Wednesday, June 26, 2013

There goes any improvement in trade relations.

June 25, 2013 - 6:49pm 
by Bob Moritz  
LITTLE ROCK — Three countries (click here) have stopped importing poultry from Arkansas because of an outbreak of avian flu in one commercial chicken house in Scott County, a possible blow to the state’s economy, a state agriculture official told lawmakers Tuesday.
Livestock and Poultry Commission Director Preston Scroggin said the outbreak of avian flu, discovered June 16 on a farm in the Boles Community, was contained to one chicken house and testing of all poultry within a 6.2 mile radius has been negative.
Scroggin said he hoped the three countries — China, Japan and Russia — will resume importing Arkansas poultry soon after a quarantine of all poultry within the affected area has been lifted, within about 90 days.... 
June 25, 2013   
CHINA - Researchers in Nanjing are reporting work showing how to improve immunisation of ducks with inactivated H9N2 virus vaccine. (click here) As natural reservoirs of avian influenza viruses, waterfowl play an important role in the generation, spread and enzootic transmission of avian influenza, report Haihong Kang and colleagues at Nanjing Agricultural University in the journal, Poultry Science.
To prevent avian influenza in waterfowl through a simple, non-invasive and needle-free route, they immunised ducks orally with an inactivated avian influenza virus (H9N2; IAIV) combined with CpG DNA and high-dose glucose. They then investigated the local and systemic immune responses of the ducks. In addition, immune protection was assayed after viral challenge.... 

Infectious? Who? Me?

By Jason Koebler
...In the event (click here) of a pandemic outbreak of bird flu or the new MERS virus, public officials might want to look at quarantining children and teachers first—a new study has found that young people and school teachers are prime candidates to spread infection, due to the amount of "social contact" they have each day. 
Anyone who has watched chicken pox spread through a classroom may think the study's findings are just common sense, but tracking disease as it moves through a population has been tough, especially with highly contagious, airborne infections like the flu.
The study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, tracked the social interactions of about 5,000 British people. It found that average person had about 26 hours of contact with other people per day (when someone was in close contact with multiple people at once, the time with each person was counted). But some groups had much more contact than the average person, including children (47 hours), health workers (33 hours), people in the service industry (33 hours), and teachers (32 hours). 
"There was a big hole in our knowledge about how people interact," Leon Danon, of the University of Warwick and lead author of the study, said. "We had to make a lot of assumptions about patterns of interactions and their networks that might facilitate infectious disease transmission. Now we've got a general overview about what social patterns are like."...

How did Avian Flu get to the USA?

June 25, 2013
By Malcolm Glover

...Though experts (click here) with the state’s Livestock and Poultry Commission say the outbreak was isolated to one farm, Dustan Clark, a veterinarian with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, says farmers must take appropriate precautions to prevent the spread of diseases. 
"An avian influenza outbreak can potentially lead to financial and flock losses for poultry producers and owners," Clark said. "Flock owners must do all they can to spot these illnesses and ultimately promote the basic hygiene and sanitation practices necessary to end them."
The H7N7 low-pathogen avian flu was found on a farm in western Arkansas that supplies birds to Tyson Foods, Inc. In a flock of 9,000; testing found about eight birds had the flu....
The previous avian flue H5N1, killed about 70 percent of the people it infects. H7N7 kills about a third of it's victims.
June 26, 2013
...More than a third of patients (click here) infected with a new strain of bird flu died after being admitted to the hospital earlier this year, Chinese researchers report in a new study.
Since the new H7N9 bird flu first broke out in China in late March, the strain has sickened more than 130 people and killed 37. The World Health Organization has previously described H7N9 as "one of the most lethal influenza viruses" it has ever seen and said it appeared to spread faster than the last bird flu strain, H5N1, that threatened to unleash a pandemic....

Senators Bernie Sanders and Michael Bennet both spoke on the Senate floor today.

They made two statements that intrigued me a great deal.

