Happy Halloween

Witch School on move (click title to entry - thank you)
Leaving Rossville for Salem, Mass.
By Manya A. Brachear Tribune reporter
October 31, 2009
...Their prayers will be answered Halloween weekend when the handful of teachers and staff from the school pull up stakes and move where they feel more welcome: Salem, Mass., the site of the infamous witchcraft trials more than three centuries ago....

Getting real about Human Induced Global Warming. For 1911 history click title to entry - thank you.

It was a time of discovery and greatness. The human spirit was invulnerable.

The First World War would start three years later with the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (click here).

January 1 - Belgian Mining law introduces 9 -hour work day
January 5 - Portuguese expel Jesuits
January 10 - 1st photo in U.S. taken from an airplane, San Diego
January 18 - 1st shipboard landing of a plane (Tanforan Park to USS Pennsylvania)
February 6 - 1st old-age home opened in Prescott, Arizona
March 7 - U.S. sent 20,000 troops to Mexican border
March 18 - North Dakota enacts a hail insurance law
April 30 - Portugal approves woman suffrage
May 15 - Supreme Court dissolves Standard Oil with the Sherman Antitrust Act
May 23 - New York Public Library building at 5th Avenue dedicated by President Taft
June 1 - 1st U.S. group insurance policy written, Passaic, New Jersey
June 20 - NAACP incorporates in New York
July 4 - 105 degrees F (41 degrees C) at Vernon, Vermont (state record)

The Climate was healthy. When it was hot, it was hot and when it was cold, it was very cold. I remember when I lived in Pennsylvania as a kid, the farmers would always say, I hope the freeze goes deep this winter, there won't be so many pests come this spring. By deep they meant at least three feet of frozen ground. It takes lots and lots of cold to freeze ground that deep.

July 4 - 106 degrees F (41 degrees C) at Nashua, New Hampshire (state record)
September 19 - Red Tuesday-20,000 protest for universal rights
September 20 - Yankees set team record 12 errors in a double header
October 6 - Beatrix van Rijk becomes 1st licensed Dutch woman pilot
October 20 - Roald Amundsen sets out on race to South Pole (Antarctica Admundsen Base is named for him.)
October 24 - Robert Scott's expedition leaves Cape Evans for South Pole
November 4 - France and Germany signs treaty about Morocco and Congo
November 18 - Britain's 1st seaplane flies
December 31 - Marie Curie receives her 2nd Nobel Prize


Niagra Falls 1911


Niagra Falls 1911. Amazing. Completely unafraid and engaging nature without a second thought.


Niagra Falls 1911. Sledding. Fun. Bring the neighbors.


Niagra Falls 1911, people were 'unafraid,' not brave, huge difference.


Niagra Falls today in the dead of Winter. Freezing just doesn't happen anymore.


Niagra Falls 1911

You want to talk politics? The Elections of 2010. What does the GOP have to offer, more of the same?

The Histrionic Sarah Palin is all over the place, filling her personal coffers while wavering on party loyality and seeking to 'influence' the vote into some kind of Conservative ideology.

We don't need to vote for ideology, we need to vote to support a President intent on solving the problems of the USA. Basically, Palin has become a 'free lancing lobbyist' for anyone that wants to pay for her attraction by the Right Wing.

　

Solving problems is nothing the Republicans know how to do. They create problems. For eight years we watched them at their worse and the only reason for keeping Bush/Cheney in office was because 'The Swift Boaters' played 'head games' with the American electorate.

The Republicans did not solve one problem this country had.

　

They ran up the deficit with the excuse 'We are at War' as their permission to FUND an economy. For a nation at war with escalating deficits with $87 Billlion in cold hard cash flown to Iraq on a C-10, they exploited the coffers chronically funding "Six Flags Over Lincoln." Yet when it came to providing programs for the poor there just wasn't any room in the budget.

　

The Republicans state, "There were seven years of economic growth." Sure there was and then all of a sudden everything imploded.

　

Sorry, folks, but when an economy doesn't sustain itself wasn't an economy in the first place.

They are the party of 'smoke and mirrors,' they are untrustworthy and if they are elected to office in 2010, it will be a return to recidivism by citizens that still believe they can recover an economy destroyed by the same party. It is ludicrous to realize people that practice policies that exploit and believe deficits can actually recover the USA. I suppose the 'Wealth Fare of 2008' was good for the country.

　
The Democrats 'balance' their legislation when it comes to funding it, something that is completely foreign to Republicans. They never live up to their promises. They simply manipulate facts during elections to create their own realities afterward while Americans squirm in their chairs and watch their expectations 'trashed' by Republican ideology and 'counter-intuition.'

Openness is returned to Dover, there is no reason to question the Press's presence there now.

There are at least three separate news photographers involved in this picture display by "The Guardian." I guess they wanted to be there, huh?

I also believe it is a good experience for the leaders of our nation to experience the return of the dead to our country. It keeps it real.

I get the feeling as through President Obama didn't want to leave Sgt. Griffin. He made an impression on his President, in his selfless act as an American man prepared to die for his country. I think it is important President Obama respect that and I think it is important that the nation witnessed this moment.

Barack Obama meets coffins of fallen soldiers (9 pictures) (click here)

Obama and the official party step on the back of an air force C-17 military transport planePhotograph: Jim Young/Reuters


Obama is the last of the official party to walk off of the military transport planePhotograph: Susan Walsh/AP


Obama salutes with other dignitaries including the attorney general Eric HolderPhotograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

This is the picture Liz Cheney wants to oppress and states it is a 'Photo Op.' Typical of Republicans and how they think. The fallen soldier was NOT an object to his commanders, he was named and respected.



Obama salutes as a team carries the remains of Sgt Griffin.
Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP

Oh, what is that? It is Pakistan's plutonium production reactor at Khushab.

In asking Pakistan, India and North Korea to 'stand down' from their illegal status as a nuclear nation, one must promote other 'opportunities' for the production of power. Hence, Secretary Clinton was in Pakistan to introduce the USA effort to bring 'clean alternative energy' to Pakistan which will create jobs and better opportunity for their National Security. If one is NOT a nuclear nation, there will be less chance it will ever be a threat to others.

What is going on? Another training mission down? San Clemente is a training facility.

