Wednesday, January 16, 2008

The weather at Scott Base, Antarctica is (Crystal Wind Chime) warm:



Hillary honoured at new US South Pole base (click title to entry, thank you)
The Press
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
The new American base at the South Pole took 10 years and $220 million to build but when the flag was hoisted at the official opening, it was raised only to half-mast - in memory of Sir Edmund Hillary.
A delegation of dignitaries from the United States travelled through Christchurch to the South Pole for the inauguration on Saturday of the new elevated Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.
Prime Minister Helen Clark had invited Hillary to the pole for the 50th anniversary of reaching it by tractor, but he was prevented by his failing health.
However, Arden Bement, director of the National Science Foundation, which runs the United States Antarctic Programme, used his speech opening the station to say he believed Hillary was present in spirit.
"At this moment of exciting celebration, however, it is fitting that we pause for a moment to remember the accomplishments of Sir Edmund Hillary, the noted New Zealand explorer who stood on this very spot in January 1958, the first person to do so since Robert Falcon Scott in 1912," he said....

COUNTRY ON FLOOD ALERT AS STORMS WORSEN


January 15, 2008
Cardiff-Wales, United Kingdom
Photographer states :: Atlantic storms lash England and Wales - some pictures around my area in Wales. Hasent stopped raining in 2 days and there is a further 4 days of it! winds of over 70 mph have been recorded once again. Stricken counties of the diaster in summer 2007 in England and Wales under water again. Its been 1 year scence hurricane kyrill struck Europe killing over 50 people.

The weather at Glacier Bay National Park (Crystal Ice Chime) is:


Geography of Walrus Habitat noted below.



Habitat and Distribution (click here)
A. Distribution.
Walruses are circumpolar, but they are concentrated in several geographically separated areas, with little or no chance of interbreeding.
1. Pacific walruses inhabit the Bering, Chukchi, and Laptev seas.
2. Atlantic walruses inhabit coastal areas of north eastern Canada and Greenland.


B. Habitat.
1. Walruses are generally found where the water is not more than about 80 m (262 ft.) deep. They prefer a habitat with a gravelly bottom.
2. Walruses spend about two-thirds of their lives in the water.
3. Walruses haul out to rest and
bear their young.


E. Calf at birth. (click here)
1. Newborn calves weigh about 45 to 75 kg (99-165 lb.) and are about 95 to 123 cm (3-4 ft.) long.
2. Calves are ashen gray to brown with dense, short soft fur. About two to three months before birth, the calf sheds a fine white layer of soft fetal hair called the lanugo.
3. Within days or weeks, the calf becomes more robust. Its fur turns reddish-brown to tawny within one to two weeks. Calves shed and replace their natal coat when they are one or two months old. This first molt is usually completed by August. Calves then molt annually.

Time :: 9:55 AM

Elevation :: 33 feet / 10 meters

Temperature :: 37 F / 3 C

Conditions :: Overcast

Humidity :: 81%

Dew Point :: 32 F / O C

Wind :: 12 mph / 18 km/h / 5.1 m/s from the SE

Pressure :: 30.13 inches / 1020 hPa (rising)

Visibility :: 10.0 miles / 16.l kilometers

UV :: 0 out of 16

Clouds :: Few 1200 ft / 365 m
Mostly Cloudy 2000 ft / 609 m
Overcast 2600 ft / 792 m
(Above Ground Level)

I told you so. It's just that simple. The underestimation of the melting of the Arctic Ocean was due to the fact, the vortexes were never accounted for in any warming curve. The 'trend' scientists were looking at resulted from a 'straight line' assessment of 'past' melting.

See, the oscillations of the Arctic, North and South Atlantic were very rarely studied and considered to be insignificant to Earth's climate because their occurrence was so rare. However, on October 4, 2002 when the two vortices showed up at the same time in the Northern Hemisphere at each coast of North America, there HAD to be a general understanding that 'the melting curve' due to Human Induced Global Warming had changed.

Now, for any scientist that didn't make the leap of faith then and it took until now, REALIZING the nature of water and it's different states, to start to alarm the world about this issue only states the gross imbalance of the acceptance of the science by society and governments.

I began to look for severe trends years before October 4, 2002 and were seeing issues with seals in Great Britain, changes in breeding seasons and migratory patterns with birds wihin that country and it was Great Britain that were among the first to begin to demand a movement toward climate issues a decade or more before anyone else simply because they are an island in the midddle of some very dynamic waters and very near the origins of the Deep Ocean Conveyor Belt in the North Atlantic.

