I beieve General McCrystal can now insist on removing the Poppy Culture from Afghanistan.

A bleak Ghazni Province seems to offer little, but a Pentagon study says it may have among the world’s largest deposits of lithium.

It is time for Afghanistan to grow up and become a real country rather than one laced with corruption.  With this discovery, the national wealth Afghanistan increased immeasurably. 

The country can afford to build schools, housing and COMMUNITIES with water supplies and sanitation. 

It is time for Afghanistan to 'get real' about itself. 

I sincerely hope NATO and the USA is also taking this seriously enough to PREVENT any exploitation of those NATURAL RESOURCES.  It all belongs to the people of Afghanistan and NOT Wall Street. 

So, before 'wealth merchants' rob the people of Afghansitan blind while Karzai and his brother deal under the table some serious negotiations have to take place to make sure the monies received from these resources are going to benefit the citizens of that country.

If these resources exist in Afghanistan, they more than likely exist in Pakistan as well.

Thank you, President Obama for placing 'citizen anxiety' at the top of your list. From the pictures it is obvious people wanted to see you today.

President Barack Obama greets visitors in Mississippi during his fourth trip to the Gulf Coast since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion in April / AP Source: AP

"In the same way that our view of our vulnerabilities and our foreign policy was shaped profoundly by 9/11, I think this disaster is going to shape how we think about the environment and energy for many years to come," Mr Obama told Politico.com.  (click title to entry - thank you)

I have no douibt the way we see the environment and our stewardship of it will take a sharper forcus.  Whatever happened to the Hydrogen Car, anyway?

"Morning Papers" - Its Origins (click here - thank you)

The Rooster

"Okeydoke"

I am going to 'end it' there for tonight. 

I'll return to the rest of the cabinet and the 'circumstances' of the Obama Presidency again next Saturday.

Good night.

General Stanley McCrystal, the man who destroyed Al Qaeda in Iraq. Basically.

President Obama and Gen. McCrystal discuss U.S. policy in Afghanistan on Air Force One Oct. 2.  Photo: beagleone, Free Republic

...Adm. Mike Mullen, (click title to entry - thank you) chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he found it particularly encouraging that gains against al-Qaida have been made in operations carried out jointly by U.S. and Iraqi military forces. That makes it more likely, Mullen said, that after U.S. troops leave in 2011 the Iraqi government will be able to handle what remains of al-Qaida's capability to launch terror strikes....

I am not going soft on war.  Of course, Al Qaeda in Iraq didn't exist before the Bush invasion into Iraq, but, that is besides the point.  The USA invaded, the Zarqari terrorist 'unit' was destroyed and that was much to the credit of General Stanley McCrystal. 

There is no man in the USA miltiary more dedicated to the best outcome for the USA than General McCrystal.  His startling assessments of Afghanistan are frustrating to say the least, but, to put things into perspective, this is the war we were suppose to fight and didn't.

Afghanistan was left to NATO and we all know what happened there.  This is a very difficult assignment because during the time the USA was diverted to Iraq, Afghanistan was sinking into corruption while becoming a 'protectorate' to the Taliban. 

Initial Assessment of Afghanistan

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19995042/Commander-Initial-Assessment-McCrystal

One of the opening statements in General McCrystal's assessment is 'the circumstances in Afghanistan is serious.'

It gets ones attention.  After all, how can a war abandoned for a romp into WMD exploration be so much trouble so many years after September 11, 2001?  But.  Here we are, the USA with a General stating the circumstances in Afghanistan are serious. 

This man not only stated it was serious, but, in the same breath he stated he wished the Officers Club was a firing range.  He isn't the kind of fellow one can easily dismiss as political or ambitious.  General McCrystal was and has been seriously annoyed by the command he accepted in Afghanistan and the complacency of its leadership.  Somehow, along the way, the USA and NATO simply found it easier to accept the 'status quo' of corruption without the needed military manpower to actually fight a war. 

What a mess.  I actually believe the only way the USA will ever make serious gains in defeating such terrorist networks will be through the dedication of Stanley McCrystal.  He just has a keen sense of purpose of miltiary presence that 'means business' rather than surrender.

General McCrystal is a bit of an oxymoron.  On one hand he is demanding better outcomes for the USA from his command, but, at the same time there is this complacency to the opium culture. 

The USA military is a strange animal at times.  I don't accept the fact the opium is necessary to win in Afghanistan.  I do however believe the real war, while clearly being fought somewhat effectively in Afghanistan; sincerely lies in Pakistan.  The Pakistani authority is making more progress than ever under the Bush Administration. 

