This is the article the Associated Press profited from by exposing the success of the USA CIA.

At first glance it all looks fairly innocent. Right? The CIA is on the job and the London Games and air travel are safe. So, what is the big deal?

Officials say al-Qaida affiliate in Yemen plotted to blow up US- bound jet using upgrade of 2009 underwear bomb, AP reports (click here)
Associated Press
May 7, 2012

The CIA has thwarted a plot by al-Qaida's affiliate in Yemen to destroy a US-bound airliner using a bomb with a new design around the one-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden, according to the Associated Press....

After all the AP only reported it after the fact. It isn't as though they actually caused the failure of the CIA, right? The AP was being a cheerleader and nothing more with an exclusive to boot.

The real problem with the story is not the story itself, it is how the AP received the information. The government never released this information, yet the AP was able to obtain these records and publish it. This is all classified information. There was no reason for the CIA to be exposed in thwarting a bomb plot. I am quite confident the CIA, FBI, Interpol and law enforcement in general is more successful than any average citizen can begin to realize, so the agencies didn't need nor were they looking for a cheerleader.

The idea classified information was leaked to the Press where it involves international terrorism can cause a lot problems to agents that would like to repeat their success. I personally would like the CIA to repeat all that success every time they venture into organized plots that will kill people regardless of their citizenship.

The controversy the dire Press is trying to 'pin' on the Obama Administration is that this is a cover up to the fact danger still exists. See, the Press is trying to make the case President Obama would not be in office today if THE PUBLIC KNEW the truth. The truth is that while President Obama claims the USA is safer it sincerely is not and this leaked information will prove same. 

The AP is playing politics and they ventured into very dangerous waters to make a point that is basically pointless.

The fact that Americans are safe is obvious to the fact they are as safe as they are. The fact of the matter is Americans or any other citizen in any other country simply doesn't know how safe they are because success means they are safe and not injured or dead.  I don't believe any American thinks terrorist networks will ever give up on killing innocent people regardless of the country. 

This article states how successful the CIA has been. We can only hope they will continue to be that successful. The fact the AP exploited information that was classified to make money and play politics is completely irrelevant to the truth we all live.

If we are safer because the CIA is this successful then we are safe and will continue to be safe so long as the intelligence agencies globally can carry out their good work uninterrupted and unexposed. 

Why do I want the government to succeed in their surveillance of important and classified information? I would think that obvious, but, just to make it clear...

...If the AP was responsible for my safety I wouldn't be safe at all. 

The Associated Press compromised my safety as an American and the safety of untold thousands without any regret and now they are on defense and they don't like it. Their only 'cover' for their actions is that government is oppressive and President Obama is the enemy. 

Right.

Mayor Bloomberg needs to address this travesty of justice.

Marijuana possession is not reason enough for Ramarley Graham to be dead. The Mayor needs to begin an investigation.

Robert Johnson, Bronx DA, Slams Judge Who Dismissed Charges Against Ramarley Graham's Killer (click here)
By Graham Rayman Thu., May 16 2013 at 6:00 AM
Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson is slamming a judge who dropped charges against a police officer in the fatal February 2012 shooting of an unarmed teenager. Meanwhile, the judge blamed the prosecutors for screwing up their grand jury instructions.

"It cannot be said more forcefully that we disagree with the court," Johnson said in a statement. He added he was weighing whether to bring the case to another grand jury or to appeal the decision to a higher court.

Judge Steven Barrett dismissed manslaughter charges against Police Officer Richard Haste yesterday for killing Ramarley Graham, saying that prosecutors erred in their presentation to the grand jury.

Graham's mother, Constance Malcolm, screamed, "They killed my child," as the judge moved toward his ruling from the bench....

This death happened as Governor Cuomo is seeking to decriminalize marijuana possession.

By Chris Francescani

NEW YORK | Mon Jun 4, 2012 4:55pm EDT

(Reuters) - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (click here) announced new legislation on Monday to decriminalize public possession of small amounts of marijuana, lowering the penalty from a misdemeanor to a non-criminal offense.

The measure - which strikes indirectly at the New York Police Department's controversial stop and frisk program - seeks to eliminate a nuance in state law that differentiates between public and private possession of the drug.

