Sunday, October 05, 2014

The US House holds session to accommodate their agenda, not that of the American people. That is all they have ever done.

You know what I can't believe? I can't believe Democrats aren't winning by a landslide.

Why?

Because the Republicans are afraid of their electorate. Either than or they are completely out of touch with reality.

They left Washington DC ASAP to avoid controversy. 

Did the Republicans make sure the country was okay? I mean President Obama never had to go out on a limb for any problem the USA faced, right? It is called negligence on the part of Congress. They can't decide to simply abandon their jobs because they are scared of losing an election, but, they did. 

There should be no doubt now the Republicans are not interested in governing, they are interested in money and plutocracy, not democracy. They hand over their votes and legislative agenda to their financial backers and the Democrats aren't registering poll numbers to match? Makes no sense to me.

The USA doesn't need a Congress anymore. You know all those jobs that are going to be open because of the strain taken off the people of the USA due to Obamacare? The Republicans aren't even worried about filling those jobs with Undocumented Workers. Not even interested in the young people this country has invested in to fill those jobs when they open up. 

Well, Rick Snyder is hoping all those jobs are in Michigan and go to foreign investors that want to becomes citizens by bringing a half a million gold brick with them. It is anyone's guess if those 10 people working for the new Visa holders will even be citizens. Snyder states it has to be citizens already in the state, but, where is the teeth to prove it? 

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a smashing hit. It is reaching Platinum in it's sales and that is never mentioned anywhere. The Health Care Insurance companies should be thanking the Democrats and rallying to their side for as many more policies they are selling AND costs are coming down.

Any reform will never occur if Congress is not in session. People don't care about the lack of work ethic existing this election season? Voters work harder today to earn their way in life (that is especially true in the southern red states) and they consent to the lack of work ethic by Congress. Really?

Did Congresses poor work ethic come up in Sunday Talk Shows today? The media can't possibly be worried about the country and Democrats being elected, now can they?

American soldiers are dying, but, there is no real work ethnic necessary for Congress? Everything is under control as it should be, right?

So, I kind of see it this way. If Democrats are on vacation from their jobs in Washington, DC; why should I be? Quite frankly, that fact alone should be defeating every Republican out there, even in the US House.

Now.

What's playing in the movies tonight?
This is a river valley before and after a volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Phillipines. 

The difference this time is there is an entire hurricane that will move the dust further than it is now. 

Dust can cause problems in that it can trap air bubbles within the mudslide. Walking over a lahar after it has been rained on is not the best idea in the world. 

Think sinkhole. That might put it into context.

There probably is not much research on a lahar after a hurricane. It doesn't happen very often. But, at least Japan now has a novel place for their geologists to explore in the future. 

My sincere sympathies for the families, friends and government of Japan that lost so many. Developing a method to safely explore the area after a time might even prove respectful of the families and might fulfill their wishes.

Get out of there and stay out of there. The mudslides will remain unstable after they stop.

Any suspended dust will also become mud.

Photographs taken by hikers (click here) in the moments before Mount Ontake volcano erupted in Japan last month have been made public by the victims’ families. More than 50 people died in the unexpected eruption on Sept. 27 in the country's deadliest volcanic eruption since World War II....

I have no doubt the USA wants to save lives when tragedy strikes, but, they have to live to do it.