The point is THIS IS VERY LATE and still today countries that contribute to the degradation of habitable climate, especially the USA, are still lacking policy regarding these deadly dynamics. I noted the other evening that some of the major network news programs were talking about the melting polar sea. All I can say is 'Finally, the public is aware of this." I appreciate every aspect of the coverage of this issue, it's a dire one and needs EFFECTIVE address by the global community. The USA has been a horror under this administration regarding this issue and the international community has to bring pressure to bring about change.

..."The sea ice is decreasing faster than all the models predicted," says Jay Zwally, the ice satellite project scientist at NASA Goddard, "We not only have the warming of the atmosphere, we have a warming of the ocean that is affecting this. It has been surprising to everybody, this decrease in area. This is a marked departure, and this is suggesting to us that maybe we are getting at this tipping point."...

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Considering President Chavez's long history in the region, his success in handling crisis, I think it's time he have a chance to explain...


Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (R) and senior rebel commander Ivan Marquez of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) walk at Miraflores Palace in Caracas November 8, 2007. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has asked Chavez to mediate with the Marxist guerrillas from Latin America's oldest insurgency, the FARC, to break an impasse in negotiations meant to win the release of the group's most high-profile captives. REUTERS/Jorge Silva (VENEZUELA)

...how rebels, after generations of being rebels aren't necessarily terrorists so much as entrenched in lives they don't necessarily have control within or ways to change. It's time to listen to an unpopular leader and discern if he indeed can make a difference in the lives of those so involved with violence that they can't find their way out.


Mathaba News Network (click here)
Chavez: 'I support the search for peace, not the FARC'
Posted: 2008/01/15
From: Mathaba
'I do not support the FARC ''Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia'', I support the search for peace,' Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said Sunday.

Good night...

...and then there was that whole Massachusetts oil deal which was interesting.


Considering Georgie just grandstanded in Saudi Arabia for the exact same issue, 'Cheaper Oil for the USA" in exchange for advanced weaponry, Chavez didn't even ask for anything in return. Hello?


August 28th 2005, by Bernardo Delgado - Venezuelanalysis.com
Caracas, Venezuela, August 28, 2005 —
Venezuela’s Chavez said to visiting Rev. Jesse Jackson (click here) today that he would like Jackson to help with finding a way to provide discounted heating oil and free eye operations to poor communities in the U.S. Pointing out that Venezuela provides 1.5 million barrels of oil per day to the U.S., Chavez said, “we would like to provide a part of this 1.5 million barrels of oil to poor communities.”

...and Hugo Chavez has made good use of the oil monies of the People of Venezuela...


He has been true to his 'theme' of liberating Venezuela from the clutches of insitutions that have, in the past, locked South American countries into insoluble debt. He, along with Brazilian President, Inácio Lula Da Silva and Paraguay's Nicanor Duarte created a South American alternative to the IMF. I hope it goes well. It's philosophy is something the people of South America understand and approve of. Not bad, for a man Bush simply dispises.

Venezuela cuts oil payment time (click here)
Published: Jan. 8, 2008 at 11:26 PM
CARACAS, Venezuela, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Venezuela's state energy company, PDVSA, decided Tuesday to cut the period for which foreign companies can pay for oil from 30 days to eight. Venezuelan officials said they decided to reduce the length of its payment period so PDVSA can, in turn, reinvest in its infrastructure sooner, Globovision TV reported Tuesday. Officials also attributed the decision to the declining value of the dollar. In 2007, Venezuela assumed majority control of several large oil projects, including those of U.S. producer ExxonMobil.

So, in a role not frequently notable to Hugo Chavez, he assisted with the release of hostages.


Consuelo Gonzalez, released hostage of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, with her daughters Patricia, second left, and Maria Fernanda Perdomo in Caracas, Venezuela, on Monday.Photo: AFP

Now realizing, Columbia and Venezuela are in a very dangerous neighborhood, is to realize why it took Hugoo Chavez to secure the hostages.

But, these acts of caring for people get him a lot of mileage and to a greater degree, rightfully so. I don't know about you, but, if push came to shove I would rather have a man with the background and sincere commitment to democratic socialist principles than otherwise. After all, he thought nothing of intervening.

The results were good results. Can anyone else claim such a success given the nature of the hostage takers? I don't think so. Not without causing a war. And a war is the last thing the people of South America need. So, Hugo did good. He did better than good, he did great.

See, Hugo is 'kinda' typical of those that seek to thwart harmful and out of control American policy. There is this espionage story about the USSR...


...Speaking through an interpreter, Chavez called on nations to rise up against what he called America's hegemony. He even had some recommended reading for his colleagues: Noam Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance.
"It's an excellent book to help us understand what's been happening in the world throughout the 20th century," Chavez said, "and what's happening now."...

