February 2, 2018
By Rick Holmes
Gauthier, Miss. — This used to be the heart of a great American savanna. (click here) Now it’s about all that’s left....
...For centuries the savannas (click here) went largely undisturbed, even after Europeans settled the Gulf Coast, in part because people couldn’t figure out how to squeeze profits out of it. But after World War II, timber companies figured out a way. They bought up the savannas and got government to buy it as state and national forests for their use. They cut ditches to drain the swamps and turned them into pine plantations: acres and acres of scratch pine trees, planted in neat rows. The ones I saw barely grow big enough for a two-by-four before they are harvested and chipped up for composite products.
People also started putting out the wildfires that sustain the savanna habitat. And with the advent of air conditioning, the population grew, turning savannas into parking lots and subdivisions in the process.
By the mid-1970s, the wet savanna habitat had shrunk to less than 5 percent of its previous size and the Mississippi sandhill crane was on the brink of extinction. Naturalists counted 30 to 35 still in the wild, with just five breeding pairs. The Interstate Highway System threatened to finish the job, with I-10 slated to slice through the middle of what was left of the cranes’ domain....
Ecotourism is about the "OOohhs and Ahhhs" when bird watchers and tourists come to view the incredible vistas of wildlife. When species become so endangered they have to be protected from any and all tourists, that doesn't really bring in big tourist dollars.
Please note: (click here) Most of the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge is off limit to the public due to the endangerment status of the birds and the wet pine savanna environment. However, there are a number of wildlife-oriented recreational activities to do including hiking, photography, education, and the visitor center. No Camping or picnicking allowed on the refuge.
I am skeptical about the protections, for the cranes (click here) especially because wild hogs are a problem in the south as are the hunters that have no clue about the wildlife so much as their dogs and pigs they hunt. The population isn't increasing by much and there have to be reasons.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
GDP per capita: 2016 - $7,580 US
Now, it isn't really fair to have a country with a GDP $7,580 carry the same burden as a major first world country, yet, the morality of the Bulgarians were exactly that. They signed and ratified Kyoto Protocol and never withdrew as the George W. Bush administration did in 2002.
Most folks don't read "Nature." They rather read "Esquire" and "Cosmo." Or they'd try to "Keep Up with the Kardashians."
I have been reading "Nature" for a long time. It is a journal that brings significant articles from every scientific discipline to peers like myself.
Nature, Vol. 416
28 March 2002
The Earth's climate (click here) has warmed by approximately 0.6 8C over the past 100 years with two main periods of warming, between 1910 and 1945 and from 1976 onwards. The rate of warming during the latter period has been approximately double that of the ®rst and, thus, greater than at any other time during the last 1,000 years1 . Organisms, populations and ecological communities do not, however, respond to approximated global averages. Rather, regional changes, which are highly spatially heterogeneous (Fig. 1), are more relevant in the context of ecological response to climatic change. In many regions there is an asymmetry in the warming that undoubtedly will contribute to heterogeneity in ecological dynamics across systems. Diurnal temperature ranges have decreased because minimum temperatures are increasing at about twice the rate of maximum temperatures. As a consequence, the freeze-free periods in most mid- and high-latitude regions are lengthening and satellite data reveal a 10% decrease in snow cover and ice extent since the late 1960s. Changes in the precipitation regime have also been neither spatially nor temporally uniform (Fig. 1). In the mid- and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere a decadal increase of 0.5±1% mostly occurs in autumn and winter whereas, in the sub-tropics, precipitation generally decreases by about 0.3% per decade....
Nature, Vol. 416
28 March 2002
The Earth's climate (click here) has warmed by approximately 0.6 8C over the past 100 years with two main periods of warming, between 1910 and 1945 and from 1976 onwards. The rate of warming during the latter period has been approximately double that of the ®rst and, thus, greater than at any other time during the last 1,000 years1 . Organisms, populations and ecological communities do not, however, respond to approximated global averages. Rather, regional changes, which are highly spatially heterogeneous (Fig. 1), are more relevant in the context of ecological response to climatic change. In many regions there is an asymmetry in the warming that undoubtedly will contribute to heterogeneity in ecological dynamics across systems. Diurnal temperature ranges have decreased because minimum temperatures are increasing at about twice the rate of maximum temperatures. As a consequence, the freeze-free periods in most mid- and high-latitude regions are lengthening and satellite data reveal a 10% decrease in snow cover and ice extent since the late 1960s. Changes in the precipitation regime have also been neither spatially nor temporally uniform (Fig. 1). In the mid- and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere a decadal increase of 0.5±1% mostly occurs in autumn and winter whereas, in the sub-tropics, precipitation generally decreases by about 0.3% per decade....
