Economic Ignorance (Michael Yates)

Michael Yates (click here for Wiki) is a working man's economist. His father was a coal miner and he wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He wrote books with titles like, "Power on the Job." He has a point of view that is 'of' a different vantage point, one might say 'Street Level Economics.'

Jobs in the USA aren't to the liking of Wall Street. Besides. They are getting new regulations. Imagine that. The Kings of Capital aren't able to regulate themselves, but, are pouting that others are going to. Oh !

Wall Street Teeters, Obama Presses Economic Plan (click here)
Wall Street rang up fresh losses in early trading Wednesday as the Obama administration pressed its economic plan and moved forward with preparations to begin new "stress tests" on the banking system....

by Dollars and Sense
A great post from Michael Yates' blog.
Michael Steele is a Nitwit and Wolf Blitzer is a JackassEconomic ignorance is widespread in the United States. People think they know something about the subject, but few do. My mother is convinced that China is the cause of all our economic problems. When I challenge her, she doesn't think it matters that I have spent forty years studying and teaching the dismal science. If Lou Dobbs says it's so, it must be true. I once taught classes for automobile workers who were employed at a General Motors plant near Pittsburgh. A man insisted that recessions were caused by the media. Newspapers and television were apparently so pessimistic and intent on presenting only bad news that the public became too demoralized to spend money. It never occurred to him to ask why the media, which depend on us spending money for their existence, would want this to happen....

...I hate to tell Mr. Steele, but every one of these jobs was created by the government. And this does not tell the whole story. For three decades, governments have been busy privatizing, that is, contracting out public services to private businesses. Everything from local transit services to prisons to college food services to security forces in Iraq. The workers are private employees, but they are paid from public funds. What is more, all of these workers, direct and indirect public employees, spend their paychecks every month and this spending generates a lot more employment. These wages amount to at least 1.5 trillion dollars, which will support plenty of spending on outputs that someone has to produce.When the Obama plan is implemented, it probably will not end our current economic crisis. But one thing is certain: the money spent will cause employment to rise. The government will create jobs, just as it has always done....

World Bank says $120 billion is required to recapitalise banks in Central and Eastern Europe

If the World Bank is good enough for Europe, Pakistan and South Africa, it is good enough for Iraq. I don't see why Iraq's fiscal concerns belong to the USA anymore, after all they have budget surpluses after all.


By Finfacts Team
Feb 24, 2009 - 6:30:33 AM

The World Bank said on Monday that $120 billion is required to recapitalise banks in Central and Eastern Europe. It said just six months ago, banks were flush with cash. Some thought they might even escape the credit crisis hitting the United States. Now low interest rates and easy credit have given way to a dearth of liquidity and capital problems in the banks amid slowing global growth and trade.
Austrian banks have lent €230 billion, the equivalent of 80% of Austria's GDP, to the region, according to the Economist."A failure rate of 10% would lead to the collapse of the Austrian financial sector," reported Vienna's Der Standard two weeks ago.
Stephen Jen of Morgan Stanley, says Eastern Europe has borrowed $1.7 trillion abroad, much on short-term maturities. It must repay – or roll over – $400bn this year, equal to a third of the region's GDP....

If Iraq can make monetary policy, they can manage their own country.

Iraq Central Bank adviser: Iraq is committed to the policy of liberalization of current accounts (click here)
February 25, 2009

...The Minister of Planning and Development, Ali Baban said on Monday that the five weekly sessions convened by the Central Bank for the sale and purchase of the dollar is the process of smuggling of Iraqi funds abroad, and that the money smuggled through auction and offices of Iraqi central bank is for the private sector funds for establishing successful mega-projects, in Jordan and Syria....

60 Weeks until the USA troop withdrawal in Iraq.

99 weeks until the success to "The Road to Recovery" can be measured.

42 weeks until the rises in oil prices return.

IF the DOD wants to extend the timeline for withdrawal from Iraq they need to stock up on cheap oil. Perhaps the DOD hasn't heard that The Economic Crisis now tops the list of threats to the USA's national security. It is my point of view that the Iraqis are fully prepared to police and defend their own elections. Time to let go and get on with reducing our military budget and finding success in Afghanistan. I hope there are high priorities by the Obama Administration for hiring returning veterans from Iraq with all the supportive services for their transition in place, including automatic enrollment in unemployment benefits to a 'living standard' to help soften their return. Military health benefits for veterans should go along with the package until they transition into employment.

Oil prices jump after DOE inventory report (click title to entry - thank you)
By CHRIS KAHN – 7 hours ago
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices jumped above $42 per barrel Wednesday as a government report showed demand for gasoline is on the rise and that crude inventories have not grown as fast as was thought.
Light, sweet crude for April delivery gained $2.54 to settle at $42.50 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Phil Flynn, an analyst at Alaron Trading Corp., said a drop in retail gas prices, combined with the Energy Department report that showed demand is rising, had traders pumping money into crude stocks.
Drivers "like a bargain, and when they see those prices go down, they'll fill up," Flynn said. "Consumers are spending more on gasoline."
But Geoff Sundstrom, a fuel price analyst for AAA, cautioned that it's too soon to say whether motorists have returned to their old driving habits.
"I'd love to be more optimistic," Sundstrom said. "But we don't have enough information to say that Americans are getting out in large numbers."...