While, the current assessment, by McCrystal is that Aghanistan is a 'draw,' it is still difficult to believe that.  There is ever increasing conflict with a sincere 'core' of terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  That to me states someone is doing something right.  But.  Then there is Karzai.

It is paramount for Afghanis to take up the protection of their own country, no different than the Iraqis are doing in Iraq. 

However. 

It is also paramount 'the ability' for al Qaeda to ever recommit to continue to reek havoc and death on the civilized world be extinguished. 


...Since Afghan President Hamid Karzai's much anticipated peace assembly earlier this month, the Taliban has launched a series of high profile attacks. Meanwhile, the top U.S. commander in the country, General Stanley McChrystal says the fight against the Taliban will take longer than anticipated in the south.
Analysts say several high profile attacks this week show the Taliban will not back down as coalition and Afghan forces prepare for a major offensive to drive them from their southern stronghold in Kandahar province....


http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Violence-Political-Uncertainty-Plague-Post-Jirga-Afghanistan--96100429.html
 
 
The war in Afghanistan and Pakistan is tedious, but, it is necessary and my inital reaction is that it is best to undermine the Poppy Culture than fight a war with these folks.  The issues are nearly insurmountable, including the vast corruption of the Pakistani ISI.
 
June 14, 2010


Pakistan’s ISI military intelligence accused of directly funding Taleban
 
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7149515.ece
 
But, at the same time there are landmarks of achievement to an end of the corruption if not just a 'light at the end of a long tunnel.'  Knowing the 'disease' of the ISI in Pakistan and now Afghanistan by osmosis, I can't help but believe the war has done more good than harm.
 
Bring the troops home.

I take it General Petraeus doesn't shoot hoops.

General David H. Petraeus is the Commander at United States Central Command. 

He is a 'sly sort,' isn't he?

He was the man tapped to lead the charge into Yemen after the Fort Hood masacre.  One would think he took it personally.

US Central Command, AKA "CENTCOM."

http://www.centcom.mil/

What is US CENTCOM?  It is the primary headquarters to intelligence and strategy for the Middle East.  It could be argued where there is a 'purpose' there will always be war.  US CENTCOM answers directly to the Secretary of Defense. 

Is it important?  Should the USA consider reducing its focus and need?  Good set of questions if one is seeking peace and wishing 'the purpose' for war would end.  The real question is does violence in the Middle East exist because of the focus of The West or is the focus of the West in existence because of the violence in the Middle East?

US CENTCOM was begun in 1983, two years after President Regan took office.  That is all just food for thought.  I doubt seriously US CENTCOM will be decommissioned anytime soon, but, it is interesting to realize how a focus to USA policy starts and continues.

Petraeus on torture :

..."I have always been on the record, in fact, since 2003, with the concept of living our values. And I think that whenever we've perhaps taken expedient measures, they've turned around and bitten us in the backside. We decided early on, in the 101st airborne division, we just said, we decided to obey the Geneva Conventions....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/21/petraeus-takes-on-cheneyi_n_470608.html



Petraeus on Petraeus :

...“Gen. Petraeus has not met with former VP Cheney to discuss a possible 2012 presidential nomination. Nor has he exchanged anything other than pleasantries with the former VP in their one or two chance encounters since VP Cheney left office,” Col. Erik O. Gunhus, Petraeus’ spokesman, wrote in an e-mail to POLITICO. “Gen. Petraeus has stated on the record numerous times that he has no interest in, nor intention of, running for political office.”...


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37698.html


Petraeus on spying :
 
...Gen. David Petraeus signed an order in September authorizing Special Operations forces to deploy to allied and hostile nations in the Mideast, Central Asia and the Horn of Africa to conduct surveillance missions and work with local forces, two officials said on condition of anonymity because the document is classified....
 
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ilAE1hsUQCIouAwfNxYVEh5AcdzAD9FU1NB80
 
 
 
FORT HOOD — Defense attorneys for Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Fort Hood psychiatrist charged in a deadly shooting spree here last fall, won a four-month delay Tuesday in a hearing that could lead to his court-martial.
Army Col. James Pohl ruled in favor of the defense, which said it had not received the documents it needed. Witnesses will be called starting Oct. 4.
“We got what we wanted,” retired Army Col. John P. Galligan, lead attorney for Hasan, said after the session.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7032094.html




...The Special Operations capabilities requested by the White House go beyond unilateral strikes and include the training of local counterterrorism forces and joint operations with them. In Yemen, for example, "we are doing all three," the official said. Officials who spoke about the increased operations were not authorized to discuss them on the record....
 
 http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/04/politics/washingtonpost/main6547543.shtml
 
 

I realize he is not a Cabinet level authority, but, the military is more than just the Secretary of Defense. Admiral Mike Mullen, one asks, how much fun is he having?

