I haven't heard a good analysis of the Massachusetts election yet.

Senator Elect Brown, the new icon of The Cheney Observer. Interesting. College I think he said. Well there is no reason to continue to use Darth Dickie Vadar. So much for modesty and right wing rhetoric, lest we forget.

We have a Constitution in this country. One man does not make a Constitution, especially one that lies and manipulates the electorate to the extent Brown did.

The Independent Voters of Massachusetts chose unwisely. They'll figure it out along with the rest of the country.

But, there was only one bill passed in the USA regarding Health Care. The House Bill went to the Senate. There were additions made to it. There is only one path for the bill to take and that is for the House to put their business in order and send it to the President's desk for signature.

There is a process in this country and it has to be honored.

Speaker Pelosi has a job to do. She has been doing that job since 2006. She needs to carry out the process prescribed by the USA Constitution and care for those that are uninsured and uninsurable.

This plight was not Americans making, it was forced on this country by the Greed Merchants of Wall Street. And while stocks have advanced in value since the bill has made progress that doesn't have any meaning except there are speculators expecting to receive dividends from health insurance companies. Speculators are what Wall Street is all about and that is all they have been about since its inception and that is why it is "W"rong to hinge a USA economy on that market. It is unstable in nature.

THE ONLY REASON that health insurance company stock has gone up (did I say 'gone up') is because NOW it is LESS RISKY an investment. I'll be darn. Less risky an investment. Does that mean costs to the insured will go up? No. Because there is no one that has seen the final bill and there is no one that can 'speculate' to its outcomes. End of that discussion.

Now, if I were Speaker Pelosi I would also pay attention to the fact there is rising anger in the country. The President is right, the anger is directly related to eight years of broken promises and unresolved problems Americans face. Health Care is one of them, but, a "W"rongful war in Iraq and the corruption in Afghanistan while al Qaeda still exists on Earth are all broken promises. In addition, there has been a backward movement in innovation in the USA due to some idiotic ideology by the Right Wing Extremists in the Republican Party of which Brown is a proud member now.

And don't tell me he is a 'new type' of Republican. No way. He has a record and even though that record was ignored by the propagandists in the nation that is driving the irrational rhetoric Brown does have a record. He is a hardline, right wing extremist just like every other Republican in the Senate.

But, if I were Speaker Pelosi and realizing the country is very upset over many issues they are lead to believe are unresolved, I would DEFINATELY have the 'intact' House with its expert legislators that wrote the backbone of the Health Care Bill go to work on writing legislation that Senator Elect Brown has promised to live up to while protecting the best interests of the people of this country.

In other words, we all know this new Senator Elect is a wolf in sheep's clothing and I'd make him eat every word that he states makes him a New Breed of Republican and have him pass legislation sent to the Senate that will deal with all the concerns of the people.

But, to stop the Health Care Bill is not only stupid, its imprudent. We know people die daily with problems related to the lack of health care insurance and to go back to a place where we are allowing that to continue is an outrageous demand. The people making those demands are as guilty of killing the uninsured as Wall Street is.

The Health Insurance Reform bill must go forward as it has many, many good and quality aspects to it. It not only insures the uninsured, it also provides for funding for new health care practioners and significant reductions in the national debt over time.

Go back? You've got to be joking?

As I have stated many, many times, our Constitution is a process and the legislation will take on many aspects of the process as change will be needed as it is implimented and we can witness for ourselves how completely outrageous some aspects of the bill are that were forced on the American people by the Right Wing of the Republican Party including Joe Lieberman.

I guess, that vacation to the Far East might have to be postponed a year or so in order to have a bill that protects all American's health. Gee. What a sham, huh?