Senator Sanders stated the cost of a college education in the USA has tripled since 2004.

Senator Bennet made a temporal observation when he noted, the USA was first in college educated people in 2000. 

2000 was the millennial.

I have to wonder what happened between 2000 and today and from 2004 to today to accomplish such devastating results to our young people. Then considering on top of all that they are unemployed at graduation. And to realize their debts are high means they do not contribute to the economy in a real way while being unable to purchase homes. This is serious problem and it is about to get worse with the student loan interest because the interest rate is doubling as of July 1, 2013.

June 24, 2013
On Monday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), (click here) demanded that Ed DeMarco, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), justify why his government agency is supporting the super-high-interest rate private students loans that are drowning many Americans in debt.

For the past few years, one of the Federal Home Loan Banks that DeMarco's agency oversees has been funding Sallie Mae, the largest provider of private student loans in the country. Warren wants DeMarco to explain why...

Federal Home Loan Banks (click here)

Senator Bennet is correct. The number of graduated Bachelor Degrees in 2000 were 15.5. percent (click here), then in 2010 it was 19.4 percent (click here). While that seems a real improvement in college degree performance, one has to remember Bachelor degrees are often the beginning of an advanced education. That is only a growth of 3.9 percent. What is not reported here is the competition and the increase globally of the Bachelor degrees.

What this is coming down to is that the USA is STAGNANT in the growth of our advanced educated citizens. If China proves anything, it proves they are winning on expertise within their sovereign borders.

This is a study by UC, Berkley (click here)

In 1978, there were only 405 higher learning institutions in China, including three-year vocational training colleges. By 2006, there were already 1867 public universities and colleges, with 444 public adult higherlearning institutions as well. System diversification also provides the possibility for highschool students to get a tertiary education in the private sector. Now in China, there are278 private (Minban in Chinese) colleges and universities which have already beencertified by the Ministry of Education, with 994 more institutions which are ready forcertification, and 318 independent colleges that have some kind of affiliation with public universities. Now, China has 3901 higher learning institutions with a gross enrollmentrate of 22%. The total number of students is 23 million, making the higher educationsystem one of the largest in the world.

The stark reality is what follows after the Undergraduate Degree in the USA. 

The advanced degrees in the USA were about 8.9%. In 2010, it was 10.5%. That is an increase of 1.6 percent. When one compares where the USA is to China we are definitely behind in education of our citizens.

This is the real shocker. From a USA historical perspective we have really fallen off our performance levels.

To the right are Bachelor and advanced degrees. Below are Bachelor degrees.

 

 


         
Where these statistics get a little too odd is to relieve that a Bachelor's degree in 1990 does not get the same pay grade as in 2013.

This is the report where these graphs and statistics are found (click here) "120 years of American Education: A statistical portrait."

They not only don't get the same pay grade, they are more expensive to achieve.

I have to agree there is a lot wrong. It was "Apple" that once stated it would be difficult to bring manufacturing to the USA because we lacked enough engineers for their needs.

These Senators are correct. We need to look at all the parameters effecting the future of the USA. There are programs like that of NASA to reach into deep space. The USA has to have the brain trust to carry those programs to completion.

Additionally, the idea expensive education will result in the kind of brain trust we need is wrong. The PhD grads in China don't pay a dime. The Congress needs to do something. The rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer in the USA. It is all backwards and we have to stop wagering our children's futures.
Senator Patricia Murray is answering the complaint by Senator Sessions today. 

Senator Sessions is deeply worried about the reassessment of the First Quarter GDP. Senator Sessions is deeply worried about the sluggish 2% growth of the USA last year.

WASHINGTON | Sat Mar 23, 2013 7:50pm EDT
The budget plan (click here) passed 50-49 at about 5 a.m. after a marathon voting session in the Democratic-controlled chamber. Four Democratic senators facing tough re-election campaigns in 2014 joined all the Senate Republicans in opposing the measure, which seeks to raise nearly $1 trillion in new tax revenues by closing some tax breaks for the wealthy....

