A Frenchman attains Russian citizenship by the Russian President to become a tax refugee.

...Belgian and French (click here) press reports Monday quoted officials in Belgium confirming the 64-year old performer has moved into a house he bought in the village of Néchin, just one mile from the French border. Speculation is rampant that the move has allowed Depardieu to shift his legal residenceto Belgium to dodge the 75% tax on income over $1.27 million that Socialist President François Hollande will apply as of 2013 as part of his response to France’s debt crisis. The nation salutes your fiscal patriotism, Gégé....


Perhaps President Putin should send his Foreign Minister to negotiate a settlement.


Good friends ... Vladimir Putin, right, and French actor Gerard Depardieu. Photo: AP

SPINO

SPeaker In Name Only

Police officers are a source of stability in growth and development for elementary school children.

The sign post that used to mark the entrance to the Sandy Hook Elementary school is seen empty in Newtown (Shannon Stapleton, Reuters)

In terms of social and emotional development, (click here) six-year-olds are confident and delight in showing off their talents. They start to display an increasing awareness of their own and others' emotions and begin to develop better techniques for self-control. Six-year-olds enjoy sharing toys and snacks with friends, although conflicts among peers may remain quite frequent. 

Predictable routines are important sources of stability and security for children this age. Six-year-olds also draw emotional stability from their interactions with adults with whom they feel secure, particularly during challenging situations and circumstances.

Police Officers in Connecticut can provide a great deal of emotional satisfaction for these children. I found President Obama's comments to the community enlightening to the quality of life these children enjoy. He stated one of the children approached a police officer after the death of so many and said, "I can lead everyone out because I know karate."

Very brave and reassured to his well being when validated by officers whom they connected. They are very secure children accepting of the authorities around them.

My only concern, as I am sure the parents' concerns, is the presence of guns, accidental opportunities for children's inquisitive nature and any reporting of suspicious activity to the school's principal to follow trends. Police Officers in these circumstances should not be traffic cops on the beat to simply protect those inside; they should provide daily briefing to the principal at the end of every day to follow any trends. These police officers have different focus. They can safely put aside some of their limitations as fact finders. That is not necessarily exclusive to detectives in the community. Police officers are very smart about 'what goes on.' That resource should not be ignored.

This is an elementary school with predictable activity, attendees and adult populations. Police officers should have their own sense of well being on the job as well.

By AMANDA FALCONE, afalcone@courant.comThe Hartford Courant

7:51 p.m. EST, January 2, 2013

MONROE ——

On the way from Newtown to Monroe Wednesday morning, (click here) there were green and white signs welcoming Sandy Hook Elementary School students, parents and staff.

At the edge of the once vacant Chalk Hill School driveway, there was a sign and balloons — as well as several police officers.

Once a middle school, the former Chalk Hill School has been given a makeover and renamed. It is now Sandy Hook Elementary School — a nod to its new occupants who will begin classes in the building Thursday....

No one is playing with this disaster either. No pun intended. I can't help but believe Adam Lanza visited the school in anticipation of his murders of these children. They and the school were objects to him, not living wonderful promises to the future as he once was. I think what bothers me about the gunman is not his mental health issues, because, normally these children receive significant attention from professionals during their growing up years. What is more significant than any mental health issues, is the question what the heck happened to turn him into a killing machine?

Jean Henry (click here) was placed on paid leave by the Chief State Medical Examiner H. Wayne Carver II, pictured, after he learned Henry allowed her husband to view the body of Adam Lanza. (Michael McAndrews, Hartford Courant / January 3, 2013)

I would love to see Representative King as Speaker of the House.

Why he isn't, is a good question. He has paid all the dues to be one. I differ with him on many topics, but, if one thing is plainly obvious he never cowers from taking on tough challenges. I am sure that is what his constituents value about him. 

He has a point. If the House is going to back down from handling the business of the nation due to politics, what does that say about the importance of the business of the nation?

...King immediately name-checked Boehner (click here) (and not in a good way) in a speech on the floor. His show of fury intensified when he later appeared on Fox News. “I’m saying right now, anyone from New York or New Jersey who contributes one penny to congressional Republicans is out of their minds,” he said. “Because what they did last night was put a knife in the back of New Yorkers and New Jerseyans. It was an absolute disgrace.”...