Domestic Killings in Virginia

Murder suspect Christopher Speight, second from right, is led out of State Police headquarters in Appomattox, Va., Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010. Speight is accused of killing eight people and leading police on an overnight manhunt. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Photo Credit: Steve Helber -- AP Photo


...Among the victims are three teenagers (click title to entry - thank you), 15 year old Morgan Dobyns, 15-year-old Emily Quarles, and 16-year-old Ronald Scruggs the Second. Emily's mother, 43 year old Karen Quarles, 43 year old Jonathan Quarles, 38 year old Dwayne Sipe, 38 year old Lauralee Sipe and 4 year-old Joshua Sipe have all been named among the dead as well. Along with the announcement of the victim's names, authorities have charged 39-year-old Christopher B. Speight with one count of first degree murder. The events of Tuesday's homicides are quickly unveiling and as the news digests, residents around the rural area are stunned. "My reaction was you got to be kidding me" says Appomattox County resident Meghan Taylor. "We've never had anything in this county of that magnitude....

The geology of Haiti is still unstable. A second earthquake / aftershock of 6.1 magnitude. (Panorama of Port-Au-Prince - click title thank you)

I would hope any economy that is sustainable to Haiti would continue. I do believe there are security issues now that didn't exist before that needs to be taken into consideration and it is not up to the USA military to guard a resort belonging to a private corporation.

Cruise-ship line defends calls on Haiti after earthquake (click here)

January 20, 2010 | 10:30 am

Royal Caribbean International, which last week pledged at least $1 million in relief for quake-ravaged Haiti, this week defended its decision to continue cruise-ship calls on its private Labadee resort on the country’s northern coast, which was undamaged....

Al Qaeda is considered a syndicate in a very dangerous part of the world by Secretary Gates.

Afghan police officers search cars entering Kabul. In response to calls from the international community to do more to fight graft, drugs and cronyism, officials in the government of President Hamid Karzai unveiled a special task force that will investigate graft by senior officials.

Graft everywhere in Afghanistan, UN finds (click here)

SYLVIA HUI

January 21, 2010

LONDON: Half of all adults in Afghanistan paid at least one bribe to a public official over the course of a year, a report on the extraordinary depth of corruption there has found.

The United Nations research, published on Tuesday, found that Afghans paid nearly $US2.5 billion ($2.7 billion) in the 12- month period ending last northern autumn. This amounts to almost a quarter of the country's gross domestic product in bribes, used to cut through red tape or get help with poor service.

The average bribe was $US160, a hefty sum in a country with a per capita income of nearly $US500, said the report, which was based on interviews with thousands of people across Afghanistan.

Most of those surveyed said they could not expect a single public service without paying favours. Many felt it was ''normal'' to pay extra for services, better treatment or avoiding fines.

Bribes were requested and taken by politicians, prosecutors, tax officers - anyone with even the most modest level of power to yield, from the humblest clerk at the office in charge of driver's licences to the highest levels of government.

Most of the payments went to police, judges and other local officials, but Afghans were also asked to bribe teachers in public schools and doctors and nurses in government hospitals....

Gates: India, Pakistan Have Stake in Afghan Success (click here)

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

NEW DELHI, Jan. 20, 2010 – Both India and Pakistan have a big stake in what happens in Afghanistan, and are playing significant roles to support the effort there, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.

Still, it’s critical that both countries maintain full transparency to allay each other’s suspicions, Gates told reporters following a meeting here with Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony. Gates appeared to discount the notion that India contribute troops to serve in Afghanistan.

“The kind of support – and extraordinary support – that India is providing in Afghanistan now is really ideal,” Gates said. “It is significant support,” about $1.3 billion for power, medicine, agriculture and education projects.

India is willing to do more, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna told Gates during meetings yesterday, a senior defense official who attended the sessions told reporters on background.

The offer, however, came with a caveat in light of sensitivities regarding neighboring Pakistan.

India will offer more assistance, but only “if ISAF, [the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan] and the United States think it would be helpful,” the official said Indian leaders told Gates.

“Let’s be honest with one another,” Gates told reporters today. “There are real suspicions in both India and Pakistan about what the other is doing in Afghanistan. And so I think each country focusing its efforts on development, on humanitarian assistant, perhaps in some limited areas of training – but with full transparency for each other in what they are doing – will allay these suspicions and frankly, create opportunities to provide bigger help for the Afghan government.”...

