Bundles of Cell Phones?

...TSA screeners took a closer look at his checked baggage. It was then that they discovered suspicious items in his bag, a cell phone taped to a Pepto-Bismol bottle, multiple cell phones and watches taped together, and a knife and box cutter, according to another U.S. official who had been briefed on the investigation.
None of the checked items violated U.S. security rules, so TSA allowed al Soofi to fly.
Kip Hawley, the former Transportation Security administrator, said it is not unusual to find items like watches and cell phones bound together on flights to countries like Yemen. He said this would always catch the screener's eye. In 2007, TSA alerted screeners that suspicious items found at U.S. airports may indicate that terrorists were conducting dry runs. Screeners are deliberately on the lookout for such items....

WHY?  Why is it not illegal to bundle cell phones and carry them on flights to countries KNOWN to have problems with terrorist activities?  This is ridiculous.

UNISYS Water Vapor GOES East Satellite (click title for 12 hour loop)

August 31, 2010
1030:14z

This satellite clearly shows a large vortex over the North Atlantic and the current storms off the African coast are connected to that vortex.  The vortex moves by Coriolis, so as much as it moves daily may change the trajectory 'just that much' of the storms.

The vortexes are ionic and have influence on the storms connected to them.  It is a 'single' dynamic.  If the vortex migrates south that effects the direction of the storms and their path.  If it migrates north or east that will effect it as well.

A few years ago there was a hurricane or two that continually slammed the North Carolina coast.  It may have only been a TS.  The point is the damage was considerable because the storm moved so slowly.  That is the same 'wave dynamic' that exists with these series of storms.  Instead of one slow moving storm there is a series of storms moving along the same path.  This time there is more possibility of damage because these are not 'low velocity' storms and the continuous 'wave' of water will be stronger and more severe.  The USA East Coast is not immune to this dynamic.

The North Carolina storm may have been Ophelia.  It was a Cat One and was the same year as Katrina.

Flooding from Hurricane Ophelia.

If the series of storm delivers the wave dynamics I expect there will be a lot more flooding accompanied by wind damage as well.  The after math once the entire 'system' passes won't be this pretty.

Is everyone paying attention to the Gufl as well as Earl and his sister?

August 31, 2010
1045 gmt
Gulf of Mexico Satellite

August 31, 2010

0915 gmt

Mexico Satellite

This is not minor turbulence.  There is plenty of moisture there as well from the Amazon Forests in South America with the same influence of the solar rays.  This turbulence has the possiblity of spawning storms on both sides of Latin America.

This is NewsCorp. Mixed with a reality 'Vote them off the island' attitude and you've got it.

It is a global organization that cannot be called news because a majority of its content is self generated.

While everyone in the nation was reading "The Audacity of Hope" the Bozos that belong to NewsCorp were reading a novel from 1957
named "Atlas Shrugged."

I didn't read it and I won't read, but, for all those circus performers there is movie coming out next year with the same title.

The point is they don't live 'WITH' reality, they demand to shape reality.  That is NOT a news corporation, that is a political organziation with a global reach.  Their goal is to be the only news SOURCE in the world.  They want to put everyone else out of business and if the news organizations that exist continue to compete with these idiots they might succeed.

The point is what does one do if one really wants to know what is going on in the world?

You build your own infrastructure and that is what most of not all the intelligent world is doing.  Heck, there are people that don't even own televisions anymore and get all their information from a web that 'live streams' most everything.

NewsCorp is OLD world, very, very Old World and for the SHEEP that follow along with it because of a 'feel good' felling it is completely laughable. 

Murdoch cracks the whip and the world is suppose to respond.  THAT's ethical?  Right.  If Cronkite were the 'ethic standard' for today's news media, Murdoch woiuld have been out of business a long time ago.

Hard to say right now, but, it could be a 'dry run.' I'd be concerned about mimics.

Suspects Ahmed Mohamed Nasser al-Soofi, left, and Hezem Abdullah Thabi al-Murisi, right. (CBS)

I am curious to how long ago he became a resident to the USA.  Within the past nine since a failed 911 attack?

...Sources say one of the men, Ahmed Mohammed Nasser al-Soofi, a 48-year-old Yemnini who has permanent resident status in the United States, had $7,000 in cash and what looked like mock explosive devices in two checked bags, seven cell phones - some of them we're told were taped to empty bottles - and watches taped to shampoo bottles. Al-Soofi, who resides in Detroit, was singled out for a pat down at Birmingham International Airport in Ala. on Sun. His checked baggage had set off an alarm as it was screened. He was allowed to continue on a flight to Chicago O'Hare....

The ONLY crowd that matters is the one present for the inauguration on January 20, 2009.

 An image provided by GeoEye Satellite Image shows Washington D.C.'s National Mall and the United States Capitol (top), in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009 taken at 11:19AM EDT during the inauguration of President Barack Obama. The image, taken through high, wispy white clouds, shows the masses of people between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. (AP Photo/GeoEye Satellite Image) (click title to entry - thank you.)

Just for the record, the 'God rant' by Beck is an attempt to 'restore' the Bush fervor before Novermber and beyond.  It is a 'propaganda scheme probably 'born of Rove.'  Doesn't everyone recognize the 'Right Wing Media' proppaganda scheme?  No?  Easy, they first lie and then deny the lie and then become contrite and remorseful.  Don't 'get it yet?'  I really have to explain this?  The Right Wing Media attempts to 'range the scale of emotion' and attract listeners and viewers based on a bonding of one kind or another.  The program doesn't have any rhyme or reason, but, only a following based on what they can attract by HOOK OR BY CROOK.  Sort of like the "Old Tonic Salesman."  The product is suppose to be good for you, but, is mostly all hype.  They are a joke.  There isn't anything serious about the Right Wing Media and if anyone that listens ever expects to 'be connected' to the real world, they are only fooling themselves.  It is an addiction to 'brain chemistry' which works best with 'the adrenalin of hate.'