...Dallas was a television program about this wealthy oil family, living on a go-zillion acres of land in Texas (click here). The series was very spicey and it was a long held view that the 'illegal' market of Dallas videos at the time was rampant through the USSR with the country of Georgia leading the assault, or should I say the profiteering. There was no way that Dallas was marketed illegally throughout Russia for the purpose of destabilizing it, but, there is a long held belief it contributed to 'the thinking' including Parastroyka and Glasnov.

So, when Chomsky wrote his book about Hegemony and the like, it is assumed there is a lot of truth in it. Now, to some degree there is, in that, when listening to most Neocons/Right Wing Republicans they sincerely believe conquering the world and so called spreading democracy is 'the right of the USA.' In other words, in order to insure the USA remains a democracy it needs to destroy every other sovereign government on Earth. To realize how close Bush/Cheney has come with that 'strategy' is a little scary.

Hegemony is not about waging 'fair' and 'conventional' wars. It's about destroying everything in the path of American wrath and never regreting it. That is what Hitler did, okay? There are still Right Wing Republicans talking that way on national radio. Iraq wasn't enough of a mistake, they are still determined to blow up anything not American and be happy about it.

So, realizing books like Chomsky's are read and mostly backed up by the actions of the Bush/Cheney administration, it gets fairly obvious that Hugo Chavez believes in the potential to be invaded FOR NO GOOD REASON by a Superpower that even Russia opposes with defunct USA Star Wars Technology. So, Hugo got a bad rap. He stated his sincerest fears. It didn't go over well.

I think want really got Hugo in trouble with the world and his people was the 'Devil thing.'

...by the way, I thought it was a great speech. I really did. I still do. Considering Hugo is a Christian, there was a lot of 'himself' and sincerity, I thought.


..."And it smells of sulfur still today," Chavez said. "Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum -- the president of the United States, the gentleman whom I refer to as 'the devil' -- came here, talking as if he owned the world."...

Whether anyone wants to say it or not, Venezuela is a nation in a tough neighborhood.


Colombian Troops Begin Retaking Rebel-Held Territory (click here)

...But although most of the guerrillas responded to the offensive by disappearing into the jungle, some shot at helicopters this morning, hitting three aircraft and wounding two soldiers and a pilot, Gen. Fernando Tapias, chief of the armed forces, told reporters at the Defense Ministry in Bogotá this morning. He suggested that the takeover of the region would be slow, since the military was wary of anti-personnel mines on the roads and the possibility of rebel ambushes....

He's been demonized as of late because of his extremist 'attempts' to be dictator


He's a revolutionary. As General he attempted a coup in 1992. It was unsuccesful, or so they say, because in 1998 there was nothing unsuccessful about his election to President.

He is popular because he is sincerely a man that wants to elevate people to a standard of living they have never been afforded. His 'fall from grace' during the Bush Years is due to the fact he is concerned for the national defense of Venezuela and it's sovereignty.

His concern comes from the same source as any other small country viewed as being in disfavor of the USA, it stems from the aggressive nature of the USA as well as the unpredictable us of it's military.

Hugo Chavez - The Controversial Venezuelan President. Do want to understand him or simply ridicule him?


Hugo Chevez greets you.

Bolivarian Revolution - The Rise of the Disenfranchised.


...The Bolivarian Revolution is a struggle waged by those who have those who have always been socially excluded against those who have traditionally been privileged against. It's a battle of dignity against ignominy, a battle for the rights of the peoples of Venezuela and Latin America. The Bolivarian Revolution is a result of and a struggle of the will and hope of the Venezuelan people to be independent and the owner of the riches of my country.
The Bolivarian Revolution, and President Chavez as its leader, is the result of this struggle, inspired by the ideas of our national hero, Simon Bolivar....

Simon Bolivar, Military General and President of Venezula 1813-1830


Revolutionary and diplomat

April 19th of 1810 marks the date of the Declaration of Independence. The “Junta” formed on that day appoints Bolívar, in the company of Luis López Méndez and Andrés Bello, as representative to the British Government. Once his mission was completed, Bolívar returns from London at the end of the same year. In Britain he was able to observe the practical functioning of institutions. Once restored to his place in the Caracas Patriotic Society, he becomes one of the ardent spokesmen for Independence which is finally proclaimed by Congress on July 5 of 1811. Bolívar enters military service, and rising to the rank of Colonel he takes a hand in the raid of Valencia under the orders of Miranda in 1811.

It's Tuesday Night

Venezuela by Cisco Houston

I met her in Venezuela
With a basket on her head.
And if she loved others she did not say
But I knew she'd do to pass away
To pass away the time in Venezuela.
To pass away the time in Venezuela.

I bought her a sash of blue
A beautiful sash of blue.
Because I knew that she could do
With all the tricks I knew she knew
To pass away the time in Venezuela.
To pass away the time in Venezuela.