Admiral Mullen has emerged as the face of the military in many ways.  He has his own Facebook page and he is using it wisely.  Many people respond to his regular entries.

He is currently the 17th Chair of the Joint Chiefs. 

He is a Harvard man.

He is standing with his Commander and Chief and with his Secretary of Defense in bringing change to the 'underbelly' of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."  Did we ever think we would see the day?

He has a USA footprint in many areas around the globe including a very sensitive circumstances with North Korea and its nuclear capacity.  I can't help believe his motto is anything short of, "Steady as she goes."

His comments regarding China are complimentary to his Secretary's.  I find it interesting.  While Secretary Gates points dramatically to the movement by Taiwan and China in honoring the One China Policy, Admiral Mullen points to the fact, China's response is disproportionate.

...China’s amassing of “expeditionary maritime and air capabilities,” he said, “seems oddly out of step with their stated goal of territorial defense.”


“Every nation has a right to defend itself, and to spend as it sees fit for that purpose,” Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Wednesday. “But a gap as wide as what seems to be forming between China’s stated intent and its military programs leaves me more than curious about the end result....

http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/mullen-china-buildup-out-of-step-with-territorial-defense-1.106589

It is a worry.  I have a suggestion.  For many years, if not decades, China has been held at arms length diplomatically   If I am not mistaken, a Chinese delegation, while visiting the USA under Bush's Administration, was brushed off as unimportant.  It just may be, through all the investment by China and the huge decline in confidence of the USA financial institutions, the current President needs to extend an open hand to the President of China and hold a formal White House Dinner to open 'again' better relations between the two nations. 

China has not been an enemy, so much as a curious and willing partner.  The USA has been a good partner in developing the Chinese economy and opening up space exploration.  Perhaps it is time to bring old 'paradigms' of mistrust to an end between the USA and China.

...The president's 52-page US National Security Strategy (NSS) issued in early May, for example, was an engagement-centric, restrained and diplomatic overview. The NSS spoke of US relations with China using carefully crafted words such as "we will encourage China to make choices that contribute to peace, stability and prosperity as its influence rises". The NSS did not rock the boat and was really not a formal strategy, unless repeating the word "engagement' more than three dozen times is acceptable as such....

 http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/LF12Ad02.html

China has three to four times the people within its borders than the USA.  It should not be surprising to the USA, China also has many more problems to iron out, including, efficient use of energy and natural resources.  It is time to 'cut China a break.'  China has not been disloyal to nuclear non-proliferation with North Korea and that is a 'big one.'  Let's not let North Korea and its containment feel like a threat to China any longer.

Secretary Gates is not a popular figure abroad. Somehow that seems right to me.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates attends graduation ceremonies at the United States Military Academy at West Point on May 23, 2009 in West Point, New York. Secretary of Defense Gates gave the commencement speech to the 970 graduates at the elite military academy.  Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Secretary Gates, as his biography states, is the 22nd Secretary of Defense and the ONLY one to remain with a change of administration.  That is fairly amazing.  It is even more amazing to realize he likes serving under the new President.  He has been pivotal in turning the 'ship on a dime' to reduce the American footprint in Iraq while reengaging a very unsteady and deteriorating Afghanistan. 

He has averted uncertainty in facing the incideous 'terrorist' that likes to strike when a new USA administration still hasn't gotten its feet planted firmly in the job.  I thanked him for the dedication he showed to this new President and staying in the position of Secretary of Defense for that purpose.  I have my irritations with him, but, to be completely honest, whom among us would like to walk in his shoes?

He is doing a remarkable job and is open to change within the paradigm of the new Commander and Chief.  For a while, I was worried the citizen of the USA was simply a hostage to the military infrastructure, but, Secretary Gates has shown reaction to demands by the public to be flexible on such issues as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," under great pressure to 'remain the same.'  We are seeing a new face to the military in many ways that was cajoled by their new Commander and Chief and backed fully by our Defense Secretary.

I believe he is capable of achieving peace in ways we never thought existed.  Example:  Tiawan and a peaceful Pacific.  There are no truer words spoken. 

...“The United States and China clearly disagree on this matter,” Mr. Gates said in a speech on Saturday at an Asian security conference here. “Yet Taiwan arms sales over the decades have not impeded closer political and economic ties, nor closer ties in other security arenas of mutual interest.”...


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/05/world/asia/05gates.html

 A strong Taiwan is a strong partner to China.  I find his insight incredibly wonderful when one reflects on The One China Policy and its certain achievement under the steady hand of democratic principles.  The more I get to know the steadfastness of Secretary Gates, the more I admire him.

