The USA elections of 2009 ain't all that.

While every election is important, the governor elections and any federal seat being filled will be in response to the ability of the Right Wing Republicans to successfuly lie to the electorate of the USA.

We know the TARP monies were a mistake. Recently in an article in The Miami Herald there was a story about the corrupt mechanisms of Goldman Sachs. They would say they are allowed 'corporate privacy' while in reality it is far easier to act in corrupt ways if there is no solid way for the public to identify it. Is this really corruption or a 'spanking new way of making money.' Both. That is what corruption is and when Goldman decided to lump the American Dream into a 'Goldman Sachs Bond Fund' it is corruption. Plain and simple.

The 2009 elections are in 'reaction' to 'government spending' that the electorate is made to believe they have to fear. There should not be improvements to roads and bridges as dying due to their collapse is simply part of living after all.

The public is lead to believe any government intervention with the health care insurance industry will cast them into the Third World and they should fear that.

The idea that appropriating monies through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that 'props up' unemployment benefits and COBRA benefits is fiscally irresponsible while dropping billions into the laps of Goldman Sachs is prudent. Really?

The people of the electorate actually believe the investment banks they bailed out will actually reimburse the USA Treasury with a windfall profit at 7%. Not likely.

The electorate of 2009 believes creating credit for small businesses should be left up to the capitalists of Wall Street. Right.

The electorate of 2009 has been propagandized and will likely NOT be a reflection of the electorate of 2010.

Happy voting everyone.

How Goldman secretly bet on the housing crash (click here)
By GREG GORDON
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON -- In 2006 and 2007, Goldman Sachs Group peddled more than $40 billion in securities backed by at least 200,000 risky home mortgages, but never told the buyers it was secretly betting that a sharp drop in U.S. housing prices would send the value of those securities plummeting.
Goldman's sales and its clandestine wagers, completed at the brink of the housing market meltdown, enabled the nation's premier investment bank to pass most of its potential losses to others before a flood of mortgage defaults staggered the U.S. and global economies.
Only later did investors discover that what Goldman had promoted as triple-A rated investments were closer to junk....

Voters stream to polls in municipal election (click title to entry - thank you)
November 3, 2009 02:40 PM
(Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe)
By Andrew Ryan, Noah Bierman, David Abel, and Brian MacQuarrie, Globe Staff
A steady stream of voters trekked to the polls today to vote in Boston's most competitive mayor’s race in 16 years. Precincts were particularly busy in the Neponset section of Dorchester, West Roxbury, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain....
...People walked with dogs and baby strollers to the polling place inside Cathedral High School Gym in the South End, one of Boston's most diverse neighborhoods where the words "vote here" were posted in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese. One voter, Richard Shibley, cast his ballot for the incumbent.
"The city works," said Shibley, a 50-year-old computer consultant. "If someone's doing a bad job, four years is too long. If someone's doing a good job, keep them in the job."...

President Obama's Administration defines the fight against corruption in USA policy both domestic and abroad.

A country can't act in corruption domestically and be respected internationally. It can't preach human rights internationally if it doesn't practice it domestically. It can't develop responsible fiscal policy by favoring the rich over the poor or call it morality when those earning 95% of American income is concentrated in 1% of the populous.


The myth of Fox News' ratings spike (click here)
5 hours and 47 minutes ago
Fact: The breathless claim that Fox News' ratings recently spiked thanks to the White House's public critique is bogus hype -- hype that Fox News and the Beltway press have relentlessly pushed.
It's just not true.
No matter how many times reporters and pundits made the claim, a detailed analysis of Nielsen ratings numbers clearly indicates that in the two weeks after the White House in mid-October sparked a media controversy by claiming Rupert Murdoch's channel was not a legitimate news organization, Fox News' ratings did not soar or go "through the roof." In fact, not only did Fox News' overall ratings not soar, they experienced no significant increase at all. Instead, in the two weeks following the initial verbal jousts with the White House, Fox News' total day ratings virtually flatlined....

For JFK it was whether or nor to pull out of Vietnam, investigate and fight 'the mob,' and further the cause of civil rights.

When President Obama took office the USA had been sapped of its Treasury, used for crony politics, had its icons and reputation exploited, gambled with its citizen's health for profit and deprived of the Middle Class's American dream.

He more than has his hands full. He has declared corruption as a priority to his administration whether he wanted it or not. He is more than correct to give Attorney General Holder the right to proceed with any and all investigations and prosecutions because a large part of ridding the country of corruption is holding everyone accountable under the law of the USA.

He is a prince of a man. He has lent us his life to bring our democracy back to its roots and reinstate the power of the Middle Class and the back bone of our economy. He is a minority. He knows the injustice of this country and has dedicated himself to public service when he never had to. He also achieved perfection in his pursuit of his values. Being the first minority President of the Harvard Law Review was a crowning achievement for him when in his heart of hearts he never intended to profit from the status. It is an amazing reality when one actually devotes themselves to 'knowing' him (And I have never met the man in person, even on the campaign trail.)

To say he is admired is an understatement because there is no word to describe President Obama to sum up the love he has for his countrymen, his devotion to Civil Rights and the esteem he brings to the office of President of the United States of America. He openly embraces his fellow Americans and their priorites that have been left out in the cold by 30 years of Republican exploitation.

To thank him and feel grateful for him seems empty to me, but, it is all we have to realize our best interest lies at the base of all his decisions. He needs to work unafraid. He is loved by this country and will continue to be embraced by all those that affiliate with his values.

Hamid Karzai reaches out to 'Taliban brothers' in Afghanistan (click title to entry - thank you)
Hamid Karzai offered an olive branch to his "Taliban brothers" in a victory speech a day after he was declared president.
By Ben Farmer in Kabul
Published: 6:47PM GMT 03 Nov 2009
He promised an inclusive government and said he would "eradicate the stain of corruption" as his foreign backers pressured him to clean up his regime.
In a televised speech he said: "We call on our Taliban brothers to come home and embrace their land"....

Anyone missing Michael? I am. "This is it" will be the final performance to witness.

This official site's link at the title to this entry. Thank you. I watched the trailer videos at least through so far. I need to get a ticket and see the movie. Wow. Hard to believe he isn't here anymore.