Her lingo was strange, but the thought of her smile,
The thought of her beautiful smile.
Will haunt me and taunt me for many a mile
For she was my gal and she did the while
To pass away the time in Venezuela,
To pass away the time in Venezuela.

And when the wind was out to sea
The wind was out to see.
And she was taking leave of me
I said, "Cheer up. There'll always be
Sailors ashore in Venezuela.
Sailors ashore in Venezuela."

I am traveling this week. The time to attend to issues is sporatic.


King Abdullah awarded Mr Bush the Saudi Order of Merit

We all know now what the 'Iranian Speed Boat' farce is about. It's 'staged' justification for Bush's latest PEACE initative:



US to Sell Precision-Guided Bombs to Saudi Arabia (click title to entry, thank you)
By David Gollust State Department14 January 2008
The Bush administration officially notified Congress Monday of its intention to sell sophisticated precision-guided bombs to Saudi Arabia. The action, coinciding with President Bush's visit to Saudi Arabia, is part of a broader U.S. effort to bolster Gulf allies in the face of a more assertive Iran. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
The Bush administration has already briefed Congress on its arms sales plans for Saudi Arabia. Monday's announcement sets in motion a 30-day period in which the House and Senate can block the plan with a joint resolution - action that appears highly unlikely....




Of course, kissing up the Saudi King is all worth it since Bush is allowed to take an activist stand for the ONLY time in his life grandstanding to oil prices. The most interesting aspect of the Bush visit to Saudi Arabia is not his promise to promote war, but, the assistance of the French President.

Sarkozy in Gulf to Sign Nuclear Deal, Boost Contracts (Update1) (click here)
By Helene Fouquet

Jan. 14 (Bloomberg) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy began a three-day Middle East visit to push energy and defense contracts and discuss regional political matters, including Iran, Lebanon and the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Sarkozy's trip began yesterday in Saudi Arabia and will continue in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates tomorrow. After signing accords on oil, natural gas and education in Saudi Arabia and discussing 39.5 billion euros ($59 billion) worth of contracts, France is set to sign a civil nuclear energy agreement in Abu Dhabi under which Areva SA, Suez SA and Total SA may build two nuclear plants by 2025.
Sarkozy, whose visit coincides with President George W. Bush's week-long trip to the region, said France could do ``much better'' at gaining a bigger market share in the Middle East where it lags behind countries including the U.S., China and Germany. In a bid to boost business and bilateral relations, France offered to supply civil nuclear energy to Arab and Muslim countries. In addition to the Abu Dhabi nuclear accord, France has raised the prospect of a similar deal with Saudi Arabia....




Since Bush's indulgence of Indian sales of nuclear technology didn't go well, the option of allowing France to deal the technology at least kept Bush clear of any criticism at home. Orders of Merit indeed. Now I ask you, as the other Sunni nations of the Middle East seek nuclear capacity, does anyone believe Iran will stop it's initiatives? No ! Why is it I much rather France under the leadership of far more passive influence? Hm?

Monday, January 14, 2008

Morning Paper's - It's Origins


The Rooster
"Okeydoke"
Posted by Picasa

Are logging landslides worse than any other? Weyerhaeuser practices lack validity in the year 2008.


Weyerhaeuser, environmentalists argue logging's effect on floods
A photo by a Weyerhaeuser geologist shows the Stillman Creek site from a different angle and distance.


When a logging company has poor management practices that are not dictated by sustainability the outcome to soil erosion and the forest is far worse.

Dr. Jerry Franklin, a long time associate of any USA forest of this nation, has sound science incorporated into methods of sustainability. Keeping in mind the need for protections of forest in the face of Climate Change his principles should become a matter of law rather than voluntary practice.

The logging does not need to be eliminated from these private, corporate forests already in use for that purpose, but, the disturbance patterns need to be changed so the public is safe from poor practices. There are far better methods of disturbance that need to be implimented. These disturbance methods have been in existance a long time and without laws to force corporations to change their ways, they will continue in methodologies that endanger the public.

Effective legislation at the local, state and federal levels needs to begin to insure sustainable forests rather than just places where forests sometimes exist until logged. Of course there is more danger to flooding when entire mountains are logged of their trees, that is a hideous question.