He is the man for the job and he is a willing and able partner to his President.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki. I bet the last place he thought he'd find himself is heading a cabinet post to protect his former personnel.

On June 11, 2010, Secretary Shinseki will met with several members of Student Veterans of America (SVA). They reviewed SVA’s latest successes, what they are working on, and how they can help the Secretary accomplish his mission. Student Veterans of America is a coalition of student Veterans groups from college campuses across the United States that works to develop new student groups, coordinate between existing student groups, and advocate on behalf of student Veterans at the local, state, and national level. They provide peer-to-peer networks for Veterans who are attending school, coordinate activities, provide pre-professional networking, and generally provide a touchstone for student Veterans in higher education.

I sincerely feel I don't need to say much about Secretary Shinseki.  He was the General that gave former Secretary Rumsfeld a view of Iraq and the number of military required to invade that country, he didn't want to hear.

General Shinseki was proved correct over and over again as the invasion into Iraq devolved to chaos and anarchy.  It sparked sectarian violence that is still evident today. 

I don't know of a more insightful person to protect our soldiers as they return to their homes and their private lives.  I have witnessed the ads he has on the television as an outreach to Veteran's lost in their own personal 'fog of war' with PTSD and they are incredible.

The sheer fact Secrtary Shinseki has returned to assist our country once again, druing very trying times, only speaks to the devotion he has always maintained for it and the love he has for his fellow soldier.

Actions speak louder than words.

VA Secretary Shinseki Welcomes Troops Home in Md.



By AP_Exchange


Published: June 12, 2010
BOWIE, Md. (AP) U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki is welcoming home more than 1,000 veterans returning from combat this weekend in Bowie.
The welcome ceremony begins at 8 a.m. Saturday for veterans and their families at the Prince George's Stadium in Bowie.
It will include a barbecue, skydiving demonstrations and performances by the West Point Alumni Glee Club and the 257th Army Band. The events will last until 3 p.m.
The Veterans Affairs Department and Department of Defense will have health and benefit teams on site to provide information to attendees to help with their transition back home.


http://www2.wjtv.com/jtv/ap_exchange/special_-_medical/article/va-secretary-shinseki-welcomes-troops-home-in-md/155898/

President Obama is not afraid of the germs White Folks have. I thought that was reassuring. This, of course, is Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

What a time for HHS.  We are lucky to have a well qualified Secretary with leadership skills to carry out expansive change during trying times for the USA.

Health Care Reform and its many facets is being implimented as I write this to insure a smooth transition for everyone.

Recently, there were one time rebate checks sent to Seniors to help with the donut hole and issues of transition.  Secretary Sebelius has written to Governor Douglas to caution against any misinterpretation of the rebate.  It was issued to individuals and not to States, so the idea that a State can cut back on other programs to assist Seniors isn't accurate.

...Some states, like Vermont, have established state-only programs that provide supplemental pharmaceutical coverage to low-income Medicare beneficiaries who are not eligible for Medicaid assistance. The Administration applauds Vermont’s leadership in this effort. However, we understand that Vermont is considering reducing these state benefits in response to the new Medicare Part D rebate checks. I ask you to reconsider this action....

Link to letter:  http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/current-benefits-vermontrsquos-seniors,1341798.shtml


Unfortunately, through all this wonderful change to our infrastructure the Republican Obstructionists are still at work to try to cause our Seniors HARM by preventing appointees from taking their seats in the administration and decreases in benefits that could be overruled by the legislation.


...The confirmation hearings for Dr. Donald Berwick, the White House's choice to run Medicare, could turn into a proxy war over a debate that, while settled, left many Americans angry and confused.
"I think anyone who is close to this understands this debate is really not about Don Berwick, but the opportunity to re-litigate the underlying health care reforms," said John Rother, executive vice president for policy and strategy at the AARP. "In ordinary times, the nomination of somebody with Don's record and standing in the field would not be controversial."

Link:  http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/13/1677899/bitter-feelings-over-health-bill.html#ixzz0qls9SPX8

 
DANGEROUS AND IRRESPONSIBLE REPUBLICANS have Senior citizens, recipients of Medicare, in their 'election sites' to harm them in order to attempt a deceptive initiative to cast a poor opinion of health care reform.
 
I would think the media would be up in arms over the issue to bring to light THE TRUTH. 
 
Hm?
 