He was on his game. I been swearing under my breath for the last month and a half. I mean for God Sake he wasn't on an apnea monitor. Jesus. There wasn't a damn thing wrong with him. Those rehearsals were effortless for him. "I need to cue that..." I swear.



Michael Jackson's "This Is It" Conquers the Global Box Office/Here at Home, Not So Much. Explain.
November 2, 2009
10:36 AM
Taking in a huge $101 million on its worldwide opening, Michael Jackson's This Is It — a concert film drawn exclusively from rehearsal footage — has now extended its intended two-week run in theaters through Thanksgiving. Maybe now the American audience won't drag its ass. The $21.3 million domestic total for the weekend was enough to hit No. 1 and send the hot-hot-hot Paranormal Activity to second place, with $16.5 million, even on Halloween. But, please, America, your middling interest in This Is It almost had the late King of Pop eating the dust of the OMFG dreadful Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds 3-D Concert Tour.

If the Senate Republicans want to go on haitus during the committee work up of the Clmate Bill is means NO PORK AMENDMENTS. YES !

Former Vice President Al Gore

When did they know and how did they know it?

The Senate Republicans have a real problem. A real problem. It is stated in their own words. When it come to health care reform they wanted more time to study it, when it comes to legislation to protect Earth from the abuses of burning fossil fuels the Senate Republicans want more time to study the issue.

The Senate Republicans are INCOMPETENT. They chronically need time to study issues so well documented the VOLUMES of facts and figures require entire sections of libraries to house. The science stating there would be and NOW is a problem with Greenhouse Gases goes back five decades. There isn't anything else to learn.

The American people, through appropriations to NASA and NOAA have spent billions on the science of Earth and its fragile troposphere. Now, the Senate and House have to pass legislation based on the science of these agencies and a world of scientists that have settled on a consensus.

The issue of health care reform is two decades old. People have died due to the negligence of Republicans to protect them since Gingrich declared, "Contract with America." Does he care people died? No. There is no remorse by Gingrich that people have died, he now seeks to make money and plenty of it by exploiting the conversion of medical records on millions of Americans to electronic media.

People have died from Human Induced Global Warming in the USA. Have the Republicans as recent as today ever expressed remorse regarding those deaths? No. It is time for the Democrats in the House and the Senate, Blue Dog or otherwise to protect the lives of Americans through Climate legislation that controls Greenhouse Gas emissions and through new regulations for the Health Care Industry that includes a ROBUST Public Option.

Let's get the job done. The Democrats were given majorities in the House and Senate and a President in the White House to do exactly that, now they simply need to act on that trust expressed by the people of the USA. Just that simple.

The Retreat of the Greenland Glaciers due to Human Induced Global Warming. The recordkeeping at NASA doesn't get any more perfect than this. What is there to question? Those are trickles from puddles. They are rivers from tonnes of melting ice.

Boxer pushes Climate Bill forward, whether the GOP likes it or not (click here)
November 2, 2009
...As chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Boxer said she is initiating the markup of the bill — revision before it heads to a vote — bringing it one step closer to approval. To do so, she used a loophole in committee rules requiring two members of the minority party to proceed with a markup. As long as a majority of committee members are present, it can happen, she said (a tactic that is rarely used). Luckily for her, democrats outnumber republicans in the group by 12 to 7....

Why do I get the feeling as though the Bush/Paulson $700 billion Bailout didn't work?

EXCEPT, of course, for the CEOs and their personal bailouts. Don't do this again, okay? See, the problem as it exists today, is that Wall Street primarily runs on 'steam.' That's right, water vapor. The moist air that comes out of the lungs of CEOs. But, now that 'steam' if you will, is recognized a 'toxic asset' and all the 'belief system' has wained.



Citizens Financial Group may be sold (click title to entry - thank you)
November 2, 2009 02:46 PM
By Beth Healy, Globe Staff
British regulators have stepped up pressure on the Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC to sell off assets in the wake of its massive government bailout, and the bank could be forced to sell Citizens Financial Group Inc. here in the United States.
The Scottish banking giant, which is 70 percent owned by the British government, is expected to announce its forced divestitures Tuesday, according to UK press reports. In a statement, the company said its decisions "will include some divestments not initially contemplated."...

Joe Lieberman is a liar. There isn't one word he states that is the truth. He is a political hack for the Republicans.

One might note the 'Case in Point' regarding the Right Wing Extremists masquerading as Independants. In case one doesn't understand the terms, "political hack."
A political hack is a negative term ascribed to a person who is part of the political party apparatus, but whose intentions are more aligned with victory than personal conviction.

Tell me the paragraph below makes sense.

"...came out of nowhere."

THAT is a lie. Joe Lieberman is 'playing' with symantics. A Public Option has always been a part of the discussion regarding the reform of health care. Whether it had that same name is the only aspect that is debatable.

"...it (the public option) not necessary to...Make insurance more affordable, and extend it to the 'uninsured (my word not his).'

He makes NO statement about the alternative to doing nothing. He only complains that the approach is going to cost him more in taxes. He doesn't state that, but, by avoiding the issue and spinning its crisis status is clearly stating, "I don't want to pay more taxes."

How indeed will insurance companies lower their costs if they don't have to? They won't. Wall Street has a long history of disregarding the best interest of the public in opting for profits over quality services and inclusion of even people unable to afford the vital services of life such as health insurance.

..."There're so many good things we can do to make health insurance more affordable and to extend it to people who don't have it now, but I feel so strongly about the creation of another government health insurance entitlement, of the government going into the health insurance business, I think it's such a mistake that I would use the power I have as a single Senator to stop a final vote."...

There are so many things? Like what?

"...the creation of another government health insurance entitlement..." There is no CREATION of another entitlement program. The bills before the House and Senate EXTEND the current Medicare and Medicaid programs to the uninsured with financial qualification. There is NO expense in creating anything. We already know how Medicare and Medicaid are run and how much it costs.

"A Single Senator..." My, my what a martyr, huh? There is NO WAY Lieberman is a single Senator within this issue. He represents the opposition to the priorities of the Obama Administration. He is a Republican. There is no other reason to consider him differently. He is an Extremist Conservative. He speaks words that reflect his electorate so they will put him back in office. He has no oppositon to them, now does he?

