Kyoto Protocol

Article 21

1. Annexes to this Protocol shall form an integral part thereof and, unless otherwise expressly provided, a reference to this Protocol constitutes at the same time a reference to any annexes thereto. Any annexes adopted after the entry into force of this Protocol shall be restricted to lists, forms and any other material of a descriptive nature that is of a scientific, technical, procedural or administrative character. 

It is to reassure the authors and the countries involved, there will be not cherry picking of information. That is what was so appalling a few years back when a British professor's email was hacked. To begin, it was hacked and illegal, but, there is an understanding that partial information is not information at all.

2. Any Party may make proposals for an annex to this Protocol and may propose amendments to annexes to this Protocol. 

Procedural. There is nothing stopping a complete record to be made.

3. Annexes to this Protocol and amendments to annexes to this Protocol shall be adopted at an ordinary session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol. The text of any proposed annex or amendment to an annex shall be communicated to the Parties by the secretariat at least six months before the meeting at which it is proposed for adoption. The secretariat shall also communicate the text of any proposed annex or amendment to an annex to the Parties and signatories to the Convention and, for information, to the Depositary. 

Judicial. The notification of any annexes and/or amendments is to be six months before the meeting. It obviously is to give sufficient time to clarify the document and/or agree with it or not.

Winter Storm Regis

March 20, 2016
By Staff Report

Welcome to the first day of Spring, (click here) with more of a winter forecast than most would probably like.

The National Weather Service is still calling for snow, mostly after 5 p.m. or so when temperatures cool down to just about freezing.  But the snow should be minimal in the immediate Philadelphia region.  

It could be heavier, from two to four inches, south and east of the I-95 corridor and closer to the Shore. North and west of the corridor will see little snow, if at all.

Here's the breakdown for today:

Look for dry conditions in the morning, followed by a chance of rain after 1p.m. and a high of about 42. Then, rain could mix with snow this evening around dinnertime.  Total daytime snow accumulation should be less than half an inch....

It's Sunday Night

Spring 2016 arrived on Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 12:30 AM EDT

“A man has every season while a woman only has the right to spring.” — Jane Fonda (click here)

"Spring Fever" by Elvis Presley (click here for official website - thank you)

A little bird, he told me so
He said come on, get on the go
Open your eyes the sky is full of butterflies
The blossoms on the trees stir up the honey bees
Spring makes my fever right

Spring fever, Spring is here at last
Spring fever, my heart's beating fast
Get up, get out spring is everywhere

Well if you feel the wanderlust
Just grab a car or hop a bus
In every town there's excitement to be found
So much is happening
Don't miss the joy of spring
The world's in love just look around

Spring fever comes to everyone
Spring fever, it's time for fun
Get up, get out spring is everywhere

Spring fever, it's Spring fever time
Spring fever, watch that fever climb
Get up, get out spring is everywhere

Spring is everywhere

The United States is finally making relationships it deserves in it's own hemisphere.

President Calvin Coolidge and his wife, first lady Grace Coolidge (left in picture) are shown with the President of Cuba General Gerardo Machado y Morales and his wife, Elvira Machado, walk on the estate of President Machado in Havana, Cuba, Jan. 19, 1928.

The deteriorating relationship between the two countries occurred when the coupe occurred in 1959.

...Relations between the United States and Cuba (click here) had been steadily declining since Castro seized power in early 1959. U.S. officials were soon convinced that Castro’s government was too anti-American to be trusted, and they feared that he might lead Cuba into the communist bloc. Early in 1960, following Castro’s decision to sign a trade treaty with the Soviet Union, the Eisenhower administration began financing and training a group of Cuban exiles to overthrow the Cuban leader. Castro responded by increasing his program of nationalizing foreign property and companies. In return, the United States began to implement cutbacks in trade with Cuba. The diplomatic break on January 3, 1961 was the culmination of an increasingly acrimonious situation....

The US intelligence was correct, in that Fidel Castro would nationalize the private sector throughout Cuba. It was after that the first Cuban refugees came to the USA. They were displaced business people and academicians. They had assets they brought with them. Their experience with the USA was very different than the Cubans that occasionally travel by boat to southern Florida.