I wish the 'real media' would 'get smart enough' to ignore the fact they have 'ethics' to live by in recognizing even the most extremists.  The Right Wing isn't serious media.  It is propaganda.  There is nothing credible about them except PERHAPS what might be caught on video tape.  You know, "Believe 50% of what you see and nothing of what you hear."

Good luck.  Professional media should be able to discern Bozos from the 'real thing.'  Just because they are camophlaged and wrapped in Wall Street Journal newsprint doesn't mean it is credible.  I near read the rag anymore.

There be hurricanes there ! Three at one time in the Atlantic Ocean to be exact., When was the last time that happened.

August 30, 2010

2114 gmt

Atlantic Ocean Satellite

Actually there are four if one considers the additional low pressure system off Africa.  Wow.  Will the 2010 Hurricane Season happen wihin a week or ten days and be over as quick as it started?  The Antiles is taking a beating, isn't it?  First "Earl" followed by "Fiona."  I don't know those folks need to be contacted by someone.  They have to be wondering what is going to happen to them. 

"Earl" with 114 mph surface winds.

They're going to need help, if they don't already.

The Atlantic Ocean's hurricane conveyor belt now appears to be in full gear.  (click title to entry - thank you)

On Monday, another tropical storm, TS Fiona, formed behind Hurricane Earl which formed after TS Danielle.
Danielle is out at sea and not a threat. But Hurricane Earl, with winds clocked at 135 mph, has put many on alert on islands in the Bahamas and the Lesser Antilles, including the Virgin Islands. There are concerns Earl could hit the U.S.'s East Coast, especially North Carolina, later in the week.


The experts predicted it would be an active hurricane season. They were right.

There will be another one after "Fiona."  The Antiles will be unable to recover before they get hit again.  That is unprecedented. 

Maybe permanent 'hi ground' shelter, with an understanding for the people that come they will stay until there is an 'all clear.'  This might be awhile and the 'damage in the wake' maybe substantial. 

The tidal surges will bearly be receded when it will rise again.  It is possible the storms may 'maintain' a high water line until this subsides.  The storms could conceivably just keep pushing water at those islands.

It is just that the storms are lining up on an unremiting track right now. 

It has to do with the alignment of 'direct sun rays.'  As soon as the sun's rays begin to traverse OFF these 'heat/moisture' latitudes, it will abate.

The one after Fiona, assuming it develops into a storm, may traverse into the Caribbean actually.  It will roll over top of those islands.  This is really a bit worrisome.

The reason this is worrisome is because this is such a delayed season with 'high impact' storms in sequence.  The 'heat trapped' in the troposphere is finding resolve in these storms, to some extent, but it is so intense that it is chruning out Cat Four storms, one after another.  There is no way of knowing right now if there will be an abatement of the intensity to the storms BEFORE the sun's rays move further south.  The NASA/NOAA/Hurricane Center records COULD possibly give a 'clue' to the outcome here based on 'heat calorie' records of terrestrial records correlated with Cat Four storm frequency. 

It is worth a shot.

Hey the jungles in Africa are holding up great right now.  We'd be 'fried potatoes' without them.  Let's hope they don't give into drought anytime soon. 

I love those monkeys, Bonobos and Mountain Gorillas.

Love them !!!!!!!!

"Morning Papers" - Its Origins

The Rooster
"Okeydoke"

...and maybe the tooth fairy will come, too.

I think it is time for a Town Hall Meeting about the economy. Let's talk.

Obama said in an NBC interview that the batch of grim economic data over the past few weeks was something his administration had anticipated. (click title to entry - thank you)
Gloomy reports on gross domestic product and housing have raised fears the fragile economy could slip back into a recession or face a lengthy period of growth that is too slow to make much of a dent in the 9.5 percent unemployment rate.






"The economy is still growing, but it's not growing as fast as it needs to," Obama told NBC in the interview in New Orleans,...

..."We should be passing legislation that helps small businesses get credit, that eliminates capital gains taxes so that they have more incentive to invest right now," he said. "There are a whole host of measures we could take. No single element of which is a magic bullet."...


...Obama also faces constraints on his ability to act....

And the reason he is facing constraints to ACT is because of political hacks that obstruct every helpful form of legislation to come to the USA Senate !

I simply love that title as if Housing shouldn't be down except by some inept government maneuver.

The Republicans and Wall Street ran the country into ruin by building a glut of housing and commercial buildings.  Then they turn around and decide it is a shame the USA dollar can't retain its value due to fears over a housing crisis. 

Is everything in the media hype?   Does it ever get real anymore?  Or does the global financial community still believe they can do this all over again if they only had enough 'risk taking' by Americans again with backign from their government?

Where does the hideousness of this reality stop?  The American people are rebulding their economy ALONE.  It isn't going to happen overnight.  There is no LOOSE credit anymore due to necessary tightening of lending laws.  I mean the geniuses that caused this disaster are nore now wondering what happened to the USA?  Really? 

The real question is, do they care? 

