The Republican Trickle Down Theory has never worked.

At least retired California employees will have an income to support some kind of economy. The sad Republican TRUTH is that they actually believe what the say. Dangerous. Very dangerous.

In this photo provided by his press office, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs an order creating the Public Employee Post-Employment Benefits Commission in his hospital room in Santa Monica, Calif., on Dec. 28. (click here)




Has Ahnold been able to stimulate jobs and an economy in California?

NO.

Current California unemployment rate is 7.7% (click title for information).

Why?

Because the economic depression across the USA has anchored deeply into every state's economy and without state sponsored economic rehabilitation there WON'T BE A RECOVERY. The ONLY way out of this economic depression and I'm sorry but with some states reporting 10% unemployment rates, some registering over 5% in the month of September alone, this is a DEPRESSION with nearly every investment bank gone and consolidations and mergers eating up the infrastructure. This is an economic depression.

The INFRASTRUCTURE the Republicans are relying on to reduce taxes to stimulate growth and jobs DOES NOT EXIST. The USA, including California, has to rebuild its infrastruture. The economic policies of Schwarzenegger have failed and failed royally and he actually believes a temporary sales tax will turn the corner on his budget short falls. Whom exactly is going to pay that sales tax, visiting Europeans spending Euros.

We need a Democrat in the Executive Branch along with a Democratic House and Senate to take back the country and return economic viability to an American landscape that has all but disappeared !

California's single-family building permits drop 60% (click here)
Apartment demand lifts multifamily starts
By Inman News, Friday, March 28, 2008.
Single-family housing starts, as measured by building permits issued, plunged 59.8 percent in February compared to the same month last year, the California Building Industry Association trade group reported this week, and total housing starts dropped 27.9 percent.
CBIA reported 2,540 total single-family building permits issued in February, compared with 6,326 permits issued in February 2007, according to building-permit data supplied by the Construction Industry Research Board, a nonprofit research center.
Multifamily building-permit activity, meanwhile, rose 35.8 percent year-over-year in February, according to the report, with 4,315 multifamily permits in February 2008.
Single-family permit activity dropped 5 percent in February 2008 compared to the previous month, while monthly multifamily building-permit activity rose 112.2 percent compared to January.
The increase in multifamily construction was expected because of an increased demand for apartments, said Alan Nevin, CBIA chief economist, in a statement.
He also said that federal actions to increase the conforming loan limit and reduce the federal funds rate could "gradually induce activity in new-home production."
The Los Angeles metro area led in permit activity with 1,635 housing permits issued in February, followed by the Riverside area with 973 and the Anaheim area with 906, according to the report.

What is in your mind's eye for the future?

Happy Halloween !

When does this UNCONSTITUTIONAL Voter Tampering Stop? Florida does it AGAIN.

Under a Jeb Bush lead Republican legislature the "Florida's Voter Verification Law" was passed. It uses every opportunity to oppress the vote in Florida. THIS TIME, if your driver's license address doesn't perfectly match the voter registration YOU LOSE and so does your candidate !

ELECTION 2008 VOTER VERIFICATION LAW
No-match list catches regular voters by surprise (click here)
The state's list of 'no match' voters includes some surprises -- a Miami Heat player, a candidate's wife and many people unaware they were on it.
BY CURTIS MORGAN AND CHARLES RABIN
cmorgan@MiamiHerald.com
What do a promising rookie for the Miami Heat, a systems analyst from Bulgaria, the wife of a Republican congressional candidate and Fidel Castro have in common?
They can't just show up Nov. 4 and fill out a regular ballot. Theirs are among 12,000 names statewide flagged under Florida's Voter Verification Law, a ''no match'' screening process embroiled in legal and political controversy....

If Voters find themselves between a Rock and a Hard Place, simply go to the 'online' address change site and be sure it matches your voter registration, while the hideous law is challenged in court.


Driver Privacy Protection Act Warning (click here and check "I Agree" at the site and change your driver's license address)
The personal information contained within this site is protected by 18 U.S.C. 2721-2725, et seq., (the Driver Privacy Protection Act) and Section 119.0712(2), Florida Statutes. You are not authorized to access personal information for anyone other than yourself through this web site unless you have specific written permission to do so. Any access or attempted access to personal information of others may subject you to criminal prosecution or civil liability.

The illegitimacy of these 'qualifying' laws date back to 1870 when a bunch of wise guys placed A BARRIER to voting to disaffect those that would seek justice to their plight through representation, when a 'literacy' component was added to the law.

...African Americans exercised the franchise (click here) and held office in many Southern states through the 1880s, but in the early 1890s, steps were taken to ensure subsequent “white supremacy.” Literacy tests for the vote, “grandfather clauses” excluding from the franchise all whose ancestors had not voted in the 1860s, and other devices to disenfranchise African Americans were written into the constitutions of former Confederate states....

In a country where fingerprint scanners and retinal scanners are used to secure the border access and egress of the USA there is ABSOLUTELY no reason why every registered voter has to be challenged to their identity. Individuals that qualify to vote and know they are legitimate voters should NEVER be INTIMIDATED. These 'qualifying events' are unconstitutional and have always been used to oppress the vote. The very people that need to be able to vote in any election are those with 'logistical' issues in 'their lifestyles.' It's nuts already.

The Provisional Ballot is the other alternative to any barrier as it presents itself at the time of voting.

