Everyone have a great weekend. I'm feeling fairly good about issues. So. I am taking the weekend off.

This from The Moscow Times (click title to entry - thank you)


26/02/2009
Political Squirrels
By Nathan Toohey
Three squirrels, residents of the Kuzminki Park in the southeast of the city, are soon to be issued passports.
The squirrels, favourites with the locals who named them "Obama", Chubais", and "Kuzminichna", are to receive the documents soon, RIA Novosti reported a representative from the Kuzminki ecological educational centre as saying. Obama the squirrel was so named due to his uncharacteristic long-tufted black ears, Chubais the squirrel received his name due to his "bright, bright red ears". Kuzminichna, the sole doe in the enclosure, was named after the park where she was born and has lived many years.

"Of course, the squirrels won't receive the passports in the ‘paw' as it was, they will be hung on the wall of the enclosure," said the Kuzminki ecological educational representative. The documents will indicate the squirrels' weight, age, body and tail length, distinctive markings and an identification number with photograph. There will also be a description listing their temperament and favourite treats, said the representative.
All three squirrels have been living together quite a long time and regularly produce litters of baby squirrels and are true favourites among young and old alike, said the representative.
A new batch of babies is due to appear in the near future and the squirrel keepers have requested that visitors donate warm woollen items. The squirrels will use them to insulate their nests and keep their offspring warm.

This action by the Pakistani court is causing issues within Pakistan, but, there is some credence to the decision.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, second from right, speaks with his counterpart, Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, not pictured, as they meet for talks in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Clinton: Afghans and Pakistanis to meet regularly (click here)
20 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior U.S., Afghan and Pakistani officials ended three days of talks Thursday on the next steps in the war against Islamic extremists, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the three-way format was so fruitful it would be used regularly in the months ahead.
Clinton told reporters that the next meeting of U.S, Afghan and Pakistani government delegations would be in late April or early May.
This week's talks produced no known breakthroughs, but Clinton said they were in-depth and forthright. They were designed to gather suggestions and ideas from the Pakistanis and Afghans as the administration reviews its approach to the war, which has turned more problematic over the past few years....

There are some days one wishes Pakistan would throw out the Pakistani Constitution and start over again, especially considering the recent strain on the populous in Punjab (The land of five rivers).

The spirit of the law is good, but, the practical application after Musharraf isn't getting support. At risk is the stability of a large region of eastern Pakistan with the citizens that feel there 'break through' elections displacing Musharraf will cost them ultimately their representation at the political levels of government.

I don't blame them for being upset. They pinned their hopes for political freedom on Sharif brothers only to have the Supreme Court trash that possibility. The Sharifs also joined the current President to displace Musharraf. To say they aren't important political figures in Pakistan is to say displacing Musharraf wasn't important. It was very important and certainly to the people of Punjab as well.

While the Pakistani Constitution has a focus to 'protect' the people from potential criminals, it was 'designed' by and used by Musharraf to imprison and displace his opposition in elections. To be arrested, charged and found guilty while a political agent was to mean to lose any possibility to displace Musharraf.

So, the Pakistani Constitution has to be examined for its 'extremism' by the Legislature. In the meantime, while the President doesn't want to oppose the Supreme Court and they have ruled within Constitutional Law, he needs to recognize a valueable political ally that can quell the concerns of the citizens of Punjab.

That is difficult. It is Punjab that his wife, Benazir was assassinated. But, he is President and needs to speak to the people of Punjab noting other leaders of these citizens and promise to find solutions to Constitutional issues that serve no purpose but to divide them.


Pakistani supporters of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif shout slogans against the government as they set up barricades of burning tires during a protest in Karachi, Pakistan, on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009. Anti-government demonstrators attacked banks and shops and lawmakers scuffled with police amid gathering political turmoil Thursday triggered by a court ruling barring two opposition leaders from elected office. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)




Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, left, and his brother Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore, Pakistan, Feb. 18, 2008. Pakistan's Supreme Court declared the country's main opposition leader and his brother ineligible for office today, threatening to create political instability as this nuclear nation copes with a rising Taliban insurgency.

Big Shoes to Fill

Biography of Robert M. Morgenthau (click here)

UPDATE 1-Manhattan DA Morgenthau to step down - media (click title to entry - thank you)

Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:15am EST

NEW YORK, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau will not seek re-election in the fall and step down after 35 years as chief prosecutor for state crimes in the New York City borough, local media reported on Friday.
A spokeswoman for Morgenthau declined to comment.
Morgenthau, 89, a fixture in the New York Democratic Party for decades, has made the prosecution of financial crimes a top priority in recent years as violent crime fell in Manhattan.
The New York Times reported that Morgenthau would not seek re-election, citing a person told of the decision.
It was first reported by the New York Post, which cited "several sources" that Morgenthau had begun privately calling top deputies into his office to inform them of his intentions.
Morgenthau served in the job as Manhattan's district attorney longer than anyone else in history, outlasting countless actors who played the role of the D.A. in film and television dramas....

The Mexican extremists are killing their public officials in a systematic 'take over' of this Mexican Border Town.