Obama takes aim at Republicans on healthcare
Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON
Sun Jun 13, 2010 1:05am EDT
...The Senate is due to vote within days on whether to follow the House of Representatives and delay a cut in Medicare payments to doctors. Like much else related to healthcare, the vote is becoming a proxy for Republican anger over the sweeping health overhaul passed in March despite their fierce resistance.
"This year, a majority of Congress is willing to prevent a pay cut of 21 percent -- a pay cut that would undoubtedly force some doctors to stop seeing Medicare patients altogether," Obama said in his weekly radio address. Medicare is the government health program for the elderly.
"But this time, some Senate Republicans may even block a vote on this issue. After years of voting to defer these cuts, the other party is now willing to walk away from the needs of our doctors and our seniors," Obama said....

Link:  http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6565FV20100613

"Bo" - B(arak) O(bama)

I found it interesting that no one picked up on the 'initials' similar to the President's which comprise the Obama's pet dog, Bo.

Bo is still winning over hearts and minds at the White House.

In the press pool photo (click title to entry - thank you) caption for this picture, it says that U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama walk first dog Bo to a picnic for members of Congress on the South Lawn of the White House June 8, 2010. It looks to me like Bo is the one taking the First Couple for the walk.


They were on their way to a Congressional picnic where Alaskan salmon smoked on an open pit was served for dinner

It's Sunday Night

"This Peace" by Sara Groves

So many words to say, but I'm opting for silence


So many days to live
I thinking I'm sitting this one out
Cause something I've been chasing finally stopped to let me catch it
Something I've been longing for and dreaming of. . . .


It's a whisper in my ear
It's a shiver up my spine
It's the gratitude I feel for all that's right
It's a mystery appeal that's been granted me tonight
This peace


It's something so elusive
Something close but far away
It's the home that I can't live in yet somewhere in outer space
And sometimes I barely miss it when I walk into the room
The curtains are still swaying and I feel the air move


And it whispers in my ear and it shivers up my spine
It's the gratitude I feel for all that's right
It's a mystery appeal that's been granted me tonight
This peace


No time to grab a camera
No time to write it down
Just time enough to breathe it in
And linger . . . . . . .


It's a whisper in my ear
It's a shiver up my spine
It's the gratitude I feel for all that's right
It's a mystery appeal that's been granted me tonight
This peace
This peace

If a party can't keep their funding, I don't know how they can be callled a party.

Michael Steele Threatens To Withhold RNC Funds From GOP Senators Who Backed Stimulus  (click title to entry - thank you)

June 11, 2010

Categories:RNC Chair.Major RNC donors defect to NRSC
 
A group of former top donors to the Republican National Committee have written fellow wealthy Republicans advising them to steer their contributions this cycle to the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
"After much deliberation, we have decided our focus should be on making gains in the United States Senate," says their letter, whose signatories include three former RNC finance chairmen. "The best way for us to afect the outcome of these races is by supporting the National Republican Senatorial Committee."
The letter doesn't mention the RNC directly, but its implication to plugged-in Republican donors is clear, and one section appears to draw a contrast between NRSC Chairman John Cornyn and Steele, who has faced a series of spending flaps and who is viewed as unresponsive by former top donors.
Cornyn has been a "wise steward of hte Committee's funds," says the letter. "He has also listened to our input and sought our counsel multiple times."...


http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0610/Major_RNC_donors_defect_to_NRSC.html


There is an interesting phenomena developing across the board with Republican candidates.  They are covert about their 'establishment' ties and sounding very similar in their 'narrowed rhetorical' messages to the electorate.  They are basically unable to address 'local' concerns and problems of their electorate and relying on rhetoric to win elections.  Many are self funded which shows a strong disconnect from party and citizen. 

Example:

...A review by Hearst Connecticut Newspapers of McMahon's campaign finance filings shows the Greenwich businesswoman and millionaire has so far spent about $11 million on accomplished consultants with close ties to national and state Republican politics.

"She can call herself whatever she wants, but clearly, there's a difference between a campaign that is kind of outside the political establishment and one that is using that rhetoric but using the very conventional and mainstream and established political resources," said Howard Reiter, professor emeritus of political science with the University of Connecticut....

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/McMahon-s-wealth-turns-politics-inside-out-522227.php

Nicobar Island quake at 7.5 without reports of damage or deaths. Unrelated to 4+ magnitudes quakes in Calfiornia today

Banda Aceh was one of the hardest hit islands during the Christmas Tsunami.

June 13, 2010



Nurdin Hasan
3 Earthquakes Rattle Indonesia, but Don’t Injure or Destroy
 
...The office of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Banda Aceh said the area experienced a 7.7-magnitude earthquake at 2:26 a.m. local time....
 
...The first struck at 10:57 a.m., local time, and was recorded by the BMKG as having a magnitude of 5.0. However, the US Geological Survey recorded it as magnitude 4.8. The quake, which struck just north of Ternate, did not trigger a tsunami warning, and there were no reports of casualties or property damage.