It looks like a star formation and it isn't even household lights.

Northwestern North Dakota (click here) is one of the least-densely populated parts of the United States. Cities and people are scarce, but satellite imagery shows the area has been aglow at night in recent years. The reason: the area is home to the Bakken shale formation, a site where gas and oil production are booming.

Posted: Monday, October 1, 2012 11:10 am

A 3.3-magnitude earthquake (click here) shook ground 11 miles southeast of Williston on the morning of Friday, Sept. 28.

The quake was registered by the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology at 5:53 a.m. near the Missouri River. Deborah Smith of the MBMG said there wasn’t a good solution collected on it because the earthquake was too far away from any station....

It took days before this earthquake was even reported in the media. Above the posting is on October 1, 2012 and the earthquake occurred days before.

M3.3 - 22km ESE of Williston, North Dakota2012-09-28 10:53:42 UTCWhat seems to be the media problem in North Dakota?

Tectonic Summary (click here)

Earthquakes in the Stable Continental Region

Most of North America east of the Rocky Mountains has infrequent earthquakes. Here and there earthquakes are more numerous, for example in the New Madrid seismic zone centered on southeastern Missouri, in the Charlevoix-Kamouraska seismic zone of eastern Quebec, in New England, in the New York - Philadelphia - Wilmington urban corridor, and elsewhere. However, most of the enormous region from the Rockies to the Atlantic can go years without an earthquake large enough to be felt, and several U.S. states have never reported a damaging earthquake. The earthquakes that do occur strike anywhere at irregular intervals.

The odd fact there was a 3.3 magnitude earthquake in the exact location of the highest density domestic oil field is no coincidence. This is the North American Carton

...Now it underlies 70 percent (click here) of North America. Parts of the craton contain rocks that range in age from 2.5 to 4 billion years, including Earth's oldest-known rock. Most were highly deformed and metamorphosed as the craton was assembled....

This is the oldest, most stable rock on Earth. And at the very location of high intensity petroleum activity it is quaking. Give me a break. The Petroleum Industry is not this stupid, but, they are this media savvy.

The North Dakota state government is corrupted by petroleum money and don't give a damn about any environmental effects of their indulgences.

North Dakota

Seismic Hazard Map (click here)

It ain't suppose to happen here.

The only activity of any significance in North Dakota has always been in regard to 'felt quakes.' They were tremors 'felt' from other areas of the North American Carton where there was movement deep within the rock. Carton quakes are never severe quakes as the rock is very stable, it is mostly thought to be related to tectonic movement of the entire plate on which the carton is situated. 

The earthquake is not a minor quake. It is a Class III on the Mercalli Intensity Scale: III. Felt quite noticeably by persons indoors, especially on upper floors of buildings. Many people do not recognize it as an earthquake. Standing motor cars may rock slightly. Vibrations similar to the passing of a truck. Duration estimated.

This may seem insignificant to people as there is no major damage, but, for a carton quake this is among the highest that occurs. 

AGAIN. The dangers to high intensity petroleum drilling and hydraulic fracturing is related to the rising possibility of liquefaction.

Liquefaction (click here) occurs when vibrations or water pressure within a mass of soil cause the soil particles to lose contact with one another. As a result, the soil behaves like a liquid, has an inability to support weight and can flow down very gentle slopes. This condition is usually temporary and is most often caused by an earthquake vibrating water-saturated fill or unconsolidated soil.

There was a time when in the USA governments they actually took the threat seriously rather than sacrificing it for jobs (easily political posturing of old world energy sources) and wealth.

Posted October 6, 2012

...Art McGarr, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, (click here) who is not familiar with North Dakota geology but has studied earthquakes since 1962, said based on his experience and the amount of industrial activity going on in the Williston area, said he believes the most likely hypothesis is that wastewater injection triggered the earthquake.

Oilfield wastewater, including water that results from hydraulic fracturing, is disposed of by injecting it underground into disposal wells. North Dakota has about 390 disposal wells....