Not Bad. Quite a national treasure to add to the wealth of a nation.

Iraq Travel
Baghdad Museum Reopens After 6 Years Reclaiming Its Stuff (click title to entry - thank you)
February 25, 2009 at 4:41 PM

...Surprisingly, prior to the museum's restoration and reopening, 8,500 of the 15,000+ stolen items were recovered and are now either under lock and key in the vaults or under constant watch as the first few visitors cautiously peer into cases. According to the AP, there is still wariness over the 2003 looting of the museum and for now, "the museum — which holds artifacts from the Stone Age through the Babylonian, Assyrian and Islamic periods — will be open to the public starting Tuesday but only for organized tours."...

Antarctica Ice Chime

The weather in Antarctica (Crystal Ice Chime) is:

Falling Star? No. Crashing satellite.
NASA didn't impress the new President. Nope.

NASA satellite crashes (click title to entry - thank you)
U.S. Air Force
The rocket carrying the NASA satellite blasts off from Vandenberg Air Force Base. Soon after, a protective covering failed to separate from the craft, and it crashed.
The $278-million Orbiting Carbon Observatory was designed to measure greenhouse gas emissions. It plunges into the ocean near Antarctica after a mechanical problem.
By John Johnson Jr. February 25, 2009
A NASA satellite designed to measure greenhouse gas emissions and pinpoint global warming dangers crashed Tuesday after a protective covering failed to separate from the craft shortly after launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.The loss of the $278-million satellite came as a severe blow to NASA's climate monitoring efforts, as well as the builder of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va....


July 26, 2008 at 3:22 PM

Approximately seven months ago, there was significant frigid air masses over Antarctica. The 'orange to red' color is an indication of colder air. July 26th of 2008 was the day there were severe winds that hit the Tamaki Yacht Club (click here). It was the day after a Qantas Jumbo Jet landed from 29,000 feet with a hole in its fuselage (click here). It was two days after a deadly tornado in NEW HAMPSHIRE (click here), and 14 days after the EPA stated Americans' lives were losing value (click here). Yep. The USA HAS TO reduce its carbon load on the troposphere. Without question !!!!!!!!!!!

And I don't want to hear how the 'end of the term' of George Walker Bush was met with a Banking Crisis EMERGENCY. There were signs of it coming for an entire year and no one did a damn thing !

Why do I have the opinions that I do? Gee, I wonder.


Febrary 25, 2009 at 8:24 PM EST

The Warmest Place in Antarctica

Base Esperanza, Antarctica

Local Time :: 12:10 AM GMT (GMT +00)

Lat/Lon :: 63.4° S 57.0° W

Temperature :: 40 °F

Conditions :: Mostly Cloudy

Humidity :: 50%

Dew Point :: 28 °F

Wind :: 23 mph from the WSW

Wind Gust :: -

Pressure :: 28.96 in (Rising)

Visibility :: 6.0 miles

Clouds :: Mostly Cloudy 1181 ft
Mostly Cloudy 19685 ft
(Above Ground Level)

Elevation :: 43 ft


The Coldest Places in Antarctica

Dome C, Antarctica

Lat/Lon :: 74.5° S 123.0° E

Local Time :: 11:51 PM GMT (GMT +00)

Elevation :: 10761 ft

Temperature :: -56 °F

Wind :: 7 mph from the WSW

Wind Gust :: -

Pressure :: in (Rising)


Vostok, Antarctica

Local Time :: 5:55 AM VOST on February 26, 2009

Lat/Lon :: 78.4° S 106.9° E

Elevation :: 11220 ft

Temperature :: -52 °F

Conditions :: Overcast

Humidity :: 36%

Dew Point :: -61 °F

Wind :: 12 mph from the SSW

Wind Gust :: ­-

Pressure :: in (Rising)

Visibility :: 12.0 miles

UV :: 0 out of 16

Barak ain't no slacker. The boy needs to just sign autographs.

There isn't much to say, is there? As Americans? Those that desired change, got what they asked for. Complete and absolute transparency. He is something. He knew what would bring this country back and he's on a track to achieve it.

That is a touching picture. Really nice. That was a beautiful moment. All these photos are from the NY Times.


Mr. Obama greeted Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who returned to the bench this week after surgery for pancreatic cancer.
Photo: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times


President Obama told Congress, "Now is the time to act boldly."

...The young new president projected a voice of generational confidence to a public that by one measure is less confident than at any other time since Mr. Obama was in grade school. He invested his popularity behind a plan that he said would not only "restart the engine of our prosperity" but also transform the country with "bold action and big ideas."...






President Obama delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night. He urged the nation to use the economic crisis to raise its ambitions, calling for new efforts to address energy, health care and education issues even as he warned that more money might be needed to bail out banks and restore the economy.
Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times

There was also an article in The New York Times, that is sad. And very "W"rong.

The precepts for the article are wrong. And this picture is a bell jar void of air to demonstrate how 'sound science' can measure the fact that sound only travels when there are 'particles' to carry it. So, the words 'sound science' isn't really the best terminology to go forward with, but, let me use the words 'appropriate science.'