Supervisor of Elections (click here)
Brevard County, Florida
Provisional Ballots
Last updated 8/4/08
Provisional ballots are issued to voters in four situations:
1. When a voter claims to be properly registered in the county and eligible to vote at the precinct or early voting site in the election, but the voter's eligibility cannot be determined (Section 101.048, Florida Statutes).
2. When an elector has been mailed an absentee ballot but desires to vote in person and he or she does not bring the ballot to the polling place or early voting location, and it cannot be determined whether the supervisor has received the elector's absentee ballot (Section 101.69, Florida Statutes)
3. When an elector fails to furnish the required identification (Section 101.043, Florida Statutes).
4. When the polling time is extended by court or other order; these provisional ballots are segregated from all other provisional ballots (Section 101.049, Florida Statutes).
Provisional ballots are not issued to a voter who is found to be in the incorrect polling place. These voters are directed to their correct polling place to vote....

The so called well meaning legislators that pass these hideous laws do so in full recognition of the obstacals they place in the path of people that need to vote in order to elect representatives that can most assist with their issues of 'living' in the USA. These laws have to be challenged in a court of law and replaced with provisions that FACILITATE 'ease' in voting rather than prevention of voting.

Placing obstacles in the way of unwitting voters has always been a favorite of Republicans to insure their victories. It was the case in 2000 in Florida when thousands of legitimate voters were disenfanchised AND the then 'Ruling Jeb Bush Administration' did NOTHING to recognize that fact, in order to 'instill' his brother at the federal supremacy. It is time "Gore v. Bush" was replaced with a Constitutional challenge that places THE VOTE at the focus of any measure rather than a Republican victory at the focus of a Supreme Court Decision.

In deciding "Gore v. Bush" a travesty of justice occurred and the decision was passed into precedent law by three NEOCON judges to facilitate their political preference in the Executive Branch. "Gore v. Bush" was wrongly decided and during the questioning preceding that decision by a three vote majority it became obvious the proceedings were nothing but a formality to all too anxious decision makers while the ACTUAL majority of the court disqualifed themselves from such a decision that would profoundly disaffect a nation.

THE VOTE needs the dignity it should be afforded and the next federal legislature needs to pass 'guidelines' to Voter Laws for states to once again return dignity to 'the process' and fluidity to the ability of any voter to participate in their elected representation !

Marching is good. Aggression is not good. This last attack across the Syrian Border shows EXACTLY what is "W"rong with American Neocon Policy.

Demonstrators denounced the US raid as a "criminal act" and "terrorism" [AFP]

This is the "USA's side" of the raid.

This is the "Syrian side" of the attack.

The attack was 'self-righteous' by the USA. To begin the USA military did in fact cross the Syrian border without the appropriate demeanor of international relations. They crossed the Syrian border and killed people. Whether it involved enemies of the USA military or not is still debatable and there in lies the rub.

The USA 'never' worked within the appropriate venue of 'diplomacy' to promote the 'intelligence' of the USA military. In other words, if there was indeed operatives within Syrian borders that migrated freely over the Iraqi-Syrian border there should have been established diplomatic dialogues between the USA and Syria before any attack in the region took place.

In recent months the Syrian government has established a diplomatic consulate with Iraq. An international incident could have been avoided if proper diplomatic channels were taken and it was well established through shared intelligence that there was a 'mutual' enemy of the people of the region that needed to be dealt with. At that point if the Syrian government refused to cooperate and continued to protect 'a well established operative of terrorism' then the USA would have a better platform to launch attacks and/or take their case before the UN Security Council.

Here again, the Neocons of Bush UNILATERALLY take action because they can and not because they should causing irritation of the people and further disintegration of relations between countries that SUPPOSEDLY Bush claims to invite to be a part of the regional support of the Iraqi central government.

The USA policy is that we will not tolerate countries that harbor terrorists. When the USA military is allowed to have free reign to attack anywhere they like, including inside the sovereignty of another nation, how will it ever become established whether KNOWN terrorist activities are sanctioned by the nation in which these terrorists take refuge?

Establishing the guilt of a nation in harboring terrorists that cause the people harm and attack USA military personnel and instillation does NOT require a SUMMIT so much as active and ESTABLISHED diplomatic relations. With alacrity the information regarding a KNOWN terrorist and 'international' criminal could have been brought to the diplomatic channels between Iraq and Syria for resolve of the circumstances.

The BEST possible outcome to such profound realities of the region is that Syrian troops went into the small hamlet and removed the terrorist without deaths of innocent people. The Syrian military could have established a definition of authority in the region and if necessary could have been backed up with American and Iraqi forces if there was a greater threat of retaliation. More than likely the Syrian military and/or police could have handily arrested the 'terrorist operative' without further incident.

When American aggression causes the deaths of innocent people that interprets into anger and uprising of the people in believing their government allows these type of problems to happen within their lives. They fear for their families and children and seek retribution against others for the deaths of innocent people.

We have seen the handy work of terrorists in the region that like to disrupt the government of Lebanon. It is NOT difficult to discern whether a terrorist has been discovered. The governments of the region know fully well the potential for disruption to their governments and actively act on 'tips and intelligence.' The best honed of these governments is Saudi Arabia.

The Neocons of Bush do NOT use diplomatic channels to establish understandings of military operations to gain concensus of its necessity. As a result they have estranged any and all potential to ending conflict through peace and only seek to continue conflict until their demands for economic corporate infrastructure are satisfied.