But, Cuba under Castro turned to communism and Russia. Nikita Khrushchev (click here) would become fast friends with Fidel Castro. Khrushchev over estimated the ease of which Russia could establish their most western nuclear site. He made his decision May 1962 in Bulgaria where he spoke about possibly losing Cuba and the spread of Marxism and Leninism.

President Kennedy called the Russians on their nuclear missiles (click here) and the Cuban Missile Crisis was over. But, the relations with Cuba had never healed since. It has been bizarre to say the least to think dissidents were in Cuba and exist to establish freedom since 1962. That is 54 years and the dissidents were never successful. Why then have them believe democracy would return all those decades? It is the worst USA blunder since the cold war; holding dissidents as example of USA power in the hemisphere and never doing anything except fly a hot air balloon over the island country in hopes a Spanish channel would be seen on Cuban televisions.

Amazing.

Then, there were the submarines that traveled to near shore locations of Cuba under "W" to use a radar (click here) that exploded the ears of marine mammals. But, that was the only time dissidents thought they were exonerated in their suffering. They and "W" must have had a good chuckle over the idea a USA submarine could get that close to Cuba. What a waste of lives for them to hold false hopes all those decades.

Today, the First Family arrived in Cuba under a cloud of drizzle for a historic trip that should improve the relationship between the two countries. 

May 20, 2016
By Alexander Mallin 

President Obama and the first family (click here) have arrived in Cuba, for the first visit to the island nation by a sitting U.S. president in nearly 90 years.
The visit comes just 15 months after the announcement that the U.S. and Cuba would be restoring diplomatic ties.
As Air Force One was still on the runway, Obama tweeted that he was "looking forward to meeting and hearing directly from the Cuban people."...

The people are always the place where USA foreign policy should focus. The dissidents have existed because of false promises that the USA never delivered on. The people of Cuba have suffered enough and need an economy be returned to them.

I am proud of my President and the First Family to represent the United States of America in a new relationship that will improve the lives of Cubans and seek a better relationship with country's leadership. I hope the First Family enjoys their visit to this country that is still primarily a mystery to most Americans.

What happened economically this week?

Why did the DOW regain it's 2016 losses this week?

No one is paying attention, right? There is no clue among candidates or their constituencies to what occurred this week, right? Was there any discussion of the rebound of Wall Street this week?

Even CEOs didn't know what happened this week. They are delighted their stock prices are moving higher and they don't care what happened this week. Believe me when I state CEOs are nobody. They make stupid decisions and those decisions only benefit them and short term profits at the cost of quality of life of every human being on Earth except the top earning 0.01 percent.

So, what happened this week?

Why is Wall Street smiling as if they have caught a leprechaun and a pot of gold?

The US Dollar dropped in value after the stabilizing of interest rates by the Fed. The job numbers and strengthening of the labor market meant nothing. NOTHING. Wall Street hates labor and is a bit dismayed with labor stability because it takes profits (or so they think) away from their BONUS CHECK.

The US Dollar softened, the stock prices softened and became the place to scoff up stocks because of the stability of those long lived stocks and their ability to return profits even in poor economic times.

March 20, 2016

US stocks are opening slightly lower (click here) despite a raft of generally positive economic reports as investors await the Federal Reserve's comments on the state of the economy later in the day. "A range of recent indicators, including strong job gains, points to additional strengthening of the labour market", it said. "They are obviously volatile ... they only need to stabilize at a higher level", she said. Fed policymakers had been expected to leave short-term interest rates unchanged while signaling that a rate hike is not too far off as long as the job market and inflation continue to improve. However, Janet Yellen, the US Federal Reserve Chair, indicated in her press conference, that the US economy is strong in spite of the global slowdown and global developments will be monitored....

Once again, the stock were purchased during soft prices and escalated with the new purchases and Wall Street returned to it's beginning of the year levels.

This past week PROVES it is a "Bear Market."

Global Hysteria. Why does no one fear Ted Cruz?