AUGUST 24, 2010
12:51 P.M. ET

WORLD FOREX: Dollar Down; US Housing Data Feed Recovery Fears (click title to entry - thank you)

By Frances McInnis Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--The dollar lost considerable ground Tuesday after U.S. housing data for July came in well under expectations and raised further doubts about the pace of the U.S. recovery.
The euro reversed its slide against the dollar, rebounding above $1.27. Other higher-yielding currencies, such as the Canadian and Australian dollars, pared earlier losses but remained down on the day.
The U.S. currency had extended its losses against the yen in the immediate aftermath of the housing data, falling to Y83.58, its lowest level since June 1995, but it then pulled back above Y84. In earlier trading, the dollar had dropped through a series of 15-year lows as investors probed the determination of Japanese authorities to hinder their currency's advance.
The dismal housing data prompted "a broad knee-jerk reaction against the dollar," with concerns growing that the Federal Reserve will take further steps to stimulate the economy, said Brian Kim, currency strategist at UBS in Stamford, Conn....

Pick your poison I suppose.

But, the reality is there needs to be some 'real thought' going forward and not just 'knee jerk' reaction to potential election outcomes.

I believe the American people are on a 'self path' to recovery.  They are spending less and saving more.  They want their own country to have viable economic sectors that sincerely provide a good living to its citizens.  That takes capital.  The sure way for the country to build capital is to save. 

What bothers me is that if Americans have chosen this 'self healing' path of recovery.  Then where exactly are the funds going to come from to fund a second stimulus.

We haven't seen the First Stimulus at work 100% yet. 

Job growth is slow, but, then it is obvious the choices to continue to abandon the USA by Wall Street is still contracting the economy domestically.  We witnessed that when GM, with its new CEO or whatever he is.  Oh, yeah, Hatchet Man; decided to cut jobs in the USA, pay bills in Europe and sell stocks.

If Wall Street is still 'leaving' the USA behind because it has been drained of all its assets, then we still haven't seen the end of the economic contraction.  And while a Second Stimulus is a good idea and is probably the best idea, it simply isn't practical from most view points to continue to run up a deficit that has no clear resolve.

I think we are stuck. 

Basically, the 'worth' of the USA has been destroyed.  Homes have lost their value and Americans are stagnant in their ability to simply pick up and move at will as they are used to which stimulated their own happiness.

There is a lot "W"rong in the USA and I am not surprised the USA dollar is diminished internationally and China is taking over the global economy in leaps and bonds.

I just can't figure out why people like G. W. Bush and Hank Paulson still live here for as much as he hates us.

This is an Op-Ed from the New York Times

Op-Ed Contributor



Why We Need a Second Stimulus (click title to entry - thank you)

By LAURA TYSON


Published: August 28, 2010
 
OUR national debate about fiscal policy has become skewed, with far too much focus on the deficit and far too little on unemployment. There is too much worry about the size of government, and too little appreciation for how stimulus spending has helped stabilize the economy and how more of the right kind of government spending could boost job creation and economic growth. By focusing on the wrong things, we are in serious danger of failing to do the right things to help the economy recover from its worst labor market crisis since the Great Depression.
The primary cause of the labor market crisis is a collapse in private demand — the same problem that bedeviled the economy in the 1930s....

This is from the an Op-Ed in "American Banker" published by The Financial Services Form.

Op-Ed: U.S. Must Control Deficit to Avert Economic Decline (click title to entry - thank you)



Tuesday, 27 July 2010 09:21


American Banker
By Rob Nichols
Given current Congressional Budget Office projections, there is reason to conclude that, unless significant structural changes are made to balance revenues with spending, the U.S. will probably approach a point where global market sentiment regarding the nation's fiscal condition could change abruptly for the worse.
This would make corrective action far more urgent and painful than if such steps were taken in the near term.
Failure to meaningfully address the nation's fiscal circumstances raises the prospect of dangers that could hurt the U.S. economy. Principal among these is the risk that investors could demand higher risk premiums when buying U.S. government debt.
At the current elevated debt tally, rising interest rates could quickly compound an already challenging fiscal situation. Moreover, given that Treasury bills and bonds are the basis for borrowing structures in private credit markets, the effect of burgeoning government debt on the cost of capital, economic growth and job creation would be far-reaching and decidedly negative....

Tell me this makes sense. Republicans are always 'high' on defense. They love the military and military spending.

Admiral Mullens.  Nice Guy.  I think he really does worry about us.

Mullen: National Debt is a Security Threat  (click title to entry - thank you)

Aug 27, 2010

The national debt is the single biggest threat to national security, according to Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Tax payers will be paying around $600 billion in interest on the national debt by 2012, the chairman told students and local leaders in Detroit.

“That’s one year’s worth of defense budget,” he said, adding that the Pentagon needs to cut back on spending.

“We’re going to have to do that if it’s going to survive at all,” Mullen said, “and do it in a way that is predictable.”

He also called on the defense industry to hire veterans and become more robust in the future....

So a return of Republicans to the Congress means they would raise military spending and cut taxes while the Joint Chiefs is stating the National Deficit is the biggest security threat to the country.  Where does that make sense to anyone casting a vote this November?

July 16, 2010

...What would be the effect on the deficit if the Republicans get their way on repealing the Bush tax cuts? Well we know that in 2005 alone those tax cuts helped add add $539 BILLION to the deficit. Here’s what the CBO said at the time regarding the Bush tax cuts:

In 2005, the cost of tax cuts enacted over the past four years will be over three times the cost of all domestic program increases enacted over this period.The new CBO data show that changes in law enacted since January 2001 increased the deficit by $539 billion in 2005. In the absence of such legislation, the nation would have a surplus this year. Tax cuts account for nearly half — 48 percent — of this $539 billion in increased costs. [1] Increases in program spending make up the other 52 percent and have been primarily concentrated in defense, homeland security, and international affairs....

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/07/16/republicans-want-more-tax-cuts-and-more-military-spending/

The economic recovery is slow because the people of the USA are funding it. No one else is.