In his political rant about Afghanistan he simply reiterates the same old song. My words, not his, 'We need to nation build and continue to kill people that don't contribute. And hey, you know, this corruption thing can be overcome as it is simply an addiction that a good 12 step program can take care of.'

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2009
Lieberman: Public Option Is "Wrong" (click title to entry - thank you)
Renews Vow to Filibuster Any Health Care Reform Legislation that Includes Gov't-Backed Coverage
By David S Morgan
...Lieberman told moderator Bob Schieffer that the public option "came out of nowhere," and said it was not necessary to achieve what he described as the two goals of health reform: "Make health insurance more affordable, and to extend it to people who don't have it now....

The Exploitive Bush Years, when the sky was the limit in Executive Compensation. It isn't realistic to believe it could ever continue.

What has happened to the cost of education?

What has Wall Street learned about the 2008 fiscal bailout?

They learned that money can be printed faster than their executives can spend it.

THAT, however, is not what they are teaching.

Do they practice what they preach? No. When the 'money supply' increases it devalues to actual value of the printed currency. What does that do? INFLATION, uncontrolled and unmitigated inflaction. Perhaps one might recall Germany post WWI.



...Rensselaer, in Troy, New York, paid Jackson $1.6 million in salary and benefits in the year ending June 30, 2008, according to a survey released today by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Columbia University, in New York, paid Lee Bollinger $1.38 million. Bollinger, in sixth place, was the best paid president to lead one of the eight schools in the Ivy League.
Presidential compensation rose 6.5 percent to a median of $358,746 in fiscal 2008, according to the survey of tax data from 419 nonprofit institutions. That growth outstripped the 4.8 percent rise in the consumer price index. Median pay at the 32 biggest research universities grew 16 percent, the Washington- based Chronicle said. Some of Jackson’s compensation included deferred bonuses and other benefits, reflecting increased complexity in the pay packages, said Jeffrey Selingo, the editor.
“It’s not the presidents who set these salaries, it’s their boards and many include people from corporate America,” Selingo said in a conference call with reporters on Oct. 30. “For them, these salaries and pay structures are not unusual.”
Since the financial crisis of 2008, many universities have experienced declines in their endowments and have since frozen pay for presidents, Selingo said. In some cases, presidents are returning a portion of their salaries to the schools, he said....

Right Wing Extremists masquerading as Independants.

Money is as money does and the Republican Party is scrambling for cover in 'fear' of losing their ability to manipulate the USA economy and their political Right Wing 'mind set' of the electorate.

...As for the claim that the bill creates “death panels” for seniors (click title to entry - thank you) — this is another scare tactic that came about from the provision that a doctor can be paid for end-of-life counseling if the senior requests it.
A public option is also a heavily debated health care issue. If approved, the requirement for the federal government to sell insurance in competition with private companies would provide states the choice not to participate. The president says that it's not a deal breaker to the legislation he seeks. However, many folks believe the insurance monopoly should be changed and competition encouraged....


Palin, Fred Thompson show leadership, while Huckabee and Romney exude cowardice (click here)
Sarah Palin and Fred Thompson had the guts to do what Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and the entire Republican Party would not do. One month ago, Thompson became the first prominent national Republican to endorse Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the New York District 23 Congressional race. Palin made an even bigger impact by endorsing Hoffman a week and a half ago. In doing so, Palin lived up to her penchant for going against the mainstream and taking on powerbrokers inside her own party....

Scozzafava states she is endorsing the Democratic candidate. She may be very concerned about the Right Wing gaining ground 'enough' to cause the country more harm.

In most instances, a third party candidate 'divides' the vote and makes it easier for an unchallenged candidate to win. The Bush H.W. race blames the third party candidate, Ross Perot for his loss. If the Bushs weren't such 'screw ups' and allowed the Republicans to exploit and demoralize the USA, Perot wouldn't have run in the first place. That said, Ms. Scozzafava has strong reservations regarding the third party candidate and has clearly illustrated to the public how strong those reservations are by siding with Bill Owens.

Of Bill Owens, Ms. Scozzafava stated: "I am supporting Bill Owens for Congress and urge you to do the same," she said. "In Bill Owens, I see a sense of duty and integrity that will guide him beyond political partisanship. He will be an independent voice devoted to doing what is right for New York. Bill understands this district and its people, and when he represents us in Congress he will put our interests first."

During the Vice Presidential Debates, Sarah Palin stated:

PALIN: Darn right it was the predator lenders, who tried to talk Americans into thinking that it was smart to buy a $300,000 house if we could only afford a $100,000 house. There was deception there, and there was greed and there is corruption on Wall Street. And we need to stop that.
Again, John McCain and I, that commitment that we have made, and we're going to follow through on that, getting rid of that corruption.

Sarah Palin talks out of both sides of her mouth. It was John McCain that suspended his campaign to lobby for Goldman Sachs when the USA House of Representatives initially refused to pass legislation giving Wall Street $700 billion US. We know today that the bailout was never intended to benefit the people of the USA, it literally bailed out the investment banks to all their lenders from Europe and China.

Sarah Palin and all those she endorses are in Wall Street's back pocket.

Sarah Palin in NO MORE A ROUGE/maverick than the 'Man in the Moon.' She was 'considered' someone that would bolster McCain's election run because she displaced an Alaskan Governor by promising to sell the jet he flew in at the people's expense. That is THE ONLY time her Republican entrenchment was moved to any kind of 'anti-corruption' tenor during her entire time as Alaskan Governor. There is NOTHING about her that is reformist and she and her candidates will sell the American people to the Health Insurance Industry in a heartbeat.

Her social leanings are alway to the Right Extreme of the Republican Party. She is 'anti-woman' as she is Anti-Choice and gives no American woman the credit for having the moral stamina or the intellect to address their personal priorites and life circumstances. She is proven to be a detrimental Christian Conservative to the values of the USA Constitution as she chronically calls on war and personal weapons as a measure to define her freedoms. She believed in the war in Iraq. It is one thing to have a son, as many Americans do, serving as a soldier and it is quite different to stand behind an illegal war and the suffering it caused to the people of that country.

I won't go into the personal battles she has conducted with her children. I find them worthy for the tabloids and not American politics.