WARNING: To Right Wing Extremists. This is NOT an advertisement for military spending. This is a Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense and President trying to reverse the trend in the aggressive nature of the USA under Bush/Cheney to 'bring about' PEACEFUL stability in most areas of the world where we are engaged, especially where we are putting troops in harms way.
CAUTION: Do not make more of this than it is. The USA under the Obama Administration is seeking to make the military efficient and less costly, not bolstering the Military Industrial Complex at every turn. So don't even go there! The country isn't interested.

NO MORE 'THE TAIL' WAGGING 'THE DOG.' Absolutely not!

What is the issue? The real issue. Training missions don't go wrong at opposite ends of the world without some explanation. There must be a lot of pressure somewhere they are reacting to, otherwise, this wouldn't occur.

Now, Marines are usually the first military unit 'in' to a battle area. So, like what is this all about?

This isn't the first time an AH-1W Super Cobra went down during a training incident. It occurred in 2008 as well. So, is this coincidence or is there some profound problem with the way training episodes are conducted? No scapegoating, real facts please, lives are being lost.

Probe Continues into Military Helicopter Crash; Pilots Identified
Contributor: Elex Michaelson
Email: elex.michaelson@sandiego6.com
Contributor: Antonio Castelan
Last Update: 5/08 6:23 am
...Capt. Jessica Conkling, 27, of Centre, Pa., and 1st Lt. Aaron Cox, 26, of Pulaski, Ark., (click here) were killed when the AH-1W Super Cobra they were flying went down for unknown reasons near Interstate 8 in the Boulder Oaks area of Cleveland National Forest late Tuesday night.
The aviators, who were assigned to Miramar-based Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 166, were on a training mission when the aircraft plunged to the ground in the hilly locale southeast of Pine Valley about 11:55 p.m., sparking a small brush fire.
The possible presence of live ordnance at the crash site -- the aircraft reportedly had been carrying rockets -- kept firefighters from getting close to the smoldering burn zone. ...


AH-1W Super Cobra

Military aircraft in collision off coast (click title to entry - thank you)
9 are missing near San Clemente Island
By Steve Schmidt
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. October 30, 2009
A Coast Guard transport plane and a Camp Pendleton helicopter collided last night about 15 miles east of San Clemente Island, federal aviation and military officials said.
Seven people were believed to be aboard a Coast Guard C-130, and two were in the AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter, authorities said.
Coast Guard and Navy officials launched a search and had begun to spot debris late last night, the Coast Guard said.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the crash was reported at 7:10 p.m.
Authorities said the cause was not immediately known.
The Cobra helicopter belonged to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is based at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, said Marine spokesman Maj. Jay Delarosa.
The helicopter was stationed at Camp Pendleton, Delarosa said. He didn't know when or from where the Cobra left for its training mission.
The crash site is roughly 50 miles west of San Diego, said Petty Officer Henry Dunphy, a Coast Guard spokesman. San Clemente Island is owned by the Navy and used by the Marines for various exercises, including training for deployment....

One doesn't usually think of a C-130 Hercules as a plane able to take care of itself. It is used for transport.

The October Surprise

Ahmed Wali Karzai - Resume includes President's Brother (Jimmy Carter had one of those), CIA agent (Not to be confused with DEA agent.) and Opium Trade Merchant. Interesting. More than interesting.

My first reaction is, "Did Moscow know?" I can't believe Prime Minister Putin didn't know about this one. My second reaction is, "Did Hillary Clinton find out in time to react in Pakistan?" I don't think she got 'the word' yet.

You know, if Moscow knew about this guy,...,why then would they keep it a secret?

Then again? I do believe Prime Minister Putin probably let George W. Bush in on it when they went fishing. You know, as a courtsey to say, "Karzai's brother is killing your soldiers. Indirectly. He is assisting with the funding for al Qaeda. But, then you might already know that, huh?"

I mean after all, Moscow left Afghanistan when Iraq was invaded. Oddly interesting. When did Bush/Cheney know?

All 'interesting questions aside,' this is more than serious and I don't know if I really consent to the CIA funding an Opium Merchant. I mean what was his role in this, to find the best and safest trade routes that the Press couldn't figure out?

It was no surprise that Afghanistan was loaded with opium. The United Nations knows that and maybe the CIA should have read their report. The man needs to be arrested, at least for his own protection, unless of course the Taliban is counting on Karzai actually winning the election and his brother continuing in his capacity as 'back stabber' to Americans and NATO, along with other 'Coalition Partners.'

This is a game changer and probably the most profoundly involved in this is General McCrystal. I sincerely feel bad for him at this point. He has a lot at risk with soldiers in the field and a nation counting on an honest assessment of the battlefield and his potential to win the war and secure the region. He has made his assessment based upon a country that actually would cooperate with initiatives to secure Afghanistan AWAY from oppression and violence.

I believe the Karzai government has a lot to answer for if indeed they knew up front this was all transpiring. I also believe for 'the good' of Afghanistan he should consider stepping down as a candidate for the November election.

The really horrible reality is that he might not have had any choice in allowing all this mess to exist considering 'war,' whether it be in Iraq or Afghanistan was a political issue and not a national security issue for Bush's America. After all, Iraq's invasion had no purpose, except, to get Cheney out of indebtedness to Halliburton.

But this is a reality the USA cannot consent to on any front. One reassurance that General McCrystal has at this moment is that he is given a fresh start. I hope he can realize why the President, as Commander and Chief, has had his reservations about increasing troop numbers. There is nothing like the government infrastructure of the country one is trying to stabilize actually sabotaging that effort.

The 'reality' of the dynamics of Afghanistan and Pakistan are coming remarkably clear. It is no different than Rumsfeld not having an exit strategy for the USA in Iraq, not having a 'security strategy' post invasion and turning the military loose to run Iraq prisons without sincere guidance while they struggled to reach interrogation standards in Iraq that reflected those that were occurring in Gitmo.

THE NEGLIGENCE of the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld Cabal of the National Security of the USA by turning their backs on the profound problems that beset Afghanistan to run an oil war in Iraq is incredible. They had no intention of securing the region, yet alone Afghanistan. It was all too easy to leave the 'real war' following September 11, 2001 and allow complete anarchy while 'intelligence' was made available as to the 'real activity' within the Karzai government and its economy. It was all to easy for Rumsfeld to state, 'I don't think we will ever get control of the opium issue in Afghanistan.'

Well.

I guess not.

The 'status' of the Afghanistan initiative has ONE reality and that is Pakistan is doing a remarkable job in cleaning up its countryside. It is doing it with the support of the people. Can we secure Pakistan without security Afghanistan? The UN report was fairly clear that Afghanistan cannot be allowed to continue to have an illicit economy of opium trade. I do believe the Global Community would state the same and seek to modify their interactions with Afghanistan to bring a reasonable economy there.