...Air temperature changes until now (click here)
Generally, there is no significant overall trend of mean annual air temperature in Bulgaria for the 20th century (6). Warming is observed, however, from the middle of 1980s. In fact, since 1997 all annual temperature anomalies are positive. 2007 was the warmest year recorded during the period of measurements in Bulgaria: temperature was 1.6⁰C above the average over the period 1961-1990. The years 1994, 2000, 2002 and 2009 were among the warmest years on record in Bulgaria (2).
In the eastern Mediterranean, the intensity, length and number of heat waves have increased by a factor of six to eight since the 1960s (9).
Precipitation changes until now
Annual precipitation varied considerably from year to year in the 20th century (6). Climate in Bulgaria became drier at the end of the 20th century. During the last decade however, precipitation totals have increased. Heavy rains caused severe floods damaging various socioeconomic sectors (2)....
It's Sunday Night
—Gillian Anderson
For those in the USA that are confused about nudity and a woman's right to be free of violence. There are eons of difference between beauty, the right to nudity, the right to a couple's intimacy and sexual assault.
Being sexy and what it looks like is never going away.
To the right:
Bulgarian (click here) model Rali Ivanova is the Bulgarian representative in the Sexiest Woman Alive 2010 list by US men's magazine Esquire.
"Rumored to be inspiration for the word "bodacious," the magazine's definition of Ivanova said.
The Bulgarian is not very popular in her homeland because she has been living and working as a model in the United States for years....
Unfortuantely, Ms. Ivanova had a drinking problem, but, it wasn't in the USA.
February 19, 2015
The Bulgarian is not very popular in her homeland because she has been living and working as a model in the United States for years....
Unfortuantely, Ms. Ivanova had a drinking problem, but, it wasn't in the USA.
February 19, 2015
By Geoff Fox
Land O' Lakes — A professional model (click here) living in St. Petersburg was arrested early Wednesday and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said.
Billed as “the sexiest Bulgarian alive” by Esquire.com, Ralitsa “Rali” Ivanova, 29, told the sheriff’s deputy who pulled her over in north Land O’ Lakes that she thought she was driving in Tampa, a sheriff’s report said.
A curvaceous blonde swimsuit model who has credited her money-making looks on Bulgarian, Italian and Russian ancestry, Ivanova told the deputy she was trying to drive home to St. Petersburg from Tampa and lost her way because she was texting while driving, the sheriff’s report said.
Ivanova showed the deputy her phone, which included texts from someone advising her not to perform field sobriety tests or take a breath test, the report said.
The deputy wrote that Ivanova’s breath smelled strongly of alcohol and that she had difficulty maintaining her balance when she got out of her vehicle, a black BMW....
Land O' Lakes — A professional model (click here) living in St. Petersburg was arrested early Wednesday and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office said.
Billed as “the sexiest Bulgarian alive” by Esquire.com, Ralitsa “Rali” Ivanova, 29, told the sheriff’s deputy who pulled her over in north Land O’ Lakes that she thought she was driving in Tampa, a sheriff’s report said.
A curvaceous blonde swimsuit model who has credited her money-making looks on Bulgarian, Italian and Russian ancestry, Ivanova told the deputy she was trying to drive home to St. Petersburg from Tampa and lost her way because she was texting while driving, the sheriff’s report said.
Ivanova showed the deputy her phone, which included texts from someone advising her not to perform field sobriety tests or take a breath test, the report said.
The deputy wrote that Ivanova’s breath smelled strongly of alcohol and that she had difficulty maintaining her balance when she got out of her vehicle, a black BMW....
Bulgarian national anthem in Bulgarian and English and the national flag of Bulgaria.
BULGARIAN LYRICS (Latin script)
ENGLISH TRANSLATION,
Gorda Stara Planina,
Pirin looms in purple glow.
Oh, dear native land,
Earthly paradise!
for the beloved our people
Mother, give me man's power
Proudly rise the Balkan peaks
Do nei Dunava sinei,
At their feet Blue Danube flows;
Slantse Tkrakiya ogriava,
Over Thrace the sun is shining,
Nad Pirina plamenei
Pirin looms in purple glow.
CHORUS:
CHORUS:
Milo Rodino,
Oh, dear native land,
Ti si zemen rai,
Earthly paradise!
Tvoita hubost, tvoota prelest,
For your loveliness, your beauty
Ah te niamat krai.
E'er will charm our eyes.
Padnaha boitsi bezchet,
Uncounted fighter died
Za naroda nash liubim
for the beloved our people
Maiko, dai mi muzhka sila,
Mother, give me man's power
Patia im da prodalzhim
Their path to continue.
Women are not going to be silenced anymore, especially, by abusive men like Trump.
While Donald Trump's issues with sexual assault are hidden beneath "Non-Disclosure Agreements," it doesn't mean no one knows they exist. And to think he has the audacity to help cover up domestic violence in his White House staff and allow for breaches in national security only reveals his own agenda for the office of president.