The protests at the border against the Mexican government are a result of 'terror' within the communities that are being used to propagate instability through senseless murders. By protesting, the people of these towns are attempting to save their own lives by allowing the cartels the anarchy they need to carry out organized crime.

It is a nearly impossible set of circumstances for the Mexican government that needs to prove to its citizens it can win against these criminals. It hasn't done well yet, but, the Mexican government is decidedly dedicated to their purpose. I can't help believe the USA isn't offering support. The battles in Ciudad Juarez can't be any more tactically different than those in Baghdad. The question is 'should it be treated as same?'

Violence in Mexican Border Towns Impedes Missing Persons Search (click here)
By Greg Flakus El Paso, Texas19 February 2009
Mexican President Felipe Calderon's fight against drug trafficking cartels in his country has produced an unprecedented wave of violence, especially in Mexican border cities like Juarez, where more than 1,600 people were murdered last year. There are also many cases of people who have disappeared and, their friends and relatives fear they may never be found.The violence in Juarez continues, despite government efforts to curb the power of the drug cartels. In recent days headless bodies have turned up on the streets and signs have been posted around town threatening local police who try to interfere with drug smuggling....


Protesters block US border crossings demanding that Mexican soldiers leave their cities (click here)
The Associated Press Tuesday, February 17, 2009
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — Protesters block US border crossings demanding that Mexican soldiers leave their cities.

Mexico: Army will stay, despite recent protests (click here)
By MARK WALSH – Feb 19, 2009
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Mexico's president said Thursday the army will continue to battle the country's drug cartels, despite recent protests asking for the soldiers' withdrawal.
Hundreds of people blocked bridges to the United States in three border cities Tuesday, demanding the army leave and accusing soldiers of abuse. Both state and federal officials have alleged the protests are organized by drug gangs, noting that some of the protesters masked their faces.
In an Army Day speech in the northern city of Monterrey, President Felipe Calderon defended his decision to send some 45,000 troops nationwide to take on the drug gangs. He also called on all Mexicans to "stand behind our army's fight against this common enemy."
"When we've recovered the rule of law in areas vulnerable to organized crime, and local authorities are capable of fighting this scourge, then the army will have completed its mission," he said.
Calderon vowed "to continue fighting organized crime, without pause or mercy."...

Travel Alert
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
This information is current as of today (click here)
Fri Feb 27 08:36:30 2009.
Mexico
February 20, 2009
This Travel Alert updates security information for U.S. citizens traveling and living in Mexico. It supersedes the Travel Alert for Mexico dated October 15, 2008, and expires on August 20, 2009.While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year (including thousands who cross the land border every day for study, tourism or business), violence in the country has increased recently. It is imperative that travelers understand the risks of travel to Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and whom to contact if one becomes a crime victim. Common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable....


Roberto Orduña Cruz, left, is escorted by a police officer after resigning his post. He says he doesn’t want any more officers to die.

Ciudad Juarez police chief quits after killings of officers, threats (click here)
Posted signs say a policeman would be killed every 48 hours unless Roberto Orduña Cruz resigned.
By Ken Ellingwood February 21, 2009
Reporting from Mexico City -- The police chief in violence-torn Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, quit Friday after several officers were slain this week and the killers posted threats that more would die unless he resigned.Roberto Orduña Cruz, the city's public safety secretary, said he didn't want to risk more lives. An officer and a jail guard were shot to death earlier Friday, two days after handwritten signs were posted saying a policeman would be killed every 48 hours unless Orduña resigned....

Mexico is sending up to 5,000 new troops (click title to entry - thank you) and federal police to the country's most violent city, where law and order is on the brink of collapse in a war between gangs supplying drugs to the United States.
The army said on Thursday the deployment could take the number of soldiers and federal police to over 7,000 in Ciudad Juarez, which is across the U.S. border from El Paso, Texas.
This month alone, drug hitmen killed 250 people in Juarez, where a meeting of cabinet members on Wednesday was rattled by three bomb scares, forcing soldiers to briefly shut the city's international airport.
"In yesterday's meeting (government officials) talked about sending 5,000 troops and police to Ciudad Juarez," said army spokesman Enrique Torres. "They are expected to arrive in the next few weeks."
At the heavily guarded meeting on Wednesday, Interior Minister Fernando Gomez Mont had said the troop reinforcements would be "notable" but declined to give more details.
Torres said there were 2,020 troops and 425 federal police in Ciudad Juarez, a city of around 1.6 million people.
Drug trade analysts say Mexico's most-wanted fugitive, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, who leads a cartel from the Pacific state of Sinaloa, wants control of Ciudad Juarez, currently in the hands of local drug lord Vicente Carrillo Fuentes....

Home-made bomb clears Ciudad Juarez airport (click here)
1 day ago
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AFP) — An unexploded home-made bomb forced the evacuation of the airport in Mexico's Ciudad Juarez while a bomb threat cleared the violence-plagued city's courthouse, security officials said.
Airport personnel and travelers returned to the airport three hours after the explosive device was found by police, an airport official said.
Also Wednesday, a bomb threat led to the evacuation of the Ciudad Juarez courthouse. No explosives were found on the premises, said the security officials who asked not to be identified.
At a hotel three blocks from the courthouse, four government ministers were holding a security meeting about the unprecedented violence in the city and efforts to control drug-related violence along the border with the United States, sources told AFP.
Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, is considered Mexico's murder capital, with more than 1,650 drug-related killings in 2008. Most of the violence is attributed to a turf war between the Ciudad Juarez and Sinaloa drug cartels....