The one fact cannot be abandoned and while al Qaeda has 'morphed' to other regions of the world the idea that 'this region' of the world can be abandoned and forgotten in hopes nothing will ever come of it again is somewhat naive. However, to believe the USA and NATO is capable of entering into a long and protracted war with the Taliban or otherwise, is to realize how exploitive this war has been of that TRUST relationship that is based in 'hopes' of achieving a stable state for the Afghan, Pakistan and Global Nations. I don't see NATO being committed WITHOUT strong modification in the devotion of the Afghan government to PROFOUND change.

It is becoming remarkably clear why Europe and Asia are finding solice in the election of President Obama. The Global Community might actually have a partner is achieving peace and stability.

...The information (click title to entry - thank you), published in the New York Times, first stated that the president's brother was, in effect, the southern sector's political boss, running the election, communicating with the Taliban for the U.S. government, informing the U.S. government of possible attacks, and overseeing several bridges vital to opium traffickers.

The U.N.'s report on the drug trade in Afghanistan, "Afghan Opium Survey 2009," released in Kabul by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) last month, said the drug lords and the government in Afghanistan had a "marriage of convenience," that the traffickers had built a stand-alone empire similar to South America's Colombian cartels, and that both the Taliban and the Afghan government extracted tariffs on their trade....

That report didn't happen and the information gathering didn't take place since February 2009. The organization of this crime network was happening in Afghanistan while NATO and the USA were losing troops and it was covered up. Plain. And. Simple. Karzai should have been networking with authorities elsewhere to rid the country of this level of corruption. There is no excuse for this. None. I find it hard to believe President Karzai, with NATO within reach could not find his way out of this. I guess it is too difficult to arrest a Brother when that Brother 'appears' to be doing good deeds for the USA.

At this point, Secretary Clinton has her work cut out for her while she is promoting good will and rebuilding Pakistan's economy with initiatives in energy infrastructure that would bring relief to the Pakistan people in a profound way. It may be difficult at this late date for the people (the electorate) of Afghanistan to react in time for the elections on November 7th. I hope President Karzai takes all that into consideration and acts in the best way possible for an extraordinarily good outcome for the people of Afghanistan. If indeed he was a besieged President and felt no recourse to his plight then he needs to act now to relieve the people of their burden to decide. Unless. He intends to maintain Afghanistan as a rouge state.

It is up to the President to get the Health Care Reform the nation needs.

There needs to caution with the current bills of the House and Senate. They aren't strong enough to protect Americans from exploitation. He can't just stand by and be a cheerleader although I am confident he was relieved the House finally combined the three House bills into one. That is a good step, however, there needs to be careful consideration by President Obama about accepting the Bill as the best the House can deliver.

I really think President Obama is the only one that sincerely cares to actually deliver legislation that will work for Americans. We'll have to trust his justment to bring home a bill that is effective for Americans. He need not rely on his Treasury Secretary to review it either. He hasn't delivered the USA from the ravages of Wall Street yet so why believe he is WILLING to do anything productive with health care.

...THE HOUSE BILL (click title to entry - thank you)
Who's covered: About 96 percent of residents under age 65 -- compared with 81 percent now. A large portion of the remaining uninsured would be illegal immigrants.
Cost: $894 billion over 10 years, Democrats say, which is under President Obama's $900 billion goal. That mostly covers the costs of expanding insurance coverage and leaves out certain changes to Medicare and other programs that push the price tag above $1 trillion.
How it's paid for: $460 billion over the next decade from new income taxes on single people making more than $500,000 a year and couples making $1 million. There's also about $500 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, a new $20 billion fee on medical device makers, $13 billion from limiting contributions to flexible spending accounts, sizable penalties paid by individuals and employers who don't obtain coverage and a mix of other corporate taxes and fees.
Requirements for individuals: Individuals must have insurance, enforced through a tax penalty of 2.5 percent of income. People can apply for hardship waivers if coverage is unaffordable....

The SOLE issue of requiring every American to have health insurance with a very stiff penalty of 2.5% if they don't; opens them up to exploitation by Private Health Insurance Companies. There is no doubt about it. Companies will be required to cover all those that ask for coverage and they will use that as an excuse to raise their premiums. They will have corporate strategies to do that and it will be exploitive.

Morally.

There should NOT be anyone making profits for insuring the well being of Americans. Americans and their health are not a commodity. The people of this nation and their RIGHT to wellness is not a commodity to be toyed with in some Board Room of wealth merchants. There cannot be exploitation of the people of this country anymore. I profoundly believe when the 'pool' of insured becomes larger and all Americans receive health coverage the premiums from any source should come down.

There is no reason to believe otherwise.

If our medical infrastructure cannot deliver a healthy nation with everyone insured that actually brings down the demands for medical treatment while stopping increases in chronic conditions such as childhood diabetes that leads to huge problems with costs, then there is something very awry with the USA and its ability to link human need with profitable corporations. Basically, I see this 'melding' of government interest with the private health care industry as THEIR last chance to 'get it right.'

If it can't be done, then it can't be done and the government will have to realize that and move beyond the pressure by Wall Street to keep the USA out of their Board Rooms when it comes to the well being of its citizens. I hate to say this, but, if legislators in the USA can't adequately address the right of every citizen to have health care that actually is reasonable and effective, then sooner or later someone has to call it a human rights violation that gives way to profit taking over human well being.

I do not believe in 'negotiations' with physicians, nurses, health care workers, hospitals or health care institutions. The 'best idea' of any legislation is to 'contain costs' and harness the ability of this industry to run inflation out of control. Health care is a 'soft target' for greed. Just that simple. If the USA allows providers, such as health care system CEOs, to DICTATE health care costs, there will an unending inflation rate that will stifle economic growth.

Let me make it clear that I see the 'market share' of our GDP in regard to providing health care when it comes to the USA economy as a repulsive idea. There is no way health care of Americans should be seen as a portion of our economy for exploitation for increased tax base either by running up revenues to companies. There cannot be a 'feedback' loop that exploits Americans health care that also aids the income of companies and government. Absolutely not. That will inhibit the growth of the USA economy. Health care will contribute to the USA economy in the way of wages to health care workers and taxes from health care corporations, but, not to be viewed as an entity to economic growth. The cost of health care has to be contained and that means putting a cap on the amounts anyone can charge. It will be a healthy move for the country.