February 10, 2018
By Mark Landler
Washington — President Trump thrust himself (click here) into the national debate over sexual misconduct on Saturday, asserting that “a mere allegation” could destroy the lives of those accused, as his own White House was engulfed by charges of abusive behavior.
Mr. Trump, in an early morning Twitter post, appeared to be defending two of his aides who resigned this past week after facing claims of domestic violence.
“Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation,” he wrote. “Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused — life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?”
The statement echoed Mr. Trump’s dismissive response to allegations of sexual misconduct or abuse made over decades against male friends, colleagues and, above all, himself....
February 10, 2018
By Mark Landler
Washington — President Trump thrust himself (click here) into the national debate over sexual misconduct on Saturday, asserting that “a mere allegation” could destroy the lives of those accused, as his own White House was engulfed by charges of abusive behavior.
Mr. Trump, in an early morning Twitter post, appeared to be defending two of his aides who resigned this past week after facing claims of domestic violence.
“Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation,” he wrote. “Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused — life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?”
The statement echoed Mr. Trump’s dismissive response to allegations of sexual misconduct or abuse made over decades against male friends, colleagues and, above all, himself....
State by State fees for licensed and registered professions.
The place where secret taxes are lodged is in the "fee schedule" be it local, state or federal. As the deductions for state and local taxes disappear there will be other opportunities to pay higher fees and it will add to deductions in a different way.
As states look to help their citizens in every way possible and fee schedules may change as they will be deducted as a business or professional expense, I caution the states or local governments to also provide a "Free Fee" service to lower income folks as they enter the professions or trades. The government should always be looking for ways Americans can enter the Middle Class of the USA. The "Free Fee" qualification should be standard in every fee schedule to provide that extra leg up to those taking an initiative to earn more money.
I think the states need to be innovative and provide tax relief for those that would normally have a local and state deduction on their federal taxes.
Commercial contracting
Residential contracting
Plumbing
Electrical
HVAC
Gas
Asbestos/hazardous waste remediation
Department of Transportation (road work)
Licensed vs. Registered
Some states require licensing while others require registration. The difference between the two is this:
Licensing involves passing exams and meeting certain criteria to prove reasonable competency in a trade.
Registration is a written record of who is performing the work. It doesn’t guarantee expertise or competency.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Other than Romeo needing a make over...
...first cloning to provide a mate. Frogs are remarkably adaptable, but, once the cloning has gone well, try another clone only introduce a female gene. It is Romeo's only chance for love and genetic engineering is the way to go. A gentle scraping of his skin should commence as soon as possible. The effort needs to be connected to a lab with marine experience, such as FIT or better yet, UNCW.
Romeo needs a "Go Fund Me" site, too. Good luck.
February 10, 2018
By Zoe Schlanger
Conservation biologists haven’t given up hope either. They tend to hate watching species they study go extinct. So a group of local scientists have named him Romeo and created a dating profile for the frog on website Match.com, in hopes of endearing him and his plight to the masses.
“Not to start this off super heavy or anything, but I’m literally the last of my species,” the profile reads.
Match.com is matching donations to fund the effort to scour habitats for Romeo’s mate through Valentine’s day, February 14, 2018....
Perhaps if Mr. Batory took his desk at the Federal Railroad Administration, he could provide insight to the recent accidents with our railroads..
He seems eminently qualified. He also seems like a nice man. Given the issues facing the country in our country's capital, a nice man could actually take precedence over one that isn't. He probably doesn't need an extensive FBI assessment.
July 11, 2017
July 11, 2017
Written by William C. Vantuono
The White House on July 11 (click here) announced that President Donald Trump has nominated Ronald L. Batory, who recently retired as President and Chief Operating Officer of Conrail, as the next Federal Railroad Administrator.
Batory retired March 31 as President and COO of Conrail, following a 46-year rail operating career that included the presidency of the Belt Railway of Chicago and senior positions at Class I and regional railroads, including general manager in Chicago for Southern Pacific. He earned a bachelor’s in business from Adrian College and a master of arts from Eastern Michigan University....
Addictions of any kind effect quality of life, money addition is no different.
When most people think of money addiction, (click here) an image of a gambling addict may come to mind, or someone who loves to flash their new designer outfit or their fancy car du jour.
It’s easy to spot these obvious manifestations. But the real trick is noticing the hidden signs—the ones that your friends, family, and maybe even you express.
The truth is, money addiction is at the root of under earning, overworking, compulsive shopping and spending, and even excessive saving....
Hidden Sign #1: Living in Denial
Hidden Sign #2: Money Secrecy & Shame
Hidden Sign #3: Money Obsession
Hidden Sign #4: Lack of Money Control
Hidden Sign #5: Inability to Change Money Behavior Despite Negative Consequences
In the case of the Trump White House, realizing denial is the first step.