I hope there are others as worried about the 'stirrings' in Mexico. I believe it is worrisome.

A stranded passenger pulls his luggage as a soldier keeps watch in an armoured vehicle outside the airport of the border city of Ciudad Juarez


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How much have the American People come to terms with its demoralization?

As someone that has opposed Republican priorities for over a decade in a very overt and obnoxious manner, it is easy for me to come to terms with 'the change' the nation is embarking on with President Obama.

I think the LA Times 'got it' mostly 'correct.'

..."It changes the whole paradigm," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). "We're going to have a government that helps people."... (click here)

But, 'at the heart' of 'the change' the nation demanded as demonstrated in the elections of 2006 and 2008; how much 'reality' have the American People been able to digest regarding the 'former regime' in DC? How 'prepared' is the USA to receive the news that the country was used by profiteers disguised as ideologues in grossly inappropriate measure.

The USA was exploited for eight long and painful years. We were a nation risking world order to facilitate fanatics.

I profoundly believed in 2003 that invading Iraq was completely "W"rong. I wrote profusely anywhere I could about my 'vantage' point in realizing military research published in long standing and respected journals were proving that known inventories of WMD could have degraded into the deserts in Iraq. I then, was worried about the national security of the USA as the Bush administration carried out its propaganda war 'against' the people of the USA to justify an invasion into Iraq for Oil. Not WMD, but, oil. To me the invasion into Iraq was always an oil war and nothing short of it.

Having witnessed the genius of Michael Moore in "Bowling for Columbine" I was more than relieved that this 'little acclaimed' documentarian had established a film now known as "Fahrenheit 911." When I recall "Fahrenheit 911" my first memory is the opening salvos of the jets into the Trade Towers. I found the burgeoning presence of Moore an answer to a prayer.

My views are NOT because of Michael's films, but, I find his films a solice to my reality. I hope that is completely clear. I find a loyal American in Moore and his movement and his economy and make no mistakes, Michael's love for this country and his loyalty to its 'pure purpose' is a vital and needed economy.

My solice in the economy of Moore's films has lead me to venture into activism in a way that has been rewarding and kind to my love of the USA and its pure purpose in environmental stewardship that leads it to the forefront of cutting edge changes to its infrastructure. I am profoundly moved by the Presidency of Barak Obama. For many reasons, but, in some ways I am beginning to realize that 'his stark' reality in winning the elections of 2008 is as much a shock to 'the American system' as the release of "Fahrenheit 911."

Is the USA 'ready' for its ACTUAL reality, rather than the one propagated for the last eight years.

There is a long standing saying in The South, "Watch what you ask for, you may get it." The American People are 'used to' being deceived in the political arena and for decades we have stated openly in discussion that ranges from kitchen tables to board rooms, that 'political choices are always the worst of two evils.'

Barak Obama is NOT the worst of two evils. He is a genuine American with a dedication to this country that took him to Harvard Law Review to the streets of Illinios and its 'mean political' environment. He could have had a 'silver platter' for every lunch he was served after leaving Harvard, but, he chose instead to make it to the Presidency of the USA to change a nation in need of genuine principles at the hands of those most willing to venture into the dramatic world of legislature that would be bold and brilliant.

I think to some extent, the USA is still 'pinching itself' to make sure its not waking up from a dream.

The 'generational' change occurring at the steady hand of President Obama is what the American people have wanted for decades, but, haven't realized it would actually happen. In some ways, the subliminal message to every American regardless of financial capacity or role in life has always been 'dreams come true' aren't for the average person, but, only lived precariously through imagineering at Disney or on IMAX screens.

The chronic frustration that has been American political arenas dominated by Republicans with supposed 'fiscal responsibility' has been the choice because through faux priorities in cutting taxes and deregulating important venues Republicans have been able to 'produce an economy' that catered to Wall Street regardless of its corruption. When realizing the SUSTAINED levels of corruption over decades, what American institution could have survived all these years other than Wall Street due to its Republican buddies?

When I think of Wall Street and their ideologies I never see an institution that 'actually fits' into the lives of Americans so much as imposes itself. Companies that produce products for the American economy CAN exist without Wall Street investors.

Eight years of 'indoctrination' to faux realities and ideologies is a long time. Nearly a decade (half a score of time - score - Lincoln - 20 years) and to some young people that spent their teen years within those parameters, the 'new' reality must seem a bit odd but yet wonderful as they were the folks that came out in large number to change the face of their futures during the elections in 2004, 2006 and 2008.

Barak Obama has dynamics across generational lines that most Americans haven't yet appreciated. He represents 'empowerment' to the young people of this nation that have a sense of 'political rejuvenation' with his election. To me, President Obama is a dream come true. A man that loves us and this country in overt and caring ways that have never been demonstrated to me before. To the younger members of this society, Barak Obama is simply 'the right man' for our times. Their vantage point is that they have never, except in history books and documentaries, experienced the skepticism of the people of the political theater.

