection with a 1991 grand theft charge.

Federal authorities are looking into whether Hsu leaned on investors to contribute to political candidates after paying them big earnings from a shady business venture he was running, the law enforcement official said. Such a scam — using conduit contributors known as straw donors — is a violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act, which limits how much money individuals can give to candidates and political committees.

And Flip has some grim news for Democrats. There is a lot of stinky money in play here - and the hits just keep on coming.

Hillary Clinton announced today that instead of the $23,000 in direct Norman Hsu contributions she'd agreed to give up, she'll be refunding an astounding $850,000, representing not only Hsu's donations, but the "bundled" fundraising he ostensibly raised from a group of friends and associates, who have come under scrutiny as possible conduits through which Hsu may have funneled additional contributions in order to circumvent campaign finance laws.

In my most recently posted compilation, I'd found roughly $174,000 in Hsu-connected funds.  I've been continuing to trudge through the disclosures in the days since, but to date, I've only come up with a total of $217,200, meaning there's still more than $600,000 in the Clinton coffers yet to be independently connected to Hsu's network.

This is going to get ugly - Clinton is only the tip of the iceberg. There will be a lot of Democrats diving for cover real soon. Whatever is that smell? Could it be a culture of corruption? Sometimes that old karmic wheel turns awfully fast.

Officially Over The Top

There are some folks who didn't like my particular take on the MoveOn smear on General David Petraeus. There are some who agree. Oddly enough, those who agree that MoveOn was over the top on this happen to be some big name Democratic politicians. Like John Kerry.

“I don’t like any kind of characterizations in our politics that call into question any active duty, distinguished general,” Kerry told CNN, adding “who I think under any circumstances serves with the best interests of our country.”

Kerry is a decorated Vietnam War veteran who was awarded two Purple Hearts. In his 2004 presidential campaign, Kerry was attacked by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, who questioned his service in the war.

Kerry called the MoveOn.org ad “over the top” and specifically noted that he did not like the wording in the text.

“I didn’t like the terminology,” he said. “I didn’t like it.”

Or Harry Reid:

Congressional Democrats showed an eagerness to distance themselves from the ad.

Asked early Monday if this was the right message for his party to send, a member of the Democratic leadership, speaking on background, curtly answered, "No."

And there will be more. Because this was over the top and there will be a backlash. So while some try to plug the hole in the dike and try to divert attention onto my post, that bit of sleight of hand won't work. The real problem is not how MoveOn's smear plays in the blogosphere, inhabited as it is by political junkies. The real problem is how it will play in Peoria, so to speak. And that is a disaster for the Democrats - Kerry and Reid abandoning ship is only the start here. This one is very damaging.

Another Bin Laden Video

Another blow to the "truthers." Osama bin Laden is supposedly going to be featured in another video, presenting the last will and testament of one of the 9/11 hijackers. Yet another bit of truth that the "truthers" will conveniently ignore.

Each year, al-Qaida has released videos of last statements by hijackers on the anniversary of the 2001 attacks, using the occasion to rally its sympathizers.

But this year's releases underline how bin Laden is re-emerging to tout his leadership — whether symbolic or effective — of the jihad movement. While past anniversary videos featured old footage of bin Laden, the latest appears likely to include a newly made speech.

Bin Laden had not appeared for nearly three years until a new video was released over the weekend. In that video, he addressed the American people, telling them the war in Iraq is a failure and taking on a new anti-globalization rhetoric. He urged Americans to abandon capitalism and democracy and embrace Islam.

Al-Qaida's media arm, Al-Sahab, announced the impending second video Monday with an advertising banner posted on an Islamic militant Web forum where the group often posts its messages.

The video was likely to be released within 24 hours to coincide with Sept. 11, said Ben Venzke, head of IntelCenter, a U.S. group that monitors and analyzes militant messages.

"Coming soon, God willing, from the testaments of the martyrs of the New York and Washington attacks: The testament of the martyr Abu Musab Waleed al-Shehri, presented by Sheik Osama bin Laden, God preserve him," the banner read.

Al-Shehri was one of the hijackers on American Airlines Flight 11 that crashed into the World Trade Center's north tower.

The intentionally misleading, easily led or outright stupid members of the "truther" brigades (and that encompasses the entire membership) will ignore this as they have ignored science, physics, common sense and basic, human decency, of course. They'll just keep crowding around Rosie on the melted, steely knoll and reinforce their own insanity.

Gee, does it show that I think they are all a bunch of fools or liars?

Good.

Tragic

Kevin Everett, the 25-year-old reserve tight end for the Buffalo Bills, sustained what is being called a "catastrophic" and life-threatening spinal-cord injury in yesterday's football game.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - The Buffalo Bills' Kevin Everett sustained a "catastrophic" and life-threatening spinal-cord injury and his chances of regaining a full range of body motion are very small, an orthopedic surgeon said Monday.