Mr. McGarr is with the USGS and not the North Dakota Department of Minerals Management. Mr. McGarr doesn't have to worry about his job and a pink slip from the North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple. Dalrymple was elected to office in 2010 in the infusion of Tea Party extremists. The USGS carries brevity in opinion. It is the correct opinion. And I'll explain why.

There are oil vats and gas vats in the craton. They are liquid or gaseous. They are under high pressure. When there is tectonic movement these liquid / gaseous vats move along with the movement of the plate. It is these areas within the craton that can emit 'felt quakes' because they are under high pressure. The oil and gas vats within the craton actually serve as shock absorbers to the movement of the plate. These vats of liquid and gas protects the craton. They distribute the movement in ways that minimize impact of plate movement to the rock. The felt quakes are low in magnitude to some extent because of these liquid / gaseous areas.

The dangers of the petroleum industry in removing these non-rock areas and replacing it with wastewater containing chemicals that dissolve rock is that they dissolve rock. This is the North American Craton. Why does anyone want to dissolve the rock that serves as the basis of an entire continent? For jobs? You've got to be joking!

When the rock dissolves and liquefaction FILLS IN THE VATS the quakes are no longer felt quakes, are no longer minor quakes and the danger to instability of the craton comes into reality!!!!!!

The shock absorbers cannot be replaced. Once they are gone, they are gone. The areas where wastewater now RESIDES removes the safety zone into dissolving rock and instability. Jerks.

These areas within the craton fall into a category similar to Rossby Waves in the ocean. They are planetary places of stability. It is a potential vorticity issue. How do I put this in plain English? English. Right. Playing billiards. Directing the direction of balls on a billiard table can occur if here is a little bit of 'English' put on the ball. The same is true in Baseball. Pitchers use their ability to change the flight of the ball in a game to out wit the batter. In other words, a 'spin' can be put on the ball while it is traveling straight. That is the kind of dynamic the petroleum industry is playing with when they dissolve rock within a craton. I am sure no one understands it, but, dissolving a craton is not an exceptionally billiant idea. Earth has limits. The Christmas tsunami of 2004 caused the tilt of the planet to change. It is important to understand seismic activity on Earth. Seriously.

A BIOTIC planet as Earth is better have shock absorbers. Earth is highly dynamnic. This antiquated form of energy is completely absurd in the year 2013. Happy New Year.

The Sword of Damocles, Grover? 

Really?

Isn't that semantics?

The Bush Tax Cuts were an act of greed and desperation in the first place. The Bush Economy was designed to destroy the entitlements, was it not?

The Bush Tax Cuts removed any restraint on wealth to inspire investment into the country. It literally moved monies out of the USA federal government into the pockets of the wealthy. No one can deny that. The Bush Tax Cuts raided the reserves of the federal government of every dime, sent the country into debt after a surplus, groveled for some kind of economy for 'job seekers,' while pandering to China and creating the largest population of food stamp recipients in recent history in the USA before the crash.

Along with the Bush Tax Cuts, the defense budget was moved out of the national budget and was always submitted for funding as a supplement. The reason for that was a strategy to bring the entitlements to a greater portion of the national treasury and cause a destruction of them.

Now, give me a break here, Grover. The Bush years were designed by intent to move the USA into bankruptcy to destroy the entitlements. The recovery from that strategy has been grueling. And what is even more humorous than The Sword of Damocles is the Heritage Foundation. They are dying to call the USA an entitlement society in the aftermath of the Bush Great Recession.

More than Half of All Federal Spending Will Be on Entitlement Programs in 2012 (click here)

In the desperation of having any kind of purpose, The Heritage Foundation (click here), has included Food Stamps as an entitlement to contrive some kind of reality to stop "The Entitlement Society."

Every aspect of the 'Crying Towel' the Republicans now have in common was designed by The Heritage Foundation. 

Grover.

Get a new life, while the rest of the country continues to rescue itself from the unartful and down right crude administration that left in it's wake a floundering country and emptied treasury. I am grateful for the entitlements as the very base of an economy that nearly was no more. Little did FDR know what he had inspired to protect the vitality of the USA economy. If FDR realized that while seeking compassion for our elderly, then he was more a genius than he ever gets credit for. Go away, Grover; you have become an annoyance, irrelevant and historical joke.