Sarah Palin set her sites on money and plenty of it when she left the Alaskan Governship to 'play politics' in the lower 48. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with what is best for Alaska. It has everything to do with what is lucrative for Sarah Palin.

Palin rattles Republicans by backing third party (click here)
New York Vote; Criticizes GOP for picking a moderate
Sheldon Alberts, Canwest News Service Published: Saturday, October 24, 2009 The New Financial Post Stock Market Challenge starts in October. You could WIN your share of $60,000 in prizing.
Next month, Sarah Palin will publish Going Rogue, an autobiography aimed at solidifying her status as a Republican Party renegade.
But the former Alaska governor isn't waiting until the book's Nov. 17 release -- or her promotional interview with Oprah Winfrey -- to start shaking up the GOP establishment.
Republicans were buzzing yesterday after Ms. Palin, in a direct challenge to the national party's authority, publicly endorsed a third-party conservative candidate in a much-watched special congressional election in upstate New York.
The New Financial Post Stock Market Challenge starts in October. You could WIN your share of $60,000 in prizing....

Bush lost the Afghanistan War to corruption and the Taliban. Please don't put those people back in office.

Former Prime Minister Abdullah Abdullah during his campaign for President.

Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah says (click title to entry - thank you) he will not participate in this week's runoff election against President Hamid Karzai. He accused the government of not meeting his demands for a fair vote.
Abdullah says that his withdrawal is in protest of what he called the misconduct of the government and the country's Independent Election Commission.
The former foreign minister had given President Karzai until Saturday to remove the country's top election official in an effort to avoid a repeat of the massive fraud that marred the August 20 presidential election....

The unfortunate aspect of the resignation of Former Prime Minister Abduallah Abdullah is that he would have been the best choice for the Aghan people.

He was once the leader of the Northern Alliance and was among the first to welcome USA military in October 2001. He would have established a strong basis for existing alliances within the people he once lead to join the government in ridding the country of the oppression and corruption of the Taliban.

I do not believe Karzai has that influence, since, he was deceiving the USA government in regard to his Brother's activities which was counter productive to the outcome of the conflict and put our troops and the NATO troops in peril.

The question in my mind is what will Dr. Abdullah Abduallah do next? He is a strong ally to the people of Afghanistan and will seek to lead them even if through a parallel government. He has a strong standing with the Afghan Diasphora and they will gather around him to bring the people justice. The Northern Allliance was formed from what was once "Islamic State of Afghanistan." The Islamic State of Afghanistan IS the Taliban. They once only occupied northeast Afghanistann until Bush abandoned his responsibility to the national security of the USA, which would be served by the effective national security of Afghanistan.

The Northern Alliance grew by the efforts of Dr. Abduallah Abdullah as he influenced many of the 'groups/militia' within the Islamic State of Afghanistan to join him and battle against the Taliban. Those efforts by Dr. Abdullah Abduallh started about 1998. He was very happy to receive USA troops and the efforts by the USA to conduct a semi-non-violent invasion in 2001.

Bush abandoned what was a minimalist effort to stop al Qaeda and the Taliban in 2001 to USE the fear among the electorate in the USA to invade a disarmed country that was Iraq. He turned loose sympathy among the Islamic extremists to fight Western civilization in its entirety. Greed and death defined the West and with that Islam disfavored its presence among them.

President Karzai was an 'old world' choice and given the blessing of the former monarch of Afghanistan. What is really creepy is that according to the Afghanistan Embassy website, the nation is called, "Islamic Republic of Afghanistan" (click here) as if it were a 'designer' version of the Taliban "Islamic State of Afghanistan."

If the global community wants to stop the opium trade from Afghanistan and support a multiparty democracy it needs to rid the country of corruption, otherwise, there is no sense to it. In order to carry out any semblence of democracy at this point would require an investigation into the legitimate complaint by a beloved candidate that caused him to abandon his goal of leading the country of Afghanistan out of the corruption that besets it. Former Prime Minister Abdullah Abdullah cannot be abandoned to his status and his right to legitimate resolve.

It would be in the best interest of the USA and NATO to coalesce future reforms with Dr. Abduallah Abdullah and his efforts. He always has been and always will be the hope of the Afghan people. He should have been President from the beginning, but, due to his 'autonomous' standing with the Northern Alliance, Bush found it easier to corrupt Karzai for his control.

Happy Halloween

Witch School on move (click title to entry - thank you)
Leaving Rossville for Salem, Mass.
By Manya A. Brachear Tribune reporter
October 31, 2009
...Their prayers will be answered Halloween weekend when the handful of teachers and staff from the school pull up stakes and move where they feel more welcome: Salem, Mass., the site of the infamous witchcraft trials more than three centuries ago....

Getting real about Human Induced Global Warming. For 1911 history click title to entry - thank you.

It was a time of discovery and greatness. The human spirit was invulnerable.

The First World War would start three years later with the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (click here).

January 1 - Belgian Mining law introduces 9 -hour work day
January 5 - Portuguese expel Jesuits
January 10 - 1st photo in U.S. taken from an airplane, San Diego
January 18 - 1st shipboard landing of a plane (Tanforan Park to USS Pennsylvania)
February 6 - 1st old-age home opened in Prescott, Arizona
March 7 - U.S. sent 20,000 troops to Mexican border
March 18 - North Dakota enacts a hail insurance law
April 30 - Portugal approves woman suffrage
May 15 - Supreme Court dissolves Standard Oil with the Sherman Antitrust Act
May 23 - New York Public Library building at 5th Avenue dedicated by President Taft
June 1 - 1st U.S. group insurance policy written, Passaic, New Jersey
June 20 - NAACP incorporates in New York
July 4 - 105 degrees F (41 degrees C) at Vernon, Vermont (state record)

The Climate was healthy. When it was hot, it was hot and when it was cold, it was very cold. I remember when I lived in Pennsylvania as a kid, the farmers would always say, I hope the freeze goes deep this winter, there won't be so many pests come this spring. By deep they meant at least three feet of frozen ground. It takes lots and lots of cold to freeze ground that deep.

