4417 American Soldier dead from the Iraq Invasion and Cheney's stock options continue to increase in value.

Make no doubt the USA is leaving Iraq.  We have paid enough for Dick's oil fields.

...Several of the world’s biggest oilfield (click title to entry - thank you) services companies are preparing to work on the giant Majnoon oilfield in Iraq.

Companies including Halliburton, Nabors and possibly Petrofac are finalising contracts to help Royal Dutch Shell and Malaysia’s state-owned Petroliam Natsional (Petronas) boost the field’s production capacity to 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) from its current output of just under 45,000 bpd.
“These contracts are part of implementing the preliminary plan to develop Majnoon oilfield for the next two years,” an Iraqi official said.
Yesterday, Halliburton, which is headquartered in Houston and Dubai, said it had received a letter of intent from Shell for the development of Majnoon in affiliation with the US company Nabors and the state-owned Iraq Drilling Company.
It said the contract was subject to final approval by Iraqi authorities....



Nabors Industries Ltd. and Superior Well Services, Inc. Announce Definitive Merger Agreement

8/9/2010 6:04:00 AM


HAMILTON, Bermuda and INDIANA, Pa.,
Aug 09, 2010
PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --
Nabors Industries Ltd. (Nabors) (NYSE: NBR) and Superior Well Services, Inc. (Superior Well Services) (Nasdaq: SWSI) today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement whereby Nabors will acquire Superior Well Services. The agreement contemplates that Nabors will commence a tender offer for all outstanding shares of Superior Well Services common stock at a price of $22.12 per share in cash in accordance with the merger agreement. The transaction is valued at approximately $900 million....


http://www.nabors.com/public/index.asp?Page_ID=465&reqid=1457867&CurrentDate=20100101


Fracturing causes water contamination, pollution and human and livestock illnesss.  Poland needs to focus on Alternative Energy sources for their utility needs.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 12, 2010
HALLIBURTON DELIVERS FIRST SHALE FRACTURING OPERATION IN POLAND
Halliburton leverages shale gas technologies and experience developed in the US to support development of unconventional gas resources in Continental Europe


HOUSTON – (Aug. 12, 2010) – Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) recently performed the first-ever, shale hydraulic fracturing operation in Poland for PGNiG, the state-owned Polish oil and gas company. PGNiG contracted Halliburton to fracture the Markowola-1 exploratory well near Kozienice, Lublin province, to determine if the site contained commercial gas deposits. Increasing demand for natural gas in Poland has companies searching for domestic sources of unconventional gas deposits.
European countries have been struggling with declining production and increasing demand, according to published reports. The successful development of shale gas in Europe will provide energy and economic security for consumers.
“To have been chosen to provide the first fracture stimulation project in Poland was very exciting for us,” said Brady Murphy, vice president, Halliburton's Europe/West Africa Region....
http://www.halliburton.com/public/news/pubsdata/press_release/2010/corpnws_08112010.html



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 21, 2010
HALLIBURTON NAMES ABDALLAH S. JUM’AH TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
HOUSTON and DUBAI - Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) announced today that Abdallah S. Jum'ah has been named to the Company's Board of Directors. The appointment is effective July 14, 2010.
Halliburton Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Lesar commented: "Abdallah Jum'ah brings tremendous global knowledge and industry wisdom to our Board and we are delighted that someone of his caliber became available for service to our organization. We look forward to working with him and introducing him to shareholders at the annual meeting in 2011."...

http://www.halliburton.com/public/news/pubsdata/press_release/2010/corpnws_061610.html

July 2005
Mr. Abdallah S. Jum’ah, President and Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Aramco was recently selected the Petroleum Executive of the Year for 2005 by the Energy Intelligence Group. He began his career in Saudi Aramco in 1968 and has since 1995 served as President and CEO of the world’s largest oil producing company, managing a quarter of the world’s total oil reserves. Mr. Jum’ah also serves on the company’s Board of Directors and on the Supreme Council of Petroleum and Mineral Affairs chaired by H.M. King Fahd of Saudi Arabia....

http://www2.iefs.org.sa/CEO/Pages/PresidentandChiefExecutiveOfficerofSaudiAramco.aspx