There is a common thread that runs through the grossly inappropriate 'press' both in the NY Times and The Washington Post. They attempt to 'reach back in time' as if nothing in Climate Science has changed to sophisticate its perfection, which allows them to 'discredit' the concepts put forward by the current administration.

The article in the NY Times likes the 'idea' of changing the approach to Climate Change. They want to state, that to perfect Carbon Sequestration is to solve the world's problems in regard to Human Induced Global Warming. It implies that if more money went into 'coping' with carbon dioxide emissions rather than 'changing' the manner in the way and the amount of CO2 emitted that the answer would be learned that would qualify a better government program.

That is grossly flawed. That approach would advocate in the long view that humans could emit all the CO2 they wanted so long as they could capture it and store it. Do you know what the planet would look like? If humans continued to destroy the biotic content of Earth, disregarded species survival and simply sought to make a 'sterile' world where humans could burn carbon fuels of one kind or another forever without inhibitions; there would be no humans.

The 'ideas' put forward in this article are simplistic and an insult to the intelligence of an entire nation, yet alone its scientific community. I guess "Wall Street" is a bit bent out of shape over regulations, huh?

Now, in the defense of The New York Times, there have been articles that explored 'technological' answer to 'saving Earth' given the fact the 'failure to cope' with reducing CO2 emissions by the USA has royally been abandoned over the last decade due to Republican Political Rhetoric rather than Appropriate Science.

They advocated orbital 'Earth Shields' that would cut down on the solar radiation that results in 'infrared' coming from Earth. They discussed other issues such as seeding the oceans and carbon sequestration as well. It isn't as though they haven't also discussed loss of the ice on the Arctic Ocean or alternative energies, they have.

The 'problem' with this article is 'Appropriate Science' and 'Appropriate Priorities' and the 'Opportunists' that still exist within the Political Spectrum that would take such 'coping technologies' and label them as forever the answer to American Economic Policies.

Any 'technology' that is purported to be able to 'solve' the Climate Crisis is not an appropriate priority for the USA or the global community. They are 'temporary fixes' that in the long run will FAIL and put all the CO2 back into the troposphere. Temporary fixes have their place in the discussion, however, without a change in consumer habits and the habits of those that produce energy and automobiles there is no reason to discuss any 'fix' for the CO2 pollution levels we now are witnessing of Earth.

At issue is the 'manner' in which Carbon Dioxide is treated 'legally' in our legislature and the courts of law of the USA. It needs to be classified under The Clean Air Act and reported as a danger gas at high levels in The New Source Review. Dangerous levels need to be defined and enforcement to those levels needs to be established and NOT just enforcement that is over three decades old and amounts to a 'slap on the wrist.' Which is the case with most of our environmental laws and policies, including, The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act. What was significant enforcement 'back in the day' is virtually nothing now and in many instances is simply 'figured' into the cost of business.

When the NY Times reported on 'technologies' that could 'stem' the encroachment of Human Induced Global Warming, it was correct. The issue is dire and while the economy overshadows everything these days, the 'change' in energy sources and salvaging of Detroit are all part of an environmental initiative by this administration. There is going to be a change in energy sources in the USA to the economic boom of the American Consumer whom will have more disposable income. The new car market should reflect consumer demands for environmentally responsible vehicles and not just limited choices that burn fossil fuels.

To prove how 'dire' the issue of Climate Change has gotten there was a recent publication by one of the scientists that received the Nobel Prize as a member of the IPCC, Professor Chris Field (click here). There is just 'no way' a responsible President of the USA can look the other way.

In regard to 'exploring' all venues of intervention beyond the American Consumer issues is unrealistic. Choices have to be made and the ones that have the best return on investment in 'knowing' there will be change and not 'guessing' there will be change is the focus of the Obama Administration. Appropriately so.

Just as with the economic stimulus that is prioritizing the change in the country, these jobs that are being saved and created will contribute to increased wealth in the USA and will provide more of a Treasury in time that will allow for more exploration into 'Earth saving' technologies and venues. We are on a 'timeline' to change and not just a 'flash in the pan' dumping of money into the economy as has been the habits of Republican administrations in the recent past. This is change that will last and insure the futures of children and the sovereignty of their nation.

Global warming 'underestimated' (click here)
The severity of global warming over the next century will be much worse than previously believed, a leading climate scientist has warned.
Professor Chris Field, an author of a 2007 landmark report on climate change, said future temperatures "will be beyond anything" predicted.
Prof Field said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report had underestimated the rate of change.
He said warming is likely to cause more environmental damage than forecast.
Speaking at the American Science conference in Chicago, Prof Field said fresh data showed greenhouse gas emissions between 2000 and 2007 increased far more rapidly than expected.
"We are basically looking now at a future climate that is beyond anything that we've considered seriously in climate policy," he said.
Prof Field said the 2007 report, which predicted temperature rises between 1.1C and 6.4C over the next century, seriously underestimated the scale of the problem.
He said the increases in carbon dioxide have been caused, principally, by the burning of coal for electric power in India and China.
Wildfires
Prof Field said the impact on temperatures is as yet unknown, but warming is likely to accelerate at a much faster pace and cause more environmental damage than had been predicted.
He says that a warming planet will dry out forests in tropical areas making them much more likely to suffer from wildfires.
The rising temperatures could also speed up the melting of the permafrost, vastly increasing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, Prof Field warns.
"Without effective action, climate change is going to be larger and more difficult to deal with than we thought," he said.