July 4 - 106 degrees F (41 degrees C) at Nashua, New Hampshire (state record)
September 19 - Red Tuesday-20,000 protest for universal rights
September 20 - Yankees set team record 12 errors in a double header
October 6 - Beatrix van Rijk becomes 1st licensed Dutch woman pilot
October 20 - Roald Amundsen sets out on race to South Pole (Antarctica Admundsen Base is named for him.)
October 24 - Robert Scott's expedition leaves Cape Evans for South Pole
November 4 - France and Germany signs treaty about Morocco and Congo
November 18 - Britain's 1st seaplane flies
December 31 - Marie Curie receives her 2nd Nobel Prize


Niagra Falls 1911


Niagra Falls 1911. Amazing. Completely unafraid and engaging nature without a second thought.


Niagra Falls 1911. Sledding. Fun. Bring the neighbors.


Niagra Falls 1911, people were 'unafraid,' not brave, huge difference.


Niagra Falls today in the dead of Winter. Freezing just doesn't happen anymore.


Niagra Falls 1911

You want to talk politics? The Elections of 2010. What does the GOP have to offer, more of the same?

The Histrionic Sarah Palin is all over the place, filling her personal coffers while wavering on party loyality and seeking to 'influence' the vote into some kind of Conservative ideology.

We don't need to vote for ideology, we need to vote to support a President intent on solving the problems of the USA. Basically, Palin has become a 'free lancing lobbyist' for anyone that wants to pay for her attraction by the Right Wing.

　

Solving problems is nothing the Republicans know how to do. They create problems. For eight years we watched them at their worse and the only reason for keeping Bush/Cheney in office was because 'The Swift Boaters' played 'head games' with the American electorate.

The Republicans did not solve one problem this country had.

　

They ran up the deficit with the excuse 'We are at War' as their permission to FUND an economy. For a nation at war with escalating deficits with $87 Billlion in cold hard cash flown to Iraq on a C-10, they exploited the coffers chronically funding "Six Flags Over Lincoln." Yet when it came to providing programs for the poor there just wasn't any room in the budget.

　

The Republicans state, "There were seven years of economic growth." Sure there was and then all of a sudden everything imploded.

　

Sorry, folks, but when an economy doesn't sustain itself wasn't an economy in the first place.

They are the party of 'smoke and mirrors,' they are untrustworthy and if they are elected to office in 2010, it will be a return to recidivism by citizens that still believe they can recover an economy destroyed by the same party. It is ludicrous to realize people that practice policies that exploit and believe deficits can actually recover the USA. I suppose the 'Wealth Fare of 2008' was good for the country.

　
The Democrats 'balance' their legislation when it comes to funding it, something that is completely foreign to Republicans. They never live up to their promises. They simply manipulate facts during elections to create their own realities afterward while Americans squirm in their chairs and watch their expectations 'trashed' by Republican ideology and 'counter-intuition.'

Openness is returned to Dover, there is no reason to question the Press's presence there now.

There are at least three separate news photographers involved in this picture display by "The Guardian." I guess they wanted to be there, huh?

I also believe it is a good experience for the leaders of our nation to experience the return of the dead to our country. It keeps it real.

I get the feeling as through President Obama didn't want to leave Sgt. Griffin. He made an impression on his President, in his selfless act as an American man prepared to die for his country. I think it is important President Obama respect that and I think it is important that the nation witnessed this moment.

Barack Obama meets coffins of fallen soldiers (9 pictures) (click here)

Obama and the official party step on the back of an air force C-17 military transport planePhotograph: Jim Young/Reuters


Obama is the last of the official party to walk off of the military transport planePhotograph: Susan Walsh/AP


Obama salutes with other dignitaries including the attorney general Eric HolderPhotograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

This is the picture Liz Cheney wants to oppress and states it is a 'Photo Op.' Typical of Republicans and how they think. The fallen soldier was NOT an object to his commanders, he was named and respected.



Obama salutes as a team carries the remains of Sgt Griffin.
Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP

Oh, what is that? It is Pakistan's plutonium production reactor at Khushab.

In asking Pakistan, India and North Korea to 'stand down' from their illegal status as a nuclear nation, one must promote other 'opportunities' for the production of power. Hence, Secretary Clinton was in Pakistan to introduce the USA effort to bring 'clean alternative energy' to Pakistan which will create jobs and better opportunity for their National Security. If one is NOT a nuclear nation, there will be less chance it will ever be a threat to others.

What is going on? Another training mission down? San Clemente is a training facility.

WARNING: To Right Wing Extremists. This is NOT an advertisement for military spending. This is a Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense and President trying to reverse the trend in the aggressive nature of the USA under Bush/Cheney to 'bring about' PEACEFUL stability in most areas of the world where we are engaged, especially where we are putting troops in harms way.
CAUTION: Do not make more of this than it is. The USA under the Obama Administration is seeking to make the military efficient and less costly, not bolstering the Military Industrial Complex at every turn. So don't even go there! The country isn't interested.

NO MORE 'THE TAIL' WAGGING 'THE DOG.' Absolutely not!

What is the issue? The real issue. Training missions don't go wrong at opposite ends of the world without some explanation. There must be a lot of pressure somewhere they are reacting to, otherwise, this wouldn't occur.

Now, Marines are usually the first military unit 'in' to a battle area. So, like what is this all about?

This isn't the first time an AH-1W Super Cobra went down during a training incident. It occurred in 2008 as well. So, is this coincidence or is there some profound problem with the way training episodes are conducted? No scapegoating, real facts please, lives are being lost.

Probe Continues into Military Helicopter Crash; Pilots Identified
Contributor: Elex Michaelson
Email: elex.michaelson@sandiego6.com
Contributor: Antonio Castelan
Last Update: 5/08 6:23 am
...Capt. Jessica Conkling, 27, of Centre, Pa., and 1st Lt. Aaron Cox, 26, of Pulaski, Ark., (click here) were killed when the AH-1W Super Cobra they were flying went down for unknown reasons near Interstate 8 in the Boulder Oaks area of Cleveland National Forest late Tuesday night.
The aviators, who were assigned to Miramar-based Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 166, were on a training mission when the aircraft plunged to the ground in the hilly locale southeast of Pine Valley about 11:55 p.m., sparking a small brush fire.
The possible presence of live ordnance at the crash site -- the aircraft reportedly had been carrying rockets -- kept firefighters from getting close to the smoldering burn zone. ...