US Defense Chief Warns Al-Qaida Intends to Provoke India-Pakistan War (click title to entry - thank you)

Steve Herman
New Delhi
..."I think it's not unreasonable to assume that Indian patience would be limited were there to be further attacks," he said.

The November 2008 attack on India's commercial capital, blamed on Lashkar-e-Taiba, killed more than 160 people.

Gates was asked by reporters whether the United States favors India sending troops to Afghanistan to assist the multi-national coalition battling insurgents there.

"Let's be honest with one another here. There are real suspicions in both India and Pakistan about what the other is doing in Afghanistan," he said.

Gates is requesting both New Delhi and Islamabad to be "fully transparent" with each other about their activities in Afghanistan to allay suspicions, adding they should focus on development aid, humanitarian assistance and training in limited areas....

Yemen Shi'ite rebel leader alive but wounded

SANAA (Reuters) - The leader of Yemeni Shi'ite rebels, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, is alive but seriously wounded and has entrusted a relative with leading the northern rebellion in his stead, a Yemeni official said on Tuesday. (click title to entry - thank you)

Thanks to the abandonment of banks of the consumers of the USA, the current DC administration is trying to salvage employability of Florida Workers.

The Housing Market is never going to be the same. There was a loss of consumer base with the collapse of the overpaid banking sector of the USA. That consumer base is no longer there to buoy a 'faux' economy.

There has been huge contracture of the USA economy because it was a 'bubble' and bloated in the first place. The Bush/Cheney Economy was never real. It was destined to fail.

The 'job market' has to be expanded into areas that will sustain people in REAL jobs.

This is going to take a while.

The Obama Administration is faced with either abandoning people to poverty and possibly hunger and soup kitchens, with increases in crime and a shrinking tax structure that will prevent sustainable police infrastructure OR the Obama Administration takes each and every local crisis and seeks to resolve it with as little trauma to people as possible.

What does any reasonable American believe has to be done here?

Localizing economies is extremely important. Small Businesses are important and increasing the 'tax footprint' of a local economy can bring STABILITY of the USA economy.

This is not 'pie in the sky' stuff. This is where the economic growth has to take place. Large companies will revolve around REAL manufacturing and not assembling hamburgers.

This is America's economic future, get your mind around it.

The Obama Administration literally has to go person to person to find a place for their economic viability. This time it is 600 workers that will receive replacement of abilities to viable and sustainable jobs.

ETA News Release: [01/15/2010]
Contact Name: Mike Trupo or Lina Garcia
Phone Number: (202) 693-3414 or x4661
Release Number: 10-0039-NAT

US Department of Labor announces grant exceeding $1.6 million to assist workers in Florida affected by mortgage industry layoffs

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a $1,661,173 grant to assist about 600 workers affected by layoffs at the Taylor, Bean and Whitaker Mortgage Corp. and its subsidiary companies in north/central Florida.

"This grant will provide valuable retraining and job search assistance to help workers in Florida find jobs that pay supporting wages. That's an important step, as our nation's economic recovery will not be complete until displaced workers are able to reenter the workforce and get back on their feet," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

Awarded to the Citrus Levy Marion Regional Workforce Development Board Inc., this grant will be operated by the Withlacoochee Workforce Development Authority Inc. It will provide affected workers with access to dislocated worker services. These services may include skills assessment, basic skills training, individual career counseling and occupational skills training.

The Citrus Levy Marion Regional Workforce Development Board Inc. plans to prepare many of these workers for occupations in the health care and information technology industries.

Layoffs at the Taylor, Bean and Whitaker Mortgage Corp. and its subsidiary companies took place between Aug. 5 and Oct. 1, 2009.

Of the $1,661,173 announced today, $954,077 will be released initially. Additional funding up to the approved amount will be made available as the grantee demonstrates a continued need for assistance. The amount released today will be funded by resources made available for National Emergency Grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

National Emergency Grants are part of the secretary of labor's discretionary fund and are awarded based on a state's ability to meet specific guidelines. For more information, visit http://www.doleta.gov/NEG/.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Failure of Corus Bank puts condo loans up for sale (click here)

South Florida Business Journal - by Brian Bandell

Chicago’s Corus Bank, which made a disastrous bet on condo towers in South Florida, was closed by federal regulators on Friday.