Date: 28 SEP-05 OCT 2014
Super Typhoon-4 PHANFONE ADV LAT LON TIME WIND PR STAT
1  12.40  153.30 09/28/18Z   25     - TROPICAL DEPRESSION
2  12.50  152.20 09/29/00Z   35     - TROPICAL STORM
3  13.20  151.00 09/29/06Z   35     - TROPICAL STORM
4  13.50  150.10 09/29/12Z   40     - TROPICAL STORM
5  14.10  149.50 09/29/18Z   45     - TROPICAL STORM
  6  15.40  148.30 09/30/00Z   45     - TROPICAL STORM
  7  16.60  147.20 09/30/06Z   40     - TROPICAL STORM
  8  16.90  145.50 09/30/12Z   45     - TROPICAL STORM
  9  16.90  144.40 09/30/18Z   50     - TROPICAL STORM
 10  16.70  143.60 10/01/00Z   65     - TYPHOON-1
 11  18.00  142.50 10/01/06Z   65     - TYPHOON-1
 12  19.00  141.40 10/01/12Z   70     - TYPHOON-1
 13  18.90  140.30 10/01/18Z   75     - TYPHOON-1
 14  19.50  139.00 10/02/00Z  105     - TYPHOON-3
 15  19.80  138.20 10/02/06Z  115     - TYPHOON-4
 16  20.60  137.40 10/02/12Z  110     - TYPHOON-3
 17  21.70  136.30 10/02/18Z  110     - TYPHOON-3
 18  22.20  135.60 10/03/00Z  110     - TYPHOON-3
 19  23.20  134.70 10/03/06Z  110     - TYPHOON-3
 20  24.00  134.00 10/03/12Z  105     - TYPHOON-3
 21  24.70  133.40 10/03/18Z  115     - TYPHOON-4
 22  25.60  132.80 10/04/00Z  130     - SUPER TYPHOON-4
 23  26.40  132.20 10/04/06Z  120     - TYPHOON-4
 24  27.30  131.70 10/04/12Z  110     - TYPHOON-3
 25  28.10  131.50 10/04/18Z  110     - TYPHOON-3
 26  28.90  131.40 10/05/00Z  100     - TYPHOON-3
 27  30.20  131.80 10/05/06Z   90     - TYPHOON-2
 28  31.30  133.20 10/05/12Z   90     - TYPHOON-2

October 3, 2014
NASA
Forecasts (click here) indicate that Japan can expect widespread rain as Typhoon Phanfone nears the nation over the weekend. TheModerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite acquired this natural-color view of the category 3 storm at 10:55 a.m. Japan Standard Time (01:55 Universal Time) on October 3, 2014.
Near the time of this image, maximum sustained winds were estimated at 204 kilometers (127 miles) per hour, according toUnisys Weather. At 12:12 p.m. Japan Standard Time (03:12 Universal Time) that day, maximum significant wave height was 13 meters (44 feet), according to the U.S. Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The typhoon was centered at 24.4° North latitude, 133.7° East longitude, about 1,370 kilometers (850 miles) south-southwest of Yokosuka, Japan.
According to a blog post by Weather Underground's Jeff Masters, the widespread rain is likely to cause flash floods and landslides in Japan. That's of particular concern to areas around Mt. Ontake, which erupted unexpectedly on September 27. Rainfall-triggered mudflows from Phanfone could complicate the search for victims of the eruption....
Get off the mountain and AWAY from it. There will be mudslides and that is guaranteed. There are probably estimates of the volume of lava and pyroclastic flow off the mountain. That is the biggest threat of this storm. It will mix with rains and respond to gravity.
It is an inland mountain so the movement of any mudslide won't make it to the sea, but, there are roads that need to be closed and towns to be aware of the emergency. The volcano spewed dust into the atmosphere so the rains might be more than anticipated. It is going to be a mess, count on it.
October 5, 2014
By Jon Erdman and Nick Witgen

One U.S. airman (click here) has been found dead and two others are missing after waves caused by Typhoon Phanfone swept them away in Okinawa, according to a U.S. military official. The typhoon is now headed toward Tokyo.  
"Three airmen were washed out to sea from the northwest coast of Okinawa," the U.S. Air Force at Kadena Air Base said at 3:45 p.m. local time Sunday. 

Typhoon Phanfone is lashing southern Japan with strong wind, high waves and torrential rain as millions brace for what looks tob e a direct impact...

Do medical researchers know the exact mechanisms of this virus? What happens to lymphocytes, bone marrow and spleens?