The so called 'cuts' to those receiving Medicare isn't about cutting services or reducing the quality of care, it is about REMOVING exploitive programs such as Medicare Advantage from the private industry market. There is a lot of jargon being tossed around about these Bills that is being used to scare people. The nation needs this reform. It needs it desperately. It has to be responsible to all citizens.

To oppose those that see 'health care' as a luxury for Americans that can afford it, they FORGET quite conveniently that our nation's documents state, "...the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." One cannot have life or happiness without a healthy body enough to deliver it!

I have every intention to read the Senate Bill. I have demands on my time that will open up the opportunity to participate in the discussion 'that way' by next week and I apologize for any delay, but, life has its demands even to activists. My sincerest apologies to those that feel as though I was abandoning the idea and was counting on my participation. Please be patient. Thank you.

The American Pharmaceutical Association is too busy playing politics over the National Health Care Policies to attend to the needs of the nation.

When taking a look at the APhA website (click title to entry - thank you) there is a 'link' to the H1N1 virus, but, they primary focus is the Health Care Reform issue before the country. This is not the first time they have failed this country. It was not long ago, I believe it was last year, when vaccine was being received from Europe and the American Manufacturers 'opted out' because of the small profit margin.

They have a very poor track record of being helpful to the USA, but, they are very helpful to Wall Street.

Hello?


In August the CDC issued the warning that current sources of the H1N1 Vaccine might not be able to meet demands, (click here) but, no American Pharmaceutical Manufacturers ever came to the 'ready' even when the virus was known to be a Pandemic since June 11, 2009.

...However, the initial supply of these vaccines might not be enough to meet the demand for vaccine. For this reason, CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that certain groups at highest risk for infection or influenza-related complications should be the initial targets for vaccination. Highlights of these recommendations include 1) the identification of five initial target groups for vaccination efforts (pregnant women, persons who live with or provide care for infants aged <6>...

The H1N1 Vaccine manufacturer is an Australian company that supplied that country's needs. It sorta makes sense. There is no reason to endanger the PRIMARY manufacturer of the only vaccine that is going to save lives.

CSL Limited is the Australian Company (click here).

People are really upset about this virus and LA County is feeling the pinch. The argument can be made that the virus could spread faster in the cities than rural America. There is probably a way of tracking that to be sure the most intense areas of infection are receiving the vaccine first.

From the sounds of the article there were many Private Patients treated at the Free Clinic.

L.A. County free H1N1 vaccine clinics overwhelmed
Immediately swamped by patients, they haven't been able to monitor whether those receiving the vaccines were at the top of the federal priority list.
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
October 28, 2009
Los Angeles County's free H1N1 flu clinics opened last week amid public health officials' promises to aggressively vaccinate people at highest risk, especially the uninsured. Instead, overwhelmed clinic staff began vaccinating many people who were not supposed to be first in line for protection, officials said Tuesday.
"We thought it was important to get to as many people as quickly as possible," said Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, the county's director of public health. "We were assuming that the private sector was going to be getting a lot more vaccine a lot faster than they did."
Fielding conceded that county officials failed to conserve vaccine supplies early on, unwilling to turn away those who had traveled and waited in line. By Tuesday, they faced a vaccine shortage, with only enough doses to stay open through Nov. 4 instead of the planned Nov. 8....

Credit Card and ONLY One Credit Card. Get rid of the anymore and close out accounts. Pay the balance every month. Starve the beast.

Credit Cards From Largest Banks Would Break New Law, Pew Says (click title to entry - thank you)
By Alexis Leondis and Peter Eichenbaum
Oct. 28 (Bloomberg) -- None of the credit cards offered online by the 12 largest U.S. banks would meet requirements of new federal curbs on the industry’s rates and fees, a report from the Pew Charitable Trusts said.
All of the cards surveyed used practices considered “unfair or deceptive” by the Federal Reserve, according to the report released today by the Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization. The study examined almost 400 cards advertised by banks and credit unions and compared terms for cards offered in July 2009 and December 2008.
The Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act, which takes effect in stages, will require banks to apply payments to higher-rate balances first, limit rate increases and ban practices such as “universal default,” or raising rates based on a missed payment with another lender. Most of those rules are scheduled to begin Feb. 22; others such as limits on gift-card fees are set to start Aug. 22....

Posted: Oct. 27, 2009
Home loan trapped in bank's failure (click here)
Work halts on barrier-free house
BY GRETA GUESTFREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
When Richard and Caroline Rapp of Ray Township closed on their home construction loan in August, they felt certain they would soon realize their 14-year dream to live in a barrier-free home....
...Now the builder and I are on the hook for $65,000 and the house has just started," said Rapp, who can see the half-finished home from the rental house where he has lived since his 1995 Wave Runner accident. "The builder poured the basement, they got the lumber and roughed the house in. That was as far as they got."...

E-Trade has debt? They are extending credit to their subscribers? No. No. People will lose their homes if they are 'playing' with their assets. No. No. No. It is too easy to click and lose all the equity in one's home in about 60 seconds.

Oct. 27, 2009, 6:05 p.m. EDT
E-Trade reports $832 million quarterly loss (click here)
Excluding impact of debt exchange, results top analysts' estimates
...The results included a noncash charge for extinguishing debt because the company completed a $1.74 billion debt exchange during the third quarter. That knocked roughly $773 million, or 61 cents a share, off the results....


SBA loans are on the rebound (click here)
The number made in Southern California from April through September rises 50% from the previous six-month period.
By Cyndia Zwahlen
October 27, 2009
...Lenders made 2,000 local loans backed by the Small Business Administration from April through September, a 50% increase compared with 1,330 loans made in the first half of the government's fiscal year....

The elections are coming and al Qaeda and the Taliban hate freedom. They despise democracy.

They want control and plenty of it, no matter what measure they have to take. The Pakistani military has been exceptionally successful against the militants within their borders and now it is taking down the Taliban infrastructure that provides a platform for al Qaeda.

The people are either victim to their violence or they are victim to their oppression. Either we stand with the governments and provide a means to defeat their violent attacks while the people deliver themselves from oppression or the region will have Western figureheads bringing in monies that will be used against civilization.

There really isn't a choice, either the countries of Pakistan or Afghanistan are stabilized with 'legitimate' governments or they become dangerous countries with the capacity of nuclear armaments. If Europe is to have security the violence has to stop and stable governments and economies have to succeed.