The leadership of Obama softens the reality of the harsh presence of Wall Street these days. His stimulus and use of the second half of the Paulson Bank Bailout funds creates a 'fiscal pillow' for the people to fall into. Last night, my son called me. He is getting married in October. She is a wonderful person and I am confident he will be happy all his days. But, he called to say 'they had done everything right' and have placed a down payment on a house they never thought they could ever afford. The house was lost to foreclosure and to him and his soon to be bride, it was an opportunity and a promise to their 'fiscal vigilance.' Even before the wedding, he is making his bride the happiest woman in the world and I only hope everything goes well with the financing. The purchasing of homes on a stagnant market will return its viability. It will be unfortunate if there are glitches to a 'dream come true' when two people committed to 'living their lives in fiscally responsible ways' are then disappointed.

The people that are 'in gratitude' for Obama haven't realized his prowess yet and haven't witnessed the beauty of his 'truth' telling. His policies and fiscal advocacy, transparency is foreign to a nation that had their dead troops hidden from any responsible bonding with a 'nation at war.' The previous administration is nothing short of egregious. Nothing short of it. There sincerely aren't words to express my relief at the election of President Obama. There are sincerely 'shocks' coming to the USA the American people haven't yet witnessed and never thought would be possible of their country. I just hope we are all ready to receive them.

The sincerely 'sad' reality of the circumstances before us, is the return of the Righteous Republican Rhetoric. From the same article of the LA Times:

"House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) took another view. "The era of big government is back, and Democrats are asking you to pay for it," he said."

See, in committing himself to 'complete disclosure' of the 'fiscal state' of the USA, President Obama has been able to allow the Republicans to mount the 'same dead horse' of Reagan and the subsequent election mistakes.

The Republicans are really 'stuck' for anything to say, so they have simply regressed. The honest 'truth' of the situation is that President Obama was 'stuck' with six years of grossly irresponsible Republican spending and debt increases. And now. He is burdened with a failed Republican economy and fiscally defunct USA Treasury. Hello?

This 'fiscal irresponsiblity' and 'big government spending' is NOT of the making of President Obama but the last eight years of George Walker Bush and his Republican collegues in the House and Senate. It's just that it has never been put together in one budget before in complete disclosure. I can understand why.

President Obama has done the MOST responsible thing by completely displaying this 'grotesque' reality of the USA's 'fiscally incapable.' I am proud of him and his determination to give back the nation to us by proceeding with priorities that are important to the people that elected him. The election was a mandate. Should I use that word? It would seem that most Democrats elected into the Presidency in recent history is by mandate. I wonder why?

I am looking one more time to The Moore Film regarding Wall Street. The 'truth' is what President Obama is all about and rescuing this country is his purpose. If anyone can deliver reality as no other it is Michael Moore and oddly enough even after the election of Barak Obama I am still hoping that Moore can contextualize the reality America has been cast into and find a 'reality' that will instill profound change in its political venues that will last from now through the futures of Americans.

"Truth, Justice and the American Way." Hm. I think that was Superman, right? Yep. He never made it to IMAX.

British report findings from investigation regarding extraordinary rendition.

It seems as though December 2008 was an extraordinary month. The British unearth violations of US - British treaties regarding prisoners and the USA military escalate violations of human rights in retaliation of the Election of then President-Elect Barak Obama whom promised to "Close Gitmo." Wow. Strange coincidences. Secretary Gates needs to 'get a handle' on the mission in Gitmo and replace zealous and tainted members of the interrogators. As a matter of fact, there needs to be a moritorium on prisoner interrogations until Gitmo is closed and the methodologies of the soldiers reviewed.


British Defense Secretary John Hutton
...Hutton said that the rendition involving two Pakistani men, who have been in custody at Bagram air base in Afghanistan since 2004, violated a U.S.-British memorandum of understanding specifying that "no person captured with assistance" from British forces "will be removed from the territory of Iraq without prior consultation."
The Pentagon quickly took responsibility for the lapse. "There was a level of formal coordination that should have taken place with respect to a transfer of this nature," spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "Unfortunately, that did not occur in this case. It was an error."...

Secretary Gates needs to change the guard in Gitmo. The bad habits of the USA military sanctioned under Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld are not excuses for attempting to make this President appear worse than the others, in retaliation for orders that close Gitmo. Wow. Who would expect 'temper tantrums' by the USA military. Perhaps the guards that performed the interrogations and water boarding are sincerely worried about their own outcomes.

...LONDON (Reuters) - Abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay has worsened sharply (click here) since President Barack Obama took office as prison guards "get their kicks in" before the camp is closed, according to a lawyer who represents detainees.
Abuses began to pick up in December after Obama was elected, human rights lawyer Ahmed Ghappour told Reuters. He cited beatings, the dislocation of limbs, spraying of pepper spray into closed cells, applying pepper spray to toilet paper and over-forcefeeding detainees who are on hunger strike.
The Pentagon said on Monday that it had received renewed reports of prisoner abuse during a recent review of conditions at Guantanamo, but had concluded that all prisoners were being kept in accordance with the Geneva Conventions....