A second quake hit later in the day, centered further north in the Maluku Sea, 195 kilometers north-northwest of Ternate. This quake hit at 1:44 in the afternoon with a magnitude of 4.7. There were no immediate reports of casualties or property damage....

...Recent earthquakes in Aceh have been more powerful. The region has experienced a string of quakes of above magnitude 7.0 since April. A 7.2-magnitude quake that month near Simeulue Island led to dozens of injuries and caused severe damage to several homes and buildings....

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/3-earthquakes-rattle-indonesia-but-dont-injure-or-destroy/380358

'

Another wetlands ruined on the Gulf Coast? NO ! Don't tell me about this industry, I know about this industry.

tThick, black oil slicks cover the pond at Liberty Park Saturday in Salt Lake City. Oil-soaked ducks and geese from around the water source were gathered by zoo officials to be cleaned and treated. The oil leak, from a pipeline owned by Chevron, apparently broke sometime Friday night allowing a "significant" amount of oil to escape into the Red Butte Creek system Saturday morning.

And of course there are all those emergency procedures in place that provide safety for the public and private landowners that now have their properties contaminated by oil through the streams that run through their properties.

PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS now have worthless land and their families' health are in danger.

Amazing.

And yet the PROBLEM ONLY EXISTS ON THE GULF COAST.

"W"rong !!!!!!!

The internet access was down until now.

In that is a blessing to many, but, I will return to all the necessary entries tomorrow evening. 

Good night.

There are still 70 people missing? The camp seems to have been set in a bit of a 'gorge' that received water runoff from the surrounding mountains.

The floods were caused due to a seven inches (18 CM) of rain which was poured into the area within a few hours said the National Weather Service.

The heaviest rains started at 2AM and the Little Misslouri River crested at 5AM with the Caddo River cresting at 8 AM.

The rapid 'runoff' is what created a torrent with huge amounts of torque.

Mountainous terrain doesn't contain a lot of soil or 'absorption' resources.  A valley in a narrow canyon can be a dangerous place.

According to Google Maps the surrounding terrain is higher and in many instances, north of the camp, 'far higher' than the valley where the camp resides.  Elevation and unexpected weather are the reasons for this disaster.

Trying to gather information on the missing persons, the state set up a call center that will be open until 7 p.m. on Sunday. Any helpful information about the victims of the Arkansas floods can be submitted using the 888-683-2336 phone number

...The authorities say that not all these people are necessarily missing, because some of them might be in a safe location, but unreachable by phone. After the floods hit the federal ground some of the documents containing the names of the campers were destroyed by the water, so that the authorities don’t have a detailed list of everyone who was there at the time of the disaster.



by Frank James
The death toll from the flash flood tragedy in southwestern Arkansas has grown to at least 20 people with dozens of people missing....

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/06/11/127775861/arkansas-flood-update-at-least-16-dead


Air and water are fluid.  The movement is the same in many instances, but, the viscosity and 'location' are different.  There was probably a whirlpool.  Some of the pictures look similar to areas of Katrina where whirlpools removed homes from their foundations.


...Beebe compared damage at the campground to a strong tornado. He says asphalt was ripped from the ground and a tractor-trailer was wrapped around a tree....

http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0610/745063.html


...The upper stretches of the river above Lake Greeson descend 1,035 feet in 29 miles (315 m in 47 km) for an average drop of 35 feet per mile (6.6 m/km). This makes the upper waters of the river excellent for experienced canoers. There is a 4.4-mile (7.1 km) long segment that has been designated as a wild river. This segment contains the Winding Stair Rapid which is classified as a Class IV rapid on the International Scale of River Difficulty. Another attraction on the upper river is Little Missouri Falls, a stair-step fall that attracts photographers and visitors. The upper reaches of the Little Missouri were considered so scenic that the area was once approved by Congress to become Ouachita National Park, until this action was vetoed by President Herbert Hoover. The watershed of the Little Missouri is quite small, which means that its upper reaches ordinarily contain little water during the dry summer months....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Missouri_River_(Arkansas)


The 'end' of the water's path may prove to be where some people can be found, keeping in mind, the water levels have receded all along that path. 

Hopefully, people will still be alive, but, perhaps injured, scared or in shock.  I would check tree tops and any caves along the path of the FLOODING.

Eventually some bodies may be entombed in mud and debris.

What did the people of the Gulf Coast ask for, WITHOUT THEIR OWN EMERGENCY PLAN, and didn't get?