At present, first time offenders who are found to be carrying less than 25 grams of marijuana on their person are supposed to be issued a non-criminal violation ticket, similar to a traffic ticket, while those observed to be openly displaying a small amount of the drug - in an upturned palm, for instance - are often arrested on a misdemeanor criminal charge.

But critics of the NYPD's stop and frisk program say minority residents in high-crime areas are routinely arrested and charged criminally, following stops and searches by police that turn up small amounts of the drug in their pockets....

If the Associated Press is going to compromise my safety as a citizen in the United States of America they can go straight to hell. Maybe they will be more valuable to China than the USA from here. They may have finally found their niche!

Don't bring Aaron Schwartz into the discussion to bring about sympathy. The AP has absolutely nothing to do with Aaron Schwartz or what he was trying to do.

S. Amendment 711 - legal guns - continued

It is a good estimate that if the Assault Weapons Ban was enacted into permanent law, all the mass shootings in the USA since President Bush permitted it's expiration would not have happened.
``Ruger M77 Hawkeye African(below - sold at auction online for $795.00 - click here)

``Ruger M77 Hawkeye Alaskan
       ``Ruger M77 Hawkeye All-Weather
       ``Ruger M77 Hawkeye All-Weather Ultra Light
       ``Ruger M77 Hawkeye Compact
       ``Ruger M77 Hawkeye International
       ``Ruger M77 Hawkeye Laminate Compact
       ``Ruger M77 Hawkeye Laminate Left-Handed
       ``Ruger M77 Hawkeye Predator
       ``Ruger M77 Hawkeye Sporter
       ``Ruger M77 Hawkeye Standard
       ``Ruger M77 Hawkeye Standard Left-Handed
       ``Ruger M77 Hawkeye Tactical
       ``Ruger M77 Hawkeye Ultra Light
       ``Ruger M77 Mark II All-Weather Stainless Rifle
       ``Ruger M77 Mark II Express Rifle
       ``Ruger M77 Mark II Magnum Rifle
       ``Ruger M77 Mark II Rifle
       ``Ruger M77 Mark II Target Rifle
       ``Ruger M77 RSI International Carbine
       ``Ruger M77
       ``Ruger Compact Magnum(below)

There is a lot that goes into designing guns to deliver ammunition. The trajectory of a bullet 'takes a dive' after it is fired. That is figured into 'gun sights' when they are mounted onto the weapon. The Magnum in this case was made to be 'lighter' so the 'flight / trajectory' of the bullet is less effected by air resistance and gravity. This Magnum has less gun powder and less metal, so it's trajectory won't deteriorate as quickly. 



These bullets cost $3.75 each.

The idea of shortening a magnum case, and increasing performance by optimizing a case's geometry to deliver more power with less powder began with Lazzeroni back in the early 1990's.Winchester introduced  seven different Short and Super Short Magnums, (3 WSSM & 4 WSM)  in the early 2000's. Now Ruger and Hornady have developed two "Proprietary" Short Magnums, the 300 RCM and  338 RCM, RCM for Ruger Compact Magnum.
200 grain projectile = 2,850 FPS
225 grain projectile = 2,710 FPS
and slightly beats out the
338 Winchester Magnum

``Ruger M77RL Ultra Light
       ``Ruger M77VT Target Rifle
       ``Ruger Model 77 Bolt Action Rifles
       ``Sako Bolt Action Rifles
       ``Sako Classic Bolt Action
       ``Sako Deluxe Lightweight
       ``Sako FiberClass Sporter(below) What is the advantage of a fiberglass stock? Anything goes. Any custom pattern for camouflage or style can be accommodated. Any accessory that can be built into a stock can happen with fiberglass. It is like racing strips on a gun. It is all about jazz. The fiberglass is also lighter in weight.


``Sako Hunter Left-Hand Rifle
       ``Sako Hunter LS Rifle Sako Hunter Rifle
       ``Sako Mannlicher-Style Carbine
       ``Sako Safari Grade Bolt Action
       ``Sako Super Deluxe Sporter
       ``Sako TRG-S Bolt-Action Rifle
       ``Sako Varmint Heavy Barrel
       ``Sauer 90 Bolt-Action Rifle(below)

This bolt action rifle was manufactured just twelve years (1973-1985), by JP Sauer of Germany for Colt. According to the serial number chart below, only 15,600 rifles were produced from 1973 through 1978. I don't have the serial number ranges after 1978, but I'm looking for them.