The negative 'press' in regard to Climate Change is due to this (click here - thank you)

The "Public Comment Period" closes on, February 27, 2009. It is amazing to realize the lies that the press is willing to purport in order to build a larger CONCENSUS 'in numbers' that would stop the Climate Change Initiative of the Obama White House.

Amazing the 'sleeze bags' that walk the halls of these press rooms, isn't it?

See, the press has already figured out that Barak Obama is a very popular President. They also know he is rather billiant. They know that if a President is 'untouchable' to fault, than perhaps the 'best way' to defeat him is to 'trash his programs' no matter what it takes.




Observations show that warming of the climate system is now unequivocal.
...The global warming observed over the past 50 years is due primarily
to human-induced emissions of heat-trapping gases. These emissions
come primarily from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas), with
additional major contributions from the clearing of forests and agricultural
activities.

Warming over this century is projected to be considerably greater than
over the last century. The global average temperature since 1900 has risen
by about 1.5°F. By 2100, it is projected to rise another 2 to 10°F. Temperatures
in the United States have risen by a comparable amount and are
very likely to rise more than the global average over this century. Several
factors will determine future temperature increases. Increases at the lower
end of this range are more likely if global heat-trapping gas emissions are
cut substantially, and at the upper end if emissions continue to rise at or
near current rates. Other important factors that affect the range are related
to the strength of the response of the climate system to human influences....

One is always a bit hesitant to share 'precise' information with biased media. Especially. When that information is alarming.

This is the Arctic Ocean. The North Pole, where the Sun does not always shine. What makes ANYONE think that California Snowpack is going to have a different result? Elevation? That won't change a thing. As the 'heat' of the planet is 'rising' in volume it travels vertically in the troposphere as well as horizontally. Snow fields and Ice fields are melting at elevations that are no different than that of the mountains of California.



Click here for a film loop of the 'Break Up' of the Beaufort Sea, Alaska that BEGAN on DECEMBER 8, 2007. Thank you.

CALIFORNIA CLIMATE WATCH (click here)
CURRENT ISSUE: January 2007
IPCC's Working Group I
Summary Released
By Laura EdwardsWestern Regional Climate Center
On February 2, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released their report from the first of three Working Groups: "Climate Change 2007: The Physical Basis". This document states that there is "very high confidence that the globally averaged net effect of human activities since 1750 has been one of warming". The report goes on to state that most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperature during the last century "is very likely due to the increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations". Over 2500 expert scientists reviewed the document which summarizes with confidence the burning of fossil fuels has led to the warming of our planet and the planet will continue to warm. What does this mean for California? Figure 1. From Our Changing Climate: Assessing the Risks to California. Reduced mountain snowpack is one risk outlined in the report....


Why would a 'journalist' place the very lives in California 'in danger' NOT 'at risk,' but, in danger to satisfy the 'old glory days' of the Republicans? Why? Scientists for decades have been invalidated by morons such as George F. Wills that are allowed to publish in newspapers that are suppose to have discretion and dignity. I guess this '? editorial ?' by Wills states more about the 'tabloid' aspect of "The Washington Post" than anything else.


Snowpack in the Sierra affects water resources throughout California's urban areas and Central Valley agricultural regions. Lake Tahoe is at center, right; San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay are visible low on the coast.

Chu and Ahnold need to mean. Summit might be a good idea. A sustainability summit for California.


Steven Chu
The Nobel Prize in Physics 1997 (click here)

Steven Chu is a certifiable genius. Certainly, George F. Will OF "The Washington Post" is NOT !

But, why be hesitant? After all 'information' speaks for itself. It should stand up under the most intense examination of detail, right?

Well. Yes. And no. Precise information, when it doesn't 'suit' the political agenda of a hostile press, can be manipulated. Of course, the manipulation is justified by stating 'the public has to understand.' So, someone like George F. Will comes along and DECIDES. No different than Bush when he became THE DECIDER. So, Will comes along and DECIDES 'the public that leans to the right' needs to be supported in the media and write a column criticizing a SCIENTIST.

Where Will's credentials allow such a thing, no one asks. But, he does it just the same.

What would make ANY society 'look the other way' while heritage, climate and the future of generations are jeopardized for the 'sake' of ? energy ?

For DECADES now, people that 'lack conscience' but are afforded 'power' over the material available to the average public, are allowed to publish any darn negative opinion as VALID over that of profounding correct and compassionate scientists. Scientists that have dedicated their lives to achievement and recognition for those achievement, that risk reputation at the hand of such 'spectal' seeking journlists to warm the public of the dangers that await them.

The public needs to make choices about 'the intention' of such reporting and comment before a JOURNALISTS credentials can be counted on regardless of status within the profession.

California's snow pack is in DANGER and the people of that state have a water supply to be concerned about AS WELL as the LOSS of the impact of that snowpack on their CLIMATE.

End of discussion !

An Alaskan Inuit Girl (click here)


Vanishing Alaskan Ice Pack

No one cares about a one hundred year old boat?