MB Financial Bank of Chicago is assuming Corus Bank’s 11 branches and $3 billion in cash and marketable securities. That would leave about $4 billion more in assets, which the FDIC plans to sell within 30 days in a private placement. Corus has about $1 billion of loans in South Florida.

There has been speculation that Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross might be interested in acquiring the Corus property. Ross is CEO of New York real estate giant Related Cos. and is also a business associate of Jorge Perez – the Miami condo king who runs Related Group....

The Polar Bears need to be moved to The Endangered List. They are losing their genetic base.

This article has been cited by NASA as a legitimate concern to the genetic viability of the Polar Bear. This is not enhancing genetic diversity, it is destroying it.

Grizzlies, polar bears breeding because of climate change (click title to entry - thank you)

Posted Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:06am AEDT
Updated Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:10am AEDT

..."There's a lot of evidence now that with the climate changing, a lot of species will have range shifts which are changing in accordance with this," he said.

"We're seeing more and more evidence that different species are being forced together and are genetically quite similar and therefore it's not surprising that there's some inbreeding because of this."

The Anaktuvuk River Fire burns across the tundra Sept. 10, 2007.

Local Time: 8:16 AM AKST (GMT -09)

Lat/Lon: 58.8° N 137.0° W

Temperature :: 34 F

Conditions :: Overcast

Humidity :: 100%

Dew Point :: 34 F

Wind :: 8 mph from the NNW

Pressure :: 29.06 inches (Rising)

Visibility :: 0.8 miles

UV: 0 out of 16

Clouds :: Overcast 200 ft.

(Above Ground Level)

Elevation :: 33 ft.

11 Jan 2010: Report

Arctic Tundra is Being Lost as Far North Quickly Warms (click here)

The treeless ecosystem of mosses, lichens, and berry plants is giving way to shrub land and boreal forest. As scientists study the transformation, they are discovering that major warming-related events, including fires and the collapse of slopes due to melting permafrost, are leading to the loss of tundra in the Arctic.

by Bill Sherwonit

During the summer of 2007, lightning strikes sparked five tundra fires on Alaska’s North Slope. Two of the fires — rare events north of the Arctic Circle — began in neighboring drainages, only a couple of days apart. That, in itself, might have gained the attention of tundra researchers. But the 2007 fire season would ultimately burn a record swath across the North Slope, while reshaping the way scientists think about the Arctic’s response to global warming.

Researchers have known for years that the Arctic landscape is being transformed by rising temperatures. Now, scientists are amassing growing evidence that major events precipitated by warming — such as fires and the collapse of slopes caused by melting permafrost — are leading to the loss of tundra in the Arctic. The cold, dry, and treeless ecosystem — characterized by an extremely short growing season; underlying layers of frozen soil, or permafrost; and grasses, sedges, mosses, lichens, and berry plants — will eventually be replaced by shrub lands and even boreal forest, scientists forecast....

The Chilcot Inquiry - AKA "How the heck did our military end up in Iraq?"

Sir John Chilcot.

Geoff Hoon, former Defense Secretary to Tony Blair, had to run out all his political options before he was willing to make honest testimony to the 'goings on' regarding the Iraq invasion.

Britain was a strong partner to the USA in that invasion and the ONLY NATO ally willing to commit to it. There is much that has transpired in Britain in regard to the decision for Britain to back the USA under Bush when he abandoned Afghanistan for an oil war. The people of Britain are savvy enough to know the truth in this regard is more important than permitting genocidal idiots to live to continue to play politics.

In the video of this article, Geoff Hoon states in testimony he never was appraised of the intention of the Iraq invasion until it was too late to object.

"I never assumed we were in a position to unconditionally resorting to military action..."

Geoff Hoon was defence secretary from 1999 to 2005. He went on to hold other cabinet posts, but left the government in 2009. He testified on 19 January, less then two weeks after he launched an unsuccessful bid to persuade Labour MPs to hold a secret ballot on Gordon Brown's leadership....