Bolt action firearms (click here) have earned a reputation for being more powerful and accurate than any semi automatic rifle. For this reason, they are still the choice of many target shooters and snipers. This is true because of the way that bolt action rifles close the chamber. When a bullet fires inside the chamber, the force from the explosion is completely directed at propelling the bullet down the barrel (In an autoloader, part of the energy is used to cycle the action). Also, a bolt action's only moving parts when firing are the pin and spring.

       ``Savage 16/116 Rifles
       ``Savage 110 Bolt Action Rifles
       ``Savage 110CY Youth/Ladies Rifle
       ``Savage 110F Bolt-Action Rifle
       ``Savage 110FP Police Rifle(below) Savage is a manufacturer.


``Savage 110FXP3 Bolt-Action Rifle
       ``Savage 110G Bolt-Action Rifle
       ``Savage 110GV Varmint Rifle
       ``Savage 110GXP3 Bolt-Action Rifle
       ``Savage 110WLE One of One Thousand Limited Edition Rifle(below) For sale online for $549.00 plus $19.00 shipping.


``Savage 112 Bolt Action Rifles
       ``Savage 112FV Varmint Rifle
       ``Savage 116 Bolt Action Rifles
       ``Savage 116FSS Bolt-Action Rifle
       ``Savage Axis Series Bolt Action Rifles

The Savage Axis is built for hunting, (click here) and it shows in the stock design. The wrist area of the stock is smaller in circumference than most, which makes for a very secure grip, with or without heavy gloves. The grip and forend areas are heavily textured for a secure grip as well. The trigger guard has plenty of room for a gloved finger. The stock has sling swivel studs attached, as should all hunting rifles. The butt of the stock wears a very well-designed and effective recoil pad. It has plenty of thickness and plenty of give, making the rifle very comfortable to shoot. There are no open sights on the twenty-two inch barrel, but the receiver is drilled and tapped for scope bases. The sporter-taper barrel measures just .581 inch at the muzzle, and the barrel is free-floated into the stock.  The barrel is threaded into the receiver, and locked into place by the familiar Savage barrel nut.  As mentioned, this rifle is a hunter’s rifle. It handles and balances very well, and the 243 shown here weighed in at six and one-half pounds, just as advertised. It is light enough to carry well afield, but still has enough heft to feel like a real rifle, and not an abbreviated version of one.







Sims Vibration Laboratories LimbSaver Slip-On Recoil Pad Small/Medium Black 10545 w/ Free S&H (click here)

As a point of interest the 'end cap' on many shotguns and rifles are an 'add on' to absorb the recoil (explosion). This is an example.

``Savage Model 10 Bolt Action Rifles

``Savage Model 10GXP Package Guns

``Savage Model 11/111 Series Bolt Action Rifles
       ``Savage Model 12 Series Rifles
       ``Savage Model 14/114 Rifles
       ``Savage Model 25 Bolt Action Rifles
       ``Savage Model 110GXP3 Package Guns
       ``Savage Model 112BV Heavy Barrel Varmint Rifle
       ``Savage Model 112FVS Varmint Rifle
       ``Savage Model 116FSK Kodiak Rifle
      More tomorrow. Thank you for your interest.

The FBI, Mr. Rove. The investigations aren't finished yet.

By Stephen Ohlemacher
May 16, 2013

WASHINGTON — Don't look for the outcry (click here) over the Internal Revenue Service's improper targeting of tea party groups to subside with the ouster of the agency's acting commissioner. 

Three congressional committees are investigating, and the FBI is looking into potential civil rights violations at the IRS, Attorney General Eric Holder said. 

Other potential crimes include making false statements to authorities and violating the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in some partisan political activities, Holder said. 

President Barack Obama said Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew had asked for and accepted Steven T. Miller's resignation. Obama is expected to name a new acting commissioner by the end of this week....

President Obama is interested in governing and not dictating. He isn't interested in yes men.

May I be as so bold to say Democrats are not interested in an Empirical Presidency. I suppose Mr. Milbank can insult President Obama as 'out of touch,' but, that is President Obama's governing style.