Bush cannot run a war against the Middle East to solely destroy all that he does not approve of no matter how much munition he throws at it. Bush has been and continues to be the worst Commander and Chief to the military of the USA. His decision making is solely his own without bothering to enlist the support of governments that will be disaffected by aggressive actions by the USA military. The USA cannot simply decide to invade Syria. They HAVE TO enlist the support of governments when 'a border' becomes 'a barrier' to successful dismantling of a terrorist network or cell.

The death of innocent people CANNOT and SHOULD NOT be tolerated in a place that is chronically an international powder keg. In this case, it was the diplomats of Great Britain in discussions with the Syrian President that has resolved this INCIDENT for now. Bush and his military SHOULD NOT engage in any further actions across the Syrian border, but, should establish dialogues with the Syrians to factiliate an understanding that the USA has 'intelligence' regarding people that seek to cause innocent Iraqis and Syrians harm. This incident was 'W'rongfully pursued and can be registered as an unauthorized aggression by the USA against Syria. The USA military needs to be careful of their aggressions as I do believe the Syrians will not tolerate such surprise raids on their people again.

END OF DISCUSSION !

Did I tell you? Yes, I told you. No one ever listens. They will now. VOTE OBAMA in 2008 !

New York Gov. David Paterson talks to South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford prior to a hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee on Capitol Hill, Oct. 29. The session focused on economic recovery.


For the most up-to-date information on state budget shortfalls, please view our newer analysis: "State Budget Problems Worsen: 13 States Face New Shortfalls" (cliick here)
Updated August 5, 2008
29 STATES FACED TOTAL BUDGET SHORTFALLOF AT LEAST $48 BILLION IN 2009By Elizabeth C. McNichol and Iris Lav
At least 29 states plus the District of Columbia, including several of the nation’s largest states, faced an estimated $48 billion in combined shortfalls in their budgets for fiscal year 2009 (which began July 1, 2008 in most states.) At least three other states expect budget problems in fiscal year 2010.
In general, states closed these budget gaps through some combination of spending cuts, use of reserves or revenue increases when they adopted a fiscal year 2009 budget. At this point in the year, most states have already adopted those budgets; only two states — California and Michigan — continue to deliberate.[1] In order to present a complete picture of the impact of the current economic downturn on state finances, we report both the gaps that have been closed and those that will be closed in the future.
The bursting of the housing bubble has reduced state sales tax revenue collections from sales of furniture, appliances, construction materials, and the like. Weakening consumption of other products has also cut into sales tax revenues. Property tax revenues have also been affected, and local governments will be looking to states to help address the squeeze on local and education budgets. And if the employment situation continues to deteriorate, income tax revenues will weaken and there will be further downward pressure on sales tax revenues as consumers become reluctant or unable to spend.
The vast majority of states cannot run a deficit or borrow to cover their operating expenditures. As a result, states have three primary actions they can take during a fiscal crisis: they can draw down available reserves, they can cut expenditures, or they can raise taxes. States already have begun drawing down reserves; the remaining reserves are not sufficient to allow states to weather a significant downturn or recession. The other alternatives — spending cuts and tax increases — can further slow a state’s economy during a downturn and contribute to the further slowing of the national economy, as well.

A nation or a state cannot have a tax base WITHOUT employment. Some of these states have the highest unemployment rates in the nation !

METROPOLITAN AREA EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT: SEPTEMBER 2008 (click here)
Unemployment rates were higher in September than a year earlier in 349 of the 369 metropolitan areas, lower in 14 areas, and unchanged in 6 areas, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department ofLabor reported today. Ten areas recorded jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, while nine areas registered rates below 3.0 percent. The national unemployment rate in September was 6.0 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from 4.5 percent a year earlier....
...Elkhart-Goshen, Ind., recorded the largest jobless rate increase from September 2007 (+5.1 percentage points). This area has experi-enced layoffs in transportation equipment manufacturing for several months. Rocky Mount, N.C., had the next largest rate increase (+3.9 points), followed closely by El Centro, Calif., and Yuma, Ariz. (+3.8 points each). Seventy-eight additional areas registered over-the-year unemployment rate increases of 2.0 percentage points or more, and another 179 areas had rate increases of 1.0 to 1.9 points. Two Arkan-sas areas experienced the largest jobless rate decreases from Septem-ber 2007: Jonesboro and Hot Springs (-1.0 and -0.8 percentage point, respectively).

Don't rely on "Drill, Baby, Drill" to answer USA Energy Needs

'This is an unbelievable crowd for this kind of weather,' Obama told the nearly 9,000 supporters who showed up donning hoods and carrying umbrellas in Chester.

Barak Obama IS the Change We Need !


Solar Paneled Roof.

The NEW BREED Oil Tycoons have had their worst nightmare dealt to them, "THE PRICE OF OIL HAS DROPPED."

The oil gluts in the world no longer exist. We are at the end of our oil supplies globally. Gas for the internal combustion engine is no longer 30 cents a gallon. As gas and oil prices have gone up over the decades so has the general cost of living. We have witnessed this past year how energy prices, when relying on oil and gas, drive up not only the price of personal transportation, but, the cost of food, clothing and most consumer items.

And explore this 'concept' with me. The cost of USA labor is directly related to the energy sector and the cost of oil as well. How? Easy. When the 'cost of living goes up' for Americans they demand higher wages 'on the job.' What does that do to the 'best labor force in the world?' It prices it out of the market for many consumer goods and hence 'outsourcing.'