Brown was a Blank Slate. He took on the 'persona' of the independent angry and fearful voter.

Martha ran an honest campaign based on the issues. I like her and I believe the Dems made a great choice. She would have been an incredibly capable Senator in the spirit of Ted Kennedy. She maintained her base of 46+ percent. That is standard across the USA for Democrats. About 46 - 48% of the electorate are solidly Democratic.

The Republicans are puppets to Murdoch because their base is something like 33% at the very best. They need Murdoch.

Brown was not an honest candidate. He was highly manipulative and will continue to be. He'll play only to his image and will never make strong and effective policy statements. He is a populous position candidate.

He even denied his family until after he was elected and Mitt Romney didn't take the stage with him until after the election.

Hello?

There isn't anything difficult to understand here. If a candidate's background and policies aren't visible to the voter they provide the focus for their concerns on that candidate.

Murdoch's media presence is all to easy to find imposed on this candidate. He isn't a good legislator and his record shows it. He has never been a successful legislator in the Massachusetts State Senate, he simply does what is popular and keeps enough of the independent constituency that elected him happy by his rhetoric. That is all this candidate was, was rhetoric. He made no policy states. He didn't have to play to the Republican base in Massachusetts, he needed to find a position that was 'sexy' to Independents.

He let the Murdoch media machine make him into someone that could do something no one else could.

When a political 'figure' plays only to their image in order to maintain their office, they are always at the whim of the media. It is easy to pull their strings.

End of discussion.

Another Murdoch Puppet in the USA Senate. He is a known bigot and has the IQ of a snail.

S&P +14.20

Dow +115.75

Nasdaq +32.41

I think the stocks markets are over joyed at the election of a Republican Knothead that is easily manipulated by Murdoch Media.

That should send a clear message to the American people. They aren't in control of their vote.

I think the spirit of Ted did the right thing. With Democrats attempting bipartisanship for every measure they were trying to achieve it did nothing but slowed down the process. It is time for Democrats to actually deliver on legislation that needs to be passed. It is time to get it done and can Joe Lieberman off Homeland Security. He has other priorities. Get him off that committee and be happy with 51 Democratic votes in the Senate.

Lieberman was never truly on the side of the Democrats or happy about the Obama victory. Face reality and get on with what needs to be done.

I exceedingly happy the Democrats don't have to bargain with Republicans at all anymore. Let's get the job done. Public Option and/or Single Payer. Carbon Dioxide Regulation and strong conservation laws.

It is time to go to work and I am pleased this happened. We weren't getting anywhere having to deal with Republican idiots with strings attached to Talk Radio.

The World will never know the number of people lost in Haiti. NASA found landslides. Looks as though extensive deforestation was occurring as well.

Haiti’s steep mountains combined with its tropical rainfall pose a threat for landslides. The 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated the country on January 12, 2010, may have also triggered landslides and shifted earth so that landslides are more likely in the future. This true-color image highlights potential new landslides around the earthquake’s epicenter, which is just beyond the edge of the image. The landslides are bright streams of exposed earth that contrast with the dark green plants and tan soil around them. Some, but not all, of the potential landslides are labeled....

The geology of Haiti works against the people from every imaginable direction. It will be a chronic project for all those countries involved.

Haiti is a challenge.

We just keep at it.

We don't need impoverished and desperate people vulnerable to potential terrorist networks in the Western Hemisphere.

The Big Banks are necessarily going to recover. They provide an injustice to the people of the USA.

The Robber Barons got what they wanted. They paid off the captains of their 'Wealth Fare' state and they never reached out for a partnership with their sponsors, The American Taxpayer. Finally, today, the people of the USA are coming to terms with "The Two Americas." We know we have to build our own infrastructure to improve our lives.

This is EXACTLY the problem with returning Republicans to any office. They are corrupt and pledge their allegiance to Wall Street and not Main Street. They only seek to manipulate Main Street to facilitate their own personal wealth and those of their cronies.