Wall Street can't be found anywhere.  They refuse to lend to the people of the USA, the very people that bailed them out.

So, the citizens, almost instinctually started to save again.  IN THAT is the way to recover the economy. 

I stated on this blog as soon as I heard about the bailout that it wouldn't matter to the USA economy that we would be building our economy all over again.

By saving, the banks the citizens are investing their monies can begin to lend.  There are formulas for any bqnk to establish 'safe lending' while maintaining the fiscal integrity of the bank for its depositors. 

Don't let any hype get in the way of being financially solvent.  Increasing savings is a sound way for Americans to establish credit again in the Small Business and Housing sector.  It is going to take time, but, it will be worth it. 

During the Bush Years everyone got used to the 'fiscal high' and 'quick return.'  It isn't there anymore.  The USA has been raided of its treasury and its economy and it will take time to rebuild.  There isn't anymore spinning gold out of straw.  That ended at the end of 2008.

Increasing USA Saving Rate is a Good Sign  (click title to entry - thank you)



Sun, 06/28/2009 - 22:45 EDT
 
Surging U.S. Savings Rate Reduces Dependence on China
Government data today showed that the household savings rate rose to 6.9 percent in May, the highest since December 1993, as personal spending increased less than incomes. The rate in April 2008 was zero. Most of the rise in income in May was due to one-time government stimulus payments to seniors


Nouriel Roubini, an economics professor at New York University and chairman of RGE Monitor, forecasts that the savings rate will ultimately reach 10 percent to 11 percent. What’s critical, he said in a Bloomberg Television interview on June 24, is how quickly it increases.


A rapid rise in the next year because of a collapse in consumption would push the economy, already in its deepest contraction in 50 years, further into recession, he said. If it occurs over a few years, the economy may grow.
From 1960 until 1990, households socked away an average of about 9 percent of their after-tax income, government figures show. Americans got out of the habit in the 1990s as they saw their wealth build up in other ways, first through surging stock prices and then soaring home values, Gramley said....

The Bush Tax Cuts were "W"rong. They were designed to provde tax relief for him and his cronies.

This isn't about increasing taxes in a recession.  This is RETURNING the Tax Code to normal and equity.

There is no way of funding more tax cuts for the wealthy either.  I have yet to hear where the Republicans are going to find a way to fund more tax cuts in the middle of a recession.

This entire tax structure is simply OUTRAGEOUS.  There is nothing more or decent about it and that is just the beginning.

...Since 1929, the first year for which data is available from the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA) (click title to entry - thank you) tables, there have been five Presidents that have served an eight year or more term: FDR, Ike, Reagan, Clinton and GW. Additionally, there are several more “quasi-eight year terms.” These are instances in which a VP took over upon the death or resignation of the President and maintained a similar a policies similar to those of his predecessor (JFK/LBJ and Nixon/Ford), or in which a VP took over a mere few months into a new terms and thus could put his own stamp on just about the entire eight years (Truman)....

...Notice… increases in the tax burden in the first two years of an administration tend to be followed by rapid growth during the remainder of that administration. Conversely, administrations that greatly decreased the tax burden during their first two years suffered from poor economic growth during their remaining six years. This relationship, at least, is very difficult to explain by insisting that administrations which enjoyed rapid growth simply were more able to raise tax burdens than administrations which grew more slowly. It is also impossible to explain by anything said by anything you hear out of the Austrians or the Chicago school....

When government reduces the deficit and increases taxes it is 'structured' and 'focused' change and application of wealth.  When government decreases taxes and increases the deficit it puts monies in the 'random' economy.  As we witnessed with the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street, it didn't do a darn thing for the USA economy.  It went into investments and payments to Europe and otherwise.  I trust the 'growth' that will happen when government applies it rather than Wall Street.  There is too much diffuse global application of monies to ever trust TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY again.

The Obama Administtration is not about growing government. It is about normalizing government so it can function.

There is nothing worse than people trying to be elected to office on 'talking points' rather than facts.  The Obama Administration didn't grow government with its last budget, it returned it to function.  That is a huge difference than 'Big Government.' 

A good deal of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act went to 'stabilizing' the slide into the burgeoning insult on American sovereignty.  Did anyone ever stop to realize that if there was no 'Stimulus' where the USA would be?  Did anyone ever stop to realize there would be no USA?  Quite possibly?

Oh, the Republicans were going to shrink government, they were going to shrink it so much the 'integrity' of what would be left wouldn't matter.

What absolutely astounds me is that during the entire process of hearing about the collapse and reacting to it and then passing the Bailout of $700 billion never once was the sovereignty of the USA even mentioned.  Never once did the impact of the collapse take on the dynamics of 'real concern' as to what the citizens would do in the face of complete and abject loss of everything they ever had in life including their country's ability to function. 

It wasn't until the Obama Administration took over and the majority Democratic Congress passed the ARRA did anyone give a damn about the integrity of the country, its citizens and how we were going to BEGIN to get out of this mess.

And what about the jobs that were saved, the relief for the States, the new jobs created, the intact nature of our governments and the fact we STILL have a future as a country and a democracy.  That doesn't matter?  That is taken for granted?  Really?

...Although CBO has examined data on output and employment during the period since ARRA’s enactment, those data are not as helpful in determining ARRA’s economic effects as might be supposed because isolating the effects would require knowing what path the economy would have taken in the absence of the law. Because that path cannot be observed, the new data add only limited information about ARRA’s impact....