Donald Trump is not a Hitler or Mussolini. He isn't interested in war. The Republican Establish should be feared. It is where "W" came from and the threat of war lives with them. Cheney's first response to any question was war and torture. The Global Community actually believes the CONTINUED fear mongering of the USA media which is designed for exploitation by Wall Street. It's propaganda. Honestly.

The sky is not falling. Does everyone in power in the global community actually want a repeat of 2008?

He is interested in fair trade, not free trade so I suppose Wall Street is up in arms since the free trade agreements are designed for high Wall Street profit and impoverishment of global communities.

No one is asking what Globalists think of the fair trade policies of Donald Trump.

Is there a difference between free trade and fair trade? Does one promote the quality of life for citizens of the countries involved? Is Wall Street expecting disproportionate profits with these agreements? Why are free trade agreements necessary when other trade agreements such as the WTO exist?

When is the globalist movement going to take on the challenge of addressing trade and quality of life? Is quality of life where the middle class lives? Can the middle class afford health insurance?

What happens to the COST of education at Charter Schools when the public schools disappear off the map? Who then will receive formal education at any grade?

Globalization and Fair Trade - Lesson Plan (click here)

The 2015 graduating high school class had the lowest SAT scores in the past forty years.

Their was one state in the USA that earned an average higher than 1800 points out of 2400 points. (click here)

Illinois with 5,728 students averaged 1802 cumulatively. Those students reflect 0 to 10 percent of any graduating class in Illinois.

1802 out of 2400 points is a success percentage of 75 percent. In reflecting on generational tests and their scoring of the past; it was not unusual to have students achieve 800 or more scores out of 1000. That means from the time I was in school the percentage of correct scores has dropped 5 percent in 40 years. That is tragic. As time goes by the high achievers should be reaching higher and not lower than the generations before. Learners in my generation didn't have college level parents to help with the homework.

The highest number of participating students in California in 2015 was 241,553 students reflecting 51 to 60 percent of any class tested. They had an average of 1492 points out of 2400 points.

There are states with 91 to 100 percent participation of any graduating class:

- Delaware with an average score of 1369 points out of 2400 points.
- District of Columbia with an average score of 1313 points out of 2400 points.
- Idaho with an average score of 1372 points out of 2400 points.
- Maine with an average score of 1392 points out of 2400 points.

The average of those four states is 1362 round up to eliminate the decimal. I think that is an interesting average from schools where the entire graduating class was participating. I think that is where the average is for the entire country if all students were required to participate. 

I congratulate the states that required every graduating student to take the SAT tests. It is a requirement and the students know it. It brings the expectation of students to a real platform. The SAT scores are a real world test that actually moves a person from a diploma to a college and a promise of upward movement. I think that is important.

Of course, when asking a entire student population to take the SAT tests it will drag the overall score down. California also had a drag on it's overall average because of the large number of students. Illinois did really, really well, but, only had participation by 0 to 10 percent of any graduating class. That is more democracy in learning than should exist. 

I don't believe learning is a democracy. Learning is a DISCIPLINE. Summer reading for all grades in primary and secondary school is vitally important. I realize there may be some schools that attend school all year round. For the schools with a year round program it is important students stay up on their learning and have "course material pak" to review on their month off between semesters. 

An average of 1200 of 2400 is 50 percent and is completely unacceptable for a First World country. The lowest average was 1368 in Delaware with 91 to 100 percent participation. That should be a strong warning sign the USA is slipping far too much in their educational standards.

Do parents read to their children from as soon as they can see well? Is there not a devotion to children anymore that sets a time to stop doing adult things and responsibilities to read; before bedtime or after breakfast or a time of day where a half hour can be set aside to read to children?

I find this reality about our country tragic. It did not happen overnight. There has been a deterioration over time. I strongly suggest educators find where the downturn began through several different statistical data and realize past educational processes were far better than today. That may very well mean the reassessment of computers in education.

The country needs to do better. It needs to have better pay for work so parents have time for children. It needs regular medical benefits to be sure parent and child are healthy in order to learn. The WELLNESS of our citizens is very, very necessary to insure a healthy mind and body in order to learn. There can be absolutely NO more Flint, Michigans. The country needs to concentrate on it's domestic budget far more than it's military budget. The country needs infrastructure, sound public school buildings, clean air and clean water.