The U.S. Geological Survey-led (click here for original journal entry) study reveals that average annual erosion rates along this part of the Beaufort Sea climbed from historical levels of about 20 feet per year between the mid-1950s and late-1970s, to 28 feet per year between the late-1970s and early 2000s, to a rate of 45 feet per year between 2002 and 2007. The study was published in the current issue of Geophysical Research Letters, a publication of the American Geophysical Union....


A USGS researcher took a picture of this nearly century-old whaling boat in July 2007 along the Beaufort Sea coast near Lonely, Alaska. The boat washed away to sea just a few months later. Courtesy of Benjamin Jones, USGS




A cabin along the Arctic Alaska coastline was recently washed into the ocean because the bluff it was sitting on top of was eroded away. Courtesy of Benjamin Jones, USGS






Recent erosion along Alaska''s Arctic coast; note the collapsed block of ice-rich permafrost. Courtesy of Benjamin Jones, USGS

USGS researcher Benjamin Jones measures erosion along a part of Alaska''s Arctic coast. On the right side of the photo is an example of a collapsed block of ice-rich permafrost. Courtesy of Christopher Arp, USGS

The weather at Glacier Bay National Park (Crystal Wind Chime) as been ridiculously WARM.

Annually for the year 2008 the Average High Temperature at Glacier Bay was 46.5 F. The Average Low Temperature was 34.9 F.

In 1959, the MAXIMUM (that was maximum, NOT average) High Temperature at Glacier Bay was 28 F. The MINIMUM Low Temperature was 19F. Needless to say that when temperatures are no warmer than 28 F there wasn't much melting of glaciers or loss of Permafrost, now was there?

\

Date :: February 23, 2009

Local Time: 7:44 AM AKST (GMT -09)

Lat/Lon: 58.8° N 137.0° W

Elevation :: 33 ft.

Temperature :: High - 41 F
Low - 18 °F

Conditions :: Clear

Dew Point :: 9 °F

Humidity :: 68%

Wind :: Calm

Windchill :: 18 °F

Pressure :: 30.12 in (Falling)

Visibilty :: 10.0 miles

UV :: 0 out of 16

Clouds :: Clear -
(Above Ground Level)

"I think the helicopter is great. Maybe it's because I never had a helicopter before,..."

There are two sides to every coin...two sides to most stories...there is 'good and bad'...and the more sophisticated sword is one with two edges.

That, in my opinion, is the 'mind and character' of President Obama. There is nothing 'simplistic' about his approach to any circumstance and there is no solution set in 'unbending' ideology or 'conflicting interests' to a Government of the People.

In looking at the graph below, when it comes to fiscal and economic recovery, think of the way in which 'simple interest' is different than 'compound interest' and what achieves a higher goal of return on a faster track. That is the way President Obama is conducting his 'interest' in the domestic economic policies of the nation. By, attacking the 'real' issues of government spending he is taking his responsiblity seriously to lower the deficit as well as stimulating the economy.

It's all coming together and it will all work. Anyone that 'can't' see the light at the end of the tunnel now, is deliberately short sighted.


We have elected a man, and I can't say it enough, that sincerely loves this country. The 'round table' discussion that was open to the media and hence The American People was all had to hear.

President Barak Obama is concerned and openly concerned about the 'entire country,' not just the people that elected him. I have never witnessed sincere affection for a President in the way it was expressed by every member of the White House Fiscal Sustainability Summit.

He is a magnificent President.

I also believe he loves to learn from people that engage the opportunities that he affords them. He was open to any statements made and ideas presented. There are definately 'items' that energized him and the most prominant, noted in his body language, were places he could exert control and make immediate changes.

I believe there are issues regarding 'federal procurement' and the methodologies that DO NOT serve the best interest of the country he will 'effect' as soon as he is able to address them. He will probably ask those involved in this 'enlightment' to continue to explore the options and present those options to him in a document for his review.

The areas of 'immediate' interest to him to 'begin' to trim the federal deficit are areas of procurement and 'personnel.' The observation was made that 'outsourcing' federal 'interests' to private companies costs more than hiring and retaining well trained employees.

I have said more than once on this blog that putting federal employees back to work, especially within the military, is in the best interest of the country and our national security.

I found his 'Open Forum' to the 'inner workings' of his Fiscal Sustainability Summit more than rewarding to learn we have a great leader in the White House determined to unit this country. He noted openly there is a 'majority' that should include minorities, BUT, while majorities will rule in a Democracy, it can include minority views and priorities WHERE they are constructive and helpful rather than 'destructive' based in political rhetoric that 'harms' the USA infrastructure.

I am paraphrasing.

I am more proud of this country's choice for a President everyday that passes. If 'Corporate America' (as noted in the article at the bottom of this entry) can't see the beauty in what he is doing than we don't need them as they exist today. President Obama has set this country on a 'exponential' curve rather than a straight line equation. By aggressively addressing 'all the issues' that impact the fiscal instability of the country, he is escalating the recovery and not hindering any venue.

You have to love the guy. He's brilliant. I appreciate the way 'he brings' us into the picture at the 'important' moments of his decision making. I thank him for that.

I believe he will be a poignant President. I honestly believe he is 'the man of our time.'

I do believe there has been more than one Presidential Helicopter over the years, but, what distressed President Obama about the current helicopter is that it's procurement process was very expensive and would cost as much as Air Force One. As a nation we are concerned with his safety and that of his family. If there is need for a new helicopter to better protect President Obama as times of 'danger' changes the nation should address that, but, with his leadership it will be done appropriately and with procurement processes that will eliminate costly acquistions.