When the USA has a lousy energy policy is resonates throughout the infrastructure of the USA. When Barak 'gives back' our country to us and places the replacement of our infrastructure as the top priority to the American agenda, he is not only increasing the tax base with new jobs, he is increasing the buying power of the American consumer when this new infrastructure begins to provide energy WITHOUT unpredictable costs.

A solar panel doesn't have wide fluctuations. Now, does it? How much will 'consistent' energy and transportation costs STABILIZE the cost of American Labor and return the USA (nearly overnight) back to 'the best labor market for the money?'

Think about it !

Inflationary trends have been true the entire time oil and gas have been the primary fuel sources. It is just that in the year 2008, at the end of oil availability, we are 'feeling' it more in our budgets because the price is exorbitant.

Previous to 2008, the prices would go up but were still within reach of American's budgets. How many households now can't afford their energy costs, yet alone their mortgages?


The very sad reality is that as oil demands fall because of anticipated and actual changes from fossil fuels to alternative "Earth Friendly" energy, the possibility of continued exploitation of the Earth's natural resources for oil and gas will become less and less desirable an investment.

If Americans are to believe that "...ending their dependance on foreign oil..." is a matter of simply drilling offshore; they need to think again. Offshore drilling is no longer a viable investment, nor is it an environmentally safe one regardless of whether one is looking at CO2 emissions or pollution free oceans.

The Republicans have no viable energy plan if they are seeking oil and gas as an integral part of providing energy needs for Americans. Get over it. Oil is an immoral and hideous choice for future energy needs, besides robbing our children of their entitlements to a healthy and viable Earth.

...With oil at $60 per barrel, some deepwater projects in Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa are looking uneconomic in a market when drilling rig and offshore vessel rates are at record levels, so something has to give, said Matthew Simmons, chairman of investment group Simmons & Co.
“Oil sands and gas shales in North America and deepwater projects do not work at $60 oil. The problems are oilfield service costs are too high and we need to change this for projects to go ahead,” Mr Simmons told Lloyd’s List at the Oil & Money Conference in London on Tuesday.
“Rig costs are so high and we cannot get enough spare capacity to lower costs. Even if more rigs are built, it is hard to recruit people, so crew costs are high.”
Deepwater-capable drilling rigs are being hired out at $600,000 per day and oil companies are willing to pay more than $130,000 per day for subsea support vessels and $300,000 day rates for rig towing anchor handlers.
The price of subsea equipment such as the flowlines and wellheads needed for deepwater projects have also soared, but equipment and service prices will soon come under pressure.
“When oil prices increase everything goes higher including oil services and when oil prices fall service costs will decrease, so at $65 per barrel we expect costs will also go down as well,” said Paolo Scaroni, chief executive of Italian oil firm Eni.
The oil price fall and tight financial markets have prevented companies from finding credit to undertake their oil and gas field development plans.
Brazil has already acknowledged that the lower oil price is delaying its plans to develop the deepwater pre-salt discoveries, which would require new fleets of offshore vessels, drilling rigs and oil producing ships.
Qatar Energy Minister Abdulla Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah said no banks were offering finance for energy projects any more, whereas even four months ago they were jumping over one another to give out their cash....

Offshore Oil is UNDEPENDABLE source of energy as Climate Change continues to progress. These oil rigs have been offline for a month and a half. "Ike" dissipated on September 14, 2008. We don't need it. Our military doesn't need it either, they have been looking at domestically produced fuels and some of the alternative fuels for over a decade. The military has jets that fly on fuel produced without oil or gas. THAT is another complete series of entries. Another time maybe.

Gulf of Mexico energy production slowly being restored (click here)
by The Times-Picayune
Tuesday October 28, 2008, 1:15 PM
Energy producers in the Gulf of Mexico are slowly restoring production after hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
More than 27 percent of all Gulf of Mexico oil production remains shut down in the aftermath of last month's storms, the Minerals Management Service reported this afternoon. Roughly 33 percent of the Gulf's gas production also remains shuttered. Roughly 10 percent of the platforms in the Gulf remain evacuated because of the storms, but all of the drilling rigs have been fully restaffed. Platforms are the offshore structures from which oil and natural gas are produced. Rigs are offshore drilling facilities.

Hillary Clinton to N.H.: Ignore the polls

The Lady loves her country !

Buying spree sees US stocks soar

It's interesting. I am not impressed. The ? recovery ? is still a little soft globally. Some of the markets only recovered in single digits or less while others had this enormous bounce. It tells me that prudent investing is still a good idea and a less volitile market would be better.

Realizing 'the bottom' is at 8500 on the DOW, the current level of 9065.12 should bring about confidence that investors know where they stand in regard to any 'faux' fall in the markets. This is far from over. As monetary stability becomes reliable, the markets will start to stabilize and then perhaps move forward.

We're getting there. It's been interesting.

NOTED: Bailout money is still in the global treasuries.

There can't be any 'definitive' confidence yet. We don't know where exactly the currencies of countries will stabilize and until that is known the level of debtedness compared to value and the country's ability to pay that debt is still very much in play.

Sorry to say the 'markets' have little to do with things right now.

The 'stability' of anything economic depends on governments doing nothing more to dump monies into the global coffers while blostering their infrastructure to enhance their ability to build their tax base and pay off their debts. So, while stockbrokers like to have control; at this point it isn't possible and their 'fate' is still within the calibrations of debt load and a country's ablility to pay it as their currencies return to an equilibrium.

Things are looking better. It is a little to early to tell where the USA dollar falls into this yet.