The country needs to set it's priority straight in the year 2016. After all with the most recent meeting between the DOD and the Senate Oversight Committee this past Thursday, a draft would be worthless. That's right. The DOD has no need nor desire for a draft. According to the DOD a draft would not deliver the quality of individual they are looking for due to problems with young adults including the requirement of a high school diploma and to be drug free. 

The return of excellence to our primary and secondary schools is a national defense issue. Did I ever think I would see that day in the USA? Never. 

Senator Mark Kirk did the right thing. There should be no politics on either side of the aisle. Chief Judge Garland is amply qualified.

March 18, 2016

By Mike DeBonis

Sen. Mark Kirk, of Illinois, (click here) on Friday became the first Republican senator to call for an up-or-down vote on Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, saying on a Chicago radio show that his colleagues ought to “just man up and cast a vote.”

Meanwhile, a conservative legal group moved to counter a fierce Democratic push to target embattled incumbents such as Kirk, launching a multimillion television, radio and digital advertising campaign to block Garland’s consideration.

The round of ads from the Judicial Crisis Network is the latest in an onslaught of opposition from conservative interest groups that are throwing money and opposition researchers aimed at halting the nomination process and discrediting Garland, the 63-year-old chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

That Kirk would be first to break with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, and other GOP colleagues who think the next president should pick the replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia is not surprising: Kirk was one of two Republican senators, joined by Susan Collins of Maine, to call for confirmation hearings....
                 

FOX News is nothing but hot air. They lie because they are corrupt with right wing priorities to INFLUENCE elections. FOX SELLS INFLUENCE! It is called corruption.

From Forbes:

Alternative energy is not causing the collapse of coal mining. (click here)

The coal industry has been in trouble for years, as evidenced by the recent announcement by Peabody Energy BTU +4.17%, the world’s largest private-sector coal company, that it may have to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. There are a number of reasons behind the demise of the U.S. coal industry, but the biggest factor is displacement of coal by natural gas in the power generation sector. This week the Energy Information Administration (EIA) published a graphic that highlighted the role of natural gas in displacing coal:...

...“Energy Infrastructure Update”, the agency noted that 468 megawatts (MW) of wind power and 145 MW of solar power accounted for 100% of new electrical generation capacity brought into service in January 2016. FERC’s December 2015 “Energy Infrastructure Update” revealed that renewables were responsible for 64% of all new electrical generating capacity installed last year....

...This is why, despite the fact that renewables took the lion’s share of new electrical generating capacity installed last year, it was natural gas that seized the largest share of power production from coal utilities....

Steve Forbes is on FOX stating the threat to coal are renewables at the very same time his publication has FACTS indicating that natural gas is displacing coal. That is the case. Currently, natural gas is the one form of energy that has displaced coal.

This goes to prove FOX is nothing but political right wing rhetoric and not the TRUTH.

There are no facts at FOX. Why bother with them?

Is Michael Wear bullet proof? He's got at least nine lives.

He should title it "The Dark Heart."

There are a few hate groups (click here) within reach of Madison. Most are housed in Milwaukee.

March 26, 2016

By Don Terry

Before he allegedly robbed a bank, (click here) stole a pickup truck, killed a man and then got into a shootout that left him and a young state trooper dead in small town Wisconsin on Tuesday, Steven Snyder was reportedly a racist skinhead with ties to the National Alliance (NA), once the best organized and most dangerous neo-Nazi group in the country.
In 1996, when Snyder was 19, he was part of a group of skinheads, armed with pipes and baseball bats, that attacked a group of blacks and Latinos at their home in Fond du Lac, Wis., according to a Milwaukee television station...

January 16, 2007
Eighty-seven-year-old Theodor Junker (click here) says he doesn't want any trouble. The retired farmer and ex-Waffen SS soldier just wants to tend quietly to his Hitler memorial, which lies off a single-lane gravel path deep in the woods of southern Wisconsin.
But trouble is what he got in August, when five carloads of neo-Nazis pulled onto his property to pay respects to Junker and his shrine. Junker, who emigrated to the United States from Germany in 1955, does not yet have a zoning permit to host "large events" as defined by the county and was summarily fined $2,000 for allowing about 25 members of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement (NSM) to gather at his memorial. According to the court judgment, the money will be returned if Junker does not violate zoning regulations within the next year....
    