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 18, 2010
HALLIBURTON AWARDED LETTER OF INTENT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF MAJNOON FIELD IN IRAQ
HOUSTON, TX and DUBAI, UAE – Aug. 18, 2010 – Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) has been awarded a letter of intent by Shell Iraq Petroleum Development B.V. for the development of the Majnoon field in Southern Iraq.
The giant Majnoon field is one of the world's largest oilfields. The letter of intent provides that Halliburton will serve as project manager for the development work, in affiliation with Nabors Drilling and Iraq Drilling Company (IDC). The contract is still subject to final approval by the appropriate Iraqi authorities.
Shell is lead operator and holds a 45 percent share, partner Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) holds 30 percent and the Iraqi state holds 25 percent of the participating interests in all licenses. Shell has announced that the consortium intends to increase production from the current ~45,000 barrels of oil per day to a targeted production plateau of 1.8 million barrels of oil per day.
“Halliburton has made a sizeable investment in Iraq and we look forward to providing services to Shell and the consortium in order to increase production at this historic oil field,” said Dave Lesar, Halliburton's Chairman, President and CEO. “We have in place the technology, equipment and personnel to ensure that we deliver the solutions that will help our customers in this region to meet their production goals.”
Halliburton has been active in the Middle East since 1946. Currently, Halliburton has more than 4,000 employees in the Middle East, and construction on phase I of Halliburton's 400-man base in Burjisia, Iraq is complete.
About Halliburton
Founded in 1919, Halliburton is one of the world's largest providers of products and services to the energy industry. With more than 50,000 employees in approximately 70 countries, the company serves the upstream oil and gas industry throughout the life cycle of the reservoir – from locating hydrocarbons and managing geological data, to drilling and formation evaluation, well construction and completion, and optimizing production through the life of the field. Visit the company's Web site at www.halliburton.com.


http://www.halliburton.com/public/news/pubsdata/press_release/2010/corpnws_08182010.html


...Instead, BP appears to be pushing blame towards its contractors, Transocean and Halliburton. In May, it identified seven mechanisms that may have contributed to the disaster, most of which were the direct responsibility of Transocean or Halliburton....

http://blogs.wsj.com/source/2010/08/23/investigators-home-in-on-what-could-be-worlds-deepest-crime-scene/

Just because the Religious Right had the USA by the throat for eight years doesn't mean the legislation they passed was competent.

To begin with the government has no right to interfer with medical research with goals to save lives and cure disesases. 

This case is one of the most hideous cases of all times and it isn't being argued correctly.  The injunction needs to be challenged and overturned.

...Sherley is a plaintiff in the case (click title to entry - thank you) that prompted a federal district court judge to issue an injunction against the NIH on Monday, saying government funding of human embryonic stem cell research violates federal law....

This is the National Institutes of Health and to conceive of the 'idea' that a federal judge can shut down this institutions right to conduct benevolent research without a full hearing is outrageous.  Who the hell does this judge think he is?

Medical research is vital to the populous of the USA.  Genetic Research is absolutely no different and Dr. Sherley is in violation of 'conflict of interest.'  He is attempting to develop a market in adult stem cell research which he the only research he conducts.  It doesn't end there.

The USA passes on constitutional rights to a citizen after the person is born.  There is NO 'in utero' rights of a fetus until that point.  There is no BIRTH certificate issued until a live birth is realized.  Although partial birth abortion has sustained the Supreme Court challenge is its because the fetus is a legal citizen, it was granted on humanitarian grounds and the 'idea' the fetus could feel pain.

Embryos have no rights and this decision and legislation treats them as if they do.  They don't.  The law is unconstitutional.  Abortion is allowed in the USA until the third month of pregnancy.  End of discussion.  Embryos can be 'treated specially' IF the donor had made that arrangement ahead of time, but, for an embryo that is not wanted by the donor is then committed to research that is all that is necessary.  IN THE USA, poeple can donate organs for transplants and embryos can be donated for research as well.  The law as it stands today is a double standard and is completely hideous. 

Embryos have no constitutional rights, they are not a viable life in any way, shape or form.  It is a reasonable 'act' for a person to donate embryos for research and the law is standing in the way of that vital function of any professional medical research.

It is NOT the role of the USA government to make sure there is adequate supply of embryos for a BUSINESS that is predatory upon women.  If a couple wants to have donated embryos for uterine transplant for the purpose of having a child they need to seek out a surrogate for embryonic in vitro fertilization.  There are many women that donate embryos to couples for this purpose alone, no different than a 'sperm bank.' 

This is an outrage and the litigation caters to the Plutocracy while inhibiting the research needed by the MAJORITY of Americans.  And to think a judge would actually shut down a federal medical research agency without a full and competent hearing is not only incompetent, it is a vile and hostile act against the citizens of the USA.  The judge is a complete idiot.  He can't see this case for the thinly veiled COMMERCE issue, then he needs to be examined in his practice and determine his competency to continue his judical rulings.

A dangerous precedent
Date published:
(08 July 2010)


...Last August, several Christian groups joined forces with two scientists to file a lawsuit against the US Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The lawsuit charged that the Obama administration's embryonic stem-cell policy violates the Dickey–Wicker Amendment, a law that prohibits federal funding of research on human embryos. The suit was dismissed on the grounds that the plaintiffs had no real standing in the case — that is, no tangible interest in its outcome.