October 5, 2014
By ABC News Radio

(WORCESTER, Mass.) — Dr. Rick Sacra, (click here) a family physician from Massachusetts who survived Ebola, was readmitted to a hospital Saturday with what doctors said appears to be an upper respiratory infection.
UMass Memorial Medical Center physicians said they believe it is likely Sacra is not suffering a relapse of Ebola, but in the interest of safety they are isolating him until they have confirmation.
Sacra, 51, underwent treatment at the Nebraska Medical Center after contracting the deadly virus while treating patients in Liberia. He was released on Sept. 26....

The treatment of transfusions of engineered antibodies worked. How do the patients receiving the transfusions fair against survivors that did not receive the treatment?

Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) (click here) refer to a group of illnesses that are caused by several distinct families of viruses. In general, the term "viral hemorrhagic fever" is used to describe a severe multisystem syndrome (multisystem in that multiple organ systems in the body are affected). Characteristically, the overall vascular system is damaged, and the body's ability to regulate itself is impaired. These symptoms are often accompanied by hemorrhage (bleeding); however, the bleeding is itself rarely life-threatening. While some types of hemorrhagic fever viruses can cause relatively mild illnesses, many of these viruses cause severe, life-threatening disease.

These symptoms Dr. Sarca is exhibiting might not be so strange for the type of fever he fought.

What I am thinking is that survivors of Ebola actually didn't impair their immune system and/or blood system because it had to build in order to stop the virus. Receiving antibodies may have inhibited the complete recovery. The body didn't have to work as hard to survive.

There are also some rather nasty respiratory microbes these days as well.

Not regarding Ebola, but, the Enterovirus D68 was only found in four of the nine children experiencing paralysis. It reminds me of Guillain-Barre syndrome. There are studies that abound about Guillian-Barre syndrome stating the cause is everything from a virus to a vaccine (which is an attenuated virus). The entire medical history of the children need to be examined. D68 is obviously hitting neurological pathways, but, perhaps in some cases without manifesting the symptoms of the four that were very ill from it. There must have been complete differentiated cell counts of all nine children. I thought it might show a pattern. A visual microscopic examination would be helpful. Sed rates may be interesting, too.

Medical investigators aren't using people, including children, as guinea pigs so much as victims that may be able to end the success of microbe vs human immune response. It is necessary to have information to better understand the human response to disease. Red blood cells are relatively stable components to any human circulatory system. There are diseases such as Sickle Cell that distort the shapes and function of the blood cells. But, human white blood cells are very plastic. They are mostly predictable, however, they are also more susceptible to rising to the challenge in ending the microbe. Visual examination would reveal any novel response.

I found this particular security breach interesting.

October 3, 2014
By Suzanna Kim

...The theft of personal information, (click here) a security expert said, may have more troubling consequences than if credit card numbers had gotten stolen.
That's something to consider after JPMorgan Chase, the country's biggest bank when measured by assets, announced Thursday that names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of customers in 76 million households and 7 million businesses were compromised....

Why would anyone go to the trouble of breaking into Morgan's bank and then not take any money?

It was probably Russia. They were looking for demographic information, but, that type of information feeds many categories. China usually seeks to do permanent damage, but, this was different. What if a competitor actually wanted to solicit consumers to undermine Morgan's market share? What if Morgan represented a political class or subclass of people. There are many whom may have sought information from Morgan, but, all would be damaging to the USA economy and/or fiscal stability.
5 October 2014 
Last updated at 05:38 BST
As Ukraine prepares for parliamentary elections (click here) at the end of the month, a series of so-called "trash bucket challenges" are spreading across the country.
Activists, many from the far right, are throwing politicians whom they say are corrupt into rubbish bins.
Some of them have been brutal, and one official was also severely beaten. Critics have called the actions mob justice, and ask what this means for the rule of law in Ukraine in the future.
David Stern reports from Kiev.
I think Kiev has a unique passion for cleaning up government. I would imagine there are plenty of Russian Speaking People throwing money into the political campaigns in Ukraine. This is a good way of pointing to the problem and making an impression on voters. I like the tomato brigade. They should through the tomatoes directly at the lousy jerks.
I really think the polls changed recently because of independents and undecideds. Appeal to them, their sense of liberty. As a matter of fact, the Democrats are going to have to define liberty and not abandon it. The independents are realists. There are real dangers in our society that are muffled because of political rhetoric, but, they will vote after they have discerned what candidate walks the path with them. Many of these folks are Upper Middle Class. I would think President Obama can find the idea of liberty more important above any other. It is often the course of Democrats to protect 'liberty for all' and not just those that can afford it.