Hidden Sign #1: Living in Denial
Hidden Sign #2: Money Secrecy & Shame
Hidden Sign #3: Money Obsession
Hidden Sign #4: Lack of Money Control
Hidden Sign #5: Inability to Change Money Behavior Despite Negative Consequences
In the case of the Trump White House, realizing denial is the first step.
February 8, 2018
By Jennifer Hansfer
Washington - Environmental Protection Agency (click here) Administrator Scott Pruitt suggested Tuesday that climate change could benefit humans, despite scientific evidence to the contrary.
In an interview with KSNV in Las Vegas, Pruitt conceded that climate change is a reality and humans have contribued to it "to a certain degree." However, the EPA administrator cast doubt on its negative long-term implications.
"Is it an existential threat? Is it something that is unsustainable, or what kind of effect or harm is this going to have I mean we know that humans have most flouished during times of what? Warming trends," Pruitt said. "I think there's assumptions made that because the climate is warming, that that necessarily is a bad thing. Do we really know what the ideal surface temperature should be in the year 2100? In the year 2018: I mean it's fairly arrogant for us to thing that we know exactly what it should be in 2100."....
Does Pruitt know or care about what human body temperature is and what it can tolerate? The guy is stupid. His addiction to oily money is overwhelming any other thought. He has no empathy at all for future generations and can only see the immediate future of his bankrolls.
This is not leadership, this is evil. Recognize it. This is evil. There is absolutely no morality within this administration and they seized power for the purpose of greed.
THIS IS EVIL! Scott Pruitt is evil! Why is the world turning away from the USA? Because it has placed in power some of the most evil people currently alive!
We are actually further along than the dawn of the sixth extinction. There is no old ice in the Arctic Ocean and hasn't been for years now and the new ice is becoming so thin it doesn't matter anymore.
February 6, 2018
By Ben Newman
...We are in the dawn of the 6th mass extinction, (click here) and this time– we are the asteroid.
The background extinction rate means that even when life is going relatively well, without any large fluxes in atmospheric or geologic cycles, there’s a normal rate of extinction. Among groups such as mammals, for instance, we’d expect to see one species go extinct every 200 years, or amongst a more ancient phyla –such as amphibians– we’d expect to see one go extinct every thousand years. Studies of current extinction rates say we’re roughly one thousand times past that in mammals, and in some groups, like amphibians, they are disappearing roughly thirty thousand to forty-five thousand times faster than their normal background extinction rate.
But how do we know we’re to blame? Well, around 13,000 years ago, as Earth thawed from its most recent big freeze, almost every species of megafauna: the wooly mammoth, smilodon and megatherium disappeared from the Earth, thanks to a changing climate and the mass expansion of humans, who had relatively recently invented hunting tools. Along the way, through hunting and farming, humans have been altering ecosystems in small but significant ways.
Furthermore, according to a 2014 paper by Stuart Pimm in “Science,” the main cause of the commencing extinction is human population growth and increased consumption. But these two things lead to a whole host of other problems: the most obvious of these are climate change and habitat destruction. Scientists have found that most land species have relatively very small ranges — such as the Iriomote cat, for instance — and thus, can’t move with ease and find “greener pastures” when we cut down their forest or turn it into a desert....
We are actually further along than the dawn of the sixth extinction. There is no old ice in the Arctic Ocean and hasn't been for years now and the new ice is becoming so thin it doesn't matter anymore.
February 6, 2018
By Ben Newman
...We are in the dawn of the 6th mass extinction, (click here) and this time– we are the asteroid.
The background extinction rate means that even when life is going relatively well, without any large fluxes in atmospheric or geologic cycles, there’s a normal rate of extinction. Among groups such as mammals, for instance, we’d expect to see one species go extinct every 200 years, or amongst a more ancient phyla –such as amphibians– we’d expect to see one go extinct every thousand years. Studies of current extinction rates say we’re roughly one thousand times past that in mammals, and in some groups, like amphibians, they are disappearing roughly thirty thousand to forty-five thousand times faster than their normal background extinction rate.
But how do we know we’re to blame? Well, around 13,000 years ago, as Earth thawed from its most recent big freeze, almost every species of megafauna: the wooly mammoth, smilodon and megatherium disappeared from the Earth, thanks to a changing climate and the mass expansion of humans, who had relatively recently invented hunting tools. Along the way, through hunting and farming, humans have been altering ecosystems in small but significant ways.
Furthermore, according to a 2014 paper by Stuart Pimm in “Science,” the main cause of the commencing extinction is human population growth and increased consumption. But these two things lead to a whole host of other problems: the most obvious of these are climate change and habitat destruction. Scientists have found that most land species have relatively very small ranges — such as the Iriomote cat, for instance — and thus, can’t move with ease and find “greener pastures” when we cut down their forest or turn it into a desert....