But on 25 June, the Court of Appeals in Washington DC reversed the dismissal on the basis of an appeal made by the scientist plaintiffs: James Sherley, a researcher who works with stem cells derived from adult tissue at the Boston Biomedical Research Institute in Watertown, Massachusetts, and Theresa Deisher, research and development director of the firm AVM Biotechnology in Seattle, Washington. To justify their standing as plaintiffs, they argue that because federal funding is now going towards research on embryonic stem cells, there are fewer funding dollars — and therefore “increased competition” — for research using adult stem cells....

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v466/n7303/full/466159a.html


Sherley and Deisher are practicing 'protectionism' for their own wealth in complete disregard to the well being and needs of the citizens of the USA.   Embryos have no constitutional rights and the idea they can be regulated for that purpose is OUTRAGEOUS.

I understand Lamberth believes Voodoo has a place in research as well.

In this file photo, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth (PRONOUCED 'LAMB BIRTH')  is seen during a ceremony at the federal courthouse in Washington. Judge Lamberth on Monday, Aug. 23, 2010, temporarily blocked Obama administration regulations expanding stem cell research. Photo: AP

...Injunction preserves ‘status quo’
In terms of its immediate impact, Judge Lamberth however said that the injunction would not seriously harm ESC researchers because the injunction would simply preserve the status quo and would not interfere with their ability to obtain private funding for research. Further, he downplayed the impact that the stoppage of such research could have on individuals suffering from illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, saying that the possibility of the research leading to their treatment was “speculative”....


http://www.thehindu.com/health/medicine-and-research/article592058.ece


Evidently. Lamberth seems to think he knows more than God as well.  Crystal ball maybe.  SPECULTATIVE IS A VERY INTERESTING WORD, actually.  I am sure the judge's significant other is very proud of him today.

Lamberth was born in 1943 in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from the University of Texas and from the University of Texas School of Law, receiving an LL.B. in 1967.

Lamberth ruled on this case and ordered less than a half billion be paid to a half billion people in this Native American Class Action Suit.  Each Native American Indian in the litigation would get less than a dollar a piece in his ruling. 

So, let's see.  The plaintiffs are correct, but, the decision will make it meaningless.  Good job !  It isn't even a matter of the appeal, it is the decision itself that is faulty.

BOTH the plaintiff and defendant have appealed his ruling.

455 F.3d 317 (2006)
Elouise Pepion COBELL, et al., Appellees
v.

Dirk KEMPTHORNE, Secretary of the Interior, et al., Appellants.


No. 05-5269.

United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit.


Argued April 11, 2006.


Decided July 11, 2006.
 
...For the ninth time in six years we consider an appeal in this longstanding dispute between beneficiaries of Indian land trusts and their trustee, the United States. In this most recent iteration, the government challenges a district court order requiring that every mailing to trust beneficiaries include a notice stating that "any" information provided about trust matters "may be unreliable." The government also asks us to assign the case to a different district judge. Because we agree with the government that the order exceeded the district court's authority, we vacate and remand for further proceedings. And for the reasons given in this opinion, we instruct the chief judge of the district court to reassign the case....
 
http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=8630178568765024094&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr

The world is either falling apart or at war while CNNs "American Morning" goes FOXNews "Comedy Routine' with 'Happy Talk,'Car Stunts and Mento showers.

Now to the real news rather than the 'manufactured and regurgitated news.'

Busy signals and a man's death reveal problems with Montgomery's 911 system  (click title to entry - thank you)Fast-moving storms batter D.C. area

By Dan Morse
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 23, 2010
What lightning strike victim Carl Henn needed were paramedics. What those trying to help him got were busy signals.
Heavy rains doused the D.C. area Wednesday morning, slowing the a.m. commute and forcing about a dozen rescues. The floods come after a storm last Thursday downed trees and knocked out power to thousands....


Appeals court: UA student's cell phone use relevant in accident case
Posted: Monday, August 23, 2010 3:02 pm
Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services
A trial judge did not err when he let jurors hear that a University of Arizona graduate student may have been talking on his cell phone when he was run over by a pickup truck, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
The appellate judges rejected arguments by Melinda Preston, mother of Matthew Preston, that her son's phone use was irrelevant to the question of whether the city was negligent in the design and maintenance of the sidewalk, the intersection and the bicycle path. Judge Philip Espinosa, writing for the unanimous appellate court, said that, given the record of when Matthew Preston had made calls, the information was relevant to let jurors know he may have been distracted....