UPDATE 1-Obama: Can cut corporate tax if loopholes closed (click title of entry - thank you)
Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:34pm EST
WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said it would be possible to lower the rate on corporate taxes if the many loopholes in the tax code were closed.
"If you closed loopholes you could actually lower rates. That's an area where there should be the potential for some bipartisan agreement," Obama said at a White House "Fiscal Responsibility Summit."
He said that the tax rate "on the books" was high in the United States.
But Obama added, "In practice, depending on who it is -- what kind of accountant you can hire -- they're not so high. That's an area we can work on," Obama added.

Self Righteous - That is the 'venue' to success. Make everyone around you 'feel' inferior and therefore they are. Power Brokers, not knowledge men.

The CEOs of eight banks that received TARP funds testify before Congress. Top row, from left, Goldman Sach's Lloyd Blankfein; JPMorgan Chase's James Dimon; and Bank of New York Mellon's Robert Kelly. Bottom row, from left, State Street's Ronald Logue; Morgan Stanley's John Mack; Citigroup's Vikram Pandit; and Wells Fargo's John Stumpf. (AP Photos/Boston Globe)

There are all sorts of 'incentives' to provide CEOs of any company to 'dig deeper' to unearth new profits and new stock dividends. The 'impetus' in the USA is usually money and more money and more money. The CEOs like wealth and the 'prestige and status' of their positions to be 'felt' in a society that is suppose to 'reward' those that can 'achieve' great wealth. After all, that is what the USA is all about, right? Capitalism. And the military that secures the capitalists. Right?

NO? Did someone say, no? We are supposed to be honorable, forthright, diligent, hard working. Really? Well, that might be what the 'lowly, average' citizen may consider to be important, even those that sacrifice to protect the sovereignty of the USA see 'their lives' as disposable compared to their superiors. The 'justification' of military hierarchy, is that those in 'command' are experienced enough in 'warfare' to secure the battlefield and win the war. I suppose one could glamorize 'capitalism' in the same manner, but, is it really? Are CEOs best to lead the battle or BETTER yet 'best' to follow government priorities and regulation?

Well. The 'superiority' complex that runs through the American 'fabric' is a sort of 'entitlement' issue. Do we as a society 'reward' just anyone 'assigned' to a position of status the 'right' to be godlike? We aren't suppose to capitulate a 'citizen's authority' to anyone, including the wealthy. We capitulate our 'citizen's authority' to only one entity and that is the military when issues of sovereignty and peaceful life within our borders is at issue.

A 'citizen's authority' is what protests are made of, it is what 'social outrage' conducts itself. What people like the CEOs of the BANKRUPT banks don't realize is that they are NOT in the 'golden seats' of authority anymore. They are ridiculed, penalized and shunned as any authority worth their 'place' in a country that 'operates' economically from a 'capitalist' base. Don't tell me that countries that practice freedom and democracy are the issue either, China is a huge capitalistic society and being communist they find it far more easy to 'turn profits' within that venue. That is another discussion entirely.

At hand is the fact that the FAILED CEOs want their money back. Poor babies.

I vote a resounding, NO !

As a matter of fact, these morons have capitulated their 'interest' in this country to seek higher incentives to 'cheat' people out of their homes with permission of the Republicans and the laws they provided that deregulated any PROTECTIONS for Americans. They should be 'sued' for every penny they are worth considering their 'interest' in the failure that occurred in a global infrastructure 'they designed' to 'feed the wealthy' while destoying the 'hopes and dreams' of the citizens they exploited.

I understand there is a hardware store someplace in Dallas that accommodates 'displaced' CEOs that currently Georgie is seeking employment. I suggest these men do the very same thing and come to realize as the former President ? might ? that conducting 'an average' day of work is refreshing to those that have done otherwise.

I strongly suggest they all be FIRED. Sort of the in the manner Donald Trump conducts his 'idea' of fun on TV. They should know what it is like to collect unemployment while their treasures are all sold at sherrif sales and their lives are trashed no matter how they prepared themselves to serve a country worthy of 'the best of the best' to be LEADING it to secure its sovereignty and economy.

I suggest Mr. Geithner be encouraging the replacement of these morons and instead of bowing to their 'needs' demand their replacements to humble themselves before the very 'citizens' they 'serve.' Any company that doesn't view the DEBT they have caused to this country as egregious should be dissolved and its assets auctioned so those that sincerely love the USA and work diligently to protect it and elevate its purpose can actually LEAD where these moronic companies have failed.

We don't need nor desire 'wealth merchants' in the USA, we need companies that 'serve' the citizens well and secure the nation from insults to its sovereignty. While some would see these men as valuable beyond any recognition and deserving of forgiveness, I promise you they are worthless to the ideals of freedom and justice. They worship money, not morality. They elevate their 'social worth' through sexual fidelity and value little the people of the USA. We don't need them, I promise you. We need talented people that embrace the future of citizens and secure our children from the ravage of those that would see the USA destroyed for their own purposes !