The Libertarians. The former Ron Paul supporters are actually really great people. They are steadfast and nothing anyone says against them will hold water. They have studied their US Constitution and dedicated their love of their country to the understanding they carry as their own. They are very passionate about their beliefs. I think they are great. Their stubbornness is due to their love of country, not about standing alone as uniquely political. 

No one should dismiss them as irrelevant. They won't go away. They are convinced they hold the truth about the country's precious documents. I think that is fine. Not only fine, but, important. I think their understanding of the beginnings of this country is important and they should not change.

Some of my best friends love tatoos.

17th Annual Tatoofest (click here)

31 March - 03 April 2016

There is a variety of interests (click here)

Artist from your Favorite Tv Shows Epic Ink, TattooNightmares, Inkmaster, Tattoo Titans. Tattoo Contests After Parties, Miss Tattoofest Contest Winner to be painted by Dave Nestler Worlds Number Pinup Artist in the World. Sideshows and new for this year Comicfest in the same building 2 great shows one price.

Get to know the "Sea Shepard Conservation Society" (click here)

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-profit marine conservation organization whose mission is to end the slaughter of wildlife and destruction of habitats in the world’s oceans. Our work is dedicated to protecting our clients — the many, diverse species of wildlife that live within the ocean’s eco-systems — from the tiny plankton to the great whales.
Sea Shepherd uses innovative, non-violent, direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary in order to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas.
By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately balanced ocean eco-systems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations. As Sea Shepherd Founder, Captain Paul Watson says, “If the oceans die, we die!” It really is that simple.
Sea Shepherd has grown to the point where we are no longer just an organization, we are now a movement of passionate individuals around the world who care about conserving, protecting and defending our oceans. Sea Shepherd does what others can’t, or won’t.

Tatoos are very personal. They are body art. They are often a self expression and personal ideology, however, having a tatoo does not indicate criminality or social pariah.
I think very little of those that attempt to victimize any person because of their body art without a conversation about it.
It is interesting to engage a person about their ideologies and invite them to understand mine. It is all legal and there should be no campaign to defame people interested in living their lives expressing their personal choices in body art. Closing them off from all others only leaves them stranded and that is very Un-American.

I thought we already covered the personal choices some people make when they hate and how open mindedness makes them approachable to find a different reality.

Anonymous is working for the GOP? Really?

I thought all you guys were in jail. That isn't the Chinese undercover, is it? The Republicans have to work out their own problems. There was an ad today for Ted Cruz about the murder of a boy by an illegal alien. Ted Cruz states he approves of the message. That is new for Cruz. Before today, he was playing both sides of the aisle. The ad appeared because one of the messages Donald Trump carries is about the American deaths caused by illegal aliens. The GOP has to work this out for themselves. The Republican elite take their voter base for granted. 

2008 didn't just hit the Democrats. Imagine an electorate with a President in the White House that didn't have his hand on the economy and allowed it to collapse. The former US Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Paulson was asked to serve after John Snow resigned. I remember the debate in the news. They worked very hard to remove Snow and place Paulson in office. The signs of 2008 were already showing in 2006. What did Paulson do? He went to China. He was in China more often, with his best Chinese smile, than he was in his government office. 

The GOP has a lot to learn about this country and we are all tired of having them learn it at our expense. This is their fight.

Today, I heard a report of how companies left NYC after 911. What did Donald Trump do? He sent 500 employees to the cities rescue efforts to help. That matters.

Of all people Mitt Romney actually thinks he is somebody. Look where he made his millions! He put Americans out of work. He has no room to talk.

March 18, 2016
By Claire Zillman
Earlier this week the hacker group Anonymous (click here) declared “total war” on GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, calling his behavior “deeply disturbing.”

On Thursday, Anonymous started to follow through on that promise, reportedly posting personal information about Trump online. Most of it was already public, like his birthday, his place of birth, and his legal counsel, but there were a few tidbits that had been private, namely his (alleged) social security number and the number to his cell phone,according to USA Today....