AH-1W Super Cobra

Military aircraft in collision off coast (click title to entry - thank you)
9 are missing near San Clemente Island
By Steve Schmidt
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. October 30, 2009
A Coast Guard transport plane and a Camp Pendleton helicopter collided last night about 15 miles east of San Clemente Island, federal aviation and military officials said.
Seven people were believed to be aboard a Coast Guard C-130, and two were in the AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter, authorities said.
Coast Guard and Navy officials launched a search and had begun to spot debris late last night, the Coast Guard said.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the crash was reported at 7:10 p.m.
Authorities said the cause was not immediately known.
The Cobra helicopter belonged to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is based at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, said Marine spokesman Maj. Jay Delarosa.
The helicopter was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Delarosa said. He didn't know when or from where the Cobra left for its training mission.
The crash site is roughly 50 miles west of San Diego, said Petty Officer Henry Dunphy, a Coast Guard spokesman. San Clemente Island is owned by the Navy and used by the Marines for various exercises, including training for deployment....

One doesn't usually think of a C-130 Hercules as a plane able to take care of itself. It is used for transport.

The October Surprise

Ahmed Wali Karzai - Resume includes President's Brother (Jimmy Carter had one of those), CIA agent (Not to be confused with DEA agent.) and Opium Trade Merchant. Interesting. More than interesting.

My first reaction is, "Did Moscow know?" I can't believe Prime Minister Putin didn't know about this one. My second reaction is, "Did Hillary Clinton find out in time to react in Pakistan?" I don't think she got 'the word' yet.

You know, if Moscow knew about this guy,...,why then would they keep it a secret?

Then again? I do believe Prime Minister Putin probably let George W. Bush in on it when they went fishing. You know, as a courtsey to say, "Karzai's brother is killing your soldiers. Indirectly. He is assisting with the funding for al Qaeda. But, then you might already know that, huh?"

I mean after all, Moscow left Afghanistan when Iraq was invaded. Oddly interesting. When did Bush/Cheney know?

All 'interesting questions aside,' this is more than serious and I don't know if I really consent to the CIA funding an Opium Merchant. I mean what was his role in this, to find the best and safest trade routes that the Press couldn't figure out?

It was no surprise that Afghanistan was loaded with opium. The United Nations knows that and maybe the CIA should have read their report. The man needs to be arrested, at least for his own protection, unless of course the Taliban is counting on Karzai actually winning the election and his brother continuing in his capacity as 'back stabber' to Americans and NATO, along with other 'Coalition Partners.'

This is a game changer and probably the most profoundly involved in this is General McCrystal. I sincerely feel bad for him at this point. He has a lot at risk with soldiers in the field and a nation counting on an honest assessment of the battlefield and his potential to win the war and secure the region. He has made his assessment based upon a country that actually would cooperate with initiatives to secure Afghanistan AWAY from oppression and violence.

I believe the Karzai government has a lot to answer for if indeed they knew up front this was all transpiring. I also believe for 'the good' of Afghanistan he should consider stepping down as a candidate for the November election.

The really horrible reality is that he might not have had any choice in allowing all this mess to exist considering 'war,' whether it be in Iraq or Afghanistan was a political issue and not a national security issue for Bush's America. After all, Iraq's invasion had no purpose, except, to get Cheney out of indebtedness to Halliburton.

But this is a reality the USA cannot consent to on any front. One reassurance that General McCrystal has at this moment is that he is given a fresh start. I hope he can realize why the President, as Commander and Chief, has had his reservations about increasing troop numbers. There is nothing like the government infrastructure of the country one is trying to stabilize actually sabotaging that effort.

The 'reality' of the dynamics of Afghanistan and Pakistan are coming remarkably clear. It is no different than Rumsfeld not having an exit strategy for the USA in Iraq, not having a 'security strategy' post invasion and turning the military loose to run Iraq prisons without sincere guidance while they struggled to reach interrogation standards in Iraq that reflected those that were occurring in Gitmo.

THE NEGLIGENCE of the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld Cabal of the National Security of the USA by turning their backs on the profound problems that beset Afghanistan to run an oil war in Iraq is incredible. They had no intention of securing the region, yet alone Afghanistan. It was all too easy to leave the 'real war' following September 11, 2001 and allow complete anarchy while 'intelligence' was made available as to the 'real activity' within the Karzai government and its economy. It was all to easy for Rumsfeld to state, 'I don't think we will ever get control of the opium issue in Afghanistan.'

Well.

I guess not.

The 'status' of the Afghanistan initiative has ONE reality and that is Pakistan is doing a remarkable job in cleaning up its countryside. It is doing it with the support of the people. Can we secure Pakistan without security Afghanistan? The UN report was fairly clear that Afghanistan cannot be allowed to continue to have an illicit economy of opium trade. I do believe the Global Community would state the same and seek to modify their interactions with Afghanistan to bring a reasonable economy there.

The one fact cannot be abandoned and while al Qaeda has 'morphed' to other regions of the world the idea that 'this region' of the world can be abandoned and forgotten in hopes nothing will ever come of it again is somewhat naive. However, to believe the USA and NATO is capable of entering into a long and protracted war with the Taliban or otherwise, is to realize how exploitive this war has been of that TRUST relationship that is based in 'hopes' of achieving a stable state for the Afghan, Pakistan and Global Nations. I don't see NATO being committed WITHOUT strong modification in the devotion of the Afghan government to PROFOUND change.

It is becoming remarkably clear why Europe and Asia are finding solice in the election of President Obama. The Global Community might actually have a partner is achieving peace and stability.

...The information (click title to entry - thank you), published in the New York Times, first stated that the president's brother was, in effect, the southern sector's political boss, running the election, communicating with the Taliban for the U.S. government, informing the U.S. government of possible attacks, and overseeing several bridges vital to opium traffickers.

The U.N.'s report on the drug trade in Afghanistan, "Afghan Opium Survey 2009," released in Kabul by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) last month, said the drug lords and the government in Afghanistan had a "marriage of convenience," that the traffickers had built a stand-alone empire similar to South America's Colombian cartels, and that both the Taliban and the Afghan government extracted tariffs on their trade....