...•Raised the level of real (inflation-adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP) by between 1.7 percent and 4.5 percent,



•Lowered the unemployment rate by between 0.7 percentage points and 1.8 percentage points,


•Increased the number of people employed by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million, and


•Increased the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) jobs by 2.0 million to 4.8 million compared with what those amounts would have been otherwise. (Increases in FTE jobs include shifts from part-time to full-time work or overtime and are thus generally larger than increases in the number of employed workers.)...

We elected a new President amid the worst economic collapse of the modern era.

There is no doubt President Obama is a great President.  He has accepted the challenge of piecing the economy back together while still pursuing the moral high road.

What does that mean? 

That means that besides a needed recovery from a global economic crisis the USA economy would suffer on many fronts because there were moral people in the admnistration that would not allow corruption to become a form of econmic stimulus as Bush did.

When corruption is at work it has its own economy.  No different than any other form of crime that is allowed to flourish within a society.  Everyone knows and understands the term "Drug Economy." 

What ends these forms of 'economies?'  Investigation and prosecution and prison and fines.  When a President is determined to cut the size of government to the bone, there is a trade off and that trade off usually manifests in some type of White Collar crime and/or political corruption. 

When President Obama took office, he brought with him an Attorneys General with a long history of corruption focus.  So, with Eric Holder in the Justice Department corruption of any nature was to be ended and with that a continued shrinkage of the economy even though it was illegal.

It doesn't matter that it was a crime and should be ended, it was still contritbuting to the economy and the USA's options for employment was shrinking on all fronts, even the criminal fronts.

...The struggle against corruption, as President Obama has put it, "is one of the great struggles of our time." As I speak, a corrupt official somewhere is enjoying undeserved and illegal proceeds. He may be driving a brand-new luxury car. She may be filling her off-shore bank account with tainted cash. They may be traveling first-class on all-expenses-paid holidays....

...The World Bank estimates that more than one trillion dollars in bribes are paid each year out of a world economy of 30 trillion dollars. That's a staggering three percent of the world's economy. And the impact is particularly severe on foreign investment. In fact, the World Bank estimates that corruption serves, essentially, as a 20-percent tax....


So while crime and punishment doesn't seem like a reason for an economic impact, it sincerely is.  Not only does it shut down economics surrounding crime, but, it also increases the costs to the government in enforcing the laws of the USA.  It is easy to say 'Decrease the Size of Government,' but, it is sincerely something different to actually be able to effectively run a government with far less staff and funding.


...As part of Project Coronado, law enforcement officers executed numerous search warrants at various locations throughout North Texas during the week of October 21, 2009, that resulted in the seizure of more than 1000 pounds of methamphetamine, 4.5 kilograms of cocaine, $660,000 in cash, 50 firearms, 53 vehicles, one boat, two all terrain vehicles, one camper, and two real properties. These seizures are in addition to more than 650 pounds of methamphetamine, 135 kilograms of cocaine, more than 100 firearms, more than $2.4 million in U.S. currency, and more than $1 million in other assets already seized from members and customers of these organizations throughout the investigation by law enforcement in the DFW area....

http://criminal-justice-online.blogspot.com/2010/04/la-familia-drug-cartel.html

The Institutions citizens look toward for signs of economic improvement are basically invalid markers.

Suppy side economics doesn't work.  Supply side economics is what "W" practiced with his Commerce Secretary Don Evans.  Supply side economics 'creates' uncertainty.  Basically, build it and they will buy it. 

When the global economic crisis hit there was already too much supply in the market place.  So, it was easy for companies to downsize, lay off workers and still maintain a profit while emptying their warehouses. 

They were all ready, but, the citizens of the crisis were not and neither were the USA banks, at least the local banks, the ones that matter to people.  A record number of them were closed down by the FDIC and while depositers received their monies from failed banks, it left the lending institutions available for citizens and small businesses at a premium or in many instances absent.

WASHINGTON, May 3, 2005 (U.S. Newswire via COMTEX)
The Financial Services Forum today announced that former United States Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans will join the group as chief executive officer and lead its executive membership in promoting global competitiveness and robust capital markets.
"Don Evans brings to the Financial Services Forum a keen understanding of both the policy process and the benefits of strong, liquid capital markets," said Henry Paulson, chairman of the Forum and chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. "All of our members look forward to his leadership in addressing the broad challenges and opportunities confronting financial markets, economies and policy makers."
Evans will interact closely with the CEOs of the largest financial institutions in the world, representing a broad cross- section of diversified financial services.
"In this fast-paced environment of the new global marketplace, leaders in the financial services industry have an opportunity to participate in the dialogue and events that shape global economic growth," said Evans. "Today I have the opportunity and privilege to bring to this unique organization a vision that will allow our citizens to participate in vibrant and competitive markets, whether they be on a local or global level. This is also a great opportunity to begin a broader based education effort to show the …


http://business.highbeam.com/1208/article-1G1-132086170/former-commerce-secretary-evans-lead-financial-services
 
 

What is going on already with the economy? If I may?

It's Sunday Night 

"Let's Hang On" by Frankie Valli

There ain't no good in our good-bye

True love takes a lot of tryin oh I'm cryin


Let's hang on to what we've got
Don't let go girl we've got a lot
Got a lot of love between us
Hang on hang on hang on
To what we've got


You say you're gonna go and call it quits
Gonna chuck it all and break our love to bits
(breakin up) I wish you'd never said it
(breakin up) No no we'll both regret it


That little chip of diamond on your hand
Mean a fortune baby but you know it stands
(for your love) A love to try and bind ya
We just can't leave behind us


Baby (don't you go) Baby (oh no no)
(think it over and) Stay


Let's hang on to what we've got
Don't let go girl we've got a lot
Got a lot of love between us
Hang on hang on hang on
To what we've got


There isn't anything I wouldn't do
I'd pay any price to get in good with you
(patch it up) Give me a second turning
(patch it up) Don't cool off while I'm burning


You've got me cryin dyin at your door
Don't shut me out let me in once more
(open up) Your arms I need to hold you
(open up) Your heart oh girl I told you


Baby (don't you go) Baby (oh no no)
(think it over and) Stay


Let's hang on to what we've got
Don't let go girl we've got a lot
Got a lot of love between us
Hang on hang on hang on
To what we've got

I thought Bush got rid of Al Qaeda in Iraq. Hm. I guess Shell and Halliburton will have to fund private contractors for security.

