BANGKOK, Thailand -- Police stood by while hundreds of people laid siege to the Election Commission's office, a police station, and Thailand's equivalent of the U.S. FBI, but the protesters failed to stop candidates registering for a nationwide election scheduled for Feb. 2.

Political candidates from Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's party and eight other parties dodged the anti-election blockade by sneaking into the Election Commission's office at a stadium before dawn on Monday (Dec. 23) while the protesters slept.

More than two dozen other parties were forced to register at a nearby police station, which was quickly surrounded by protesters when they discovered it was being used as a backup office for candidates to file their papers.

All the political parties from Ms. Yingluck's coalition government and the opposition appear to have joined in the election process, except the opposition Democrat Party which announced a boycott to support the anti-election rallies.

"We have to manage this conflict in Parliament," said Charupong Ruangsuwan, leader of Ms. Yingluck's Pheu Thai party which is expected

BANGKOK, Thailand -- More than 100,000 anti-election protesters paralyzed Bangkok's key intersections on Sunday (Dec. 22) to hear their leader, an alleged multiple-murderer, demand February's nationwide poll be cancelled so he can ban the popular prime minister and her allies from power.

Some laid cremation wreaths in front of Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's residence to spook her, though Ms. Yingluck was touring near the Mekong River in northeast Thailand where she derives most of her support.

Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban describes his "people's revolution" as democratic.

Mr. Suthep insists that after he blacklists Ms. Yingluck, her wealthy family, and their allies from politics, Mr. Suthep will clamp Thailand under a "people's council" of 400 unidentified appointees to "reform" the entire system of government.

About 18 months later, Mr. Suthep would permit an election to form a regime which would also empower plenty of other appointees.

A distillation of Mr. Suthep's speeches indicates his scheme resembles "positive liberty," an antique political theory which claims a

During this holiday season nearly 134,000 Ohioans face the prospect of ringing in the new year hungry. Governor John Kasich has decided, despite Ohio’s stagnant job growth and high unemployment, that work requirements will be mandated in 72 counties for childless adults aged 18-50 in order to qualify for food assistance.

Ohio is still down 221,000 jobs from where it was in November 2007. Where these 134,000 people will work is a puzzling proposition. What is known is that they will no longer qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – what used to be called food stamps.

Kasich could have accepted a federal waiver that would have extended the federal food aid for all the counties in Ohio for at least one year without the work requirements. Reverend John Edgar, who works for the United Methodist Community Development for All People project wonders why anyone would want to “punish these folks in this economy.”

“It’s a horrible decision,” Edgar laments.

With the year winding down, time is running out on the American effort in Afghanistan. Inaugurated over a decade ago, the climate abroad appears dampened with skepticism and the energy for war at home lessens every day. It is worth recalling that President Obama, when faced with Iraq and Afghanistan wars, regarded the latter as a confrontation of necessity. Yet this necessary appointment has come down to a most unfortunate set of circumstances, wherein the Obama administration must rely on a fickle partner to succeed.

The Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which stipulates the working relationship between U.S. interests and Afghan security forces after American troops scale back from Afghanistan, awaits the signature of President Hamid Karzai. As far as the U.S. is concerned, the agreement is ready to see implementation in 2014. In fact, last month the Loya Jirga even endorsed the BSA. Considering the Loya Jirga is a national assembly of Afghan elders, it would seem the agreement has nothing but smooth sailing ahead.