"Outsourcing Guantanamo" might be a good idea after all. Perhaps the 'sunny' deployment of our military to the island paradise next to Cuba has proven to 'spoil' those that might be concerned regarding their next deployment in this man's military. Can the current military infrastructure be trusted after the tainting of the past? In areas of controversy there needs to be new leadership and change in command structure.

I can hear the 'banter' within the halls of the Pentagon now, "Yeah, he didn't change much around here, did he?" As if to say that what transpired under Bush/Cheney was the only methodologies that 'could' exist. I believe President Obama is acting prudently and cautiously to negate 'opportunity' for threats to national security, but, the military brats that have enjoyed 'immunity' from critics and a great deal of hubris with Rummy aren't taking well to the changes in priorities from their 'free for all' at the 'nod' of Dick Cheney and others.

I almost feel as though their 'self-righteous' actions are a demonstration of how they hate Americans for the change in DC. A little worrisome.

EU warns US over 'new Guantanamo' (click here)
BRUSSELS: The US must not allow its Bagram military base in Afghanistan to become a new Guantanamo Bay if it wants European Union help to close the prison on Cuba, a confidential EU policy document says.
President Barack Obama ordered the closure of Guantanamo Bay, where about 245 people are held. But Obama has yet to decide what to do about the Bagram, where more than 600 prisoners are held, or whether to continue work on a $60 million prison complex there.
EU nations, meanwhile, told the US they had a long list of legal and security questions before they could make any final decision on taking in Bay detainees.
Czech Interior Minister Ivan Langer said EU legal experts should get access to all files on the approximately 60 detainees who need to be accepted by a third country. Spain and Portugal have already said they could accept prisoners, while Germany, France and others remain tightlipped whether they will accept non-nationals.

I don't know. Elevated suicide rates. Now this. The military 'culture' needs to be rethought. It is correct to change a military institution slowly, but, these trends are more than disturbing. There are issues and plenty of them.

Perhaps they've been scrutinized too intensely for too long and surviving all that with a lot of pressure to maintain appearances might have resulted in a feeling of violation to loyal service with the announcement of the base's closing.

The 'fashioned use' of the base at Gitmo is and was 'W'rong. In actuality, it was a form of cowardise to believe that captured and detained human beings could ever pose such a threat to the USA again that they needed their own military instillation. The premise was completely "W"rong. Then the instillation became a media nightmare and a focus of propaganda. In the 'imagination' of Americans, the 'gift' of Gitmo by Bush was proof of the 'War on Terror.' The War on Terror is a myth and propaganda stunt and Gitmo was its validation otherwise.

These issues from the previous administration aren't going to disappear quickly. The military involved are going to have issues regarding the change in purpose at the U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo. Perhaps the Naval Station will actually find it refreshing to be the southern point of USA defense in the waters of the Gulf and Caribbean again. In many ways a return of the primary purpose is paramount to re-establishing vigilance with the 'border' nations that see the USA as a looming threat. Guantanamo needs to return to being the 'vantage' point for USA Naval Defense other than testing submarine sonar. It has always served the nation well, even before it was exploited for its location following September 11th.

New Era of Responsibility - Click to read Salon from January 20th - Inauguration Day

New Era of Responsibility is a 'theme' for this President and his Administration. Why is that important? Because it is a set of words that they can be held responsible to.

So far, they are proving to be important words for the President's Administration.

Above is a graph worthy to note. The reason I focus on the graph is because it clearly illustrates how the 2010 Budget is drowning in past sins before President Obama ever got a chance to adjust it for a recovery. While Republicans and Wall Streeters alike are calling for massive changes to the 2010 Budget, answer me one question. Only one question.

The one question is: "How is President Obama going to maintain all these legislated commitments AND recover the country at the same time?" It is only one question. Answer?

First 100 Days: Speech to Congress (click here)

By Steve Highsmith
NBCPhiladelphia.com
updated 7 minutes ago
...2. The President jumped his start. The protocol for such addresses is that the President is announced. He enters the chamber to applause and cheers. He takes the podium. The Speaker of the House gavels the chamber to silence and formally introduces the President. More cheering and then the President begins. In this case, the President started to talk before the 2nd introduction. (That is our Barak. The man doesn't stand on ceremony.) I think he realized this and made a joke about it to Pelosi and Biden....

The USA never had a problem with oppression under Bush/Cheney. We were always a nation with open access to information. Right.

President Obama is demonstrating 'Methods of Democracy' that work to bring 'the will of the people' to bear. The American people now have a relationship with the returning dead as well as their families. It comes full circle.

Michael Moore ! They may not need your stage anymore !


The video at CNN of Secretary Gates making the announcement that there is now a 'Working Group' to tackle the issue of how best does the nation serve military families. It is now up to the families to decide regarding media coverage of the transfer of bodies of their loved ones. It is a proud moment for Secretary Gates and a great moment for our country. I thank him. This is the kind of 'military coverage' the USA should receive, not just glorified soldier stories to justify 'W'rongful recruitment.

Official: Pentagon allows coverage of war coffins (click title to entry - thank you)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon will lift its ban on media coverage of the flag-draped coffins of war victims arriving at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday.
But the families of the victims will have the final say on whether to allow the coverage, he said.
President Obama asked Gates to review the policy, and Gates said he decided after consulting with the armed services and groups representing military families to apply the same policy that is used at Arlington National Cemetery.
"I have decided that the decision regarding media coverage of the dignified transfer process at Dover should be made by those most directly affected -- the families," he said at a news conference....