We have witnessed the 'dismantling' of the economy of the USA by an incideous 'regime' in the last eight years, and primarily 'on this count' in the past two. They have to be held responsible and I find the 'role' of Hanky Paulson more egregious than any other with his 'Unrealistic and inflated $14,000 DOW.' Let's not leave him and his cohorts out of the 'round up' of those most immoral and responsible.

...But now, with a public backlash against excessive pay and taxpayer lifelines extended to crippled companies, the idea of recouping compensation, known as "clawback," is gaining traction.
Currently there is no legal mechanism for forcing the regurgitation of past pay, so such efforts would need to be bolstered by new legislation. Clawbacks also promise to be a hot-button issue at shareholder meetings in coming months....

Claims Victorian fires were the result of climate change

LIVE: National Day of Mourning (click for live streaming video)
2009-02-22 10:35:11 LIVE: Watch the National Day of Mourning events from the Rod Laver Arena for bushfire victims, due to start at 11am.(00:55)


Australian Search Task Group soldiers searching fire affected properties in the Marysville area

Bells sounds to mark national mourning ceremony (click here)
February 22, 2009 - 11:44AM
Bells have sounded in Melbourne to mark the beginning of a memorial service to remember those who died in Victoria's devastating bushfires.
Tens of thousands have gathered in Melbourne, including hundreds of bushfire survivors, who were shuttled into the city from fire-ravaged towns....


Thousands mourn bushfire loss (click here)
February 22, 2009
Bells have sounded in Melbourne to mark the beginning of a memorial service to remember those who died in Victoria's devastating bushfires.
Tens of thousands have gathered in Melbourne, including hundreds of bushfire survivors, who were shuttled into the city from fire-ravaged towns.
The Rod Laver Arena was filled with people, including political leaders, religious leaders, Princess Anne and other dignitaries.
Many of those at the service were wearing the distinctive yellow overalls of the firefighters.
At least 209 people are known to have died in the February 7 fire storms, most of those from a sweep of towns and villages northeast of Melbourne....



The Climate Institute says the devastating Victorian bushfires were the direct result of climate change.

The Institute says the conditions which caused the severity of the fires - the extreme heat, the low humidity, wind speed and the drought in Victoria - are all the result of global warming.

The Institute's CEO John Connor told AM's Michael Vincent the catastrophic bushfire conditions had been predicted for several years and he says they'll continue unless global greenhouse gas emissions are cut....

Weather raises fire risk (click here)
February 21, 2009
AUTHORITIES have warned that the threat of new fires in Victoria remains high this weekend, with hot weather, northerly winds and the chance of lightning increasing the risk.
CFA deputy chief fire officer Steven Warrington said yesterday it was not too late for residents to make fire plans, particularly in areas where fires were continuing to burn.
The warnings came as the official fire death toll rose to 209 yesterday. Police said 38 people were now recorded as having died in Kinglake, 45 in Marysville, and 42 in Strathewen.
The Insurance Council of Australia said that there had been 6230 claims resulting from the bushfires. The claims total $790 million.
A poll last week also found that the public wants tougher action in handling bushfire threats. Nearly six in 10 people believe there should be an order to evacuate rather than advice to decide whether to stay and defend or leave, UMR Research found.
In the national poll of 1000 people, more than nine in 10 respondents believed arsonists who lit fires that killed should be charged with murder.
MICHELL GRATTAN and PETER GREGORY

I do believe International Cooperation needs to be fine tuned a bit.

U.S. and Russia satellites collide (click here for video)
A privately owned U.S. communications satellite -- owned by Iridium-- collided with a defunct Russian military satellite above Russia's Arctic north. Space officials in Russia and the United States are now tracking hundreds of pieces of debris that were spewed into space. (59 sec./1.96Mb, shows: 543)

Farmer James Striton examines the space junk he discovered on his farm in Cheepie, 130km from Charleville in southwestern Queensland. (click here) Photo is from 2008.

Wreckage of two satellites in orbit poses serious threat to others (click here)
13:12
13/ 02/ 2009
KOROLYOV (Moscow Region), February 13 (RIA Novosti) - The remnants of the U.S. and Russian satellites that collided on Tuesday poses a serious threat to other satellites on the same orbit, a Russian Mission Control official told journalists on Friday.
"800 kilometers is a very popular orbit for remote Earth sensing and telecommunications satellites," said Vladimir Solovyov, head of the Russian segment of the International Space Station.
"There are a lot of communications satellites there, many of them still in operation. There are 66 Iridium series satellites alone on that orbit. The cloud [of debris] from the collision is a serious threat to them," he said
Tuesday's collision of a U.S. Iridium satellite and the defunct Russian Cosmos-2251 approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles) above Siberia was the first time such an incident has occurred.

I am glad someone said it besides just me.

“Let’s put everything in perspective and give him an opportunity to explain himself," Daley said today when asked if Burris should step down. "Automatically, every time something happens people want everybody to resign. Is it becoming very common now to tell people to resign after he was appointed?"

Daley gave Burris credit for voting for the federal economic stimulus package which the mayor said "never would have passed" without Burris' vote.

Official: Obama wants to halve budget deficit

...Obama's proposal for the 2010 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 projects that the $1.3 trillion deficit he inherited from former President George W. Bush will be halved to $533 billion by 2013. That's a difference of 9.2 percent of the overall economy now vs. 3 percent in four years....