The attack in Pakistan practically took place in the Frontier Region which is an interesting reality in the face of this tragedy. If the Taliban are 'trapped' and can only minimally enter the civilized areas of the country to carry out their violence, it speaks a great deal to the control the Pakistani military has been able to exert.

This was al Qaeda's ability.

I hate to make predictions, but, in Pakistan I believe the violent culture of the Taliban is coming under control. They haven't been able to stop the country's military. They don't have the ability, all they can do is act against the Geneva Conventions and kill unarmed civilians. I believe Pakistan will stop them, especially if they are able to harness the influence and power of the local militias to aid the military.

Car Bomb in Northwest Pakistan Kills 80 (click here)
By VOA News
28 October 2009
A car bomb in the main city in Pakistan's troubled northwest has killed at least 80 people and wounded some 100 others.
Witnesses said the afternoon explosion ripped through a crowded market in Peshawar Wednesday afternoon, killing mostly women.
Television images show rescue workers digging through gutted shops and battling fires as a cloud of gray smoke hangs over downtown. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Peshawar is the most populous city in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province and a gateway to the country's lawless tribal areas, where security forces are battling Taliban militants.
The blast occurred a short time after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, for three days of talks with senior officials....

Let me see if I can make this as plain as day for Wall Street.

AIG was never the problem, EXCEPT, for its belief that 'day dreaming' would actually produce a 'sovereign' authority to insure NEGLIGENT Investment Banks like Goldman Sachs.

J. P. Morgan was never the problem so much as was forced to 'swallow hard' and take Bailout Funds. As a matter of fact, J.P. Morgan did everything right and they were penalized for it! And they did everything right by the rules they morally EARNED their reputation by.

Allow me to explain.

Now that all the bonuses are being cut to the bone, AS THEY SHOULD BE, for exceptionally poor performance, there will be a NEW GENERATION of talent coming forward to take those jobs that will be abandoned by the Bozos that caused the FISCAL COLLAPSE in the first place. I look forward to the 'new' and 'fresh' faces of the Top Executives of the companies we will be seeing. They will be committed and have the 'right values' for the country.

That said.

The ONLY reason AIG ended up 'in the soup' and the ONLY reason we will never see a dime of their bailout back in our pockets is because the Former Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson is a Greed Meister and ABJECT failure. The sorry SOB sold out the country to bailout his failures. Goldman Sachs is run so poorly they have to farm out their executives to facilitate their share of the pie. THAT is unethical practice and I am 'calling them on it' today!

That is to begin with.

The only reason Paulson and Bush and the lunatics that made up their administrations aren't in jail right now is because they legislated their freedom along with the bailout. I doubt it is Constitutional either. But, they did it and we have a right to call it what it is, FRAUD !

Why is Paulson a Greed Meister? Let's take a look!

J. P. Morgan Chase (click here) never needed a bailout. If there was one bank that should have been standing after everything else failed it was them and the reward that was supposed to follow because they built a better mouse trap was ROBBED from them by Paulson. No different than when Lehman Brothers (click here) failed with assets totally over $600 billion. NOTHING was done and Paulson and the others basked in the victory.

J. P. Morgan manages 'its risk' the way risk is supposed to be managed and that is within the reach of the capacity of its investors. The stock price on JP Morgan Chase is more than reasonable and in the range of $44.00 to $48.00 (click here).

Goldman Sachs (click here) on the other hand is a very expensive stock and in the price range of $160.00 t0 about $193.00 (click here). But, that is not the entire picture in order to understand the genius at JP Morgan Chase and why they were ROBBED of their 'rightful' place in all this mess.

In order to understand 'financial genius' in the right AND MORAL hands realize this. To begin anyone can purchase JP Morgan Chase's 'common stock.' Nearly every Middle Class person in the country if they can open an investment account is within reach of participating in a company that is well run and has a LONG history of achievement. THAT isn't the primary point here, but, one I needed to make.

The primary point here is that the VOLUME of stocks JP Morgan Chase has in the market place is 3.9 billion shares with a daily trading volume of 36.8 million shares per day. There is a lot of activity with this stock and that is good thing. It keeps everyone at JP Morgan Chase on their toes and it gives them a lot of information on any given day to the 'trend' with their stock values and why.

When one then turns to Goldman Sachs, their market place volume is 511.2 million with a daily trading volume of 11.4 million.

Which company is worth more? JP Morgan Chase and they are a stronger and more rounded company for their 'price' and 'volume.' Why? Because J. P. Morgan Chase has a 'broader' base of support IF it were to fall into trouble and has to call on its investors to 'bail it out.' In other words, the CEO of JP Morgan Chase already had visions of dollar signs built into his daily habit of 'insuring' the solvency of the company and at any point in time he could issue a need to investors to 'pay more' into their company treasury. JP Morgan Chase never needed the USA Treasury, it had its own resources to fall back on.

Why the difference in volume? Because it is smart and doesn't see the USA Treasury as its to own and destroy ruthlessly and without conscience. On the other hand, their investors are many and their 'stock dividends' are smaller than Goldman Sachs. But, in all honesty, how many folks in the country could literally purchase on a weekly basis a share of stock at Morgan's prices and how many would? Would you? I would. I would make the investment of believing in a well founded and WELL GROUNDED company that didn't need a 'bailout' from the people of this nation, BUT, instead seeks to find a partnership after they became LITERALLY a partner with the USA government.

Goldman Sachs is an unethical and immoral company that places designs on large sums of money no matter where it is and saw opportunity in 'insurance' policies with AIG when all else was failing its 'greed needs.' The assault on the USA Treasury was intended and was never diverted by Paulson for the sole purpose of personal wealth and hopes of expanding a business in Goldman Sachs that it never had and so help me, NEVER WILL !

The American people need to take their country back, invest in local economies and stick with it. Let the companies come to them. The USA is a huge economy with a lot of opportunity and it is about time the people and NOT Wall Street harness it!

I look forward to the fresh new faces that will line the halls of those that seek to 'build' our nation back to the proud heritage it has enjoyed. Greenberg and people like him can take a hike and never come back. We don't want you anymore !

Mr. Greenburg represents EVERYTHING "W"rong with the global economy. I hope he gathers up all the dead wood at AIG and every other firm and puts them all together to bask in their own light, because, we DO NOT want them anymore.

We, as Americans, are not going to have their value system shove down our throats ANYMORE.


Maurice R. Greenberg, the former head of A.I.G., on his way to court in Manhattan last June.