US to reassess all weapons programs: Gates (click here)
50 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the United States was going "to reassess all weapon programs" as the new administration signaled its hopes of making budget savings.
Gates said that his department was carrying out a detailed review of the proposed defense budget for fiscal 2010 that would include a close look at weapons projects plagued by problems....

Censorship on Public University Campus - This is a violation of an artist's First Amendement Rights

UNCW's Chancellor, Rosemary DePaolo, her Provost and the Board of Trustees should be marshalled into a court of law based on the oppression of the First Amendment Rights Violation of an artist.

The Century Project has been around for a long time and most of the pictures featuring ages zero (the crowning head of a Baby Girl being born) up to the age of eighteen are now women of majority age.

The display is an artists rendition of women that have consented voluntarily to the project to celebrate women's beauty through the ages. I find the oppression by Ms. DePaolo egregious and she should be held responsible for her POLITICAL agenda for the UNCW Campus.

Perhaps the USA should sue the world to ban all nudity including "Micheangelo's David" or "Da Vinci's Madonna and Child." I mean what's next?

Administration bans part of The Century Project exhibit at UNCW (click here)
Jennie Klahre: News Editor

Issue date: 2/26/09

UNCW administration recently banned specific nude pictures of women under the age of 18 from The Century Project photo exhibit that will be displayed in the Warwick Ballroom March 2-6.

According to a news release that was sent out Feb. 24, "The ban was declared after receipt of a complaint from Oklahoma. It claimed that The Century Project is pornographic and harms women. It was sent to colleges where the project is to appear, telling them to reject it."

John Foubert, Associate Professor at Oklahoma State University, issued these six letters to colleges hosting the exhibit, imploring them to reconsider.

Marketing and Communications spokesperson Cindy Lawson issued a statement on behalf of the university that reads, "Because the exhibit does include women and girls of all ages, we wanted to be sensitive to concerns raised about nude photos of young people under the age of consent. Due to these concerns, the university requested that Century Project photographer Frank Cordelle remove any photos of minors from the exhibit when it runs at UNCW; he has agreed."

Disappointed by this news, Cordelle regrets UNCW's decision of cutting 18% of his photographs.

"If it weren't for the fact that it happened at the last minute, I would have pulled the entire exhibit," Cordelle said. "It's a real violation of the first amendment and to academic freedom."...

GM needs to receive more from the remaining $300 billion Paulson Bank Bailout !

This is a RECOVERING economy, not a FLASH IN THE PAN dumping of monies to 'make an economy' seem like it is viable. The Bush Economy when in Republican Majority was NEVER a viable economy, every bill was a spending bill to support jobs and crony projects. In 2006, Bush was carrying 'clout' for two more years and look what occurred. He should have never been returned to office in 2004. Never.

There is no miracle here, but, GM is willing to trim down and support the automotive needs of the American people. We can't walk away from that. They were loyal to this country when the wars called them into service as well, we may or our children may in the future need them again.

It'll come around. It is NOT a miracle and no one is promising it will be one, but, the promise is that there will be recovery. There will be, we have to reclaim our country and do it the right way. The right way is the progession to an economy that will SUSTAIN the needs of the American Consumer and the American Consumer's Conscience.

I trust Barak. I trust his methods. I love his transparency. It will happen. Confidence has to return and it takes time.

GM posts huge $9.6 billion fourth quarter loss (click title to entry - thank you)

Thursday, 26 February 2009 12:46
General Motors has posted a whopping $9.6 billion loss in the fourth quarter which pushed its 2008 loss to $30.9 billion.
GM said the results reflected the global economic crisis and industry-wide collapse in vehicle demand, and warned that 2009 will also be a 'challenging' year.
'2008 was an extremely difficult year for the US and global auto markets, especially the second half,' GM's Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said.
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'These conditions created a very challenging environment for GM and other car makers, and led us to take further aggressive and difficult measures to restructure our business,' he said.
'We expect these challenging conditions will continue through 2009, and so we are accelerating our restructuring actions,' he added.
General Motors says that its fourth quarter revenues dropped to $30.8 billion from $46.8 billion in 2007.
The 2008 results were still an improvement on those for 2007, however, when GM posted a $43.3 billion loss as annual revenues fell to $149 billion from $180 billion in 2007.

"The Chicago Sun Times" is reporting that Senator Burris' Son is a 'Tax Deadbeat.' How many Americans fall into that category now?

This paragraph is exactly my point about this entire mess in Illinois. The events 'outlined' in the article by the Chicago Sun Times illustrates NOTHING.

Political appointments occur everyday. Just because President Obama wants to bring Republicans into his administration to continue to secure the nation and add an aire of bipartisanship; doesn't mean any other Democrat feels the same way ! 'Keeping it in the Family' is NOT an unusal occurence in politics.

The 'events' of obtaining a job and losing a house to foreclosure and having a tax lien on that house has nothing to do with each other, if anything it all makes sense. If you had a tax lien on your home and was facing foreclosure, what would you do? I would look for a job and I wouldn't be telling my new employer that I was facing financial hard times, either.

continued...