Road to normality … A Baghdad marketplace that used to be a haven for militias and violent gangs. Photograph: Graham Crouch for the Guardian

And Shell and Halliburton should not forget about the citizens.  They have endured war, maiming and death in order to accommodate them.  I would think Shell and Halliburton would put a 'clause' in their agreements with the provinces that the monies won't be squandered or put in offshore bank accounts but used to REBUILD the country the Plutocracy demanded.

12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, August 29, 2010

The New York Times, The Associated Press
BAGHDAD – Insurgents with al-Qaeda in Iraq (click title to entry - thank you) claimed responsibility Saturday for a wave of car bombings, roadside mines and hit-and-run attacks in at least 14 Iraqi cities and towns, a deadly campaign whose breadth dealt a blow to Iraq's fledgling security forces.
At least 56 people were killed in the attacks Wednesday, in which insurgents deployed more than a dozen car bombs. Two of the assaults wrecked police stations in Baghdad and Kut, a city southeast of the capital.
The statement from the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group for al-Qaeda militants, was posted on one of its websites. It called the assaults "the wings of victory sweeping again over a new day."...


I have a suggestion for Shell and Halliburton.  They should hire Iraqis as their private contractors.  Yep.  Pay them well.  And I would work out an arrangement with the multiple provinces for direct payment.  I sincerely believe working with the central government is what the problem is in Iraq.  If the oil companies meet with provincial leaders they'll probably find more cooperation and less violence.  Consider it a 'kickback.'  No doubt it will work.  It might even be condusive to a peaceful transition in Iraq when its central government fails and the provinces take over.  The way it was suppose to work is that all the provinces were to get a 'cut of the action' to insure national security.

Good luck.

..."In 2005, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia were all feeding the violence in Iraq; the United States was adrift without a strategy; and the Iraqi government and security forces were barely existent," said Eurasia Group analyst David Bender.
Today, he argued, those neighbors preferred stability in Iraq, Iraqi security forces had improved and the viability of the Iraqi state was not being threatened as it was in 2005....

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67S0ST20100829


It would seem as though there is something about this 'USA Transitioning Out of Iraq' that is good for the region.  The USA is no longer a target of extremists in Iraq so the region has to concentrate on cooperation and security.  Hm.  I'm sure they'll be fine.  I hold "Beirut" as inspiration to the possiblities.

Five years after Katrina, Earth is very different. Drier and hotter.

UNISYS Infrared GOES East Satellite (click here for 12 your loop)

August 28, 2010

2330 z

UNISYS Infrared Satellite (12 hour loop - click here)

August 28, 2010

2330 z

Southeast USA along the Gulf of Mexico where the dispersed oil still lives below the surface exists.  If that isn't a rotation centered storm doesn't ask me what is.  Right along the Louisiana and Mississippi border where Katrina came inland five years ago.

Atlantic Ocean Satellite

August 28, 2010

2010

The explosion along the Equator is unique and due to the high heat of Earth.  Africa's jungles have provided the water vapor needed to start the churning.

Tropical Storm Earl may prove to be a problem.  In 2005 there were two additional Cat 5 storms.  2010 is beginning to look like 2005 condensed in a week

Until Sunday evening.  Oh, yeah, I don't accept Murdoch's apology for planning their meeting on the steps of a historical event where the minority sponsored event SHOULD HAVE BEEN.  Murdoch could have rescheduled their corporate event until another day IF they actually respected Dr. King's memory.

Earl expected to intensify as it moves toward islands  (click title to entry - thank you)
By DANIEL SHEA, reporter, Daily News Staff
Published: August 28, 2010

...By that point, Tropical Storm Earl is expected to be Hurricane Earl, which is projected to be in the area of a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, Seeley said.
The National Hurricane Center is expecting Earl develop into a hurricane by 2 p.m. Sunday....

Before all this mess gets too carried away. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did not leave his dream up for grabs. It has a home in case no one did their homework. (click title to entry - thank you)

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference has a long and distinguished history.

In recent times the SCLC has been undergoing some scandal with complaints of embezzlement, but, that is really the only 'spot' on its soul.

The men of the King movement claimed their future and how the USA would remember this painful time and struggle.

There really isn't much else to say.  It really is a settled matter.  As a matter of fact, the 'vision' of the SCLC has a global view and expands widely on the movement that began after the Montgomery Bus Boycott that began with the arrest of Rosa Parks.

End of Discussion.

There is this book in case folks want to read for a deeper understanding.  It is free to anyone interested.

"Essays on the American Civil Rights Movement" (click here)

There may be an opportunity being missed in Pakistan. Location, location, location.

A man waits to transport his furniture on a rudimentary ferry service, made of tyre inner tubes and bamboo bound together, across the Swat River at Kanju in Pakistan's Swat Valley, August 26 2010, after the worst floods in decades destroyed local bridges.  Photo: Reuters

The Pakistani need to be encouraged to leave their 'tribal lands' that will never be the same.  They don't understand this isn't their future.  Organized tent cities in areas known to be safe from extremists need to be available for the refugees.  They won't have a future on the lands they call their homeland.  They have to start again, but, there is no one to direct them in the best direction to lands that can be home to them.