The map above is based on "population density" in relation to the Presidential Elections of 2008.

..."In the end (click here) ... most of the governors will accept most of the money and use it for the benefit of their citizens," said Pennsylvania's Democratic governor, Edward Rendell, at the association's annual meeting....

It would be good if the DNC reminded the folks that didn't find the will to bring a new Party to power, whom exactly is responsible for maintaining and enhancing their quality of life and economy. It's only right people come to terms with 'the fact' this country needed a change in the way they participated in their governments. In those states that 'didn't do well' in 2008, there needs to be a DNC election drive to sign up new voters.

After all this time. All the hopes we have for our children, gone in a moment.

Chandra Levy timeline (click here)
Associated Press
9:11 AM PST, February 21, 2009
Chandra Levy timelineA chronicle of events in the disappearance of Chandra Levy:

May 1, 2001: Levy spends much of the morning surfing the Internet, logging off at 1 p.m. It was the last trace of her until her body was found.

May 6 Unable to reach their daughter, Dr. Robert and Susan Levy call Washington police. They also call their congressman, Rep. Gary A. Condit (D-Ceres).

May 10 Condit contributes $10,000 to a reward fund and describes Levy as a "great person and good friend." May 16 E-mail written by Levy in December talks about an unidentified romantic interest with ties to Congress. Condit aides deny their boss had an affair with Levy....

Sea otter sighting confirmed in Oregon for first time in 103 years

By Winston Ross
The Register-Guard
Posted to Web: Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 09:45PM Appeared in print: Friday, Feb 20, 2009
DEPOE BAY — Not wanting to look like a fool, Morris Grover kept the otter to himself for the first few hours.
The whiskered, web-footed critter looked like a sea otter, to be sure, but there have been no confirmed sightings of the marine mammals in Oregon since 1906. There have, however, been plenty of false positives.
“A lot of people accuse river otters of being sea otters,” said Grover, coordinator of the Whale Watching Spoken Here program based in Depoe Bay. “I didn’t dare tell anybody what I thought.”
But sea otters are bigger than river otters, and Grover has seen plenty of those. Both have webbed flippers, but sea otters’ flippers are significantly larger. And only sea otters spend prolonged periods of time in saltwater. The eagle-eyed volunteer in Depoe Bay who first spotted the animal saw it “with a crab on its chest, having breakfast inside Depoe Harbor,” Grover said. But he had to know for sure.
So he shipped pictures of the otter to Jim Rice, coordinator of the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and to Jim Estes, the leading expert on sea otters on the West Coast. Both replied with zero doubt: Enhydra lutris.
“We’re ecstatic,” Grover said. “These are supposed to be extinct here.”...
Depending on whether Depoe Bay’s new resident brought relatives, the discovery could have big implications for Oregon, which lost its population of sea otters more than a century ago, five years before the Fur Seal Treaty of 1911 ended the harvest of sea otters in Russia, Japan, Britain and the United States.
By the time that treaty and a 1913 law were passed, the species was eradicated in Oregon and Washington and barely hanging on in California and Alaska.
In 1970, researchers attempted to re-establish the species in Oregon, transporting 31 sea otters from Alaska and depositing them near Port Orford. Sixty-four more were brought in the following year. They all disappeared.
Depoe Bay’s otter is certainly not from Oregon, Rice said, but a transient from California or Washington, which is still noteworthy given the distance it would have had to swim to make it this far down or up the coast, he said.
“This is not somebody who snuck over the border for a free lunch,” said Grover, who believes that the otter is male but isn’t sure. “If he came from California, that’s half a state (away).”
What would be even more significant, Rice added, is if the otter sticks around and multiplies.
“How long has it been here, and how many other are there?” Rice said.
“Hopefully the otter will discover there’s a good food supply and will be able to make a go of it here.”
Sea otters are a “keystone species,” which means they have a big effect on their environment, even in small numbers. That’s because they munch on sea urchins, which in turn gobble up large amounts of kelp. Because there’s nothing significant preying on urchins at the moment, kelp forests are suffering in Oregon.
“Urchins have taken over the seafloor,” Grover said. “This could be a mecca for this guy and anybody he wants to bring with him. It would bring balance back to our ecosystem.”
Because Thursday was the third day in a row the otter was sighted, it’s possible he’ll be around today and in the near future. But Grover warns visitors to search for it only from shore. Disturbing federally protected marine mammals is a felony, punishable by a $25,000 fine.
Contact Winston Ross at (541) 902-9030 or at winston.ross@registerguard.com.Related stories do not exist.


Issue 1, June 1999
Alaskan Sea Otters and Toxic Algae Blooms: Researching Marine Predator-Prey Interactions (click here)
Mary PatytenEarth Systems Science, CSU Monterey Bay patyten@jyi.org
This summer, Mary is studying the behavior of high-level predators in the presence of algal toxins under Rikk Kvitek, of CSU Monterey Bay. We asked her to tell us about her experiences. In this feature, Mary outlines the background of her research.To the best of our knowledge, marine mammals rarely die from ingesting the algal toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in humans, even though the animals appear to be physiologically just as susceptible to the toxins as we are. How do marine mammals, such as sea otters, detect and avoid the toxins which seasonally accumulate in their prey?...