...Blagojevich's administration hired Roland W. Burris II as a senior counsel for the state's housing authority Sept. 10 -- about six weeks after the Internal Revenue Service slapped a $34,163 tax lien on Burris II and three weeks after a mortgage company filed a foreclosure suit on his South Side house....



BURRIS' SON GOT STATE JOB FROM BLAGO (click title to entry - thank you)
SCANDAL MUSHROOMS
He serves as housing authority counsel despite facing foreclosure on his own home

...A spokeswoman for the Illinois Housing Development Authority indicated Wednesday there was nothing improper about Burris II's employment by the agency, whose mission includes overseeing mortgage programs for low-income home buyers and anti-foreclosure initiatives....

Democrats aren't 'the wealthy Americans.' This comes from a 2006 speech by Representative Jim McDermott (click here).

...Republicans in the White House and the Congress have wielded their political power like a club on America's low income and America's middle class. The single largest increase came in Medicaid, which added 15 million Americans on the President's watch from 2000-2005. Medicaid is the health care program for the poor. It speaks volumes about how the Republican Party has treated low and middle income Americans during this administration.

All but the wealthiest Americans have been left behind by the Republican Party and the Republican budget. This is a party of the 1 percent. The Republican Party deals with what is good for the 1 percent at the top, not what is good for everybody else....

Question One, "What will occur when Americans are put back to work?"

Answer :: When they go back to work they won't be on government subsidy programs anymore.

Next question: "What occurs when Americans aren't receiving subsidy programs anymore?"

Answer :: The budget to the USA shrinks 'EXPONENTIALLY.'

Next question: "What occurs when the Federal Budget shrinks exponentially?"

Answer :: The bills get paid, the deficit comes down and more monies are available to create jobs and return our economy back to a status of functioning and the 'cash flow' from enhanced consumer spending CREATES its own jobs both domestically and internationally.

Next question: "Any more questions?"

Answer :: NO !

Burris delivers speech, presides over Senate (click here)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Roland Burris is back at work, a day after being urged to resign.
Burris gave a two-minute speech from the Senate floor on Wednesday in support of a voting rights bill, then presided over the Senate for an hour, a tradition for freshmen lawmakers.
Burris also announced his chief of staff and a communications director.
A day earlier, Burris' Illinois colleague, Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin, told Burris he should resign due to questions about how he won appointment to the seat vacated by President Barack Obama.
Burris was appointed by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was impeached and driven from office amid allegations that he tried to sell the Senate seat.
(This version CORRECTS that Burris presided over the Senate on Wednesday, not Tuesday.)

This is nothing more than a media circus and the Illinois Republicans and RNC are hoping to ride it to victory in 2004 or any other election in between. The Democrats that are 'going along' with this mess feel pressure from constituents to do so because of the 'unpopularity' of the Former Governor. There are no charges filed 'additionally' from the Fitzgerald Camp even weeks after the 'leg up' from Bush's Homeland Security and the COMPLAINT still has yet to make it to a Grand Jury. With this new disclosure about Burris' Son, it makes more and more sense that Senator Burris was the choice of the Former Governor. They obviously trusted each other enough to 'close ranks' around each other. Senator Roland Burris had enough 'Political Capital' to survive the day during very rough times with the Illinois legislature 'on the hunt.' The people of Illinois and the people of the USA, knowing that he is a strong supporter of President Obama, are lucky to have him in the Senate.

In DC, with the Obama Administration, we are witnessing 'first hand' the viciousness of the press and the RNC in regard to political appointments. I do believe at this point the Obama Administration is still missing two cabinet officers. I don't want to hear how people are appointed or hired into political positions to support an elected official. It happens all the time and there are strong reasons why that happens. The arrogance of Judd Gregg when refusing the Cabinet Post of Commerce Secretary spoke EONS as to why political appointments occur and why the current Republicans in the Seante DO NOT get along with the new administration. It isn't for the lack of 'trying' by the Obama Administration.

...“We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy (click here),” Gregg said in a statement citing “irresolvable conflicts.”
At issue for Gregg was a plan announced by the White House last week to strip the 2010 census from the commerce secretary’s control and have the U.S. Census Bureau report directly to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs noted in a statement that Gregg approached Obama about the commerce position and “offered his name.”
“He was very clear throughout the interviewing process that despite past disagreements about policies, he would support, embrace and move forward with the president’s agenda,” Gibbs said. “We regret that he has had a change of heart.”...

The Summit referred to in the article below concluded on Monday. At that Summit 'round table' that was viewed by the press and hence the American people; John McCain spoke in support of the Obama Initiatives and in turn Barak made a special note that Senator McCain was a 'special' voice to the conclusion of the meetings. The Republicans need to 'get over themselves.' Try talking to Governor Crist, he is a 'believer' and welcomes the 'stimulus' to his state with open arms. Governor Crist was also a once 'hopeful' for candidate in 2008 for President.