That report didn't happen and the information gathering didn't take place since February 2009. The organization of this crime network was happening in Afghanistan while NATO and the USA were losing troops and it was covered up. Plain. And. Simple. Karzai should have been networking with authorities elsewhere to rid the country of this level of corruption. There is no excuse for this. None. I find it hard to believe President Karzai, with NATO within reach could not find his way out of this. I guess it is too difficult to arrest a Brother when that Brother 'appears' to be doing good deeds for the USA.

At this point, Secretary Clinton has her work cut out for her while she is promoting good will and rebuilding Pakistan's economy with initiatives in energy infrastructure that would bring relief to the Pakistan people in a profound way. It may be difficult at this late date for the people (the electorate) of Afghanistan to react in time for the elections on November 7th. I hope President Karzai takes all that into consideration and acts in the best way possible for an extraordinarily good outcome for the people of Afghanistan. If indeed he was a besieged President and felt no recourse to his plight then he needs to act now to relieve the people of their burden to decide. Unless. He intends to maintain Afghanistan as a rouge state.

It is up to the President to get the Health Care Reform the nation needs.

There needs to caution with the current bills of the House and Senate. They aren't strong enough to protect Americans from exploitation. He can't just stand by and be a cheerleader although I am confident he was relieved the House finally combined the three House bills into one. That is a good step, however, there needs to be careful consideration by President Obama about accepting the Bill as the best the House can deliver.

I really think President Obama is the only one that sincerely cares to actually deliver legislation that will work for Americans. We'll have to trust his justment to bring home a bill that is effective for Americans. He need not rely on his Treasury Secretary to review it either. He hasn't delivered the USA from the ravages of Wall Street yet so why believe he is WILLING to do anything productive with health care.

...THE HOUSE BILL (click title to entry - thank you)
Who's covered: About 96 percent of residents under age 65 -- compared with 81 percent now. A large portion of the remaining uninsured would be illegal immigrants.
Cost: $894 billion over 10 years, Democrats say, which is under President Obama's $900 billion goal. That mostly covers the costs of expanding insurance coverage and leaves out certain changes to Medicare and other programs that push the price tag above $1 trillion.
How it's paid for: $460 billion over the next decade from new income taxes on single people making more than $500,000 a year and couples making $1 million. There's also about $500 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, a new $20 billion fee on medical device makers, $13 billion from limiting contributions to flexible spending accounts, sizable penalties paid by individuals and employers who don't obtain coverage and a mix of other corporate taxes and fees.
Requirements for individuals: Individuals must have insurance, enforced through a tax penalty of 2.5 percent of income. People can apply for hardship waivers if coverage is unaffordable....

The SOLE issue of requiring every American to have health insurance with a very stiff penalty of 2.5% if they don't; opens them up to exploitation by Private Health Insurance Companies. There is no doubt about it. Companies will be required to cover all those that ask for coverage and they will use that as an excuse to raise their premiums. They will have corporate strategies to do that and it will be exploitive.

Morally.

There should NOT be anyone making profits for insuring the well being of Americans. Americans and their health are not a commodity. The people of this nation and their RIGHT to wellness is not a commodity to be toyed with in some Board Room of wealth merchants. There cannot be exploitation of the people of this country anymore. I profoundly believe when the 'pool' of insured becomes larger and all Americans receive health coverage the premiums from any source should come down.

There is no reason to believe otherwise.

If our medical infrastructure cannot deliver a healthy nation with everyone insured that actually brings down the demands for medical treatment while stopping increases in chronic conditions such as childhood diabetes that leads to huge problems with costs, then there is something very awry with the USA and its ability to link human need with profitable corporations. Basically, I see this 'melding' of government interest with the private health care industry as THEIR last chance to 'get it right.'

If it can't be done, then it can't be done and the government will have to realize that and move beyond the pressure by Wall Street to keep the USA out of their Board Rooms when it comes to the well being of its citizens. I hate to say this, but, if legislators in the USA can't adequately address the right of every citizen to have health care that actually is reasonable and effective, then sooner or later someone has to call it a human rights violation that gives way to profit taking over human well being.

I do not believe in 'negotiations' with physicians, nurses, health care workers, hospitals or health care institutions. The 'best idea' of any legislation is to 'contain costs' and harness the ability of this industry to run inflation out of control. Health care is a 'soft target' for greed. Just that simple. If the USA allows providers, such as health care system CEOs, to DICTATE health care costs, there will an unending inflation rate that will stifle economic growth.

Let me make it clear that I see the 'market share' of our GDP in regard to providing health care when it comes to the USA economy as a repulsive idea. There is no way health care of Americans should be seen as a portion of our economy for exploitation for increased tax base either by running up revenues to companies. There cannot be a 'feedback' loop that exploits Americans health care that also aids the income of companies and government. Absolutely not. That will inhibit the growth of the USA economy. Health care will contribute to the USA economy in the way of wages to health care workers and taxes from health care corporations, but, not to be viewed as an entity to economic growth. The cost of health care has to be contained and that means putting a cap on the amounts anyone can charge. It will be a healthy move for the country.

The so called 'cuts' to those receiving Medicare isn't about cutting services or reducing the quality of care, it is about REMOVING exploitive programs such as Medicare Advantage from the private industry market. There is a lot of jargon being tossed around about these Bills that is being used to scare people. The nation needs this reform. It needs it desperately. It has to be responsible to all citizens.

To oppose those that see 'health care' as a luxury for Americans that can afford it, they FORGET quite conveniently that our nation's documents state, "...the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." One cannot have life or happiness without a healthy body enough to deliver it!

I have every intention to read the Senate Bill. I have demands on my time that will open up the opportunity to participate in the discussion 'that way' by next week and I apologize for any delay, but, life has its demands even to activists. My sincerest apologies to those that feel as though I was abandoning the idea and was counting on my participation. Please be patient. Thank you.

The American Pharmaceutical Association is too busy playing politics over the National Health Care Policies to attend to the needs of the nation.

When taking a look at the APhA website (click title to entry - thank you) there is a 'link' to the H1N1 virus, but, they primary focus is the Health Care Reform issue before the country. This is not the first time they have failed this country. It was not long ago, I believe it was last year, when vaccine was being received from Europe and the American Manufacturers 'opted out' because of the small profit margin.

They have a very poor track record of being helpful to the USA, but, they are very helpful to Wall Street.

Hello?