Ever since she visited with President Obama and First Lady Michelle, life has taken an interesting turn.

March 15, 2016
By Adrianne M. Haney

First, (click here) she danced at the White House with President Obama and the First Lady. Then she turned 107 years old. Now, she's broken out her boogie shoes again to dance and do tricks with some of the Harlem Globetrotters.
On Tuesday, Virginia McLaurin met up with Moose Weekes and Zeus McClurkin of the iconic basketball team at the Roots Public Charter School in Washington D.C. where the woman (still!) volunteers.
"I didn't think I'd ever get the chance to meet them, but I always watched them, and I used to try to do what they do with the ball, but it didn't work," she told media at the event....

Welcome to the power structure of the USA, Trump family.

This is status quo for people that are within the power structure of the USA. There is always at least one campaign office attacked during elections. This is a bit early, but, the GOP isn't interested in talking kindly about their Tea Party candidate.

I apologize to Eric. It happens, ya know? It is part of the political realities these days. No one expects Eric to defy odds or be brave. It is okay to feel vulnerable and confide in friends and family. I am sorry this happened to you, it should not have.

March 18, 2016
By David Caplan, Aaron Katersky and Megan Keneally

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (click here) in New York is leading the investigation into a letter containing a suspicious white powder that was sent to one of Donald Trump's sons.
The task force has also teamed up with the Secret Service, the Postal Inspector and the NYPD.
A preliminary field test of the powder sent to Eric Trump's New York City apartment Thursday indicated the substance did not appear hazardous, according to the source who was briefed on the matter.
The NYPD confirmed to ABC News it responded to a call at Trump Parc East, a high-end residential building on Central Park South, but the department did not identify the recipient of the letter as Donald Trump's 32-year-old son, who has an apartment in the building. (The Trump Organization source, however, confirmed the letter was indeed sent to the real estate mogul's son's apartment.)
The NYPD said, "At approximately 7:15 p.m., the NYPD responded to a residential building at 100 Central Park South to investigate a report of a suspicious letter received by a tenant. The letter has been removed and is being examined by law enforcement authorities. No injuries have been reported in connection with this incident."...

There is some talk about Bergdahl having a personality disorder.

So. 

The American public has absolutely no idea to the degree of mental health issues manifest in the military. Personal disorders are everywhere. The one personality disorder that manifests most frequently in crime is Borderline Personality Disorder.

October 18, 2007 NIMH-funded (click here) researchers recently reported that roughly nine percent of? U.S.adults have a personality disorder as defined by the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV. Many people with personality disorders were also found to have co-occurring major mental disorders. These findings are from the first nationally representative survey of the prevalence of personality disorders and were published in the September 2007 issue ofBiological Psychiatry....

The most current DSM is DSM-V. (click here) Public or Academic libraries have it in their reference section.

This new edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5(tm)), used by clinicians and researchers to diagnose and classify mental disorders, is the product of more than 10 years of effort by hundreds of international experts in all aspects of mental health. Their dedication and hard work have yielded an authoritative volume that defines and classifies mental disorders in order to improve diagnoses, treatment, and research. 

Go Belgium.

The dogs they are asking to find the terrorists are not German Shepards.

The Belgian Malinois (click here) (pronounced MAL-in-wah) is a medium-size Belgian shepherd dog that at first glance resembles a German Shepherd Dog. Malinois are shorthaired, fawn-colored dogs with a black mask. They are one of four types of Belgian herding dogs, and have been shown in the U.S. as a separate breed since 1959.

They are very intelligent dogs. 


March 18, 2016
Kim Hjelmgaard and Doug Stanglin
Salah Abdeslam, (click here) the main fugitive from November's Paris terror attack, was shot and captured Friday in a raid by police on a Brussels suburb, according to French and Belgian officials.

Abdeslam was wounded in the knee in the operation, according to the deputy mayor o Molenbeek where the raid took place. He said he had received confirmation of Abdeslam's capture from the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office.

Ahmed El Khannouss told The Associated Press that police were still searching for one person who was holed up in a house....