Forest Management: Mudslide stumper (click here)
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD
Legislators are up against a stumper, or what some folks want them to think is one: Could huge clear-cuts and development have had anything to do with the mudslides and flooding in southwest Washington?
Gee. Do you think? If you strip hills of vegetation, water tends to flow like crazy, carrying soil.
Logging industry representatives suggest everyone jumped to the wrong conclusions from a Seattle Times photo and TV footage of a nothing-but-stumps hillside. According to the AP, however, David Montgomery, professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington, told the state Senate Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee that forest practice rules don't prevent landslides. Details of this event aside, that's the larger point.
With the hearing, Sen. Ken Jacobsen, the committee chairman, raised issues. He's also concerned about preserving older trees to assure their air-clearing contributions in the global warming era. So, here's another question that has really stalled the state: Will we ever -- finally -- exchange 20th-century-style clear-cutting for the "new forestry" advanced by the UW's eminent Jerry Franklin?
Seattle Post Intelligencer

North, central Florida fight over water
By RON WORD
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- North and central Florida aren't feeling very neighborly at the moment as they battle over water from the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers to meet central Florida's exploding population demands.
Central Florida plans to take millions of gallons of water a day out of the rivers, angering north Florida residents and officials who say that could cause grave environmental damage, particularly to the north-flowing St. Johns.
"It is madness. We do not believe there is surplus water in the river," said Neil Armingeon, a St. Johns riverkeeper. The position is a privately funded advocate for the river. "We are not going to stand by and let the St. Johns and Ocklawaha rivers be degraded."

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110ap_water_wars.html



Food worker union calls for end to diacetyl in cooking oil; lawmakers seek investigation
By
ANDREW SCHNEIDER
P-I SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
North America's largest union for hotel, restaurant and kitchen workers has called on manufacturers of cooking oils to stop using a lung-destroying butter-flavoring additive called diacetyl, and members of Congress have called for a federal investigation into the use of the additive, including where and how it's being used and whether workers are being harmed.
"It could pose a serious health risk to commercial cooks and UNITE HERE is calling for fast action by the food industry to cease the use of diacetyl flavoring in commercial and home cooking products," the union representing 450,000 workers said in a written statement.
The union was reacting to an article last month in the Seattle P-I, which reported the results of laboratory analysis of 23 cooking oils, sprays and margarines used by both home and professional cooks.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/347255_diacetyl14.html



Tread carefully during dark days: Winter sees more traffic accidents
In a walkable city, drivers and walkers must learn to share the roads
By
KATHY MULADY
P-I REPORTER
Two weeks before Christmas, teacher's aide Agnes Meserole left her sister's house in Ballard after lunch to walk to St. Alphonsus School.
Along the way, the 71-year-old woman, a familiar face in the neighborhood, planned to drop some letters in the mailbox in a median strip between two lanes of traffic. Meserole was in the crosswalk, just a few feet from the mailbox when she was struck by a car.
Her injuries were massive and she died two days later.
"It is hard to believe. It could happen to anyone at any time. It happens a lot, and I don't think a lot of people are aware of it," said Meserole's niece, Laura Ness.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/347250_pedestrian14.html



Seattle police working to a new set of beats
Boundaries designed to reflect changing neighborhoods
By
SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER
For the first time in a few years, Seattle Police Officer Debra Pelich had to adjust to a new beat.
On Friday, she drove around First Hill and lower Capitol Hill in the newly formed "David 3" sector, taking note of parks, side streets, the hot spots, and the usual transients. She planned to visit businesses and even stopped to watch a parking attendant collect money from deposit boxes.
"We have these pay-box looters, so I want to know if he really works there. Those are the things you get to know, like who are my regular guys who collect the money?" said Pelich, a 13-year veteran assigned to the West Precinct.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/347249_police14.html



Bush soaks in Dubai culture in Mideast
By ANNE GEARAN
AP DIPLOMATIC WRITER
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- President Bush on Monday got a flavor of this cosmopolitan banking and business hub, whose glass skyscrapers and booming construction have turned it into the capital of Middle East bustle.
The soaring Persian Gulf city-state is Bush's second stop in the seven-state United Arab Emirates federation, following his gentle lecture on democracy in Abu Dhabi and an opulent picnic at a desert horse camp Sunday. The Dubai visit is part of a trip aimed at invigorating Mideast peace talks and keeping pressure on Iran.
Even before Bush touched down in Dubai, he had an impact. The government declared Monday a national holiday and shut down many main roads and bridges.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107ap_bush_mideast.html?source=mypi



'Atonement' honored at Golden Globes
By DAVID GERMAIN
AP MOVIE WRITER
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Unlike a crippling writers strike that has dragged on for months, Hollywood's first big awards show was over in a flash, with no key winners, no stars in sight and no real fun for fans of show business glitz.
The Golden Globes on Sunday honored such films as the tragic romance "Atonement," the crime saga "No Country for Old Men," and the bloody musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."
Yet no one film gained critical momentum that might set it ahead of the pack for the Academy Awards on Feb. 24, and a compressed Globes show highlighted what a joyless awards season this is for Hollywood.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/1402ap_golden_globes.html?source=mypi