...The rand strengthened as much as 4.9 percent to 11.4487 per dollar, the strongest level since Oct. 21. It traded at 10.7200 by 12:47 p.m. in Johannesburg, from 10.9900 yesterday, when it fell as low as 11.4737. It also climbed versus 14 of the 16 most-actively traded currencies monitored by Bloomberg, appreciating 2.5 percent against the euro to 13.3868....

Sea levels 'to rise a metre this century'

27/10/2008 3:25:00 PM
...Those restrictions call for halving greenhouse emissions by 2050 and eliminating CO2 emissions entirely by the end of the century. But the German researchers said the resulting limited increase in temperature is predicated on strict adherence to those restrictions without exception, and even then there are many variables which could thwart the goals.
Schnellnhuber, who is official adviser to German Chancellor Angela Merkel on climate-change issues, said the new findings employed data unavailable to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for its most recent global warming report.
The two experts said the IPCC report had been based on data up to 2005 only, but since then ice loss in the Arctic had doubled or tripled. Schnellhuber charged that 20 per cent of the loss of the ice sheet on Greenland could be directly linked to the added carbon dioxide emissions from new Chinese coal-fired power stations.
The new sea level predictions, according to Schellnhuber, are based on studies of melting Himalaya glaciers and the shrinking Greenland ice cap....


This is the satellite view of the 'melt ponds' which can be seen in the center left of picture. The ice is breaking up and flowing into sea on a regular basis. Noted the broken ice sheets in the Greenland Sea, above.


Melt Ponds, Northeastern Greenland (click here)
...Melt ponds have played a role in the breakup of the Larsen Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula, where dense pools of water sliced through sections of the shelf like a wedge. In Greenland, melt ponds ultimately find their way into crevasses or moulins—chutes that carry melt water through the ice sheet. Many glaciologists suspect that the melt water finds its way to the bottom of the ice sheet where it lubricates the base of the ice, reducing friction between the ice and the underlying rock, and speeding glacier flow. As the glacier accelerates, it pushes ice into the ocean. This introduction of additional ice into the ocean can raise sea level, just as dropping extra ice cubes into a glass raises the level of a drink.


Ducky Science (click here)
When a science probe failed to return data about melting glacial ice, a researcher from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory labeled 90 rubber ducks with an email address and the words "science experiment" and "reward" written in English, Danish and the native Inuit language, then set the toys loose in the glacier. The idea was that fisherman would find the ducks and notify him where they were found.



The Jakobshavn Glacier (click here)
The retreat of the Jakobshavn Glacier, pictured here, has been recorded since 1850. It is one of the fastest-moving glaciers on Earth, and over the last decade scientists have reported that it is speeding up, sometimes sliding dozens of feet per day toward the Ilulissat Fjord....

The Ozone Hole of 2008

Ozone Hole Reaches Record Size (2006 click here, thank you)
“From September 21 to 30, [2006], the average area of the ozone hole was the largest ever observed, at 10.6 million square miles,” said Paul Newman, atmospheric scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Newman was joined by other scientists from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in reporting that the ozone hole over the polar region of the Southern Hemisphere broke records for both area and depth in 2006....


On September 12, 2008, the Antarctic ozone hole reached its maximum size for the year. (see below) Represented by blues and purples in this image from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura satellite, the ozone hole covered about 27 million square kilometers, making it larger than North America, which is about 25 million square kilometers. Though larger than it was in 2007, the 2008 ozone hole was still smaller than the record set in 2006....







June 29, 2006
SCIENTISTS FIND ANTARCTIC OZONE HOLE TO RECOVER LATER THAN EXPECTED (click here)
Scientists from NASA and other agencies have concluded that the ozone hole over the Antarctic will recover around 2068, nearly 20 years later than previously believed.
Researchers from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) have developed a new tool, a math-based computer model, to predict the timing of ozone hole recovery. Their findings will be published tomorrow in Geophysical Research Letters.
The Antarctic ozone hole is a massive loss of ozone that occurs each spring in the Southern Hemisphere. The ozone hole is caused by chlorine and bromine gases in the stratosphere, an upper layer of the atmosphere, that destroy ozone in an annually recurring process that takes place in the unique meteorological conditions of the Antarctic stratosphere. Those gases come from human-produced chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons....

McCain demands Stevens to step down, but, ethics violations are okay.

From a McCain statement issued Tuesday:
It is clear that Sen. Stevens has broken his trust with the people and that he should now step down. I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will be spurred by these events to redouble their efforts to end this kind of corruption once and for all.



One has to wonder whom Stevens' cell mate might be, perhaps Abramoff.

Typical of Republican Mavericks, they only call for 'culling the Republican herd' when facing jail or a sex scandal. The most outrageous is all too obvious. McCain's Vice Presidential candidate is GUILTY of Alaskan Ethics Violations.

No jail. Just personal and governmental lawsuits as well as impeachment from the Governorship.

Is John McCain actually assessing his circumstances for what they are?

Republican 'denial' of 'the truth' also known as SURVIVING THE DAY.



Franken's Race (click here)...Meantime, an Allstate/National Journal poll of 402 registered voters, conducted Oct. 16-20, shows Franken with 36 percent, Coleman with 35 percent and Barkley, with 18 percent. The survey has a 5-point error margin. Both Franken and Coleman have seen their poll numbers fluctuate between the mid-30s and low 40s....


