Economic News

HOUSTON - During the last decade, the Texas wine industry quietly blossomed into the nation's fifth- largest producer of wine grapes, according to Fritz Westover, Gulf Coast regional viticulture extension associate for Texas Cooperative Extension.

Extension has developed a statewide viticulture program under the direction of Dr. Ed Hellman, Extension viticulture specialist at Lubbock, by hiring experts to serve each of the state's distinct wine growing regions.

Westover and the other associates focus on improving wine grape production practices that enhance the economic impact of the grape and wine industry in their region, Hellman, said.

Westover described his four primary goals as:

- Working with established growers to improve profitability.

- Helping new and potential growers with initial decisions such as which variety to grow or soil suitability.

Religious Sensitivity and the First Amendment

This is how Imam Zaid Shakir started his speech on religious sensitivity and the first amendment last Thursday night at the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History.It was his attempt to "win over the audience" by telling a joke about Texans, as well as inserting some humor into what he called a "very touch situation.""Growing up in America I was taught there are two things you don't talk about, religion and politics ... and the task before us is to talk about both religion and politics," Shakir said.Shakir was the keynote speaker for the Islamic Alliance for Justice's (IAJ) "Religious Sensitivities and The First Amendment" program. The program was birthed in November of 2006, when inflammatory cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad were published in a Danish newspaper, causing an uproar in the Islamic world."Muslims were justified in their distress over the matter in seeing their beloved Prophet degraded," wrote Adeel Khan in a letter to the audience, "but the ungainly response of misguided riots and indiscriminate violence did little to help resolve the issue and in fact only further deteriorate between the Islamic world and West." Khan, an OU student is the president and founder of IAJ.The IAJ is a predominantly Muslim student organization that aims to raise awareness and coordinate effective response to issues of global, social, economic, and political justice.

BEWARE; USA & ALLIES STOKING SHIA-SUNNI DIVIDE

"We could expect an epic battle between Shi'ite extremists backed by Iran, and Sunni extremists aided by al-Qaeda and supporters of the old regime. A contagion of violence could spill out across the country [Iraq] - and in time the entire region could be drawn into the conflict." President George Bush in his State of union address

" Mr Bush looks increasingly like a general who has run out of ideas, troops and hope ." Commented 'The Guardian '

"From inside Pakistan's border to the Mediterranean, almost every land (Muslim ) is in crisis. Suddenly, all the Western talk of a Sunni-Shia war looks troublingly real "(one of the many options now on the table. )

US led western talk of a Shia-Sunni war looks troublingly real , although the option is now on slow backburner.

Why Mankind Not Humankind?

Gender discrimination is not a new phenomenon in Nepalese society. People take all the pre-established norms that contribute to the continuation of such inequality for granted. Men come first while the women follow them, whether it be in the social, economic, religious or even literary hierarchy. The truth is something like the widely accepted truth.

Discriminatory language on the other hand is also quite a normal phenomenon. Being a highly patriarchal society, men are always granted a higher status in the literary arena also.

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West Dundee village board

The Daily Herald asked candidates for to share their views on pertinent issues concerning the village with readers. The five candidates running for three, 4-year terms are:

Sue Berna, 64, incumbent, co-owner of LadyBug Lane.

Rebecca Gillam, 46, interior/architectural designer.

Margaret Jefferson, 66, incumbent, real estate broker.

Thomas Price, 46, water resources engineer.

Andy Yuscka, 56, incumbent, distribution/logistics manager.

Q: Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? What will be your main priority?

Berna: My experience on the board as well as my corporate background will continue to be of benefit to the residents of West Dundee as we determine the on-going priorities for the village. Communication, project selection and identifying the correct mix of commercial development is key while keeping services at the level our residents expect.