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/arizona/article_5da3a6b6-af02-11df-8718-001cc4c03286.html



Officer at wheel of crash vehicle
By SALLY KIDSON - The Nelson Mail
Last updated 13:00 24/08/2010
An off-duty police officer drove a 4WD vehicle that hit a 12-year-old boy leaving him with serious head injuries, and police confirm that they are looking into rumours that the officer was using his cellphone at the time of the crash.
Last Thursday, Joseph Cotton, 12, suffered critical head injuries when he got off the school bus at Atawhai's Corder Park and ran across the road.
This morning the Nelson Intermediate School pupil was in a stable condition in a children's ward in Wellington Hospital....
 
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/south-island/4056022/Officer-at-wheel-of-crash-vehicle



Cell phone explodes, killing young Indian man believed to be mid-conversation
BY Meena Hartenstein
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Thursday, August 19th 2010, 6:08 PM
Though some say talk is cheap, one man's cell phone conversation cost him his life.
Gopal Gujjar, 23, was killed Wednesday in India while talking on a mobile phone that exploded, the Times of India reports.
There were no witnesses, but Gujjar was believed to be mid-conversation when the accident occurred.
Police found pieces of the phone strewn about Gujjar's body, and he suffered burns on his left ear, neck, and shoulders.
He was reportedly talking on a Nokia 1209, a no-frills model of the phone that came out in 2008....
 
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/08/19/2010-08-19_cell_phone_explodes_killing_young_indian_man_believed_to_be_midconversation.html



August 18, 2010 11:44 AM
Frank Ryan, Plastic Surgeon, Dies: What Really Caused Crash of Heidi Montag Doc?
Posted by Aina Hunter
CBS) Dr. Frank Ryan, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who gained notoriety for performing 10 procedures at once on TV star Heidi Montag, was killed Monday in a car crash.
Ryan's Jeep Wrangler veered off of the Pacific Coast Highway and landed on the rocks below, CBS News reported.
The 50-year-old doctor was tweeting that his border collie was enjoying the view before the fatal accident, according to the New York Daily News. Ryan's dog - reportedly unrestrained - was thrown from the car but survived.


http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20013972-10391704.html
 
 
 
Cell phone use probed as cause of fatal crash

Published:

August 20 2010, 12:00 AM

Updated: August 20, 2010, 6:41 AM
Investigators are looking at cell phone use as a possible cause of a crash Wednesday in Sardinia that killed a young Holland man, an Erie County sheriff’s deputy said Thursday.
Whether Jay Stevens-Gates, 20, was talking on the phone or texting when he crossed the center line on Route 16 and crashed head-on into a tractor-trailer is part of the probe, said Deputy Jeffrey Ely of the sheriff’s Accident Investigation Unit.
Investigators also are awaiting the results of a toxicology report, though there is no indication Stevens-Gates had been drinking or using drugs prior to the 2:30 p. m. accident.
Speed and weather conditions have been ruled out as factors in the crash, Ely said....

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/erie-county/article106239.ece



Puyallup teen dies in ATV accident in Ore.
by KING 5 News

NWCN.com

Posted on August 23, 2010 at 6:48 AM

Updated yesterday at 8:40 AM
PUYALLUP, Wash. - A 16-year-old Puyallup boy has died in an ATV accident in a rural area west of Portland.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office says on Saturday just after 3 p.m., Louie Hertel called 911 and said he needed help and that he was "hurt all over." Shortly after telling the dispatcher he was hurt, the cell phone lost connection.
Several deputies and EMS responded but found it difficult to determine the boy's exact location. After a short search, EMS found the teen trapped under a Yamaha Rhino 450. Unfortunately, he had died of his injuries....


http://www.nwcn.com/news/washington/Puyallup-teen-dies-in-ATV-accident-in-Ore-101295029.html



Mel Gibson car accident: Cops respond after actor lost control of car, hit rocky hillside in Malibu
By Nancy Dillon
DAILY NEWS WEST COAST BUREAU CHIEF
Monday, August 16th 2010, 12:50 PM

...Cops said alcohol was not a factor like it was in Gibson's now-notorious 2006 DUI arrest, which spawned an anti-Semitic rant.
"He was very cooperative and respectful. There were no objective symptoms of intoxication or impairment," CHP Officer Leland Tang told the Daily News.
The Aussie actor denied that he was talking on his cell phone or texting, Tang said.
"He doesn't know how the vehicle drifted. If you're familiar with that roadway, if you sneeze the wrong way, your vehicle could drift," Tang added.
Gibson was alone at the time of the 8:35 p.m. crash and called for assistance, Tang said....


http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/08/16/2010-08-16_mel_gibson_car_accident_cops_respond_after_actor_lost_control_of_car_hit_rocky_h.html