Workers build a sand berm around the homes on the beach on Dauphin Island, Ala., on June 5. More berms are about to be built in the Gulf just off the Louisiana coast. But some scientists question whether the berms will work in keeping oil off the shore -- and whether they'll survive hurricane season.


Let's get something straight.  The USA military was 'on the job' within days of the initial fire on the Deepwater Horizon.  NO one asked them, except, the President.

The fire began at 9:45 PM, CDT on April 20, 2010.  The Coast Guard, a segment of the USA military was
'on the job' immediately when the fire broke out.

...Within 24 hours of the explosion on the rig, an entry in the logs raises a concern that the oil could pour out at the rate of 8,000 barrels a day in the event of a blowout.
That estimate was raised to a potential leak of at least 64,000 barrels on April 23, showing that first responders began to understand the environmental threat to the Gulf of Mexico when Coast Guard officials detected the first signs of oil appearing on the gulf waters.
The official White House timeline first mentions a leak on April 24, four days after the explosion, when undersea robots discovered a plume of oil coming from the riser on the sea floor....

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/us/04coastguard.html


Basically, I don't see the Republicans along the Gulf having respect fotr anyone including their constituencies, except, their own agendas.  I really don't want to hear how statements are 'heartless.'  What is completely heartless are the poor priorities of these States.  When Jindal and Barber want to deal out criticism they can look in the mirror first.

Guard readies as Gulf Coast braces for oil spill

By Air Force Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
National Guard Bureau
ARLINGTON, Va., (4/30/10) – At least three states along the Gulf of Mexico are preparing for a potential call for thousands of National Guard members as the nation ramps up its response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill today.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal sent letters to federal officials asking them to approve funding to activate up to 6,000 Guardmembers to assist in the response to the oil spill....

http://www.ng.mil/news/archives/2010/04/043010-Oil.aspx


The Gulf States asked for help from the USA military.  Beyond the National Guard, as of today, there are 25,000 people involved in efforts.  Who is paying that bill?  Jindal should have been suing BP, Transocean and Halliburton from the beginning.  His Attorney General hasn't told the Parish Presidents whom to communicate with?  Like the military person sitting in their offices? 

25,000 people is nearly a small city.  When is the Federal Treasury going to be reimbursed from any of the States that are suppose to be receiving 'costs' from BP?  Or, is keeping the monies the Federal Treasury is now doling out part of the 'relief monies' the Gulf States are counting on?  Then there is the cost of the USA miltiary right from the beginning.  Who is paying for that?

TODAY, ...over 1,200 Coast Guardsmen Federal Military), 1,400 National Guardsmen, 21,000 contractors and 700 volunteers....

...400 skimmers on duty and around the gulf, 500 barges, 2,500 government and contract vessels and more than 2,000 vessels of opportunity utilizing local watermen and their knowledge and their vessels, 64 aircraft and 2.7 million feet of boom either deployed or staged and ready to deploy....

2.7 million feet of boom - That circles the Equator of Earth over 108 times.


...We have skimmed, to date, about 18 million gallons of oily water—the oil has to be decanted from that [and] our yield is usually somewhere around 10 or 15 percent on that. We have burned 3.8 million gallons of oil. We’ve applied over a million gallons of dispersant....

I really want them to stop using the dispersant.  A million gallons into the Gulf is over the limit as far as I am concerned.

Canada remained the largest exporter of total petroleum in March, exporting 2.517 million barrels per day to the United States,...

The OTHER exporting countries (in order of gallons per day) providing oil to the USA everyday is Saudi Arabia, MEXICO, Venezuela, Nigeria, Angola, (this was as of March), Iraq (450,000 barrels per day.  Do we pay for that?) , Brazil (Brazilians use a lot of E85 - ethanol 85% - gas 15%)...So, basically, the Brazilians export their oil to the USA to enrich their national treasury while they are burning E85....followed by Algeria, Russia, Kuwait, Colombia, Ecuador, UNITED KINGDOM and lastly the Congo.

But, the Republicans want to chronically scream how the USA has to drill offshore and otherwise in order to stop importing oil. 

Oh.  I'm feeling safer already.  From whom?  Canadians, I suppose. Canada supplies nearly twice the amount of oil to the USA, than Saudi Arabia.

March 2010 Import Highlights: May 27, 2010

Monthly data on the origins of crude oil imports in March 2010 has been released and it shows that three countries exported more than 1.00 million barrels per day to the United States (see table below). The top five exporting countries accounted for 66 percent of United States crude oil imports in March while the top ten sources accounted for approximately 86 percent of all U.S. crude oil imports....

http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html

The whining of the Republicans at any level of government along the Gulf Coast, with the exception of Crist (the guy seems to have some dignity), is POLITICAL.  Congress needs to take that into consideration during their hearings. 