The Weather at Glacier Bay National Park is Warmer than it should be:

Survey: Arctic Ice Thinner Than Thought, Melting Fast (click title to entry - thank you)
By Jennifer Glasse London
15 October 2009
"We'd been led to believe that we would encounter a good proportion, of this older, thicker, technically multi-year ice that's been around for a few years and just gets thicker and thicker," he said. "We actually found there wasn't any multi-year ice at all."

Local Time :: 8:51 AM AKDT (GMT -08)

Lat/Lon :: 58.8° N 137.0° W

Elevation :: 33 feet

Temperature ::

High :: 45 F

Low :: 39 F

Conditions :: Overcast

Windchill :: 35 F (Even wind doesn't get it cold enough to freeze)

Humidity :: 87%F (A little dry for a bay isn't it? The average usually is about 95 - 100%)

Wind :: 6 mph from the ESE

Pressure :: 29.97 in (Rising)

Visibility :: 10.0 miles

UV :: 0 out of 16

Clouds :: Overcast 2500 Feet

There is some kind of rumor out there that the Earth is cooling. It is a rumor started by the energy industries that simply won't go away.

Glacier Bay Climate Summary from 1966 - 2006 reporting from FIVE stations (see below):

Number of "Heating Degree Days" (click here)
Heating Degree Day units are computed as the difference between the base temperature and the daily average temperature. (Base Temp. - Daily Ave. Temp.) One unit is accumulated for each degree Fahrenheit the average temperature is below the base temperature. Negative numbers are discarded. Example: If the days high temperature was 65 and the low temperature was 31, the base 50 heating degree day units is 50 - ((65 + 31) / 2) = 2. This is done for each day of the month and summed.Table updated on Jul 28, 2006 Months with 5 or more missing days are not considered Years with 1 or more missing months are not considered

Let me get my calculator for this one: 30,561 days.

Number of "Cooling Degree Days" (click here)
Cooling Degree Day units are computed as the difference between the daily average temperature and the base temperature. (Daily Ave. Temp. - Base Temp.) One unit is accumulated for each degree Fahrenheit the average temperature is above the base temperature. Negative numbers are discarded. Example: If the days high temperature was 95 and the low temperature was 51, the base 60 heating degree day units is ((95 + 51) / 2) - 60 = 13. This is done for each day of the month and summed.Table updated on Jul 28, 2006 Months with 5 or more missing days are not considered Years with 1 or more missing months are not considered

Count them 108 days in a decade.

The East Pacific is maintaining a very active Hurricane Season

Hurricane Rick at Cat 5 in the East Pacific (click here)

Hurricane Rick was a Cat 5 that dissipated to Tropical Storm in 24 hours. It's lowest central pressure was 906 millibars which it achieved in three hours from a Cat 4 status at a central pressure of 934 millibars.

Hurricane Neki is still in the East Pacific, currently at a Tropical Storm level from a maximum of Cat 3. "Neki" is the 23rd storm this season.

Exit Strategy War Games kills 14 American Soldiers, 11 Afghan Soldiers Among the Injured

Hostile fire ruled out in one collision involving three civilians while US engages in 'war games' for exit strategy


A Chinook helicopter approaches troops in Afghanistan. Photograph: MOD/EPA
Fourteen Americans were killed today in a series of helicopter crashes in Afghanistan, the US military said.
Seven US troopers and three US civilians working for the government died when their helicopter went down in western Afghanistan, a US statement said. In the south of the country two US helicopters collided, killing four American troops and wounding two others.
US authorities have ruled out hostile fire in the collision but have not given a cause for the other crash. The Taliban said they shot down a helicopter in Badghis province in north-western Afghanistan but it was unclear if this was the same incident and the claim could not be verified.
The casualties came as the Washington Post reported that the US has been engaging in war games testing the various proposals presented to Barack Obama to end the eight-year war....



3 NATO Helicopters Crash in Afghanistan, Killing 14 Americans (click here)
By VOA News 26 October 2009
NATO forces in Afghanistan are reporting that three coalition helicopters crashed in two unrelated incidents Monday, killing at least 11 U.S. troops and three American civilians.
A NATO statement said one helicopter crashed in western Afghanistan after U.S. and Afghan troops raided a militant hideout and killed 12 suspected enemy fighters.
The statement said seven U.S. troops and three U.S. civilians were killed. The injured include 14 Afghan troops, 11 American troops and one U.S. civilian.
The cause of the crash has not been determined, but NATO officials said they do not believe the helicopter was shot down by insurgents.
In another incident in southern Afghanistan early Monday, two helicopters collided and crashed, killing four U.S. service members.
A NATO statement said two other service members were injured in the incident. NATO said officials are continuing to investigate the cause of the collision, but they have determined that hostile fire was not involved.
This past year has been the deadliest for foreign troops in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led invasion in late 2001 to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida militants.

I have serious reservations regarding Karzai return to office. The interview is political for votes, but, backs Taliban in an unrealistic way.

I like President Karzai and admire his contribution to Afghanistan for the past seven years, however, he sounds a bit scared no different than Musharraf. His perspective may have been sculpted out of the negligence of the Bush/Cheney administration and his necessity to balance the Taliban's interest to maintain a stable government in Kabul.

I believe it will take a new President with a relationship with a new American General to 'begin again.' The Central Government in Kabul cannot be another 'Baghdad' where a 'figure head authority' debates the global affairs of the country while the country is allowed to breed extremism.

What concerns me is the close proixmity of a Taliban Headquarters so very close to Kabul and no concern raised about that at all. How is the Capital of Afghanistan EVER going to be a secure city with an oppressive regime having a hostile facility nearby? There is a lot of power the Taliban have enjoyed in Pakistan under Musharraf and they have become accustomed to being 'catered to' by President Karzai due to the abandonment by the USA.

He raises a legitimate question in that Afghanistan is betweeen a rock and hard place when it comes to USA commitment. It is that commitment that will determine the path of Afghanistan. The USA moving to Iraq was NOT a good idea, it compromised the Karzai administration in Afghanistan, hence, the national security of the USA.

So.

While I am more than concerned about President's Karzai's openly connected alliance to the Taliban within Afganistan, it is the commitment of NATO and the USA to 'succeed' in Afghanistan that will determine the outcome of the defeat of al Qaeda and the defeat of the oppression of the Afghan people by the Taliban. It may be that if the USA and NATO return to 'Bushesque' strategies it would return the outcome that President Karzai came to realize and enforce it.'