Let me make this suggestion. There are some young Libertarians that would seek to cut domestic programs and put money in their pocket, not for their own purpose but to fund an uncorrupted party in the future. They view their PRIORITIES as best because of the long ball, rather than shortest returns. They will vote for those 'principled' choices. Make no mistake these folks love their country. The Democrats need to prove to today's voter they have already been in the gate and are running without depriving the morals of 'liberty for all.'

President Obama has to use the word. He has to define liberty and constitutional content with every policy statement he makes. He can do this, I know he can. He is brilliant and has believed deeply in transparency regardless of the cost to him in popularity. Defining liberty and constitutional content in policies will bring about an awareness by the entire country, rather than a new form of underground railroad.

If I were a candidate for office today I'd want to lead the new political vision than have it develop in the shadows.

Under Republican leadership North Carolina has fallen to 48th among education.

May 22, 2013
By Bob Geary
...Education, (click here) including the UNC system and the community colleges, accounts for almost three-fifths of state spending, about $11.7 billion of a total state budget of $20.6 billion. The bulk of education spending, almost $8 billion, is for K–12 schools.
But if you only commit one number to memory, make it this one: North Carolina has dropped to 48th among the 50 states plus the District of Columbia in terms of our per-student support for K–12 public schools. That's right, according to the National Education Association, we were 45th last year, but we've slipped three places and now lead only Arizona, Utah and Texas.
We are behind South Carolina. Let me repeat that for those who think of South Carolina as the worst-case state for everything unless it's Mississippi—which we're behind as well. Our per-student support for K–12 schools has dropped below $8,500 a year, roughly $400 per student less than in South Carolina. It's $1,000 less than Mississippi....

You can't make this stuff up. The North Carolina is suppose to enhance the education spending of the state, not become it's sole source of funding.

economic progress depends on a well-educated population, and the state’s K-12 public education budget plays an essential role in building and maintaining a high-quality education pipeline. The new 2014 state budget, however, fails to provide adequate resources to meet this fundamental challenge. In fact, General Fund expenditures on public schools falls $117 million short of what was needed to maintain current service levels in public education.
Contrary to false claims that the new budget spends the most on public education in North Carolina history, inflation-adjusted total state spending on the K-12 system is still $562.5 million lower than it was six years ago in 2008—before the onset of the Great Recession and the influx of funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act....

US Senator Kay Hagan has been working hard to counter the deterioration of the State of North Carolina. From fighting for water quality, education and the quality of life for all North Carolinians, I've never seen a US Senator be so pivotal to helping the people. The Republicans in the state governor's office and legislature is destroying the state. 

August 1, 2014
By Hyun Namkoong

Last month, (click here) the only hospital in the sleepy town of Belhaven in eastern North Carolina closed its doors, prompting Belhaven Mayor Adam O'Neal to step out of party lines and call for an expansion of Medicaid in North Carolina. And then he took a lot more steps....

Democrats have to stop being on the defensive and bring their successful agenda to the people. The Old Conservative is now the most dangerous person in the USA next to terrorists. Considering the devastating effects of global warming, they might be worse than terrorists.

Coal technologies are dying and have been dying. No Republican rescued them.

In West Virginia the Republican US Senate Candidate is running on COAL. West Virginia has had among the worst outcomes to the coal industry.