"A best-case scenario is full recovery, but not likely," Dr. Andrew Cappuccino said, one day after performing a four-hour operation on the player. "I believe there will be some permanent neurological paralysis. … A full neurological recovery was bleak, dismal."

Cappuccino noted the 25-year-old reserve tight end did have touch sensation throughout his body and also showed signs of movement. But he cautioned that Everett's injury remained life-threatening, saying the player is still susceptible to blood clots, infection and breathing failure.

Everett is currently under forced sedation and breathing through a respirator as doctors wait for the swelling to lessen. Cappuccino said it will take up to three days to determine the severity of the injury and the recovery process.

Prayers are in order, or, if you don't pray, at least keep Kevin Everett in your thoughts. Nobody deserves something like this.

Congratulations Are In Order

James Joyner has a new job.

I’m starting a new chapter in my professional career this morning, having been hired as the managing editor for the Atlantic Council of the United States. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be working with CEO Fred Kempe and the senior leadership of the Council in relaunching their Web presence. I’m excited about the opportunity to help make acus.org the go-to destination for news and analysis on the Atlantic alliance.

I’ll be busy in the next few weeks, getting acclimated to the new job and new schedule. My intention is to get more content up early in the morning, do some pre-posting of less time sensitive pieces, and to get quick posts in when I can.

Joyner has one of the bigger blogs out there these days (my poor little hit counter would explode if it ever saw his traffic) and I have read him for a long time now. Congratulations, James. May your new job be rewarding and , most importantly, fun.

Downbound From Superior

Just shy of 100 years after she sank in Lake Superior, the wreck of the Cyprus has been located. A Great Lakes ore carrier only a few weeks old, the Cyprus capsized and sank in what is described as a very moderate gale on Friday, October 11, 1907 on what was only her second voyage. Only one of her crew, Charles G. Pitz, survived. The other 22 members of the crew died in the disaster. But Pitz was a seriously lucky man - he came ashore in possibly the best location he possibly could have.

“CYPRUS! IT’S THE CYPRUS!” gasped all on board, recording one of the more exciting moments in Shipwreck Society wreck site investigations. “No, it can’t be…that’s impossible…what on earth is she doing here…” The words read simply, “Cyprus – Fairport” meaning that her home port was Fairport Harbor, Ohio, on the Lake Erie shore northeast of Cleveland. While staring at the name directly in front of them, it took several moments for the Boyd’s crew to fully absorb what they were seeing. Most on board had expected to see D.M. Clemson.

The Cyprus was reported to be at least 10 miles further north from where she was found. Just 21 days old, on her second trip of the season, she was downbound from Superior, Wisconsin with a cargo of iron ore for Buffalo, NY. Why she was lost is one of the lake’s most persistent mysteries. She was a brand-new ship. Off Deer Park on Friday, October 11, 1907, a moderate gale had sprung up, but from accounts of other ships on the lake that day, nothing that she shouldn’t have been able to handle. However, earlier, the Cyprus had passed the steamer George Stephenson, and its Captain noted that the Cyprus was leaving a red wake, meaning that water was somehow mixing with her iron ore cargo and was either being pumped out or leaking through compromised hull plating.

Around 7:45 pm, in darkness and rolling seas, the Cyprus suddenly rolled to port, turning turtle and sinking. Four men, a wheelsman, a watchman, the first mate, and her second mate Charles Pitz, managed to board the ship’s emergency life raft originally located behind the pilothouse. For the next six hours, the men hung on.

In frigid, violent seas, they began to encounter breaking waves near the shore. The raft turned over and over four to five times, and all managed to get back aboard. Finally, close to the beach, the raft turned once more, but this time, only one of the frozen, exhausted, men stayed with the raft. Charlie Pitz wasn’t able to climb back on, but he had tied himself to the raft, and held on until he reached shallow water, stumbling literally half-dead to a spot where he collapsed unconscious on the beach.

Pitz would have died of exhaustion and hypothermia in a very short time – but he had landed just one-half mile east of the Deer Park Life-Saving Station! Here is an excerpt from the Deer Park Station’s Wreck Report for October 11:

State of wind and weather: North / High / Raining
State of tide and sea: No tide, sea high
Time of discovery of wreck: 2 am
By whom discovered: Surfman Ocha
Time of arrival of station-crew at wreck: 230 am

Pitz had been found almost immediately by one of the Great Lakes’ most experienced and celebrated life-savers, Albert Ocha. At the time, Ocha was Keeper at the Two Hearted River Station. The two stations were located 10 miles apart; we don’t know why Ocha was so far from his own station at such an hour – at just the right place and the right time.

The Associated Press report on the finding of the wreck has some quotes from Pitz's great-niece, Ann Sanborn, who happens to be an associate professor in the marine transportation department of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y. (I wonder what led her into her particular career?)