I believe at the real core to the interview with President Karzai on GPS is the issue of money and more of it. He'll accept more troops so long as it comes with financial assistance, but, the troops on all levels will be impuned from defeating any Taliban stronghold, which, in my opinion is a hideous circumstance. I don't see the current status of the Taliban lasting at all.

Abdullah supports troop increase, but within a broader plan (click title to entry - thank you)
By John Amick and T. Rees Shapiro
FOX NEWS SUNDAY - Abdullah: Afghans must have faith in runoff
Afghan opposition candidate Abdullah Abdullah said he would not fully support the Nov. 7 runoff vote against incumbent president Hamid Karzai if reforms did not take place to improve transparency and reduce fraudulent ballot numbers in the electoral process.
Abdullah also ruled out the possibility of a power-sharing agreement with Karzai, and said he believed his constituents did not have faith in Karzai's ability to clean out the country's corrupt government and reduce the threat of extremist violence....

Given this view by Foreign Prime Minister Abdullah Abdullah it is clear he in no way supports the current Karzai government and could not participate even after the election. I think Afghanistan has a real crisis in leadership due its abandonment by Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld. The question is can General McCrystal work within any parameters that include the Karzai priorities. And. I believe he has already answered that.

Iraq is going to split. It may be painful at times.

Additionally, this is an al Qaedaesque bombing. Al Qaeda would love to have the USA back in Iraq and out of Afghanistan with a weaker effort both in Afghanistan and Pakistan. These events are unfortunate, but, there isn't much that is going to stop them except the people of Iraq themselves.


Iraqis gather at the site of the massive bomb attack at the Ministry of Justice in Baghdad Photo: AP

...The car bombs, at least one of them a suicide bombing, according to police, blew up by the justice ministry and a Baghdad provincial office, sites separated by one broad city block. The attacks, the bloodiest in Iraq this year, hit the nerve center of Baghdad's national and local governments, shattering windows, sending debris flying and tearing down parts of buildings....


Kurdish initiative tests tide to change status quo in Turkey (click here)
...These sentences belong to Mahiye Aşar, from the eastern province of Van, which has suffered its share from the Kurdish conflict in Turkey that has cost the lives of about 40,000 people since 1984. She was talking about her daughter, who joined the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) 19 years ago.
“My son-in-law's family was revolutionary. They faced a lot of pressure in the 1990s. Their home was raided by security forces every day. My daughter's husband would be arrested and tortured. They could not take it anymore and they went up to the mountains. I have not seen my daughter since. She has a son raised by his grandparents,” Aşar told journalists....


The Kirkuk conundrum (click here)
Iraqi democracy is stuck in a constitutional hiatus over the Kurdish-dominated region that threatens to derail elections
Ranj Alaaldin
guardian.co.uk,
Saturday 24 October 2009 08.00 BST
Iraq has once again met what very low expectations remain of it. Despite a 15 October deadline, the Iraqi parliament is yet to agree on a new election law for the national elections due to be held in January, and this may, as a result, throw its political, legal and constitutional framework into disarray.
Disagreement among parliamentarians centres on whether to use an open- or closed-list voting system. Under the former, voters elect their own preferred candidates into parliament, while under the latter system, the electorate votes for a political entity, as opposed to an individual, and that entity then awards parliamentary seats to its own fixed list of candidates, submitted to the electoral commission prior to the elections....

No "State Based Public Option" - It will ONLY be used against the uninsured and be a poltical football. Manipulated for statistics.

This is a 'faux fear' AGAIN ! We have witnessed in several provisions in the House Bill read on this blog, the Federal government increases its support to States for their health care citizens in need.

There is no way there should be a State Based Public Option. It will be a political football, no different than we have witnessed with the Stimulus Package and the States that opted out. The 'impact' of the Stimulus was effected in Republican dominated States that would not participate and their unemployment rates went up rather than down.

What will occur in the USA with 'State Opted Public Option' is that people without insurance or insurance that is too expensive will migrate around the country seeking relief from their plight. That will only place heavier burdens on States that supply the Public Option and therefore quite possibly increase unemployment rates and welfare rates, school systems and local taxpayers will become stressed and there will be disproportionate financial burdens placed on local economies.

ABSOLUTELY NO STATE BASED PUBLIC OPTION. If the Senate undertakes this approach they need to be replaced! It is grossly irresponsible to all citizens and not just the uninsured.



President Barack Obama is actively discouraging Senate Democrats in their effort to include a public insurance option with a state opt-out clause as part of health care reform. In its place, say multiple Democratic sources, Obama has indicated a preference for an alternative policy, favored by the insurance industry, which would see a public plan "triggered" into effect in the future by a failure of the industry to meet certain benchmarks....

350 - Sponsor a House Party and Take Action - Write Legislators Demanding our CO2 Levels be reduced and held at 350 ppm

Our Democratic Capitalist is calling for "350" to be the most important number on Earth (click here)

I am asking to take it one step further. The United States of America has the largest coal deposits in the world. There is no such thing as Clean Coal Technology. It is impossible to 'burn' coal without emitting CO2. Impossible. Can't be done. Carbon sequestration as a way of producing energy from coal is nothing more than a ticking time bomb and is grossly ineffective.

Obtain a copy of the film, "Beyond Coal," have a house party and organize an effort to stop the production of CO2 in the USA. Demand it. For your children. (click title to article, thank you).

Beyond Coal (click here)

Media Matters captured the 'essence' of the White House focus. It is legitimate. FOX News is an entertainment network, not news.

Below is 'THE BEST' of Rupert Murdock's News Corp. Really? It sounds like "Nightmare on Elms Street." There was NOT one word of truth in any of those statements. None. Yet they are supposed to be allowed the facade of conducting themselves as if they were legitimate journalists. Why not just make a cartoon of the news hours, huh? Sound like a good idea, at least the IQ Murdock is addressing here will be well entertained.



While I find this all a bit of a 'side show' since I already consider anything Murdock puts out as trash and illegitmate news making, the fact of the matter is, the media doesn't seem to be able to sufficiently police itself. That is the saddest aspect of this entire mess. They seem to allow what they aren't supposed to and call it Freedom of Speech.

Harassment of the Public is NOT Freedom of Speech, it is INDOCTRINATION. Why the media seems threatened by a bogus media mogul is beyond me and I find it unwise for them to continue to oppose the White House on this, they are only proving how COMPLETELY dysfunctional they are.