There has to be a way to secure these people and ALLOWING THE DISARMED into the organized tent cities may be the best way of stopping the violence of the Taliban. 

Bulgaria's EU aid commissioner worried by risk of epidemic, chaos in flood-hit Pakistan  (click title to entry - thank you)

The situation in Pakistan is likely to get worse before it gets better, European Commissioner for International Co-operation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva told an August 27 2010 news conference on her return from the flood-hit country.
Her visit had been to express the solidarity of the European people and to see how best to deploy the assistance from the European Union, Georgieva said.

She met the country's prime minister, foreign minister, those heading the disaster response effort and representatives of NGOs and aid agencies, as well as multilaterals such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.
Georgieva, who is to report to EU commissioners and the European Parliament next week, described the devastation as "terrible".
Difficulties in assistance were compounded by security concerns, and some territory being inaccessible. She reiterated the UN's call for further helicopters to deliver assistance....


I would think the USAID organization could REQUIRE the distribution of supplies are based upon whether or not the people receiving them are disarmed and secure to remain safe.  I don't know why ALL international aid isn't requiring 'disarmed' citizens to be recipients of their aid, including places like Darfur.  There are suppose to be Peace Keepers.  The areas receiving aid at any corner of the world can't even guarantee the safety of Peacekeepers. 

Wrong camp?
Dawn Editorial



Friday, 27 Aug, 2010
...When it takes the form of a torrent, water blurs all divides. This is what the floods have done in Pakistan. The deluge has brought to the fore a mosaic of organisations working for the rescue and rehabilitation of the flood affected.
Among them is Jamaatud Dawa which has drawn international condemnation for its alleged role in terrorism. Reports from the flooded districts indicate that the group is very active in providing relief. The US, which had led calls for a ban on Jamaatud Dawa for its alleged involvement in the 2008 attack in Mumbai, is now said to have firsthand information of the group’s efforts in the flood relief camps. In Sukkur on Wednesday, US Agency for International Development administrator Rajiv Shah was taken to a camp which witnesses said worked under the banner of Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation, the group’s offshoot. The US embassy has denied the report, clarifying that the camp Mr Shah visited was run by the government....

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/wrong-camp-780

No matter how unrealistic 'disarmed and safe' camps might seem, it should be a high priority to at least try. 

Who is the world saving? 

They need weapons? 

Why? 

Empty bellies don't need guns to secure their meals.

It seems to me that armed emcampments 'complicate' the distribution of aid.  Yes? 


South Pakistan floods displace a million in 48 hours  (click link below for video.)

27 August 2010
Last updated at 18:12 ET


Fresh flooding in southern Pakistan has displaced almost a million people in the past 48 hours, the UN has said.
In Sindh province, 70% of the 300,000 residents of the town of Thatta have been forced to flee to safer areas after the Indus river burst its banks.
The BBC's Orla Guerin reports on the evacuation of the town of Thatta in Sindh province.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11118127


It is my belief every citizen of any distressed country does not 'the right' to US AID.  Citizens willing to be safe and secure by disarming any camp for their women and children do deserve the aid we send.  Under no circumstances should aid be distributed to warlords and armed factions.  Absolutely not.  Gratitude is a new venue for receiving aid.  It is not a right and is provided at expense to other nations.  In exchange for the aid, the citizens in distressed countries should show gratitude by being willing to be peaceful and providing safe and secure camps.  No free ride for extremists.

Thank you Former President Jimmy Carter. Evidently, Democratic Presidents know how diplomacy actually works with North Korea.

Former President Carter is a magnificent example of a Great American.  He and his spouse have remained vital and active within the diplomatic world since leaving office. 

Carter leaves Pyongyang with U.S. citizen

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/video/2010-08/27/c_13465705.htm


They are safely home.

Aijalon Gomes, Freed By N. Korea, In U.S. With Jimmy Carter

by Frank James

U.S. citizen Aijalon Gomes who had been imprisoned in North Korea for seven months for illegally entering the reclusive communist state, returned to his native Boston Friday, accompanied by former President Jimmy Carter who won his release.
Gomes, appearing thin, tired but relieved, arrived in the U.S. by private jet and was greeted by family members, some of whom held small American flags.
As family members huddled around and took turns hugging him, Carter stood off to the side and watched, a smile on his face.
Gomes' return marked the end of an odyssey that began when the man, a teacher of English in South Korea, crossed into the north from China for reasons that remain unclear.


http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/08/27/129478308/aijalon-gomes-freed-by-n-korea-in-u-s-with-jimmy-carter


Former President Carter has been extremely instrumental in many venues internationally, including, the Middle East and Cuba.  He frequently speaks about the potential of human dignity that overcomes hatred and voids in understanding. 

Americans in South Korea have to stop causing such outrageous issues.  The world knows there is poverty in North Korea, but, if the diplomacy is to work to bring about a "Peace Peninusla" near China and Russia it can't continue to be complicated by border crossings.

We all know the poeple of North Korea are needy.  They were severely compromised when the Bush White House insisted on cutting off oil supplies to the North.  That act didni't bring about any pressure to resolve the issues of 'The Koreas.'  That act only hurt the very citizens we seek to help when doors finally open between these two countries that have been separated by The Cold War over fifty years ago.

The entire Brinkmanship of North Korea was instilled over fifty years ago.  This is the year 2010.  We have a wonderful President in the USA that has set high standards for peace and non-proliferation.  This is a perfect time for Kim to reach beyond the Cold War of decades ago to open the border between the two Koreas to unite families and allow people to come to North Korea to help improve the life styles of the North Koreans. 