By Dana Milbank, Published: May 14

President Passerby (click here) needs urgently to become a participant in his presidency.

Late Monday came the breathtaking news of a full-frontal assault on the First Amendment by his administration: word that the Justice Department had gone on a fishing expedition through months of phone records of Associated Press reporters.... 

I don't find him out of touch at all. He is not colluding in any way with any of the government departments as did Mr. Cheney. I find solace in that. He isn't interested in an agenda so much as bringing the USA back from a dysfunctional economy.

President Obama loves this country and believes in it's people. He doesn't seek to reward corporations for outsourcing American jobs. He understands the poor and disenfranchised and his administration shows it.

President Obama places qualified professionals in positions of power within his administration, something Republicans aren't familiar with. He expects everyone to do their job. This cabinet is not lined with yes men or women, something Cheney would abhor.

If he was as surprised at the rest of the nation at an IRS reacting to the overwhelming reality of an illegal and immoral Karl Rove, that only proves he expects the best of all of us. I mean the folks at the IRS are Americans expected to do a job and do it well.

President Obama has made statements of FREEDOM, something Americans have forgotten about with the last administration. He has stated things like, "...returning science to it's rightful place..." when he FREED stem cell research from OPPRESSIVE and ANTIQUATED standards.

When he bravely broke down barriers for the growth of alternative energies he stated, "We must not be prisoners of the past. Don't believe the misinformation out there that suggests there is somehow a contradiction between investing in clean energy and economic growth. It's just not true."

In case Mr. Milbanks doesn't recognize it, that is FREEDOM. His policies are about removing barriers to success and not adhering to ideologies. For decades the alternative energy sector has been oppressed by Republicans pledging allegiance to the petroleum industry.

President Obama is unafraid, something else the rigidity of ideology brings. Fear. Fear has dominated the previous administration. President Obama is not afraid of the truth or the facts. He confronts issues with importance and brevity, not nonsense and mind speak or political rhetoric.

So, for those that believe President Obama's spontaneity is laughable as if he is playing the politics of charismatic avoidance, then their thinking is polluted with all kinds of shoulds and shouldn'ts. Gratefully, President Obama is not interested in should or should not, but, more so in 'what are the facts.'

I want to know if the prostitution ring in the military is an isolated incident or not.

If one recalls some of the testimony made to Congressional committees there was an understanding of a 'woman's place' within a unit before they even arrived for their assignment. The women that testified stated, even at what could be considered executive offices, were met with completely depersonalizing experiences to let them know where 'they fit in.' So, I want to know is there a pervasive culture within the military that single women are chattel in a way no one ever thought possible.

Sen. Coons (far right) helps introduce the Military Justice Improvement Act

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Calling it a problem (click here) that's out of control, Sen. Chris Coons says he's appalled at the rising number of sexual assaults in the military.

He's joining with Republicans and Democrats in the Senate Thursday to unveil the Military Justice Improvement Act.

"We have a problem that is frankly out of control. According to the Pentagon's own numbers, there were more than 19,000 sexual assaults within our armed forces last year -- a number that, by some counts, has grown by more than 30%. We need to make certain that those who stand for us, those who serve in our armed forces, are safe from harassment and sexual assault while they defend us," Coons says....

But, will they confirm him? That was a problem with the past Director.

On October 13, 2009, the United States Senate confirmed Danny Werfel as the Controller of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 

As Controller, he is responsible for coordinating OMB's efforts to initiate government-wide improvements in all areas of financial management, including financial reporting, improper payments, real property management, financial accounting standards, grants management, and financial systems. 

More recently, Mr. Werfel has taken on an expanded role within OMB, leading the coordination of OMB’s efforts in the areas of Federal procurement, information technology, and personnel policy and performance management. Prior to his current position, Mr. Werfel served in multiple capacities within OMB, including Deputy Controller, Chief of the Financial Integrity and Analysis Branch, Budget Examiner in the Education Branch, and Policy Analyst in the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. 

Mr. Werfel also served as a Trial Attorney in the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. Mr. Werfel is a recipient of both national and local awards from the Association of Government Accountants for his contributions to Federal financial management. He was the recipient of the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service in 2008. 

Mr. Werfel also served as a member of the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Werfel holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy from Duke University, a Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Bachelors Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University.