Friday, February 09, 2018
There are some professionals that still practice ethics.
February 7, 2018
By Ron Foger
Flint, MI -- Legionnaires' (click here) contributed to or caused the deaths of two men who prosecutors say were victims of the disease while the city used the Flint River as its source of water, a doctor has testified.
Dr. Joel Kahn told Genesee District Judge David Goggins Wednesday, Feb. 7, that Legionnaires' at least contributed to the deaths of Robert Skidmore and John Snyder, both of whom died in the midst of the city's water crisis.
The doctor's testimony came during the fourteenth day of the preliminary examination of Nick Lyon, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, who faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and misconduct in office for his role in the water crisis.
Public records have shown DHHS officials were aware of a rapid rise in cases of Legionnaires' within months of the city changing its water source to the Flint River....
The kids can't read. The experience with Snyder's Michigan is profound and noted to be a direct result of the lead in the water.
Third grade reading proficiency reportedly dropped from 41.8 percent in 2013 to 10.7 percent last year.
February 7, 2018
According to the Detroit Free Press, (click here) third-grade reading proficiency in Flint, Michigan, dropped 75 percent--from 41.8 percent in 2013, to 10.7 percent last year. Flint school board vice president Harold Woodson, said the city was in "crisis mode," following news of the decline.
The water crisis began in 2014, when Flint's water source was switched from Lake Huron to the Flint River. The change caused grave long-term effects on the Flint community due to the consumption of toxic and lead-poisoned water. Now, a new report suggests the bad water may have contributed to a near 75 percent drop in third-grade reading proficiency in Flint.
Flint is not alone in its trouble with falling reading scores; achievement across the state of Michigan has been in decline in recent years....
By Ron Foger
Flint, MI -- Legionnaires' (click here) contributed to or caused the deaths of two men who prosecutors say were victims of the disease while the city used the Flint River as its source of water, a doctor has testified.
Dr. Joel Kahn told Genesee District Judge David Goggins Wednesday, Feb. 7, that Legionnaires' at least contributed to the deaths of Robert Skidmore and John Snyder, both of whom died in the midst of the city's water crisis.
The doctor's testimony came during the fourteenth day of the preliminary examination of Nick Lyon, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, who faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and misconduct in office for his role in the water crisis.
Public records have shown DHHS officials were aware of a rapid rise in cases of Legionnaires' within months of the city changing its water source to the Flint River....
The kids can't read. The experience with Snyder's Michigan is profound and noted to be a direct result of the lead in the water.
Third grade reading proficiency reportedly dropped from 41.8 percent in 2013 to 10.7 percent last year.
February 7, 2018
According to the Detroit Free Press, (click here) third-grade reading proficiency in Flint, Michigan, dropped 75 percent--from 41.8 percent in 2013, to 10.7 percent last year. Flint school board vice president Harold Woodson, said the city was in "crisis mode," following news of the decline.
The water crisis began in 2014, when Flint's water source was switched from Lake Huron to the Flint River. The change caused grave long-term effects on the Flint community due to the consumption of toxic and lead-poisoned water. Now, a new report suggests the bad water may have contributed to a near 75 percent drop in third-grade reading proficiency in Flint.
Flint is not alone in its trouble with falling reading scores; achievement across the state of Michigan has been in decline in recent years....
It is silly policy to continue to replace dollar for dollar Wall Street losses to maintain the economy of the USA.
I congratulate the US Congress on passing a funding bill that will take any fiscal crisis into the year 2020.
US Senator Rand Paul has somewhat a rebel spirit when it comes to the national debt and national deficit. He has my enthusiasm, but, what I had to come to terms with is the idea that every second the government is not funded results in the losses of someone along the way, including the US Treasury.
While the financial sector is 24-7 there needs to be a reflection on the impact it has on the US economy as well as the global economy. It is the financial sector driving USA debt as noted in 2008 and today. At some point in time, the US government needs to replace regulation and consider a transaction tax. The transaction tax is the only way forward when the markets are stabilized by regulation.
The US Congress has to consider the financial sector is worldwide and the US is frequently used as a buffer to the volatility of other countries. The stability of the USA economy and it's ability to be exploited with silly policies from one administration and Congres to the next really has to stop.
The current volatility of Wall Street is brought on by two factors, the President's outrageous dialogue with the world, including domestic dereguation, and China's markets. China is a heavyweight in the global economy and with a billion people to move in their quality of life that is understandable, however, China does not regulate markets and only recently began to follow the FDA concept to ensure the safety of the Chinese people.
Over nearly two decades now China has been an open door to USA investors. That is changing and the once BRIC countries, including India, in this equation are coming of age. Realizing they are developing their own brain trust and their own understanding of the quality of life and longevity brings with it the same concerns for long-term well being and financial stability of 'the individual.' It is appropriate and necessary, but, it gives Wall Street heartburn. China has been an open checkbook and that is coming to an end in a very real way.