"The people who died on that vessel deserve that the truth be brought out, whatever that truth is," said Sanborn, an associate professor in the marine transportation department of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.

Built in Lorain, Ohio, the Cyprus was launched Aug. 17, 1907. It was as "seaworthy a vessel as has ever been turned out by a lake ship yard," The Marine Review, a Cleveland trade publication, said after the sinking.

The gale in which the ship perished was "so moderate that only the smaller class of vessels sought shelter while the big steamers scarcely noticed it at all," the Review said.

But Pitz, the second mate, said after the wreck that the Cyprus was being pounded by northwesterly waves and developed a gradually worsening list the fatal afternoon.

Professor Sanborn believes that there may have been some issues with the ship's hatches, despite Pitz's absolute insistence that the hatches had been properly battened down. Maybe some of these mysteries will be solved now that the wreck has been found.

In Which We Are Proven Right Once And For All

We here at Blue Crab Boulevard have been warning people about the Animal Uprising™ for a long time now. Yet despite all our hard work, some people think we make things up. Or that we're doing this to be humorous - to make people laugh. But our thoughtful and moderately-worded warnings are actually quite serious and always at least as truthful as a Reuters/Adnan Hajj photograph. So it pains us when people think we make up things like snakes having a weird fascination with shoes. (We still haven't found the informant who gave us that information, incidentally. We thought we had reached her by phone a few times, but the line kept going dead.)

So it does our hearts good when the so-called major media finally wakes up to the reality we have been reporting all along. We hate to say we told you so, but the AFP is reporting on snakes and shoes! So there!

But to guard a 62,000 pound (120,000 dollar) pair of ruby- sapphire- and diamond-encrusted Rene Caovilla sandals at their London launch, retailer Harrods went to extreme lengths: bringing in a live Egyptian cobra to patrol the shoe counter.

Whether hiring a poisonous snake is, strictly speaking, the most effective means of guarding precious footwear might be a moot point with security experts.

But it makes for a pretty effective photo opportunity.

So now the lucky lady who gets the lovely "ruby- sapphire- and diamond-encrusted Rene Caovilla sandals" will actually be getting used goods. The snake tried them on.

“Until This Moment, Senator, I Think I Never Gauged Your Cruelty Or Recklessness….”

Those were some of the words that are generally credited with beginning the downfall of Senator Joseph McCarthy. The rest of the exchange between McCarthy and Joseph Welch, acting special counsel for the US Army, are probably even more widely remembered:

"Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator…. You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"

After that scene played out in June of 1954, McCarthy fell fast and hard in the opinions of Americans. Before 1954 was over with, the Senate had voted to censure him. Less than three years later, McCarthy was dead.

George Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." In the end, what brought McCarthy down was the utter viciousness the public saw when they watched McCarthy during those hearings. Even people who believed as McCarthy did in the dangers of communism could not stomach the unhinged attacks the man engaged in.

"Shock and Awe" or MoveOn's McCarthy moment?

MoveOn.org was looking to get attention and so they have with their full-page New York Times ad in which they slam Gen. David Petraeus, rhyming his name with "betray us." It's the liberal group's version of shock and awe.

The ad's text is an indictment of Petraeus in which they do everything but call the general a serial liar:……

…….The problem for MoveOn.org is that the ad will strike many Americans as extreme and likely turn a lot of people off to its larger message.

As a new New York Times/CBS News poll being reported out today indicates, most Americans have more faith in the military to bring the Iraq War to a successful conclusion than they have in civilian leadership in either White House or Congress.

But the ad is obviously not targeted at the 68 percent of Americans who trust the military to successfully end the war. It's more for those who want an immediate withdrawal from Iraq.

But that's not where the majority of people are, according to repeated polls.

I think they crossed a line this time, but ultimately the public will decide that. At the very least, they have made life very hard for the Democrats by handing the Republicans a gigantic club to beat their candidates with. Any district where MoveOn runs an ad will become a battleground with the Democrat scurrying to get distance from MoveOn.

Pipeline Explosions In Mexico

In what is believed to be an intentional attack by leftist guerrillas in Mexico, six explosions have destroyed natural gas pipelines in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz. Natural gas futures have spiked upward in New York as a result. A small leftist group claimed responsibility for a similar attack in July.

The six blasts, which occurred on at least four pipelines, happened about 2 a.m. in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, the Mexican state oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, said in a statement. The company immediately shut down the lines affected as well as an extra line in the area as a precaution.

Flames from the fires could be seen up to six miles away, said Pedro Jimenez, a resident who was packing his family into a truck to leave. "You could see the fields of crops lit up."

Dozens of families lined roadways to evacuate to local shelters.

Pemex said domestic gas and gasoline service would not be affected.

