Sunday, July 17, 2011

"Morning Papers" - Its Origins

The Rooster
"Okeydoke"

"Good Night, Moon"


The Moon for Sunday, Jul 17, 2011at 11:14 PM EST is Waning Gibbous as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere.

Illuminated Fraction: 0.904

3.0 days after full moon

91% of Full Moon

Until next week...


...good night.

President Obama dials space shuttle Atlantis crew




July 17, 2011 6:02 PM

Astronauts wrap up space station resupply (click title to entry - thank you)
By William Harwood
…The primary goal of the 135th and last shuttle mission was to deliver five tons of supplies and equipment to the space station, including more than 2,600 pounds of food. Combined with logistics scheduled for delivery aboard Russian Progress supply ships, the lab complex should be able to support a full-time crew of six through 2012…

The 'lopsided view' of The Great Recession. Nothing like keeping focus of the responsibility off Wall Street and on the President.

Very odd.  The chart is from Reuters and can be found here if you click here.


I believe what I found worrisome was the fact Wall Street isn't paying attention to itself. 


I thought this was interesting.






Fed Says Spending Down $7,300 per Person From ‘Bubble’ Pace (click here)

July 11, 2011, 4:17 PM EDT

By Vivien Lou Chen



July 11 (Bloomberg) -- The 18-month U.S. recession that ended in June 2009 has so far cut spending by more than $7,300 per person, or about $175 a month, from the pace that prevailed during the housing boom, said a Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco researcher.
The $7,300 figure reflects the period from December 2007 to May 2011, and was calculated by comparing the inflation-adjusted path of consumer purchases to pre-crisis levels, senior economist Kevin Lansing wrote in a paper released today. Per- capita consumption is still 1.6 percent below its pre-recession peak, 42 months after the recession started, he said.
“The purpose of the paper was to give an idea of how much stimulus was coming from the housing bubble,” Lansing said in a phone interview. “People are wondering why consumer spending is so slow these days. What they should be asking is: Why was it so strong in previous years?...
...You’re comparing it to an artificial economy that was driven by debt.”...

After realizing the Bush/Cheney economy was one of debt, just as Reagan's economy and H. W. Bush, I thought I would help the Senator DeMint with some insight from his favorite investment firm, Goldman Sachs.  It might help him understand 'missing payments' is a little different than missing payments on any Tiffany Revolving Credit Account.


a research note just out from Goldman Sachs (bold is mine - journalist - click title of entry - thank you):

There are essentially two plausible outcomes. One is that the two sides agree on a deal in coming weeks, with headline cuts of $2+ trillion over a 10-year horizon, probably mostly composed of discretionary spending caps that gradually squeeze projected outlays in a highly back-end loaded fashion...
... The other outcome – whose probability has unfortunately risen in recent weeks – is that there is no deal by August 2. Even in this case, we continue to believe a default is extremely unlikely, as the Treasury would likely prioritize interest payments, Social Security and Medicare payments, and “essential” defense payments over other types of spending, and should have enough revenues to cover the essentials.... 
...But make no mistake: the negative consequences of failing 
to make other payments would be very severe.... 
In the month of August, projected outflows exceed projected inflows by about $150bn (not annualized), or about 12% of GDP. Even if we allow for a further decline in cash holdings in the Treasury’s account with the Fed, this means that a failure to reach a deal would imply a huge, immediate fiscal retrenchment. The economic consequences of such a retrenchment would likely force a deal within a few days....
I think this is where Senator DeMint gets somewhat confused.  The journalist goes on to state:
...Again, the issue is a government shutdown, not a default.
A government shutdown.  Hm.  That sounds like a familiar tune from the Tea Baggers.  They don't the government and dearly want to rid the USA of it.  It took over 200 years to build this nation and the Tea Baggers want it destroyed in two decades.  If that isn't treason, don't ask me what is. 
At any rate the statement, "Again, the issue is a government shutdown, not a default." is playing with semantics.  If the government shuts down there will be no payments at all and the country will default for lack of employees that work to produce those payments at the US Treasury and otherwise.  Shutting down the government is not an option at any time.  Any time !!!

I thought a little Public Health might be in order.

Avian flu (click title to entry - thank you) refers to influenza viruses found in birds. The risk from avian flu is generally low to most people. However, confirmed cases of human infection from an avian influenza virus called H5N1 have been reported since 1997. Scientists are concerned that H5N1 virus may one day be able to infect humans and spread easily from one person to another.


There seems to be a considerable amount of work that has been done in the area of Avian Flu since it became know a few years ago.  It was important to put it here.