January 10, 2014
Lewis County businesses (click here) are feeling the effects of the water contamination further south in West Virginia.
Although their water remains clean, BFS Foods in Weston is running short on supplies as those in the effected area travel in search of reinforcements. People from as far away as Charleston have come to the store to stock up.
"It's been crazy," said Bev West, the assistant manager of the store. "People have been getting three-to-four cases of water at a time."
The store had not run out of water as of earlier this afternoon, but West was ordering more just to be safe.
"We've just had people calling in to see how much water we've had so they can stop by and purchase water," West said. "We will be getting in plenty of water for that purpose."
The pursuit of clean water doesn't stop in Weston. Lumos employee Dewayne Collins said he traveled up to Clarksburg for supplies. The Charleston-based company intends to give that water to its employees to share with their families.
"I got 36 cases of bottled water and 12 gallons of water," Collins said. "So a little over a thousand pounds of water."

West Virginia's job growth is occurring without the coal industry. West Virginia needs better PAY RATES for their citizens. The natural gas industry can afford far larger pay rates and West Virginians are being taken advantage of by the petroleum industry for profits.


October 3, 2014

A new economic report (click here) from West Virginia University's John Deskins shows that the state is predicted to have solid job growth for the next few years, but that the coal industry will continue to cut jobs before leveling off.
The report indicates that job growth should be around 1% in West Virginia over the next few years, but that the coal will likely only employ 15,000 workers by 2019 compared with near 30,000 a few years ago.
Even still, the overall news of job growth is encouraging to Deskins.
"We believe that these losses are at an end and that West Virginia's economy will add jobs in the near terms, posting around 0.9% job growth annually in the coming years."
The report also indicates strong growth in natural gas, which should increase in output annually until 2019.
There were some concerns though. West Virginians make on average less money then the rest of the country. The report shows that people in our state make four dollars for every five that the average American makes....

The coal industry is going by way of the Dodo and no one can stop it. A US Senator that supports coal as the future to any state will only cause job loss and not job gains.

President Obama's Executive Branch has been saving lives while still increasing economic growth..

Republican legislators, when in majority, are disastrous to not only economic growth, but, the health of citizens. They don't care and a recent vote by the NC Legislator proves it. And, oh by the way, whom leads that legislature? 

Tillis and McCrory are still padding the treasury at Duke Energy at the cost of the health of North Carolinians. Republicans across the board practice corruption when they have a free hand to do it.

October 3, 2014
By Michael Biesecker
 — Federal environmental officials (click here) spurred North Carolina regulators to reverse a policy allowing Duke Energy to drain massive amounts of polluted waste water from its coal ash dumps directly into the state's rivers and lakes, according to documents.
The Southern Environmental Law Center released documents Friday showing that the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Aug. 28 quietly signed off on Duke's plan to start emptying liquids from all of its 33 coal ash dumps across the state through existing drain pipes at the facilities....




Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/10/03/4204567_feds-override-nc-on-draining-coal.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

The 2014 election is about President Obama's policies?

US industrial production still hasn't recovered since the Republicans held a majority in the US House from January 2011 going forward. It was doing better than most sectors without the Republican majority.

You'll excuse me, but, every bill that was passed after 2010 which the President signed was compromised by Republican legislation methodology and policies. The economic recovery was slow and stalled from time to time because the Republicans in the House and Senate.

When President Obama states this election is about his policies, it isn't about the success of a Congress committed to administer this policies, it is about a House that continually wrangles with him and forces him to the Executive Office to protect the people and country.

If these comments are about US Senator Kay Hagan in order to defeat her, nearly every Republican commercial I have seen, which is most if not all, the words are twisted to deceive. The Republican campaign ads are based in misinformation and not fact.


President Obama (click here) made a lot of red-state Democrats in difficult Senate battles cringe Thursday when he declared while his name wasn’t on the ballot in 2014, the policies he champions are.
“Now, I’m not on the ballot this fall,” he said. “Michelle’s pretty happy about that. But make no mistake, these policies are on the ballot. Every single one of them.”
That’s news to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, although it’s well-established that she and Obama aren’t in sync on just about anything....