Additionally, over the past year, the USA Dollar is sliding and in a big way, not a simple and minor way. Given that, the Chinese currencies are looking interesting and Wall Street has never been at this juncture before in abandoning the USA currency as the bottom line to global markets, ie: the inopportune rebel Senator.
The world the USA lives in financially is changing. It's policies have to reflect greater stability and not less. Over the past year, the Trump White House has been destroying regulation after regulation or at least attempting to do so and the US Dollar reflects the uncertainty, while the Chinese currency is looking more stable than ever.
So, with all that mess going on, the US Congress made the absolute best decision it could in funding the US government, but, needs to link arms and reflect on the stability of the financial markets and the effect they should and should not have on the US Treasury and it's growing deficit. Asking more of the USA people is not the way forward. It is time the USA return to responsible fiscal policy including regulation of the financial sector. The answer to political outcomes during an election is not for the USA to become reckless in order to find a stronger America. The recklessness of the past year has proven to be very detrimental to the USA, hence, the people.
US Senator Rand Paul has somewhat a rebel spirit when it comes to the national debt and national deficit. He has my enthusiasm, but, what I had to come to terms with is the idea that every second the government is not funded results in the losses of someone along the way, including the US Treasury.
While the financial sector is 24-7 there needs to be a reflection on the impact it has on the US economy as well as the global economy. It is the financial sector driving USA debt as noted in 2008 and today. At some point in time, the US government needs to replace regulation and consider a transaction tax. The transaction tax is the only way forward when the markets are stabilized by regulation.
The US Congress has to consider the financial sector is worldwide and the US is frequently used as a buffer to the volatility of other countries. The stability of the USA economy and it's ability to be exploited with silly policies from one administration and Congres to the next really has to stop.
The current volatility of Wall Street is brought on by two factors, the President's outrageous dialogue with the world, including domestic dereguation, and China's markets. China is a heavyweight in the global economy and with a billion people to move in their quality of life that is understandable, however, China does not regulate markets and only recently began to follow the FDA concept to ensure the safety of the Chinese people.
Over nearly two decades now China has been an open door to USA investors. That is changing and the once BRIC countries, including India, in this equation are coming of age. Realizing they are developing their own brain trust and their own understanding of the quality of life and longevity brings with it the same concerns for long-term well being and financial stability of 'the individual.' It is appropriate and necessary, but, it gives Wall Street heartburn. China has been an open checkbook and that is coming to an end in a very real way.
Additionally, over the past year, the USA Dollar is sliding and in a big way, not a simple and minor way. Given that, the Chinese currencies are looking interesting and Wall Street has never been at this juncture before in abandoning the USA currency as the bottom line to global markets, ie: the inopportune rebel Senator.
The world the USA lives in financially is changing. It's policies have to reflect greater stability and not less. Over the past year, the Trump White House has been destroying regulation after regulation or at least attempting to do so and the US Dollar reflects the uncertainty, while the Chinese currency is looking more stable than ever.
So, with all that mess going on, the US Congress made the absolute best decision it could in funding the US government, but, needs to link arms and reflect on the stability of the financial markets and the effect they should and should not have on the US Treasury and it's growing deficit. Asking more of the USA people is not the way forward. It is time the USA return to responsible fiscal policy including regulation of the financial sector. The answer to political outcomes during an election is not for the USA to become reckless in order to find a stronger America. The recklessness of the past year has proven to be very detrimental to the USA, hence, the people.
Thursday, February 08, 2018
US Senator Rand Paul is not looking at the big picture.
The country needs an infusion of spending to stem the losses of the financial markets. The USA has to keep it's people working and spending.
I agree that fiscal responsibility is important and it needs to be addressed, but, turning loose the financial markets with deregulation and anarchy is not responsible policy.
The financial markets are in bad condition, but, the American people need to continue to work and right now that is more important than fiscal restraint. The worst thing that can happen right now is a government shutdown. It is irresponsible governance.
I agree that fiscal responsibility is important and it needs to be addressed, but, turning loose the financial markets with deregulation and anarchy is not responsible policy.
The financial markets are in bad condition, but, the American people need to continue to work and right now that is more important than fiscal restraint. The worst thing that can happen right now is a government shutdown. It is irresponsible governance.
February 8, 2018
By Deirdre Shesgreen
Washington — Sen. Rand Paul, (click here) a conservative Kentucky Republican and one-time presidential contender, temporarily blocked a Senate vote on a sweeping bipartisan budget deal on Thursday — a move that could force Congress to miss a midnight funding deadline and trigger a partial government shutdown.
By Deirdre Shesgreen
Washington — Sen. Rand Paul, (click here) a conservative Kentucky Republican and one-time presidential contender, temporarily blocked a Senate vote on a sweeping bipartisan budget deal on Thursday — a move that could force Congress to miss a midnight funding deadline and trigger a partial government shutdown.