Health reporter Jordanna Schriever
From:  The Advertiser
July 12, 2011 12:00AM

A new vaccine for bird flu will be tested on infants as young as six months old. Source: AdelaideNow
A VACCINE for bird flu will begin trials today in infants as young as six months old.
Avian influenza is tipped to cause the next flu pandemic .

A seven-month-old will be the first baby in SA to be injected with the vaccine, which has already been trialled in older children.

Associate Professor Helen Marshall, the director of the Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit at the Women's and Children's Hospital, said she expected to gain ground in preventing deaths among children should an outbreak of avian influenza - also known as H5N1 - occur.

"This particular influenza strain tends to be a strain that causes severe disease ... in the cases that have occurred in Asia there was about a 50 per cent fatality rate for those infected," Associate Professor Marshall said....

When a virus becomes resistant it means it is mutating.  A virus replicates very fast and allows generations of mutation to occur quickly.  A resistant Avian Flu is not a good thing.

Bird flu virus (click here for India link) develops resistance to key drug



Sravani Sarkar, Hindustan Times
Bhopal, July 12, 2011



One of the two available medicines for bird flu in the country may soon be redundant. The virus that caused the outbreak in certain pockets of West Bengal last year has been found to be resistant to Amantadine. Amantadine and Tamiflu are the two drugs available in India to treat humans who contract bird flu.
One of the two available medicines for bird flu in the country
If the avian influenza virus, H5N1, grows entirely resistant to Amantadine, another drug will have to be developed soon, which is an expensive and time-consuming proposition.
The detection was made recently at the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory (HSADL) in Bhopal.
Joint director in-charge of HSADL, Dr SC Dubey told HT: “We tested virus samples and found genomic alterations in about ten batches. They show resistance to the drug. This is a first for the country.”
Amantadine resistance has been detected in China, Vietnam and Thailand. The scientists are however, relieved the Amantadine resistant virus batches are still resistant to Tamiflu.

OH governor vetoes lake lowering law





The quote from the Ohio Governor, John Kasich is, "Business needs to come out and simply state to the governments that they have had enough."

Really?

Well, if that was the case then let's hope the Ohio Legislature realizes its folly and prevents injunctions and litigation costs for the people of Ohio when they try to override this veto.  

Plutocrats were bound to try this and take away the Great Lakes as necessary bodies of water that control climate in the region.  This only speaks to more and more disrespect by Republicans of the citizens and their right to a safe climate.  If the Great Lakes are drained for the purposes of business the drought won't be contained on the Eastern Seaboard of the USA, the south and Southern California.  The Great Lake States will find themselves in a climate disaster when that happens.

The Great Lakes is NOT a natural resouirce like timber or coal or oil, it is a precious part of the REGIONS climate.  The Great Lakes cannot be tampered with OR sold for purposes of business.  Absolutely not !!!

The lack of snow into New York State alone would begin a drought that would effect agriculture, watersheds, and temperatures. The idea is idiotic and outrageous !  

Ohio governor faces pressure to veto water bill  (click title to entry - thank you)

Factories seek to get more from Lake Erie

Jul 15, 2011
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio Gov. John Kasich faced growing pressure from Michigan and New York on Thursday to veto a bill that would allow Ohio factories to pull more water out of Lake Erie.
The proposal, intended to align the state with the Great LakesCompact, cleared the Republican-led state Legislature last month over the objections of two former Ohio governors and a former state natural resources director. Newspapers across the state also have urged a veto.
"There is potential legal action" ahead between the states if the Ohio bill becomes law, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday. "We don't want to get involved in a dispute with another state if we can avoid it, and we're going to have conversations because it is a situation that causes us concern."

Trailer - Himalayan Meltdown.. The Trailer speaks for itself. When the Himalayas melt it gets wet all over.

Overall, the USA drought continues to be profound.



















It is spreading somewhat.  North on the Eastern Seaboard to Pennsylvania.  When a drought spreads this far in a couple of weeks it is rather atypical.  Drought is an emergency which has developed over time, so this began at least ten years ago and I am confident rainfall records reflect that.  There is no reason not to be prepared for drought.  It is not a surprise by any means.


The fire incidents in the country number only a few, so, citizens are paying attention to this emergency and parks are closing to camp fires appropriately.


Alaska seems to be slightly better this week and Hawaii with the same intensity, but, a little larger in area.  Texas is growing in intensity and the Gulf Coast seems static this week.  Florida's southern region is less impacted, probably from rain that may have 'happened' there due to the first hurricane that made landfall in Mexico.

No one talks about hurricanes anymore? Climate Change is a global event, global tragedy over time as is drought.

July 17, 2011
0030:15z
UNISYS North and West Hemisphere Water Vapor Satellite (click title to entry for loop - thank you)

There have been two hurricanes in the Atlantic so far this season.  It was a Tropical Storm with a maximum of 55 mph winds and made landfall in Central Mexico.  It doesn't matter if it was 'just' a Tropical Storm, the cities and villages in the area are very susceptible to severe outcomes.