Politics are difficult in the Middle East. I think everyone can appreciate Prime Minister Erdogan's friendship with the USA.

The Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pictured with his wife Ermine, tried to lift the ban on headscarves in universities. Photograph: Henning Kaiser/AFP/Getty images.

Matthew Weaver and agencies
Friday 24 October 2008

...Turkey's prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's (click here) attempt to lift a ban on wearing headscarves in universities was anti-secular, the country's highest court said today in a ruling that could reignite tensions between the country's secular and pro-Islamic factions.

In July the Guardian reported that the constitutional court stopped short of disbanding Erdogan's Justice and Development party (AKP), but it cut off state funding to the organisation.

Justifying that decision, in a ruling published today, the court said the party violated secular laws but did not incite violence....

I had no idea Prime Minister Erdogan was so involved with Palestine. That is exceptionally good news. I can't help but wonder if he is also meeting with the King Abdullah II of Jordan whom is also involved with Palestine. 

King Abdullah ii met with President Obama in April this year. That was before Israel removed the chemical weapons facilities in Syria. King Abdullah ii has been talking about diplomatic and legal measures of Israel. 

If Prime Minister Erdogan would meet with King Abdullah ii of Jordan it might bring more continuity to the outcomes with Palestine. That was my only thought. There may be differing views in the region that could result in failure of any attempts by Turkey. I am confident King Abdullah ii has an appreciation of the destruction of the chemical weapons plants that could be brought to focus in Turkey's position. 

Currently, Jordan has a large population of refugees from Syria. I am sure there is common ground Turkey and Jordan have in the region.

I appreciated his condolences regarding the Boston bombings. 

His opening statement was quite extensive and much appreciated as well.

By Kevin Sullivan,May 13, 2013

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, (click here) a critical U.S. ally in the Muslim world, is struggling with the crisis in Syria, which has strained his country’s fast-growing economy, swamped it with hundreds of thousands of refugees and created unusually public friction with Washington.

The urgency of Erdogan’s concerns over Syria was underscored by Saturday’s car bombings that killed 46 people in the Turkish border town of Reyhanli, where thousands of Syrian refugees have taken shelter. Erdogan’s government blamed the blasts on the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — an allegation that Syrian officials quickly denied.

Erdogan, the strongest Turkish leader in generations, and President Obama agree on broad goals in Syria, Iraq and Iran, which all share borders with Turkey. They both say Assad must go, after two years of violence that has left more than 70,000 people dead....

There is also the issue of the Kurds which the Prime Minister alluded to when he commented about the elections in Iraq. There is significant movement within "Kurdistan" to remain more autonomous than not from the Iraq Central government.

Posted By Kirk H. Sowell 

Monday, May 13, 2013 - 11:10 AM 

Iraq's April 20 provincial elections (click here) were like two elections in one country. They included all provinces outside the Kurdistan region except Kirkuk, due to a long-standing dispute over election law, and the predominately Sunni provinces of Anbar and Ninawa, where the cabinet postponed elections under the pretext of security following a series of candidate assassinations. Elections are now set for July 4 in those two provinces....

The struggles within Iraq that add to autonomous regions such as the movement with the Kurds adds to instability along the Turkish boarder when there is so much going on with Syria, refugees and establishing a power sharing government there. The Kurds are an issue with Turkey. There is also the Kurdish extremists that have existed for more than one generation and believe violence toward Turkey is an answer, too.

...The "Shiite election" covered the southern nine provinces plus Baghdad and parts of Diyala and Salah al-Din. In this election Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law Coalition (SLC) won a reduced plurality, large enough to keep alive any hopes Maliki might have of a third term following next year's parliamentary elections, but too weak to provide him a clear mandate. Secular Shiite parties faired poorly, and most of the vote shifted to Islamists, likely in reaction against the excesses of recent Sunni protests...

The elections are more or less provincial across Iraq. So long as this continues the movement toward autonomous regions will increase. That means the ethnic divide will be a cause of instability to the borders that now define Iraq and surrounding countries. If the ethnic mix in Iraq cannot find a consolidated central government to their best interests there will be movement to not only divide into autonomous provinces, but, to expand the borders of the provinces to include larger ethnic definition. 