The bipartisan budget deal would lift strict budget caps and pave the way for lawmakers to spend an extra $300 billion over the next two years on defense and domestic programs. It seemed poised to easily clear the Senate — until Thursday afternoon.
That’s when Paul objected and said he would only allow the budget bill to advance if GOP leaders gave him a vote on an amendment to restore the budget caps, set in 2011 to rein in deficit spending. If Paul got an amendment, then every senator would want one. And if any amendment passed, it would blow up the budget agreement.
“All Senator Rand Paul is asking for is a 15-minute vote on his amendment to restore the budget caps,” Paul’s spokesman, Sergio Gor, said in an email Thursday. “He is ready to proceed at any time.”
By Thursday evening, the White House was preparing for a lapse in appropriations. The federal Office of Management and Budget told federal agencies to plan for a "limited shutdown" of perhaps a few hours....
This is the party the Republicans conducted at the White House when the tax law was signed. Enough of the brotherly love and on with conducting the country's business.
Pakistan just never leaves it alone.
As soon as India's public rhelm begins to take on a peaceful content, Pakistan let's loose with bullets.
I know this isn't in international news in a real way, but, it needs to be. There is a movement within India to bring the Muslim faith to the foreground as an accepted part of their culture. There was a big salute to the Indian national flag recently by influential Muslims within India. Today, Prince Charles and the Dutchess announced a new bond fund for furthering the health and condition, including education, of the Indian people which is to expand to include Bangladesh. It is time for the international community to deal with Pakistan.
February 8, 2018
Poonch: (click here) The Pakistan on Thursday violated ceasefire in Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.
“The Indian Army is retaliated strongly and effectively,” official said.
Yesterday, Pakistan again violated ceasefire in Manjakote sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, according to reports....
Enough is enough. Afghanistan for all it's trying is never a quiet place either. It may be the USA presence in Afghanistan adds to Pakistan's chronic anxiety, but, what the heck is going to stop this pervasive aggression from Pakistan? Nothing?
One of the problems that exist in the region is Pakistan's chronic identity that India would wipe out the Muslim faith. India is doing everything it can to demonstrate on a national level the Muslim faith is there to stay in India. There is absolutely no reason for aggression in the J-K region. This has to stop and the generational upheaval has to end.
Before this gets out of hand YET AGAIN, it is time for the United Nations to identify the problems within Pakistan that causes these eruptions of violence, including the ISI. There is a laundry list of problem in Paksitan and it has to be addressed. Pakistan can no longer be a safe haven for extremists that would see forever wars simply because it supports money to terrorists from the poppy culture.
There needs to be movement forward against these aggressive forces within that country. It has to end, this is a prime example of how weaponizing "the person" only promotes hate, discord and death.
I know this isn't in international news in a real way, but, it needs to be. There is a movement within India to bring the Muslim faith to the foreground as an accepted part of their culture. There was a big salute to the Indian national flag recently by influential Muslims within India. Today, Prince Charles and the Dutchess announced a new bond fund for furthering the health and condition, including education, of the Indian people which is to expand to include Bangladesh. It is time for the international community to deal with Pakistan.
February 8, 2018
Poonch: (click here) The Pakistan on Thursday violated ceasefire in Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.
“The Indian Army is retaliated strongly and effectively,” official said.
Yesterday, Pakistan again violated ceasefire in Manjakote sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, according to reports....
Enough is enough. Afghanistan for all it's trying is never a quiet place either. It may be the USA presence in Afghanistan adds to Pakistan's chronic anxiety, but, what the heck is going to stop this pervasive aggression from Pakistan? Nothing?
One of the problems that exist in the region is Pakistan's chronic identity that India would wipe out the Muslim faith. India is doing everything it can to demonstrate on a national level the Muslim faith is there to stay in India. There is absolutely no reason for aggression in the J-K region. This has to stop and the generational upheaval has to end.
Before this gets out of hand YET AGAIN, it is time for the United Nations to identify the problems within Pakistan that causes these eruptions of violence, including the ISI. There is a laundry list of problem in Paksitan and it has to be addressed. Pakistan can no longer be a safe haven for extremists that would see forever wars simply because it supports money to terrorists from the poppy culture.
There needs to be movement forward against these aggressive forces within that country. It has to end, this is a prime example of how weaponizing "the person" only promotes hate, discord and death.
If Americans paid attention to the US House, they would have heard one of the country's great humanitarians speaking about the need for continued protections for profoundly good people.
February 7, 2018
By Phil McCausland
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (click here) made history on Wednesday by delivering an eight-hour speech in protest of Speaker Paul Ryan’s unwillingness to commit to legislation that would protect "Dreamers."