The second hurricane is "Bret."  Bret is interesting because while starting as a Tropical Depression in less than six hours it achieved Tropical Storm status currently with 35 mph winds west of Florida.


The central pressure of Bret went from 1010 to 1009 in six hours.  Bret deserves attention.

I think I'll include some quotes tonight.

I'll start with Senator Jim DeMint whom stated about the "Debt Ceiling" and its pending default status:


"...There may be some items delayed or shelved, but, there will be no default...."






?????????????????


If payments of indebtedness are not carried through that IS default.  Somehow Senator DeMint has no real grasp regarding 'promptness' and 'brevity' of the USA economy's inability to pay the bills.


Senator DeMint attempted to diminish the brevity of the August 2nd deadline.  He hardly can be considered competent or responsible.


He and those like him have no respect for this country, it's esteem or it's President.

This is a coup killing of a drug kingpin. There is dearly little that can be done when a country has become this corrupt.

How different is Aghanistan from the days in the USA of Al Capone?  When corruption is the law of the land this is the result.

When these issues present themselves in Afghanistan I remembered the helicopter pilot that killed our service men.  How much of that was in response to a pending mission to the home of bin Laden?  Was it a result of diseased poppy fields?  There is just no understanding what is going to happen next in a country where they live by the gun.

Ahmed Wali Karzai, brother of Hamid Karzai, has been shot dead in Afghanistan. Photograph: Humayoun Shiab/EPA

..."Ahmed Wali Karzai (click title to entry - thank you) was killed at about 11.30am. He was killed by his bodyguard inside his house," said General Abdul Razaq. Razaq said an investigation into the assassination was under way....


Evidently, President Karzai's brother was giving information to NATO operations regarding troubled areas of the country when they refused to be under the power of Ahmed Wali Karzai.  This was going to happen sooner or later.  My guess is that villages falling out of favor with Ahmed saw the subsequent attacks as revenge for their disobedience.  There is too much 'mischief' in the country to begin to heal Afghanistan.  The NATO operations should not have accepted information from Ahmed.  They need to have their own intelligence and recon.  


We don't belong in Afghanistan.  


Now that Osama bin Laden has been buried as sea, we will never belong there again.

Rebekah Brooks Arrested By Operation Weeting & Operation Elveden Police ...



I don't know how Murdoch can escape the law if his right hand woman was arrested on charges of hacking which appears to be a company 'nod' to the tactic.

The USA has its investigation to conduct and I don't see that waiting for the UK to finalize their investigation has anything to do with use, except, shared information where it involves the USA from UK offices.

Murdoch. Wow. The corporate culture isn't healthy.

News Corp shares tumble in New York as Murdoch crisis spreads to the U.S. (click title to entry - thank you)

By This Is Money Reporters
Last updated at 4:11 PM on 11th July 2011

...Mr Murdoch now faces an uphill task in getting the deal  - to buy the 61 per cent of BSkyB News Corp does not already own - past UK regulators and the Government....
I would hope so.  The Brits are better off protecting "Sky News" from developing the same bad habits and contribute to social scandal and unemployment when it closes. 

168 years.  That is unheard of.  To have a scandal shutter the doors of a news paper that reported information about the British Luxury Liner Titanic.  At least the archives are worth something.  The depth this culture lives within the vast media and political giant "NewsCorp" must be extentive for Murdoch to take this drastic a measure.

I always wondered why Murdoch became a USA citizen.  He didn't have to in order to enjoy his wealth and fame.  Then with this scandal I realized, in the USA a journalist is protected from being Guilty until proven innocent.  Presumed innocense in the USA has got to have been a venue for freedom Murdoch longer for when and if his media circus was hitting rough times in the UK. 

Ever wonder why people that love Murdoch's media always assume 'Guilt' until proven innocent.  Prime example is the President's Birth Certificate.  That 'mind set' is a clear departure from the CULTURE of Americans.  Is powerful in a democracy that bases its law on Innocent until proven guilty.  It is powerful for citizens of the USA to believe they know the guilt of politicians that are completely innocent of the suspicions and demands for proof of innocense.  What a paradigm shift that is.  Personal power by a media that mastered it and of course the guilty always, always lie. 


I made this entry a few days ago and Murdoch has recovered the price of News Corps stock himself.  A lawsuit based in nepotism was the cause.  

The Tea Party has replaced the Republican Party.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and her husband Marcus Bachmann recite the Pledge of Alligence, prior to her announcing her candidacy for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination at the historic Snowden House June 27, 2011, Waterloo, Iowa.