At four sections of the pipelines, fires broke out, while at two others leaking gas prompted fears of explosions and forced civil protection authorities to evacuate several communities including Ciudad Cardel and Antigua, said state Civil Protection Deputy Director Ranulfo Marquez.

The explosions also prompted authorities to close two main highways.

"We still have a gas leak in the area of Ciudad Cardel," Marquez said. "There is still a risk."

The Mexican government said it had stepped up security on infrastructure following the July attack. It doesn't seem to have helped much, does it?

The Mexican government said it had stepped up security on infrastructure following the July attack. It doesn't seem to have helped much, does it?

Chucky Makes It Official

Chucky Hagel will not run for any office in 2008, confirming reports over the weekend that he would be stepping down.

"I said after I was elected in 1996 that 12 years in the Senate would probably be enough, and it is," Hagel said.

His exit means one more seat the minority Republicans will be forced to defend, and both parties are expected to bring in heavy hitters to vie for the spot. The contenders could include Democrat Bob Kerrey, a former U.S. Senator and governor, and Republican Mike Johanns, the U.S. agriculture secretary and another former governor.

Yeah, except Kerrey has some real exposure over his connection to Norman Hsu and the New School. We'll see.

Feds To Continue Coyote Feeding Program

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is going to expand its Columbia River Basin coyote feeding program. Wildly popular with the area's coyotes, the program introduces tasty hors d'oeuvre sized treats for the enjoyment of the predators.

YAKIMA — The bad news is there's a lonely rabbit in Eastern Washington. The good news: Federal officials have released a plan for getting him some company.

Wildlife biologists have been trying for years to restore populations of the endangered Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit, aiming to reintroduce them to the sprawling sageland in their historic range.

But of the 20 tiny rabbits released near Ephrata earlier this year, only a single male remains alive in the wild. Some of the released rabbits may have reproduced, but biologists can't confirm that, and most of the rabbits have succumbed to predators, said Chris Warren of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

So on Friday, the agency released a draft plan for pygmy rabbit recovery. Key points include managing a captive breeding program, managing genetic characteristics of the rabbits and managing habitat at recovery areas.

"The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit is critically endangered, so recovery will require creative efforts," Ren Lohoefener, director of Fish and Wildlife's Pacific Region, said in a statement. "Continued collaboration with our partners and stakeholders will give us the best chance at developing an effective recovery plan."

The itty bitty bunnies are not "critically endangered" in the wild. They simply do not exist in the wild at all. Furthermore, the isolated little population that did exist at one time was so small that inbreeding was likely a big factor in the decline of the species.

The Columbia Basin rabbit, however, has been an isolated population for thousands of years and differs genetically from other pygmy rabbits. None are believed to exist in the wild, though the reasons for their decline are not known. Scientists suspect inbreeding among such a small population was a major factor, and range fires, farming, disease and predators also are thought to have taken their toll.

Meanwhile, the area coyotes are making dinner plans.

Gordon Brown Takes A Stand

The British government has made it perfectly clear that Prime Minister Gordon Brown will not attend a European Union - African summit meeting if Robert Mugabe is invited. This is a clear stand against the disaster that Mugabe has brought down on Zimbabwe.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband made London's position clear on Friday during an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in the northern Portuguese town of Viana do Castelo.

"He told them that the PM would not be there if Mugabe goes," a source close to the closed-door talks said.

Miliband contented himself Saturday by saying: "I don't think anyone wants to be part of a media circus in December," when the summit will be held in Lisbon.

"There is serious work to be done and that is what we are focussing on," he said before joining his fellow foreign ministers for a group photo.

"I think we all want a successful summit, but we are also very, very concerned about the situation in Zimbabwe," Miliband added, pointing out that the Zimbabwean currency had been devalued by 1,200 percent on Thursday.

A senior British official told AFP that "it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which the British prime minister and other EU leaders will attend a summit at which Mugabe is present."

Food is running out in Zimbabwe and only donations from other countries are keeping the masses fed - but even that is not enough:

HARARE (AFP) - The number of people facing serious food shortages in Zimbabwe is expected to grow to 4.1 million over the first quarter of next year, the Canadian ambassador to the African country said on Wednesday.

"This figure is expected to increase dramatically in the coming months due to a combination of factors, including poor harvests and the prevailing difficult economic situation," Roxanne Dube said at a ceremony where Canada donated 3.5 million Canadian dollars (3.3 US million dollars (2.4 million euros) to the World Food Programme (WFP) to be used to feed starving Zimbabweans.

Dube, who said she has travelled around Zimbabwe over the past two years, said that the food situation in the crisis-hit country was dire.

"I have seen dry and bare fields, empty stores and abandoned farming equipment. It is a very saddening situation, especially when I hear from Zimbabweans how difficult it is for them to feed their families and make ends meet," she said.

Zimbabwe used to be the breadbasket of Africa. Now they are starving. Gordon Brown is doing the right thing.