Murdock 'rewards his guests' with money. They come on the show because they have been paid. What does that do to legitimate journalism in tainting the truth? People aren't thinking, they are seeking to find 'what sells' and they don't care their craft has been corrupted.

Since when does Murdock decide the outcome in elections? I thought the electorate was supposed to be well informed. Being lied to and indoctrinated isn't being informed, it is be 'strategized' for a political outcome. No. No. That isn't democracy. That IS a form of communism whereby propaganda controls the electorate. No more !

It is perhaps not unsurprising but still disappointing that several in the mainstream media rallied around Fox News this week following the White House's well-warranted castigation of the network as an "arm" of the Republican Party. The most prominent defense of "one of our sister organizations" came from ABC News' Jake Tapper, who was baffled as to why the White House would declare Fox News "not a news organization." On Tuesday, he had the following exchange with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs:

Tapper: It's escaped none of our notice that the White House has decided in the last few weeks to declare one of our sister organizations "not a news organization" and to tell the rest of us not to treat them like a news organization. Can you explain why it's appropriate for the White House to decide that a news organization is not one --

(Crosstalk)

Gibbs: Jake, we render, we render an opinion based on some of their coverage and the fairness that, the fairness of that coverage.

Tapper: But that's a pretty sweeping declaration that they are "not a news organization." How are they any different from, say --

Gibbs: ABC --Tapper: ABC. MSNBC. Univision. I mean how are they any different?Gibbs: You and I should watch sometime around 9 o'clock tonight. Or 5 o'clock this afternoon.

Tapper: I'm not talking about their opinion programming or issues you have with certain reports. I'm talking about saying thousands of individuals who work for a media organization, do not work for a "news organization" -- why is that appropriate for the White House to say?

Gibbs: That's our opinion.

Of course, Tapper was lauded by Fox News and other conservatives. (Which is not the first time.) Glenn Beck called Tapper a "watchdog of freedom," while Sean Hannity praised Tapper's ability to "recognize the great quality of Fox News." Bill O'Reilly said Tapper did "pretty good" and "really challenged" Gibbs, and the Fox & Friends gang called him a "great reporter" for his defense of Fox. Lou Dobbs called it an "extraordinary exchange."

...John Kerry is working on this legislation right now and doing a terrific job at reaching out across to the other side of the aisle...

It isn't as though President Obama is attempting to divide the country. It would be nice if he had 'half a chance' to accomplish uniting it.

The USA cannot continue to live in this 'limbo' of inertia to propagate Murdock's playground. FOX is playing with lives and government legislative outcomes, it has stop somehow.

I would think the "majors' would learn a lesson about corruption within their press corp.

Screaming 'Fire' in a crowded theater is NOT freedom of speech ! As a matter of fact it is a criminal act punishable by law. And I haven't heard ANY Murdock news journalists, commentators or otherwise apologize for the blatant LIES they told the people of the USA regarding the Health Care Bills. Citizens of the USA humilitated themselves in public displays of anger when it was all baseless.

This was an AD 'FOX' news/Murdock 'created' to INTIMIDATE their Peers. They sought to INTIMIDATE their Peers. It would seem to have worked.

What FOX News 'meant' by 'miss' is not within its definition. What Murdock's tribe wants it EMPHASIS, not reporting. It wants flamboyant emphasis on everything RIGHT WING. Not equitable and 'normal' reporting. It is supposed to be exploitive when it is the 'Right Wing Agenda.' They did this to bring other media outlets 'in to line' with their 'expected' outcome for 2010. That is why they did this.

"Exclusivity" is supposed to be the 'hallmark' to any reporting. "Getting the story" no one else has is supposed to 'make the journalist' more valuable. This ad flies in the face of that 'value system.' Why? Because it is corrupted ! The FCC can't handle corruption? Why not?


CBS, NBC, ABC and CNN gained NOTHING by attempting to undermine the White House efforts to limit the ability of the Murdock manipulations and power plays. Best as I remember the 'marches in DC' by the Right Wing were covered by most if not all the major news outlets.

As a matter of fact, they EACH lost valuable time with the Obama Pay Czar. Their interviews were CUT from five minutes to two minutes, but, instead of focusing on THEIR loss they decided it would be better to brag about strength in numbers.

...Yes – instead of five-minute interviews with the four networks (click title to entry - thank you), they agreed to two-minute interviews with the five networks, plus Bloomberg. This was the first true test for the White House press pool as the other networks start feeling the affect of the FNC vs. WH battle – and they very clearly came down on the side of their fellow media....

The 'Unionized Press Pass' needs to be 'rethought' by the Obama White House. We know for a fact the Murdock news organization deliberately lies, enflames citizens that adhere to the Right Wing extremes to carrying guns and basically threatening violence. The Murdock news organization has PROVED itself an extremist, adhering to ONLY one party and will do whatever it pleases to 'sell' its networks and 'favorite' politicians.

It doesn't practice 'equitable' journalism. It EXCLUDES any liberal journalist from contributing to their news cycle and they literally throw money at any news item to gain viewership, leveraging unfair advantage against other news organizations.

When CBS, NBC, ABC and CNN stands in unison against the willingness of the Obama White House to be exposed to interviews, it states they are all equal. That is not the case. FOX 'makes' the news they want to have aired, they don't report it. They 'spin' lies and deceptions at 'innocent' people and expect the outcome they receive. They 'strategize' against the public and the government for control for financial gain. That isn't reporting, that is seeking control of capital it is not entitled to and it is an egregious political environment for the country. The media is not doing the citizens of the USA any favors by 'siding' with the wrongful practices of the Murdock news agency.

The White House needs to take aggressive measures against news organizations that have a proven track record of egregious handling of the news they have priviledge to receive. It is time to redefine 'whom the majors' truly are. They aren't the ones that 'allowed' and 'propagated' the lies of the past administration either.

There is no sense to 'back peddling' on this. None. We don't want to go back to the victimization of the FCC that occurred under Bush/Cheney. We have to find a way to make the media 'manipulation' proof. Government owned news is not the answer. Freedom of Speech is a backbone to democratic principles, but, the 'equity' in enforcing those freedoms is gone. Lies is NOT the news. Lies are commentary that misinforms the public and the electorate. If the FCC can't be empowered to hold Murdock for issues only manifested by his news organization than there is something wrong with democratic principles in news reporting.

If the news networks can't 'step up' for interviews when offered, then don't offer them. There are other venues that would love the opportunity.