October 27, 2008 6:01
Here is our latest update on Senate races around the country. (click here)
New Hampshire: Shaheen 49, Sununu 38. (WMUR/UNH)
North Carolina: Hagan 48, Dole 45, Cole 4. (Public Policy Polling)
Oregon: Merkley 49, Smith 42, Brownlow 5. (SurveyUSA)
Alaska: Democrat Mark Begich, the mayor of Anchorage, is statistically tied with Republican Ted Stevens 46 percent to 45 percent in an Ivan Moore poll Oct. 17-19. Begich's favorable to unfavorable ratio is 55 percent to 31 percent, a negative swing of 7 points since early October. Stevens' favorable to unfavorable ratio is 49 percent to 41 percent, slipping 2 points. Moore says, "Stevens' rating has been very stable over the last six weeks, despite both his ongoing trial in Washington DC and being a target of a barrage of negative media funded by the DSCC... Given the closeness of the race, it appears that Alaskans are giving Stevens the benefit of the doubt for now, and are reserving judgment until a verdict is read in his trial."
Colorado: Democrat Mark Udall is leading Republican Rep. Bob Schaffer 51 percent to 44 percent with 2 percent preferring "other" and 3 percent undecided in a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Oct. 16. The margin of error is 4 points. Udall's favorable to unfavorable ratio is 53 percent to 44 percent while Schaffer is seen unfavorably by 48 percent and favorably by 47 percent. The candidates run closely among men but Udall leads by 9 points among women and 25 points among unaffiliated voters. a Quinnipiac University/Wall Street Journal/Washington Post poll conducted Oct. 8-12 had Udall ahead 54 percent to 40 percent with 1 percent preferring someone else and 6 percent undecided.
Georgia: First term Republican Saxby Chambliss is statistically-tied with Democrat Jim Martin , an Atlanta attorney and former legislator, leading him 46 percent to 45 percent with 5 percent for Libertarian Allen Buckley and 5 percent undecided in a Strategic Vision poll conducted Oct. 20-22. The margin of error is 3 percent.
Kentucky: Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell's is leading Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford), a Louisville businessman, 47 percent to 43 percent with 10 percent undecided in a Lexington Herald Leader/WKYT-TV poll conducted Oct. 19-21. The margin of error is 4 points.
Louisiana: Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu, seeking a third term, opened a 54 percent to 41 percent lead over Republican challenger John Kennedy in a Rasmussen Reports pollconducted Sept. 25. Two percent chose "other" and 3 percent were undecided. The margin of error is 4.5 percent
Mississippi: Roger Wicker, appointed to fill out the term of retired Sen. Trent Lott, is statistically-tied with former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, leading him 47 percent to 46 percent with 7 percent undecided in a Research 2000 poll conducted Oct. 14-15. The margin of error is 4.5 percent.
Oregon: Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley, the speaker of the state House, is leading two-term Republican Gordon Smith 49 percent to 42 percent with 5 percent for Constitution Party candidate Dave Brownlow and 4 percent undecided in a SurveyUSA poll conducted Oct. 25-26. The margin of error is 3.8 percent.

DEMOCRATS taking Senate Seats after November 4th :: Virginia, South Dakota, New Mexico, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Michigan, Iowa and Colorado.

REPUBLICANS taking up Senate Seats after November 4th :: Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.

Bush hopes to destroy The Endangered Species Act while his abuse of power is still intact.

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration said yesterday that changes it wants to make to endangered species rules before the president leaves office will have no significant environmental consequences.
That's the conclusion of a draft assessment released by the Interior Department that represents one of the last remaining hurdles for the regulations to become final before Jan. 20.
The administration in August proposed letting federal agencies approve power plants, dams, and other projects without consulting government wildlife specialists in some cases.
Current regulations require government biologists to be consulted in all cases - even when a project is unlikely to harm threatened wildlife or the places they live.
The administration acknowledges the change will reduce the number of consultations required under the 35-year-old law.
But in its evaluation, it concludes that the new regulations will focus government expertise on cases where it is most needed and result in no harm to species or habitats protected by the statute.
Environmentalists, however, say the review - which was completed by lawyers and political appointees rather than scientists - failed to consider all of the environmental repercussions.

The Top Ten Reasons Conservatives Should Vote For Obama

...9. Less debt. Yes, Obama will raise taxes on those earning over a quarter of a million. And he will spend on healthcare, Iraq, Afghanistan and the environment. But so will McCain. He plans more spending on health, the environment and won't touch defense of entitlements. And his refusal to touch taxes means an extra $4 trillion in debt over the massive increase presided over by Bush. And the CBO estimates that McCain's plans will add more to the debt over four years than Obama's. Fiscal conservatives have a clear choice....

...1. The War Against Islamist terror. The strategy deployed by Bush and Cheney has failed. It has failed to destroy al Qaeda, except in a country, Iraq, where their presence was minimal before the US invasion. It has failed to bring any of the terrorists to justice, instead creating the excrescence of Gitmo, torture, secret sites, and the collapse of America's reputation abroad. It has empowered Iran, allowed al Qaeda to regroup in Pakistan, made the next vast generation of Muslims loathe America, and imperiled our alliances. We need smarter leadership of the war: balancing force with diplomacy, hard power with better p.r., deploying strategy rather than mere tactics, and self-confidence rather than a bunker mentality.

Those conservatives who remain convinced, as I do, that Islamist terror remains the greatest threat to the West cannot risk a perpetuation of the failed Manichean worldview of the past eight years, and cannot risk the possibility of McCain making rash decisions in the middle of a potentially catastrophic global conflict. If you are serious about the war on terror and believe it is a war we have to win, the only serious candidate is Barack Obama.