If the two Presidents of the Koreas can find 'in roads' to end the suffering of their own people when longing for family and friends then why can't the rest of the world? 

It seems fairly obvious to me that 'trust' between these two countries can happen.  The entire mess of 'power struggles' over nuclear potential is such a ridiculous agenda for both these countries and for the USA.  We don't want it.  We don't want nuclear war. 

I believe Kim knows peace and non-proliferation is a venue that can open potential for growth for both the Koreas while honoring their borders.  The reason this hideous dynamic continues is because the Pacific is still 'in play,' and it should not be.  There is One China Policy.  There is hope for Non-Proliferation and nuclear disarmament between the USA and Russia.  The entire dynamic that Kim became 'used to' really has melted away except on the Korean Peninsula. 

It's time to end this silliness and allow the North Koreans contact with the people of the South and to encourage trade and cultural exchange.  There should be students from North Korea attending South Korean universities to begin a change in paradigm for the future in a 'balance' of power that provides for better health and well being to the people of both countries.
Kim can do this.  He truly should.

27 August 2010

...In a message marking the first-ever International Day against Nuclear Tests (click title to entry - thank you), which is observed on Sunday, Mr. Ban stressed that “a world free of nuclear weapons is achievable,” adding that there had been important progress in 2010....

"The Mall" is a great lawn where memorials stand and people gather for important demonstrations.

Unfortunately, that seems to apply to PLUTOCRATS.  The Hollywood performances compliments of the Murdock media really seem to be appropriate.  Media services aren't citizens, regardless, of their power to contribute to political campaigns.

My understanding is the scheduled 'gathering' is to defame a Great American by a media service.

What????????

At any rate, this is nothing more than a way to 'shake up' the country on a 'sensitive' topic for the PURE, UNADULTERATED purpose of raising ratings for their media circus. 

The best way to defeat this mess is to ignore it. 

 I mean there isn't anything important happening and I am confident it is to 'upstage' the President of the United States of the USA whom is an African American.  Seems clear to me it is an act of hostility toward minorities.


The Germans don't allow political campaigning at the Brandenburg Gate.  Why can something like this happen at all.  This isn't about any Great American, it is about defaming a minority leader that gave his life for the cause of Civil Rights.  I think the use of The Mall is really bizarre in this case.

Have a better day.

This is pathetic. The GOP are 'still' COMING OUT? The Gay Community is trying to get their Civil Rights in marriage and the GOP is still 'coming out.'

You know, Mehlman never seemed like a 'weak and demoralized guy' to me, so the entire 'idea' that 'coming out' is some kind of emotional trauma for HIM, is a bit laughable.  He waged war against the Gay Community as a GOP activist.  People trusted him and gave lots of money to the GOP while stanidng next to someone that basically they hate.

Mehlman is trying to do what exactly?  Come out?  Fine, then go get married Ken.  Whom is your significant other and are you planning a family?  No tough quesitons for Ken because he might crumble after 'going through' 'coming out.'  Give me a break.  Why doesn't the GOP ask the people that are surprised and amazed that Mehlman is Gay how they feel today?

Tell me Ken, did you send Mary Cheney's baby a card?

...The featured attraction was Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, who graciously consented to pose with me twice. (My camera's memory card was full the first time; D'oh! Thanks to Chris Green for taking this photo.) In his pep talk to the "troops," Mehlman drove home the importance of the Virginia statewide races in setting national political trends as we head into the 2006 congressional midterm elections. Indeed, both parties have invested considerable resources and deployed a number of staff members to Virginia for this campaign. Jerry Kilgore pulled slightly ahead of Tim Kaine in one of the latest polls, but it is still too close to call....

http://www.andrewclem.com/Archives/2005/Oct2005.php


"Coming Out" happens to sixteen year old girls, NOT Gay Men !!!!!!!!!  Let's all hold Kenny's hand as he paints "H8" on his face and picks up a picket sign against the 'hate mongering' Right Wing.  Let Kenny speak out against Palin and her Anti-Gay rant.  Make it count Ken !!!!

..."Log Cabin Republicans is very supportive and appreciative of Ken's coming out. Being gay and being conservative are not mutually exclusive,” said Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper. “As a fellow Bush alumnus, I also look forward to Ken helping me and our colleagues build a stronger and more inclusive Republican Party. Nothing presents a better argument for the equality of gay and lesbian citizens than the reality of our lives as responsible members of society. I am happy that Ken has come to a place where he can take a stand with integrity, and I welcome him as yet another conservative, common-sense voice to join with Log Cabin Republicans and all Americans in this important dialogue."...

http://online.logcabin.org/news_views/reading-room-back-up/log-cabin-republicans-issues-1.html

Why do I believe this is political?  Hm?

The RNC elects Gay Men to office all the time.  The problem is that GOP legislators tend to 'harder' on Gay issues then the average Heterosexual legislators.  The reason for that is because they believe being 'Anti-Gay' solidifies 'their base' without questions in regard to ANY claim they are Gay.  I would be surprised if Mehlman simply 'comes out' and then disappears.  He has done this in anticipation of effecting elections in November.  I could be wrong, but, I don't think so.  When Mehlman becomes a Conservative Democrat and actually seeks Civil Rights that include Marriage for the LGBT community I'll believe he is sincere about his 'new social status.'  This simply goes to show how desperate the RNC is to win elections.  Everyone knew Mehlman was Gay when he was Chairman of the RNC.  Everyone.  This isn't a surprise, it is a calculated risk.