Senator Cruz objects to Budget Conference with House demanding a 60 vote threshold for raising the debt limit. Was the debt level addressed in the Senate bill? Then Patricia's amendment to the bill should accept Senator Cruz objection into the amendment to be addressed at Budget Conference. Basically, note his objection and move forward. 

The Conference needs a simple majority which was accomplished in March, so there is no reason to not allow Cruz his complaint.

However, while Senator Murray's amendment will begin to heal the country from The Sequester, it is likely Senator Cruz will cause a working sequester with objection to the Debt Limit. I don't think we are close to the debt ceiling yet, right?
 
Senator Dan Coats is very wrong about his reasons to vote against the Immigration Reform Bill. He bases his decision on the idea that American people need to have trust put back to their understanding of government. That is rhetoric. Just because the American people don't have a good opinion of Congress, doesn't mean it is a trust issue. That is not the case.

The reason the American people have lost faith/trust in their government is because it is chronically stalemated and does not solve the problems of the country. That's why Americans are more than disappointed or lacking trust or disillusioned or have lost faith. The federal Congress can't get anything done. That is the reason, it has nothing to with anything else.

Trust is a non sequitur. Trust is guaranteed to the people of this country by the oath a Congressperson takes. The issue of trust is pandering rhetoric and nothing else. Getting the work done is the problem. So, while Senator Coats has made a very pandering and solicitous opening statement to defeat the bill it has no place in THE TRUTH and does not draw a logical conclusion. 

WORK. Getting the work of the nation done is the problem. Trust has nothing to do with it. Basically, Senator Coats is not earning his salary. Senator Coats has yet to enter any sincere opposition to the Immigration Reform Bill. He made a campaign speech and did not address why this bill is adverse to the future sovereignty of our nation.

It is the responsibility of the USA to uphold it's sovereign rights. If 11 million people have come here because of failed foreign policy to make an ally, namely Mexico, a country of quality of life while American companies have used cheap labor to benefit their profits, that is a problem. The USA has allowed a great deal of people into this nation to undermine it's own labor force. It has gone on for decades, at least over 25 years since the last immigration bill.

Eleven million people have been accepted into the borders of this country. They belong here now and it is the problem of the USA to return sovereign power over those 11 million people. Not just police actions that are woefully inadequate in containing the influence of these people, but, sovereign action to bring these people into the fold of the American populous. They will pledge to this country and not look to a foreign homeland as a place of loyalty.

This Immigration Reform Bill has to do that, if it doesn't do that there is no sense to it. This Immigration Reform Bill BETTER return our sovereign authority in regard to these people or there will plenty of Congresspersons looked at very strangely by their constituency after this mess.

McConnell's 60 vote majority is proving to be a joke. He can't even get 31 votes yet alone 41.

All the great liberators of the people voted no today in opposition to the Border Security measure of Immigration Reform Bill.

People like McConnell, Grassley, Barrasso, Cruz and all the greats.

The amendment passed with 68 yes votes, 30 no votes and 2 not voting. 

These Republicans are really sad, they can't even vote yes for Republican amendments.

The Defense of Marriage Act was in defiance of The Equal Protection Clause of the USA Constitution.

Any State law or amendment based in the Defense of Marriage Act can now be struck down, that includes North Carolina based in The Equal Protection Clause. Any activities of any states based on these laws can now be challenged and reversed.

This decision was based on a Canadian marriage license and procedure. Marriage is not a constitutional activity. 

This is still yet another example of how state politics, as they exist in North Carolina, exhibits nothing constitutional. The rights of the people in North Carolina are decided by the federal appeals system and the Supreme Court. North Carolina does not govern according to the USA Constitution, they govern according to their bibles. That is Anti-American. 

If the Red States and the Republican Party wants to know why they don't do well in federal elections; it has nothing to do with massaging the Centrists, it has everything to do with governing within the parameters of the USA Constitution as it exists in a modern day America. 