Israel: 'No options' out on Iran nukes
By LAURIE COPANS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a powerful parliamentary panel on Monday that Israel rejects "no options" to block Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, a meeting participant said.
The statement was the Israeli leader's clearest indication yet that he is willing to use military force against Iran.
"Israel clearly will not reconcile itself to a nuclear Iran," the meeting participant quoted Olmert as telling the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. "All options that prevent Iran from gaining nuclear capabilities are legitimate within the context of how to grapple with this matter."
The meeting participant spoke on condition of anonymity because the session was closed.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107ap_israel_iran.html?source=mypi



Cyclists want action on dangerous storm drains
Grates parallel to roads can catch bike tires, cause crashes
By
CASEY MCNERTHNEY
P-I REPORTER
When he realized what had happened and finally peered in a mirror, Jon Schaefer's face looked like it felt, having stopped his body flung off his road bike at about 20 mph.
His four front teeth were damaged and his glasses had been shattered. In sworn court statements, Schaefer said amnesia from the crash caused him to forget all but flashes of it.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/347205_drains14.html



Eagles recovering after disastrous dive into fish truck
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Most of the 30 eagles who survived a disastrous dive into a truck full of fish guts are close to recovery, said officials at the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
They say two birds have died, but most have perked up and may soon be released.
Another 20 eagles died after the birds mobbed the uncovered truck at Ocean Beauty Seafoods on Friday.
Workers from the seafood plant and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service washed the birds in dishwashing soap to help remove the fish oil. The birds spent the night drying out in a warehouse space, Gary Wheeler of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge told the Anchorage Daily News.
There was some concern that the birds would have to be sent to Anchorage for further treatment at the Bird Treatment and Learning Center, but most appeared to be doing well in Kodiak, he said.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6600ap_wst_bald_eagles_killed.html



Oregon pulls out the big guns against starlings
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Carl Spackler is no military whiz-bang, but the Oregon Department of Transportation is relying on his tactics in its war on starlings.
"You must know your enemy," said Spackler. "You have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote."
Starlings are a continuing problem on the Interstate 5 Bridge, leaving an unsafe, unhealthy and unsightly mess.
Oregon is relying on Spackler's experience as a golf course greenskeeper and sworn enemy of gophers to use what he knows plus a propane cannon to keep them away.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/347221_starling14.html



High fuel prices could finally get airline mergers off the ground
By JOHN WILEN AND DAVID KOENIG
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK -- Airline executives have talked about consolidation in their industry for several years, even though they know successful combinations are about as elusive as an on-time flight on a Friday afternoon.
But the profit-sapping effect of a relentless rise in fuel costs may finally force them to action. That helps explain why the board of Delta Air Lines Inc. met Friday in New York to decide on what was once viewed as the unthinkable at the Atlanta-based carrier -- allowing management to open formal deal talks with one or more of its rivals.
Officials were mum Friday on the outcome of the meeting. Asked if the meeting had been completed, board member Walter Massey responded, "I can't talk about that." He then hung up the phone.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/347184_airlines14.html


Listening to music + exercising = a hit
Pumping up the volume makes a workout rock
By STEVEN KURUTZ
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Fitness magazines and Web sites love to ask readers about their favorite workout music while presenting their playlists or suggestions from celebrities.
Self.com features the " '80s cardio playlist," which includes the short-shorts video classic "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! On Fitnessmagazine.com, singer Rihanna reveals her favorite workout songs -- immodestly recommending four of her own for "when you have to pick up the pace on the treadmill."
The playlist fixation has a scientific basis: Studies have shown that listening to music during exercise can improve results, both in terms of being a motivator (people exercise longer and more vigorously to music) and as a distraction from negatives like fatigue. But are certain songs more effective than others?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/347079_fitnessmusic14.html



Natural Medicine: Natural Treatments for Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), or winter depression, is very common in the Pacific Northwest. The lack of sunlight in winter is thought to contribute to symptoms of SAD, including loss of energy, mild depression, oversleeping, overeating and carbohydrate cravings. Fortunately, there are several natural ways to combat these symptoms.
Light therapy is one of the easiest, non-invasive, natural ways to treat SAD and research supports its use. Light boxes providing 10,000 lux are used to stimulate light exposure with a goal of 30 minutes of direct facial exposure in the morning.
Fight carbohydrate cravings, which can contribute to and aggravate feelings of depression. Eat healthy protein from sources such as nuts, eggs, lean meats and beans regularly and with each carbohydrate serving. Choose complex carbohydrates such as fruits, grains and vegetables instead of simple ones such as white flours and sugars.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/347009_bastyr14.html