Military wife ponders her vote for next president

By ELISABETH KADLEC
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Until a few years ago, I am almost embarrassed to say, I never voted. Then I became the wife of an Army officer. For me, choosing a candidate is not based on which party I tend to side with, but which candidate will make the best choices for the armed forces and my family....
...On Nov. 4, my vote will be counted along with all military families. Not all military families’ political beliefs are the same as mine. However, I believe that we can all agree on the following: We miss our spouses. We want our soldiers to be safe. We want smart decisions to be made. Does that mean that Obama or McCain is the right choice? I have chosen to vote for Obama.
• Elisabeth Kadlec, a mother of two, lives in Fayetteville.

Troops Deployed Abroad Give 6:1 to Obama (click here)

Palin palling around with corruption (click here for video)

Palin & Stevens talk about each other
A look at the relationship between Gov. Sarah Palin & Sen. Ted Stevens.
Author : Kyle Hopkins
Date taken : July 2, 2008

Stevens and Palin were very cozy. He endorsed her candidacy for Governor and made a commercial for her. This was well after the particulars of VECO was well known. Click on title. It's an interesting video. Watch it to the end. Thank you.

Monegan at AFN (click here)
Gov. Sarah Palin's former public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, talks to reporters at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention. Topics include: The Troopergate investigation, and what's next for both Monegan & Palin.
Author : Alaska Politics
Date taken : Oct. 23, 2008

October 23, 2008 on Earth.

There is substantial heat intrusions across the continent. Noted in the above satellite is arrival of 'heat transfer systems' from the equator.


October 28, 2008
1200 AM
Temperature Satellite of Antarctica (click here for 24 hour loop)


To add dimension, the 'spots/dots' on the iceberg are penguins.


Huge Icebergs off Antarctica on February 4, 2008. Once icebergs break off the continent they enter the East Wind Drift and adds to the waters of the oceans.

Except for the rainforests and jungles of Earth, especially Indonesia; there was dearly little water vapor and Antarctica was hot.

194 Precious Hours. No time to stop now ! We are almost there !

It isn't JUST 'the man' we are electing. It is our country we are reclaiming !

“In one week, you can put an end to the politics that would divide a nation just to win an election,” Mr. Obama told a crowd of more than 4,000 in Canton, Ohio. “In one week, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change we need.”

...The Obama folks are doing that. They're going door to door, they're getting people to vote early, they're making phone calls from their homes, they're doing it all with enthusiasm and excitement and dragging people with them along the way.... (click here)

The weather at Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska (Crystal Wind Chime) is melting.

October 27, 2008
Tasiilaq, Greenland
Photographer states :: Lonely Iceberg. View from my veranda...Ammassalik Fjord..Kuummiut, Greenland...
http://kuummiut.com

Arctic air temperatures climb to record levels (click title to entry, thank you)
Thu Oct 16, 2008 6:01pm EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fall air temperatures have climbed to record levels in the Arctic due to major losses of sea ice as the region suffers more effects from a warming trend dating back decades, a report released on Thursday showed.
The annual report issued by researchers at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other experts is the latest to paint a dire picture of the impact of climate change in the Arctic.
It found that fall air temperatures are at a record 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees C) above normal in the Arctic because of the major loss of sea ice in recent years that allows more solar heating of the ocean....

An undated handout photo from the Center for Northern Studies shows the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf disintegrating.
REUTERS/Denis Sarrazin/Center for Northern Studies/Handout

Local Time: 4:26 PM AKDT on October 27, 2008

Lat/Lon: 58.8° N 137.0° W

Temperature :: 46 °F / 8 °C

Conditions :: Overcast

Windchill :: 42 F/ 6 C

Humidity :: 71%

Dew Point :: 37 F/ 3C

Wind :: 9 mph / 15 km/h / 4.1 m/s from the SE

Pressure :: 30.00 in/ 1016 hPa (Steady)

Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers

UV :: 0 out of 16

Clouds :: Overcast 5500 ft/ 1676 m
(Above ground level)

Elevation :: 33ft / 10 m

The many faces of Ted Stevens.

Sen. Stevens guilty on all counts, career in peril (click on title to entry, thank you)
By MATT APUZZO and JESSE J. HOLLAND – 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted of seven corruption charges Monday in a trial that threatened to end the 40-year career of Alaska's political patriarch in disgrace. The verdict, coming barely a week before Election Day, increased Stevens' difficulty in winning what already was a difficult race against Democratic challenger Mark Begich. Democrats hope to seize the once reliably Republican seat as part of their bid for a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate....

...Stevens faces up to five years in prison on each count when he is sentenced, but under federal guidelines he is likely to receive much less prison time, if any. The judge originally scheduled sentencing for Jan. 26 but then changed his mind and did not immediately set a date....

"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord..."

I'll be darn. Thank you, Junior. Welcome home !


This is Junior Johnson in 1985, when he wasn't driving his NASCAR race car. Junior Johnson is one of the all time great NASCAR drivers. He has been named one of the fifty greatest NASCAR drivers and inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990 at its inaugural (click here).

I used to be a huge NASCAR Fan. I watched NASCAR when far younger with my Dad, back in the day when "Stock cars were stocked cars." Mario Andre, Bill Elliot and the boys from Dawson, Georgia. Boy, is this a throw back.

The last race I attended was in 1995 at Martinsville Raceway. Martin won that race, but, he always won all the short track races.