There are many problems in the Gulf of Mexico and along the coastal states, but, 'the response' really isn't 'all that.' 

As of today, Governor Jindal found out that when the State seeks support from BP, rather than pounding away at the Federal government and the Obama Administration, he actually gets what he asks for:

BP First Payment for Barrier Islands Project to Louisiana
Friday June 11th 2010
BP in a letter to Louisiana’s Governor, Bobby Jindal, gave details on their plans to fund the $360 million for six berms for the Barrier Islands Project. BP paid the first payment of $60 million to the State of Louisiana.
With this initial payment Louisiana will be able to begin work immediately on this project. Five additional payments of $60 million each will be paid when the project is certified in 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and finally 100% completion milestones. Instead of establishing an escrow fund BP announced that they will make all the payments directly to the State of Louisiana....

http://www.infotipguide.com/bp-first-payment-for-barrier-islands-project-to-louisiana/846/


WHOM are the laborers for these barrier islands?  Displaced workers from Louisiana?  I hope there is no corruption with those kinds of monies rolling in.

Scientist Warns: Sand Berms Won't Last

by NPR Staff
June 11, 2010
...But some scientists who've spent decades studying the fragile Mississippi River delta aren't sold on the berm idea, and they worry those berms could make things even worse.

Rob Young, a coastal geologist at Western Carolina University who's been working in the Gulf for 20 years, says he thinks the man-made sandbars will take six to nine months to finish. And he doesn't think they're going to last....


..."The structure that I see that they're planning to build is going to erode as soon as it's constructed, and it's going to have a tough time making it through a hurricane season that's predicted to be a fairly active one," Young tells NPR's Melissa Block. "I just don't have a very high level of confidence that a project that's going to require a lot of energy and a lot of sand and mobilize a lot of people is going to do what they promise it will do."... 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127774917


Has anyone, I do mean ANYONE, thanked President Obama for holding BP accountable?  Hm?  To Bipartisan an action I suppose.

And last, but, not least Admiral Thad Allen stated today:  (click title to entry - thank you)

...And that will all continue and, as I said, immense operation going on down there and we are also deploying teams today—and will be next week—under Tracy Wareing, [head of] our integrated services team, to take a look at the claims processing, and that continues with our oversight and work with BP....

Now, what was the complaint ACTUALLY ?

What does it take to get through to a Republican, like Billy Nungesser, who is 'gaming' the circumstances in the Gulf of Mexico?

Billy is the one in the suit.  He is an obstructionist.  He is 'gaming' the issue to win some kind of advantage.  He is a parish President in Louisiana and he doesn't know who is in charge yet?  WOW.

He has a four year term that ends in 2011. 

Surprise. 

He states he is unaware as to how to solve the problems his people face. 

Okay, then.

Let's see if we can all get POTUS to dance on hte head of a pin for us.  What do you say?  Sound like a plan?

Corruption takes all forms and playing dumb sometimes works.

Legislative auditor: Nungesser may have violated Plaquemines Parish charter and local ordinances  (click title to entry - thank you)

Published: Thursday, June 10, 2010, 10:00 PM
Updated: Thursday, June 10, 2010, 10:20 PM
 
Jenny Hurwitz, The Times-Picayune
Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser may have violated the parish charter and local law when he independently entered into two hurricane recovery contracts in early 2007 without securing the parish council's approval, according to a legislative audit report....

Birds of a feather.  Politically gaming circumstances like this is more then corrupt, it is immoral.  That goes for hurricanes. too.  I mean why seek to reverse the trend of Human Induced Global Warming if it plays into your wealth quotient? 

Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser refutes the four alleged violations in the legislative auditor's report, attributing the investigation to 'political operatives' who are trying to hurt the parish's recovery efforts to benefit their own political aspirations.

Criminal charges stating Billy didn't even understand the 'RULES' of his own parish; is an effort to effect the recovery efforts. 

I see. 

So, how could that be?  Because Billy states he doesn't know who is in charge in the rescue and recovery efforts, but, yet criminal charges are effecting those directives by his office. 

That makes sense?  It is double talk.

If the recovery efforts in his parish are effected, it sounds like it could be because he is chasing his tail in trying to understand who to speak to, not because his criminal charges are a political burden effecting things. It sounds like Billy has issues he needs to attend to and should resign to allow people who sincerely care without 'dumbing down' the system take over.  Sound like a plan?  How is his parish doing by the way?  Is his incompete,ncy for whatever reason, sincerely effecting the people there?

Is therer ANYONE in Louisiana that sincerely care about the people there? 

Bye, Billy.