Malawi drops ties with Taiwan for China
By DEBBy WU
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The African nation of Malawi has cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favor of relations with China, which has been using its rising political and economic clout to reduce the number of countries who recognize the island.
Three Taiwanese diplomats said Monday that their nation was breaking diplomatic ties with Malawi.
Soon after, Chinese state media said Beijing and Malawi had established diplomatic relations late last month.
In a press conference in Malawi's capital, Lilongwe, Foreign Affairs Minister Joyce Banda confirmed that her nation was breaking its 42-year diplomatic relationship with Taiwan in favor of China.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1104ap_taiwan_malawi.html



In Pakistan, Sharif slams Musharraf
By SADAQAT JAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif said Monday that U.S-backed anti-terror operations have left Pakistan "drowned in blood," issuing some of his harshest criticism yet of President Pervez Musharraf.
Slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's party, meanwhile, said it may work with Musharraf after the Feb. 18 parliamentary polls, despite his apparent unpopularity and allegations that elements within his government may have been involved in the former prime minister's assassination.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1104ap_pakistan.html



Congress faces war economy, election
By JIM ABRAMS
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WASHINGTON -- Still smarting from the partisan wars of 2007, Congress confronts a sinking economy, a lingering war and election-year politics as it gets back to work for the 2008 session.
The Democratic-led House reconvenes Tuesday with the familiar scenario of having to deal with a President Bush veto. The White House objected to one provision in a massive defense bill that opened the way for lawsuits against the Iraqi government.
The defense bill contains an additional pay raise for the military and Congress is expected to quickly fix the problem, either with a veto override vote - that would probably fail - or by removing the offending provision.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1153ap_congress_returns.html



Independents help McCain in Michigan
By LIZ SIDOTI
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
HOWELL, Mich. -- John McCain has an automatic advantage Tuesday when Michigan votes.
Not only did the Republican win the state eight years ago, but he also draws his support from across the political spectrum and Michigan voters of all stripes can participate in the GOP primary.
At the same time, the Democratic race in Michigan is of little or no consequence, so he won't be competing full-bore with Democratic candidates for the backing of independents as he did in New Hampshire last week.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1131ap_mccain_independents.html



Iraqi appeals court judge killed
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BAGHDAD -- Gunmen killed an appeals court judge as he headed to work in the western Baghdad district of Mansour on Monday, police and the deputy justice minister said.
Amir Jawdat al-Naeib, a high-ranking judge at the appeals court and a member of the Supreme Judicial Council, was ambushed by gunmen in two cars as he was being driven to work from his home in Mansour, police and Deputy Justice Minister Busho Ibrahim said. His driver was also killed.
The Supreme Judicial Council is a judicial supervisory body that swears in all judges and parliament, among other responsibilities.
Professionals, including academics, government officials, doctors, lawyers and judges, have often been targeted for assassination in recent years in Iraq. In October, an investigative judge in the northern city of Kirkuk, Zaher al-Bayati, narrowly escaped assassination when gunmen in a vehicle opened fire on him, killing two of his bodyguards.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107ap_iraq_violence.html



Poll: McCain rising, Clinton holds on
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THE RACE: The presidential race for Republicans, Democrats nationally (Washington Post-ABC News poll).

---
THE NUMBERS - DEMOCRATS
Hillary Rodham Clinton, 42 percent
Barack Obama, 37 percent
John Edwards, 11 percent
Dennis Kucinich, 2 percent
---
THE NUMBERS - REPUBLICANS
John McCain, 28 percent
Mike Huckabee, 20 percent
Mitt Romney, 19 percent
Rudy Giuliani, 15 percent
Fred Thompson, 8 percent
Ron Paul, 3 percent
Duncan Hunter, 2 percent

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1131ap_poll_2008_national.html



British Council offices reopen in Russia
By IRINA TITOVA
ASSOCIATED PREESS WRITER
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- A British cultural organization reopened offices in two Russian cities Monday in defiance of an order to close, reportedly prompting Russian authorities to summon the British ambassador to the Foreign Ministry.
The British Council offices in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg opened without incident Monday after a holiday break, despite Moscow's warnings that defying the order would worsen already tense relations between Britain and Russia.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1103ap_russia_britain.html



Thousands protest in ex-Soviet Georgia
By MISHA DZHINDZHIKHASHVILI
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
TBILISI, Georgia -- Tens of thousands of Georgians protested the election victory of U.S.-allied President Mikhail Saakashvili on Sunday, claiming fraud and demanding a recount.
The massive demonstration raised fears of instability in the former Soviet republic, which sits on a pipeline carrying Caspian oil to Western markets and has been battleground for influence between Russia and the United States.
It was a dramatic turnaround for Saakashvili, who rose to power as the hero of the 2003 Rose Revolution protests against fraudulent elections. He has since faced accusations of authoritarian leanings, and his popularity has fallen.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1103ap_georgia_opposition.html