And Pelosi, 77, a California Democrat, did it all while standing in four-inch heels, to the amazement of admirers on Twitter, and without taking a bathroom break. She broke a 109-year-old House record for longest speech from the floor by nearly three hours.
“I don’t know when we would have another opportunity that matches today for us to just get a simple commitment from the speaker of the House that he would give us a vote,” she said. “There is no guarantee — have the debate, people will weigh in, they will make their voices heard — Congress again will work its will, but do not diminish this House of Representatives.”...
The opposite of that was a set of statements General Kelly made quoting unnamed sources, in that the DACA people that were not signed up were either too lazy or scared to 'sign up.' I think the correct frame is they didn't "apply."
It is my estimation the many who did not apply for DACA knew there would be this impasse. However, there is also the reality those that did not apply may already be employed with someone or a company that has helped them apply for permanent status. Employers can do that. The DACA people are extremely talented, grew up in the USA, benefited from our educational system and NOW ARE GIVING BACK in the way of a valued employee and/or student with ambitions that could be attributed to any American. It is a huge mistake to turn these people away simply because they haven't been "processed in" correctly.
The idea there is some kind of resentment against the DACA people in stating they are too afraid or too lazy is unconscionable. Besides the obvious racism, to declare such things about people who know no other country as their own and find themselves in circumstances created outside of any control, is simply a bridge too far. There is no clarity to those statements. There is no truth there and it sets them up for prejudice and injustice. Why repeat those statements unless there is some understanding there is truth within those words? There is no truth there, that is a fact. Please measure statements that would impact innocent people. The DACA people are innocent people. Let there be no doubt, they are innocent, ambitious and great Americans. They are great Mexican - Americans to be exact.
The opposite of that was a set of statements General Kelly made quoting unnamed sources, in that the DACA people that were not signed up were either too lazy or scared to 'sign up.' I think the correct frame is they didn't "apply."
It is my estimation the many who did not apply for DACA knew there would be this impasse. However, there is also the reality those that did not apply may already be employed with someone or a company that has helped them apply for permanent status. Employers can do that. The DACA people are extremely talented, grew up in the USA, benefited from our educational system and NOW ARE GIVING BACK in the way of a valued employee and/or student with ambitions that could be attributed to any American. It is a huge mistake to turn these people away simply because they haven't been "processed in" correctly.
The idea there is some kind of resentment against the DACA people in stating they are too afraid or too lazy is unconscionable. Besides the obvious racism, to declare such things about people who know no other country as their own and find themselves in circumstances created outside of any control, is simply a bridge too far. There is no clarity to those statements. There is no truth there and it sets them up for prejudice and injustice. Why repeat those statements unless there is some understanding there is truth within those words? There is no truth there, that is a fact. Please measure statements that would impact innocent people. The DACA people are innocent people. Let there be no doubt, they are innocent, ambitious and great Americans. They are great Mexican - Americans to be exact.
The State of Tennessee needs to bring this Sheriff's career to an end and soon. He is out of control.
The Sheriff killed, willfully killed, an unarmed man when he presented to danger to anyone except himself. Old men and old trucks should be respected.
I have to wonder what was going on with Mr. Dial. It appeared he had his truck and trailer full of personal items. Was he leaving town? What kind of relationship did he have with the Sherrif? The entire encounter raises a lot of questions. Had anyone pulled him over for a valid reason to know Mr. Dial has a suspended license or did the Sheriff's Department know Mr. Dial?
“They said ‘We’re ramming him,’” Shoupe can be heard saying after Dial’s death. “I said, ‘Don’t ram him, shoot him.’ Fuck that shit. Ain’t gonna tear up my cars […]
Sheriff Shoupe had his deputy so upset by the end of the chase he crashed the car anyway.
February 7, 2018
By Max Greenwood
I have to wonder what was going on with Mr. Dial. It appeared he had his truck and trailer full of personal items. Was he leaving town? What kind of relationship did he have with the Sherrif? The entire encounter raises a lot of questions. Had anyone pulled him over for a valid reason to know Mr. Dial has a suspended license or did the Sheriff's Department know Mr. Dial?
“They said ‘We’re ramming him,’” Shoupe can be heard saying after Dial’s death. “I said, ‘Don’t ram him, shoot him.’ Fuck that shit. Ain’t gonna tear up my cars […]
Sheriff Shoupe had his deputy so upset by the end of the chase he crashed the car anyway.
February 7, 2018
By Max Greenwood
...After Dial was shot, (click here) Shoupe arrived on the scene, where his comments were picked up by a body camera worn by one of the deputies.
"I love this shit," Shoupe said, according to The Guardian. "God, I tell you what, I thrive on it."
The chase with Dial began after police attempted to pull the man over for driving with a suspended license. But he drove away, prompting the car chase.
The county declared last year that the shooting was justified and that law enforcement officials had acted reasonably....
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