In August the CDC issued the warning that current sources of the H1N1 Vaccine might not be able to meet demands, (click here) but, no American Pharmaceutical Manufacturers ever came to the 'ready' even when the virus was known to be a Pandemic since June 11, 2009.

...However, the initial supply of these vaccines might not be enough to meet the demand for vaccine. For this reason, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that certain groups at highest risk for infection or influenza-related complications should be the initial targets for vaccination. Highlights of these recommendations include 1) the identification of five initial target groups for vaccination efforts (pregnant women, persons who live with or provide care for infants aged <6>...

The H1N1 Vaccine manufacturer is an Australian company that supplied that country's needs. It sorta makes sense. There is no reason to endanger the PRIMARY manufacturer of the only vaccine that is going to save lives.

CSL Limited is the Australian Company (click here).

People are really upset about this virus and LA County is feeling the pinch. The argument can be made that the virus could spread faster in the cities than rural America. There is probably a way of tracking that to be sure the most intense areas of infection are receiving the vaccine first.

From the sounds of the article there were many Private Patients treated at the Free Clinic.

L.A. County free H1N1 vaccine clinics overwhelmed
Immediately swamped by patients, they haven't been able to monitor whether those receiving the vaccines were at the top of the federal priority list.
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
October 28, 2009
Los Angeles County's free H1N1 flu clinics opened last week amid public health officials' promises to aggressively vaccinate people at highest risk, especially the uninsured. Instead, overwhelmed clinic staff began vaccinating many people who were not supposed to be first in line for protection, officials said Tuesday.
"We thought it was important to get to as many people as quickly as possible," said Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, the county's director of public health. "We were assuming that the private sector was going to be getting a lot more vaccine a lot faster than they did."
Fielding conceded that county officials failed to conserve vaccine supplies early on, unwilling to turn away those who had traveled and waited in line. By Tuesday, they faced a vaccine shortage, with only enough doses to stay open through Nov. 4 instead of the planned Nov. 8....

Credit Card and ONLY One Credit Card. Get rid of the anymore and close out accounts. Pay the balance every month. Starve the beast.

Credit Cards From Largest Banks Would Break New Law, Pew Says (click title to entry - thank you)
By Alexis Leondis and Peter Eichenbaum
Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- None of the credit cards offered online by the 12 largest U.S. banks would meet requirements of new federal curbs on the industry’s rates and fees, a report from the Pew Charitable Trusts said.
All of the cards surveyed used practices considered “unfair or deceptive” by the Federal Reserve, according to the report released today by the Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization. The study examined almost 400 cards advertised by banks and credit unions and compared terms for cards offered in July 2009 and December 2008.
The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act, which takes effect in stages, will require banks to apply payments to higher-rate balances first, limit rate increases and ban practices such as “universal default,” or raising rates based on a missed payment with another lender. Most of those rules are scheduled to begin Feb. 22; others such as limits on gift-card fees are set to start Aug. 22....

Posted: Oct. 27, 2009
Home loan trapped in bank's failure (click here)
Work halts on barrier-free house
BY GRETA GUESTFREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
When Richard and Caroline Rapp of Ray Township closed on their home construction loan in August, they felt certain they would soon realize their 14-year dream to live in a barrier-free home....
...Now the builder and I are on the hook for $65,000 and the house has just started," said Rapp, who can see the half-finished home from the rental house where he has lived since his 1995 Wave Runner accident. "The builder poured the basement, they got the lumber and roughed the house in. That was as far as they got."...

E-Trade has debt? They are extending credit to their subscribers? No. No. People will lose their homes if they are 'playing' with their assets. No. No. No. It is too easy to click and lose all the equity in one's home in about 60 seconds.

Oct. 27, 2009, 6:05 p.m. EDT
E-Trade reports $832 million quarterly loss (click here)
Excluding impact of debt exchange, results top analysts' estimates
...The results included a noncash charge for extinguishing debt because the company completed a $1.74 billion debt exchange during the third quarter. That knocked roughly $773 million, or 61 cents a share, off the results....


SBA loans are on the rebound (click here)
The number made in Southern California from April through September rises 50% from the previous six-month period.
By Cyndia Zwahlen
October 27, 2009
...Lenders made 2,000 local loans backed by the Small Business Administration from April through September, a 50% increase compared with 1,330 loans made in the first half of the government's fiscal year....

The elections are coming and al Qaeda and the Taliban hate freedom. They despise democracy.

They want control and plenty of it, no matter what measure they have to take. The Pakistani military has been exceptionally successful against the militants within their borders and now it is taking down the Taliban infrastructure that provides a platform for al Qaeda.

The people are either victim to their violence or they are victim to their oppression. Either we stand with the governments and provide a means to defeat their violent attacks while the people deliver themselves from oppression or the region will have Western figureheads bringing in monies that will be used against civilization.

There really isn't a choice, either the countries of Pakistan or Afghanistan are stabilized with 'legitimate' governments or they become dangerous countries with the capacity of nuclear armaments. If Europe is to have security the violence has to stop and stable governments and economies have to succeed.

The attack in Pakistan practically took place in the Frontier Region which is an interesting reality in the face of this tragedy. If the Taliban are 'trapped' and can only minimally enter the civilized areas of the country to carry out their violence, it speaks a great deal to the control the Pakistani military has been able to exert.

This was al Qaeda's ability.

I hate to make predictions, but, in Pakistan I believe the violent culture of the Taliban is coming under control. They haven't been able to stop the country's military. They don't have the ability, all they can do is act against the Geneva Conventions and kill unarmed civilians. I believe Pakistan will stop them, especially if they are able to harness the influence and power of the local militias to aid the military.

Car Bomb in Northwest Pakistan Kills 80 (click here)
By VOA News
28 October 2009
A car bomb in the main city in Pakistan's troubled northwest has killed at least 80 people and wounded some 100 others.
Witnesses said the afternoon explosion ripped through a crowded market in Peshawar Wednesday afternoon, killing mostly women.
Television images show rescue workers digging through gutted shops and battling fires as a cloud of gray smoke hangs over downtown. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Peshawar is the most populous city in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province and a gateway to the country's lawless tribal areas, where security forces are battling Taliban militants.
The blast occurred a short time after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, for three days of talks with senior officials....