Representative Bachmann's popularity in Iowa in the face of blatant rasicm is a sad statement for this country.  It is difficult to believe racism to the extent 'The Family Leader" considers it important is even tolerated at all anymore.  But, for as outrageous as all that is, it doesn't stop there.  Homophobia is still rampant in the face of changes of military standards and enactment of gay marriage in places like New York State.  It was achieved in New York State through bipartisan efforts. 
I was hoping the GOP would see the wisdom in searching for a candidate such as John Huntsman over any extremist candidate as the future of the Republican Party.  I guess not.

The very old fringe are finding joy in their renaissance and believe they are the future rather than the past.
The Speaker of the US House and his side kick, Chester Cantor are not at all interested in the country so much as being talking heads to their extremist and wealthy fringe.  I suppose Democrats are suppose to be alarmed and upset given the extremist element supposedly on the President.  Not.  I think Democrats have become numb with the regular assualt of the Right Wing Idiots.  It is like, "What else is new?"

This was an actual reply to a news article by ABC News about the homophobic Bachmann clinic.

Ahhhhh yes, the investigation (click here) of a Conservative Republican by a left wing news organization. No such investigation of Barrack Hussein Obama. We still have no proof he ever went to college. No records. No transcripts. Not one single person who noticed a black man named Barry Soetoro in their class and law school. No friends from any college or university has ever stepped forward....

Really?

Where to begin...

...in many ways the United States of America has become sad. 

Maybe begin at the end of the story.

It's Sunday Night


Posted by Picasa

Treasury Secretary Geithner stated those words in respect to the National Debt...

...and the need for raising the debt ceiling.  He stated that in the past there have been missed opportunities to reverse the trend in increasing debt.


Those words need to be heard by those that allowed "The Free Enterprise System" create a 'bubble' out of the American Dream.


It should not...NO...will not happen again !!!!!

"Missed Opportunity" by Hall and Oats - Music by Daryl Hall and Lyrics by Sara Allen, John Oates and Daryl Hall

Keep on missing each other
Our world's out of order
All I see is Missed Opportunity

Will we ever learn
In trouble where will we turn
And when you're losing the fight
Who's your white knight gonna be
Feel you drift away
(oh baby) You don't hear what I'm sayin'
We had a chance to stay together
Ooh forever
But we got lost in the dream

Keep on missing each other
Our world's out of order
All I see is Missed Opportunity

Talk but never show
You're holding back
Words lack meaning that's all
Things you say ricochet
Miss by a mile
The words don't work for me
Ooh who understands.
Why the world's nasty girl
When we re doin' the best we can
Even tho we're walking a wire
Where there's hope there's desire
Calling you back to your white knight

I apologize, I let my backbone slip too much this evening.

The song title was inspired by Secretary Geithner.


I don't know if he would like it, but, the words fit the occassion.

Ever hear of treason?


I am fairly convicted by the statements and rhetoric of the Tea Baggers that one of the agendas is to overthrow the federal government.  Above is the Chief "Drip" of the Tea Bagger Movement.  I am confident he believes he should be President South Carolina.  I don't believe Lindsay Graham has taken the 'idea' of these extremist Republicans that far, but, when one really listens and begins to understand the montra of these people; they would like to abolish many of the Amendments to the USA Constitution.  There is sincerely only one way to do that and that is dilute the federal authority as much as possible and empower the States with greater authority than the federal government.

We have seen the movement of meaningless legislation at State level against unions and the like that once approached by the federal government fall under fire and reversal through laws already on the books.  These folks abhor the federal authority of the USA.  They don't mind having the largest military in the world, over the capacity the USA sincerely needs for protection of its sovereignty, i;e. Iraq and placing priorities on Wall Street commodities that they call "USA Interests."

The Tea Bagger Movement is not a benevolent group of people.   They are revisionists of everything that does not please the profit margins of their cronies.  I am sincerely surprised the Republicans have allowed themselves to be taken hostage by extremists.  No one has backbone any more in the GOP?

President Obama has done all he can or should do.  This is a legislative problem that requires responsible people to send a bill for signature to the Executive Branch.  A bill that the President will sign.  

The Tea Baggers are the tail waging the dog.  They are horrible and DeMint is horrible for abiding by their rhetoric as if it is going to help the country.  All DeMint is hoping to do is acquire enough power in the 2012 election to turn the corner on a radical agenda.  Nothing more and certainly nothing less.  They are treasonists in the purest sense of the word.  I hope I'm wrong.  I sincerely hope I am wrong, but, they aren't even willing to abide by the Bill of Rights as it exists today without seeking to destroy the work of previous legislators.  Wow.  

If the potential is not examined, it will be realized when it is too late !

The President is wasting his time with these people.  He needs to prepare for default.