It is a huge leap to realize how completely disconnected these two aspects of the USA are, but, it is true. The American people need to remove their indoctrination to Wall Street being necessary to their everyday lives. It isn't. Not by a long shot.

...Still, Citigroup plans to hand out large bonus checks in the coming weeks. Bank employees, on average, took home about $94,000 in pay last year, slightly less than the $96,000 average in 2008. Top investment bankers and traders, however, could receive bonuses worth at least several million dollars. Overall, the bank paid a total of $25 billion in compensation, about 20 percent less than in 2008 although the company has almost 100,000 fewer employees.

As has been the case, losses in Citigroup’s domestic mortgages and credit units overwhelmed gains from investment banking, a trend that is likely to continue. Bank executives set aside another $700 million in the fourth quarter to cover future losses, bringing the total amount of reserves to about $36 billion.

After two years at the helm, Vikram S. Pandit, Citigroup’s chief executive, is facing a crucial year. Mr. Pandit must staunch the losses in the bank’s consumer businesses and shift the bank’s strategy. He must mollify his top managers and discourage bankers and traders from fleeing. All the while, he must address the demands of a multitude of government overseers. Although Citigroup has repaid its bailout money, taxpayers still own 34 percent, as well as preferred stock worth billions of dollars...

It is time for the Marines to take over. And don't scrimp on the body armor.

There is an article in the NYTimes today that tells of the 'cruelty of desperation.' Some elderly have survived the quake and its aftermath, but, are succumbing to starvation and possibly thirst.

As soon as people see USA Marines looking like The Terminator they will fall into line. The USA has done everything the right way. I sort of think of this as 'Phase Two.'

People are receiving supplies and staying alive. That is a huge accomplishment when one considers we are seven days out from the quake and most of those alive today wouldn't be without the help they have been receiving.

The medical attention and evacuation of those that needed advanced medical care has been incredible and the bravery of all involved in aiding the people of Haiti is astounding. But, there will come a time when hording is a way of life and that can't be tolerated in anyway if it is going to cost those that survived their lives.

The criminals are out and about and the USA military can easily set up policing forces, encampments and prison facilities. I don't believe people have to be rounded up in an effort to find criminals that have escaped the Haiti prison, but, they can be arrested for new crimes against humanity. There is absolutely no reason for hording supplies. There is plenty of them and they are continuous. It is a matter of organizing distribution and helping people re-establish productive lives. Caring for each other, the sick, the young without families and the elderly is a very good start. That won't necessarily occur without a 'Police Action.'

The Marines can look for volunteers among the people as well that might have police experience and are willing and able to put on a uniform and bring supplies to people. It would be a good start back to infrastructure that works for the people. Fighting corruption among re-established police forces will be a high priority. Corruption could lead to militias and more instability. It is a process, but, it sounds like it can't wait if we are going to keep people alive.

...For Richard Domand, (click title to entry - thank you) a homeless man in his 70s who was partially paralyzed by typhoid, it was too much.

He arrived in the morning but made it only halfway up the hill, where into the late afternoon he was lying on the ground next to his cane. A woman had given him one of the two bottles of water she had gotten from the Americans, but he said he had gotten no food.

“I cannot make it up,” he says.

Even as more aid flows into Haiti nearly a week after a devastating earthquake, the challenges faced by the 82nd Airborne in handing out food and water here illustrate the hurdles in distributing it across the city. Roads are clogged with traffic and rubble. Confusion is rampant. Everywhere, people ask, “Where do I go?”...

USS Aircrift Carrier Carl Vinson produces large capacity of potable water daily.

The American culture is one of 'readiness, innovation and compassion.' We have to maintain a strong and agile military force to protect the Homeland, but, also as an outreach of compassion to countries unable to achieve our status.

We simply can't let this happen in Haiti anymore. The substandard buildings are completely unacceptable. It might be that we have to 'rethink' Haiti and its potential to modernize. The 'state' of the country is that it lies on a huge fault that is suddenly and severely stricken when the North American Plate moves. If modern architecture can build Condos that will sustain those type of quakes then we should proceed, but, to build even reinforced structures that will need huge amounts of monies in repair the Haitian government cannot afford, we will not have achieved our goals.