While the Pilgrims are interesting for children to study in the history of the USA, let's face it The Mayflower wasn't floating when The Boston Tea Party occurred. 

Proposition 8 has no standing in the federal justice system.

Proposition 8 is superceded by The Equal Protection Clause. Proposition 8 is struck down.

Throwing money and religious guilt might work at the ballot box, but, it doesn't stand when it defies the USA Constitution. 

The verbiage "Same Sex Marriage" is now antiquated. The law of the land in the USA is "Marriage." All marriages in California have to be honored and extended to all persons seeking marriage.

The Summer Solstice brought turbulence

High winds uprooted a tree (click here) that fell onto a car in the Uptown area at 25th St. and Aldrich Ave. S., Friday, June 21, 2013 in Minneapolis. Another round of heavy rain and high winds swept into the Twin Cities Friday night, less than 24 hours after damaging winds and heavy rain uprooted trees and knocked out power to more than 157,000 Xcel Energy customers. (AP Photo/The Star Tribune, David Joles)

June 21, 2013
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Several homes were damaged (click here) and an entire county was without power Friday after a fast-moving line of strong storms moved through northeast South Dakota, bringing several tornadoes and golf-ball-sized hail.

The National Weather Service said tornadoes touched down in Clark, Hamlin, Spink and Kingsbury counties.
Hamlin County Sheriff Chad Schlotterbeck said the whole county was without power Friday evening, and the fire department was going door to door to assess the extent of damage.
"We've got homes destroyed," Schlotterbeck said. "We've got trees down."
Jim Scarlett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Aberdeen, said the damage in Hamlin County appears to have been caused by a tornado, but the office was still assessing the result of the storm system...

Climate

Tornadoes Not Motorist-Friendly, Says Mo. Fire Chief (click here) 

Jack Miles 
The Daily Star-Journal, 
Warrensburg, Mo.Created:  

Warrensburg's fire chief told the city council that vehicles and tornadoes do not mix. He said being in a car during a tornado would be like being a football in a game....
... During a discussion about emergency management recommendations, Councilman Baird Brock asked about people getting into their vehicles prior to a tornado. He asked because a Moore, Okla., TV meteorologist told his audience to get into their vehicles and flee an approaching tornado that later caused 24 deaths and widespread damage to Moore. KFOR meteorologist Mike Morgan took heat after the report due to giving unsound safety advice that resulted in traffic jams.
Johnston said getting into a vehicle when a tornado approaches would be like being being the football on game day, with a tornado able to kick the ball around. If that happens, seat belts and air bags will provide no help, he said.
Emergency personnel never should tell somebody to get into a vehicle when a tornado is near, he said....

It is difficult to pay for housing and a mortgage at the same time.

June 25, 2013
From Staff Reports 
Foreclosure auctions fell sharply in May (click here) after three months of increases probably because of a moratorium on foreclosures following the May tornadoes, according to Irvine, Calif.-based property data firm RealtyTrac.
Foreclosure auctions were down 47 percent from April and down 26 percent from a year ago in May, the firm reported.
Foreclosure starts were down 30 percent year-over-year in May, but bank repossessions were up 52 percent, the third straight month with an annual increase, the firm said.
RealtyTrac's Oklahoma Foreclosure Market Report showed foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 1,123 Oklahoma properties in May, a decrease of 11 percent from April and down 13 percent from May 2012.... 

With the arrival of "trained spotters" on the job this quickly, the credentialing must have been in the works. The National Weather Service probably has a policy about whom reports to them and whom does not. They probably have had that policy for some time. People have to be trained to their standards.