Despite about-face, Gregg gets White House invite (click here)
Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor

February 18, 2009 12:53 PM

..."I've been asked by the President, along with a number of other Members of Congress, to join him next Monday," Gregg said in a statement. "My goal for the summit will be to address the long-term fiscal tsunami that is headed our way as a result of the cost of making payments to the Baby Boom Generation through health and retirement entitlement programs."...

Meanwhile, in Minnesota the trial for Senator is delaying the 'win' of Al Franken.

We all wish Laurie Coleman the best of luck in promoting her career choice.


Senator's Wife Reveals Almost All! (click here)
By Richard LeibyThursday, August 26, 2004; Page C03
Senator's Wife Reveals Almost All! Eager to promote her career as a Hollywood actress, Laurie Coleman, wife of Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, has authorized our exclusive publication of photos that show her in glamorous, provocative poses -- just in time for next week's Republican National Convention, where her husband, coincidentally, is among the operatives striving to add sizzle and star power to President Bush's coronation....

Key Coleman witness tossed from Minn. Senate trial (click title to entry - thank you)
By BRIAN BAKST – 12 hours ago
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — An argument that Republican Norm Coleman hoped would draw him closer to Democrat Al Franken suffered a hard blow Wednesday in the Minnesota Senate trial when the judges threw out the testimony of the only witness to claim seeing errors that may have given some people two votes.
The testimony of Minneapolis election judge Pamela Howell was thrown out because she had supplied materials to Coleman's legal team that weren't given to Franken's lawyers. The judges deemed that a violation of civil trial procedures....

The Republicans have no ideas, they only have failed policies and old rhetoric.

The lowly defender to the Republican Political Rant is Rush Limbaugh and Republican Talk Radio. Oh. That saids it all, doesn't it?

There are limited venues for returning the USA economy. The Democrats have all the in-roads to revitalizing the USA and they always have. Infrastructure changes to energy sources, transporation, health care, medical research and INVENTION. Republicans do NOT embrace new ideas, their venue is to satisfy cronies with more money for the businesses that buoy the RNC platform and elect RNC members.

The RNC has no way of recovering their party. It's over. This is more proof than any other so far. This is their new voice? Then its a familiar voice with a different face, that's all. Get over it, the Bush White House raided the USA Treasury to survive the Democratic Majority. Obama has a little more than $300 billion of Paulson's 'Bank Bailout' to redistribute to AIG and the others, I suggest he do that and do it well.


Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana in his address Tuesday.

...But the speech raised questions.
“This was the moment for him to seize the mantle with new ideas, new direction, and lay the groundwork for himself as a creative new thinker,” said Thomas Schaller, a political scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “He just used old platitudes and party clichés.”
Laura Ingraham, the talk radio host; David Brooks, the New York Times columnist; and Juan Williams of Fox News were among Mr. Jindal’s unimpressed reviewers in television commentary, while Rush Limbaugh defended the governor on his radio show. Several commentators noted that response speeches, in which a designated member of the opposition party delivers a short, canned speech with no live audience, have often been a recipe for failure.
“He went in there with high expectations, probably too high for any politician,” said David Johnson, a Republican political strategist. “Republicans are looking for a voice to lead them out of the wilderness.”
Still, Mr. Johnson said, “it was a flop.”...

The Purple Five Dollar Bill is still stronger than its competition.

When the stock markets are down, the dollar has been up. It is a strong alternative to other currencies.

The Japanese Market had a good day on Tuesday, I believe.

The problem with the EURO is more that just the usual concerns for all the markets these days, it doesn't have a strong 'history' and that is the unfortunate part. The EURO was developed for the European Union which is still in its early years although the governments comprising the EU are long lived. The problem is the countries within the EU have inherent problems and while they are buoyed through all this with the expertise of better established countries in Europe they will add to apprehension regarding investors. The EURO will regain its value when the markets start to pick up.

Consumer spending across the globe will increase when the stimulus monies are circulating as Americans purchase over 'the net' frequently to keep costs down and for the first time in a long time, it might be Americans that are seeking bargains in Europe with exchange rates better.



CURRENCIES
Dollar gains as U.S. stocks slip (click title to entry - thank you)
By Lisa Twaronite, Deborah Levine & William L. Watts, MarketWatch
Last update: 5:16 p.m. EST Feb. 25, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The U.S. dollar pushed higher against most major rivals Wednesday as downbeat economic data and more weakness on Wall Street increased safe-haven flows to the greenback.
Dismal global data also weighed on the euro, Japanese yen and British pound....

...The dollar's rise was "confirming to us that despite the waves of optimism that show up in intermittent equity market rallies, there is still a strong sense of fear of the unknown apparent. That's showing up in growing demand for the dollar," said Andrew Wilkinson, senior market analyst at Interactive Brokers Group in Greenwich, Conn....

..."The downgrade reflects a deeper problem in the euro zone," said strategists at brown Brothers Harriman. "Greece is suffering from an inability to compete not just in the euro zone but also outside the euro zone."
The U.K. Office for National Statistics confirmed an earlier estimate pegging the quarterly decline in British GDP over the final three months of 2008 at 1.5% -- the steepest fall since 1980. The third quarter was downwardly revised to show a 0.7% contraction following an earlier estimate of a 0.6% fall.
The data showed a 0.7% quarterly fall in real consumer spending and a 2.3% fall in investment.

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.