There is much to think about and plan for Haiti when it comes to reconstruction. In the immediate future returning as many jobs to them as possible including a working Port and Dock system that can receive supplies will be the best we can achieve.

This is a tragedy beyond simply attempting to save the lives of the Haitian nation, it is a tragedy that will demand the best of USA engineering to accommodate such incredible dynamics. This isn't going to be easy to recover this nation. The work in rebuilding can begin with small structure and ultimately larger structures as we grow more confident of the actions along this fault line and how well new construction will withstand those dynamics.

For now. Simply cleaning up while helping these people stay alive is more than most countries can afford. The USA should be proud of itself in being available to this magnitude.



January 17th, 2010 8:45 AM

Aircraft Carrier Purifies Water; Challenge Is Delivery

By Nicholas Casey

ABOARD THE USS CARL VINSON–Help is now headed to Haiti from the nuclear reactor of an aircraft carrier. And it’s not power, it’s water.

The USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear-powered vessel sitting five miles off the coast of Port-au-Prince, has begun producing purified water for the devastated country at the rate of 100,000 to 150,000 gallons a day.

The process involves using excess heat from the vessel’s reactor to evaporate sea water, separating it from the salt. “It’s absolutely pure,” said Captain William McKinley the Carl Vinson’s officer in charge of the reactor.

The Carl Vinson is equipped with four distilling units which each produce 100,000 gallons of water daily, for a total of 400,000 gallons. About three-quarters of that are used in the daily operations of the ship – the rest is considered excess and can be used for relief work.

The challenge remains in getting the water from the vessel to Haiti. “I don’t think it’s a matter of our (production) capacity, it’s a matter of our containers and the ability to transport it,” said Mr. McKinley. The Carl Vinson was beginning Saturday to evaporate the water and put it into large “bladders” to be sent by helicopter into Port-au-Prince.

Ist airdrop into Haiti by USA C17

...A C-17 cargo plane left Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina shortly after noon, and three hours later dropped 40 pallets -- or "bundles" as the Air Force refers to them as -- holding bottled water and Meals, Ready-to-Eat, or MREs, on a field just north of the Port-au-Prince airport in Haiti.

It was the first airdrop of humanitarian supplies by the U.S. military into Haiti since the deadly earthquake there nearly a week ago.

"There are so many relief agencies funneling through the airport that it has kind of created a bottleneck," U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Leon Strickland told CNN en route to the drop point. "We're going to put things directly out of the air onto the ground and open up another distribution point north of the [Port-au-Prince] airfield."...

Military Tackles Haiti Logistics

There are probably supplies in the containers at the Port.

Divers seek ways to clear damage at Port-au-Prince Seaport

U.S. military forces are leading efforts to punch through sea, air and road bottlenecks slowing the delivery of food and supplies to earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

The USNS Grasp, a rescue and salvage vessel of the Navy’s Military Sealift Command, arrived Monday with Army divers to assess underwater obstacles and damage that have closed the seaport at Port-au-Prince. The vessel had been off the coast of Belize and diverted to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to refuel and collect food and relief supplies before heading to Haiti.

Air Force Gen. Douglas Fraser, commander of the U.S. Southern Command, said reopening the port is crucial. He said the first priorities were quickly reopening the Port-au-Prince airport and clearing an overland route from the neighboring Dominican Republic but scale of the disaster requires resumption of seaborne shipments.

“We’re getting supplies in through the air. But the airfield by itself will not sustain the long-term requirement because there are so many people in need,” Fraser told reporters at a Miami briefing. “That’s why we’re bringing in the capability in ships, why we’re looking at how we get supplies across the shore.”

Having visited Haiti only three months before the earthquake, Fraser said he knew before receiving damage reports that the logistical challenges would be immense. “We knew that there was a single airfield where we could use capacity,” he said. “We had a limited capacity, even when the port was running, of what the port could support.”

The 7.0-magnitude earthquake wrecked the port’s pier and toppled its container crane and two smaller cranes. The extent of the underwater damage won’t be known until divers can take a look....