NWS reports multiple tornadoes with Monday’s storms (click here) 
 
by Shellie Nelson
updated on: 01:17pm, June 25, 2013
The National Weather Service is assessing damage from multiple tornadoes sighted with storms that moved through our area Monday, June 24, 2013.
The Muscatine, Iowa Emergency Manager reported tornado damage on the north side of Muscatine near Highway 61.  Multiple semis and other vehicles were overturned, and buildings were damaged.   The damage is believed to be from a tornado spotted by local law enforcement there just before 3:30 p.m.
A National Weather Service storm survey assessed a reported tornado four miles northeast of Atkinson in Henry County, Illinois.  The tornado is reported to have been 50 yards wide and followed a path of about four miles on the ground just after 4 p.m.  A pole barn was reportedly destroyed, numerous trees were down and tin was reportedly wrapped around the tops of trees along the tornado path.  Closer to Atkinson, a trained spotter reported a 70 miles-per-hour wind gust with the same storm.

A trained spotter reported a tornado just after 4:30 p.m. near Walton, Illinois in Lee County.  Several grain bins and the Walton elevator were reported damaged....

There stands a great American.



Million - Billionaire Neil Bush that made is claim to fame in China with prostitutes; is now seeking volunteers worth far, far less in financial stature than he; to carry out the work of Million-Billion Dollar Wall Street firms.

Does Neil Bush know the USA court system has ruled on unpaid internships? Because as of now, this is not possible without those folks getting a salary.

It is that time of year. College folks are out for the summer and Neil Bush arrives to harvest his share for free labor in the name of a good reputation and good will.

"Snowden broke the oath!"

No clue. 

He should not have been given 'The Oath' in the first place !

That is the problem. The problem belongs to Carlyle. Our nation is not safe in the hands of Carlyle and Booz-Allen. Just that simple.

Oaths are very funny things. In the case of Mr. Snowden, he had to make all kinds of promises to get the job he had. And who would not want it. The pay rate was astronomical compared to his other options. But, once he got into the job and realized he knew what he knew being who he was his concern for his country took over. He is more than right to do what he did. I wish him well. Now, as for Congress, I'm not so sure.

Secretary Kerry needs to stop his own hubris. Mr. Snowden was never qualified for the access he had. He was overwhelmed with what he knew.

There is many more reasons to get along with Russia and get along well; than wrongfully chasing a low level employee from Carlyle. Mr. Snowden is not the problem.

Russia and the U.S. (click here) have no extradition treaty that would require Russia to hand Snowden over to U.S. authorities, but U.S. officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry, have warned that any assistance given to Snowden by the Russian side would be severely damaging to Russia-U.S. Relations. 

Nevertheless, Putin said Tuesday that Russia had no intention of giving Snowden up, that the fugitive had never received any sort of assistance from Russian security services and that he was "a free man, the sooner he picks a final destination, the better it is both for us and for him," Kommersant reported.... 

Carlyle and many other PRIVATE CONTRACTORS have really lousy policies about protecting this country. That is where the focus belongs, not on Snowden. Carlyle's policies need to be scrutinized and held responsible for this 'yet again' breach in national security episode.

Russia doesn't extradite. We have been down this road before. There is a lot of important work to do on Syria and Non-proliferation. This stupidity exhibited over the NSA leaking is hideous and a waste of time.

The NSA problem is not one that now belongs to the Executive Branch. The Legislative Branch needs to exert better oversight and within that is failure to protect the USA.

Now, Congress needs to hold hearings with all USA Contractors, especially those that deal with Wall Street equities, investment banking and securities. This is not Russia's problem. 

It seems a little to obvious Congress is not doing a good job when it comes to policing the companies that call themselves Private Contractors. We have witnessed enormous abuse of the generosity of the USA government during the Iraq war. Basically, I see this as a continuance of those very loose and irreverent policies.

I fully expect hearings starring at the top of the list the Officers of Carlyle.

Congress needs to get on with it!

I told you there are brave and wonderful women in Texas.

June 26, 2013
Kristie Lu Stout

In the U.S. state of Texas, (click here) Democratic Senator Wendy Davis stood and spoke for 10 hours against a controversial abortion bill.

Now matter where you stand in the debate, this woman is showing incredible willpower and leadership.

Bravo.


Time to prepare for the next session. There is no rest for real warriors.

Congratulations.