I objected to NASCAR after a time because I objected to the 'persona' the Francis' were putting forward in their drivers. They were macho men with little representation of the environment, conscience of change to their fans promoting healthy living and quite frankly standing on the side of war, even in Iraq by allowing some of their teams to display affiliations with The National Guard, etc. The 'introduction' of the military institutions under this administration to the race car scene was an enticement that should have been regarded as inappropriate. The military is government and to have million dollar race teams involved in NASCAR and IROC was simply wrong. NASCAR is a private enterprise and it should have remained that way. Perhaps they'll think this through differently in the future.

NO, NASCAR isn't going to get off easy here. I don't mind having a military, but, there is a right and a wrong to things as they existed under Bush and NASCAR simply looked the other way and kept raking in the bucks. I do believe there needs to be a cultural awakening to some of these 'beloved' American institutions. Perhaps NASCAR can find a way to run the concept of THE GREEN MACHINES on their tracks and invite sponsors like Chevy's VOLT to symbolize the progress that needs to made in the way of personal transportation. After all, those race cars were never intended to be family cars, but, they certainly symbolized a lot of glamour to any owner.

I am so very glad to see Junior Johnson make a public decision to stand with Barak Obama and Joe Biden and the Democrats for change. He's right, there is a right side and a wrong side to life and conducting 'Robocalls' is simply wrong.

It does my heart good to have him come forward. Thank you so much. So very, very much.

Let's see now, I think Junior hales from Wilkes County, North Carolina if I remember right.

10,000 acres burn in Valley; thousands of people flee their homes

October 22, 2008
Los Angeles, California
Photographer states :: A Los Angeles City FD helicopter makes water drop at night on flames from a 100 acre brush fire that burned through the Sepulveda Pass early Thursday morning. The flames briefly threatened Brentwood.

An accounting of what occurred. Most fires currently contained.

Sesnon Fire: 13,285 acres burned;
Marek Fire: 4,824 acres burned;
Mugu Fire: 10 acres burned;
2 fatalities;
62 structures, 47 outbuildings destroyed;

Original Mountain Marathon

Lake Runners All Accounted For (click here)
All the runners feared missing after a marathon race across the Lake District was scrapped because of storms and flooding have been accounted for.
Around 2,500 people began the arduous event.
Police and the RAF confirmed that all missing competitors were located after hundreds had been left stranded in the Honister Pass area.
Many were forced to camp overnight in poor conditions after Britain's toughest endurance event, the Original Mountain Marathon, was abandoned yesterday due to dismal weather....

Fell running on a better day.

Mountain marathon: case studies (click here)
Veterans of this year's Original Mountain Marathon tell their stories.
By Paul Stokes
Last Updated: 9:39PM GMT 26 Oct 2008
...They encountered problems as the storms moved in about three quarters of an hour into the run after setting of at 9.25am.
Miss Creaser said: "Up to higher heights it was getting horrendous. It was blown off my feet three times.
"I have never experienced such consistently bad weather, it was unrelenting. But I don't think for the people doing it it was desperately dangerous."
They climbed down off a ridge to a lower level and, five hours after starting, achieved their objective of reaching the overnight camp at Garthgate.
Mr Porter said: "We have all the gear, including a mountain tent designed for the weather, and could have bivouacked overnight on the tops. We had been sent a notice last week warning of the conditions."
They made their way to a café, which became a muster point after the event was called off, before being taken to the Honiston slate mine museum where they stayed overnight with other competitors.
Miss Creaser said: "The WRVS were there with food for us. I feel a bit guilty at taking this food and shelter because we had come prepared."...



...For the uninitiated (click here) the Original Mountain Marathon (click title of entry for link, thank you) is a two day fell running event in the Lake District, due to the appalling weather conditions, the race has been called off, the first time in 40 years,...

Tropical Storm Three, Gulf of Aden

The construction of buildings in this area of the world is very different. The lack of preparedness by Yemen to these storms is similar to the issues France faced when over 10,000 people died inside their homes due to high heats. These country's are experiencing severe and 'rapid' climate change and have no clue how to survive it.

A general view shows damaged houses following a tropical storm in Hadramout.


Yemen tropical storm leaves trail of destruction (click here)
AP
Published: October 26, 2008, 20:16
Shibam, Yemen: Ahmad Salem's family screamed on Saturday as their traditional Yemeni mud brick house disintegrated in rushing flood waters from a deadly tropical storm that has killed 61 people in southern Yemen.
Hamid Al Kharashi, a police chief in the southern province of Hadramout, is warning that the death toll could rise further, since scores of people are still missing and hundreds of families are homeless or trapped by the flood waters.
Rain was continuing to fall yesterday, although only lightly in Hadramout. Getting relief supplies to those affected in the remote and rugged Yemeni hinterlands has been difficult, as most roads are washed out.


October 27, 2008
0038 gmt
Indian Ocean

There are repeated storms to the region and with each new storm there is more saturation of the land and increased flooding. The storms are coming off a very hot Indian Ocean.



Death toll mounts in Yemen tropical storm (click here)
AgenciesLast updated: October 26, 2008, 16:41
Sayoun: The Yemeni government on Sunday said 61 people have been killed by floods that swept through the south in the wake of a massive tropical storm.
Hamid Al Kharashi, a police chief in Hadramout, said the death toll could rise further since scores of people are still missing and hundreds of families are homeless or trapped by the flood waters.The Interior Ministry earlier said 58 people were killed by fierce flooding, while another six were killed in lightning strikes during two days of storms.