Sea Launch countdown under way
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The long countdown has begun for the second attempt to launch a mobile voice and data services satellite from a Pacific Ocean platform.
The Boeing-built Thuraya-3 mobile satellite was scheduled to take off Tuesday from a spot on the equator. A 44-minute launch window opens at 6:49 a.m. EST, said Sea Launch Co., the world's only ocean-based space launch company.
The first attempt in November was foiled because of unusually strong currents that affected Sea Launch's oceangoing rocket platform.
The self-propelled platform and the launch command ship had to return to home port in Long Beach, resupply and sail back to the Pacific Ocean launch site.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1501ap_sea_launch.html



South Africa's top cop going on leave

By CELEAN JACOBSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
PRETORIA, South Africa -- South Africa's national police commissioner, who faces charges of corruption and trying to protect a convicted drug smuggler, has gone on extended leave, the president said Saturday.
The National Prosecuting Authority said Friday that charges would be filed imminently against Jackie Selebi, who also holds the largely ceremonial post of president of the international police agency Interpol. Selebi has consistently said he is innocent.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1101ap_safrica_police_commissioner.html



UN assails Sudan peacekeeper attack
By JOHN HEILPRIN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations Security Council opened the door Friday to new economic, political or military sanctions against Sudan because of an attack by its troops on a U.N. peacekeeping convoy earlier this week.
The council said it "condemns in the strongest possible terms" Monday's attack on U.N. peacekeepers by "elements of the Sudanese armed forces," saying any such attack is unacceptable. Sudan has acknowledged its troops shot at a U.N. convoy in West Darfur, damaging an armored personnel carrier, destroying a fuel tanker truck and severely injuring a Sudanese driver.
Because of the attack, the council said in a statement that it "expresses its readiness to take action against any party that impedes the peace process, humanitarian aid or the deployment" of the U.N. force, known as UNAMID, made up of U.N. and African Union troops and other personnel.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1101ap_un_sudan_darfur.html



China says democracy hurts Kenya
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIJING -- The election-related violence that has killed hundreds in Kenya is proof that Western-style democracy is a bad fit for Africa, said China, which has been under fire for its friendly relations with authoritarian leaders on the continent.
Pre-colonial Africa had plenty of consultative decision-making frameworks, but those were ignored when former European rulers "tyrannically" imposed Western democratic systems upon independence, the People's Daily newspaper said in a commentary Monday.
"Western-style democratic theory simply isn't suited to African conditions, but rather carries with it the root of disaster," said the paper, the official mouthpiece of China's ruling Communist Party.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1105ap_china_kenya_democracy.html



Group: Kenyan police have killed dozens
By TOM MALITI
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
NAIROBI, Kenya -- Police are behind dozens of deaths in Kenya's post-election turmoil, opening fire on both looters and opposition protesters under an unofficial "shoot to kill" policy, a leading human rights group said Sunday.
Human Rights Watch called on Kenya's government to lift its ban on demonstrations and order police not to shoot at protesters. The appeal came three days before the opposition planned nationwide protests that police have warned will be stopped.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1105ap_kenya_election_violence.html



Interpol chief resigns, faces charges
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LYON, France -- The president of Interpol has resigned the post to face corruption allegations in his native South Africa, the international police organization said Sunday.
Jackie Selebi, South Africa's national police commissioner, said in his letter of resignation to Interpol that he was stepping down as president because he did not want the allegations to sully the organization's reputation, Interpol said.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1105ap_interpol_president_resigns.html



Greenpeace: Japan's whale kill halted

By RAY LILLEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Greenpeace said Monday it has disrupted the Japanese whale hunt off Antarctica by chasing the fleet's whale processing factory ship out of the whaling zone.
The six-vessel fleet "scattered and ran" early Saturday when it realized the Greenpeace vessel Esperanza was "heading toward them at high speed," Greenpeace expedition leader Karli Thomas told New Zealand's National Radio.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1106ap_antarctica_whaling.html



Edmund Hillary stood for adventure
By JOHN HEILPRIN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
The first time a climber lays eyes on Everest, it's hard not to imagine what it was like when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay topped out on the world's highest peak shortly before noon on May 29, 1953.
For almost everyone who studied the pictures of his epic first ascent with Tenzing, Hillary stood for adventure. The collective sense of triumph that seized the world with their success was etched into Hillary's famous photograph of Tenzing on Everest's summit. I stared at it as a child and dreamed.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1106ap_hillary_appreciation.html



Bush tanked the U.S. economy
Recession, like menopause, is a retrospective diagnosis. You don't know you're in one until you've been in it for at least two quarters (referring to a recession) or a year (for menopause). The question for me is not: Are we hitting a recession in 2008? It is: What has made the economy so buoyant that we didn't submerge into a recession several years ago?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=347046&source=mypi

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