It is a direct threat to a sovereign Turkey. To some extent the unwillingness to remove 'the head scarf' involves tightening ethnic definitions. Whether that interprets into a sovereign Turkey is an interesting focus. And where the USA policy fits into these dynamics is vital to USA interests and alliances.

...The "Sunni election" likewise produced a winner but not an overwhelming one, with Speaker Osama al-Nujayfi's Mutahidun ("Uniters") bloc winning an overall plurality while coming in second in Salah al-Din to Governor Abdullah al-Jiburi, who has worked in cooperation with Baghdad over the past year. Nujayfi's primary Sunni rival was Deputy Prime Minister Salih al-Mutlak's Arab Iraqiya, and it came well behind. Mutlak framed the campaign as its support for a nationalist, centralist, and secularist government against the Mutahidun's Islamism and alliance with Turkey, Qatar, and the Kurds. But he has faced a torrent of derision from Sunni media for his ties to Maliki....

Just as a point of interest, there is movement within the leadership of the Islamic communities to accept the outcomes of elections based in media exposure. That is a huge paradigm shift from the long past of these religions.

It is safe to say the religious content of the ethnicities of the area is placing a vital part of the political content. I would estimate the religious content will become a growing influence among the electorate of these areas. That does not have to be destabilizing. I remind the Grand Ayatollah ali al Sistani has lead a very peaceful content for his people. His influence will mean little to Sunnis and Kurds, but, it does provide a reference point to the peaceful content that can exist in these communities.

Monday 13 May 2013

During his recent speech, (click here) Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah spent more than half of his time lecturing about media. 

Isn't this a paradox on its own? He is the head of a totalitarian party based on political, security, religious and media hierarchies. Violating them is not allowed.

Yet, here Nasrallah is talking about freedom and democracy in the media.

But of course, Nasrallah made accusations against the oppositional media - that is the "non-resistance" media. According his analysis, Nasrallah came up with the conclusion that the success of the resistance media is that it is simply honest and loyal over defending the nation and its sanctities. And so, Nasrallah diagnosed the situation by concluding that the media's major problem is lying and lacking credibility.

Those who watched Nasrallah's speech will not run out of examples to point out his contradictions or to show the inciting roles that the "resistance" media play. They will also not fail to notice that the "resistance" media's major task is brushing off critical thinking and drowning the party's audience in political, religious and doctrine propaganda....

All my hopes to the good work of Prime Minister Erdogan.

The Symbiote Wars

Since the IRS also is the chief enforcer of Obamacare requirements, [Bachmann] asked whether the IRS’s admission means it “will deny or delay access to health care” for conservatives.

At this point, she said, that “is a reasonable question to ask.” […]

[S]hould Americans fear their government may try to harm them if they are conservative?

“It now is an entirely reasonable question for the American people to ask,” she said. “Will Obamacare be so politicized and misused?”

No. But, Murdoch will be willing to make the case.

The upcoming Presidential News Conference with the Prime Minister of Turkey is the second in meetings regarding Syria, the first being a very recent visit by Prime Minister Cameron of Great Britain. President Obama is meeting with his allies while Secretary Kerry is meeting with all other parties and Ambassador Rice is supporting other nations at the United Nations. The Obama Administration is hard at work to end the horror that is Syria, but, I guarantee you that will not be the focus of the news conference as it should be. The news conference will be another venture into sensationalizing populous news that has nothing to do with global peace and prosperity.

Ocean temperatures and overfishing along with petroleum industry impacts.

I don't believe there is much that can be done about it. It might help to remove larger amounts of octopus, but, in the Pacific the continued overfishing of cannable species of tuna and swordfish have proven to give OPPORTUNITY to squid.

One thing about overfishing or environmental degradation (warm water or petroleum pollution) that leads to opportunity of other species to thrive, is that once a species is given a leg up, such as octopus in this case, it is all that much more difficult for the lowered populations of fish to recover. It is a matter of environmental resources and how they are obtained by recovering species. Removing the competitive species is the only way of redistributing resources in the depressed species favor.

The waters in Florida never got cold enough to provide a good catch for Southern Florida. I would suggest the Florida Marine Fisheries investigate this phenomena. It may be there are other reasons beside water temperature affecting the population as well. There are still significant amounts of chemicals at the bottom of the Gulf that could be having an impact on the fisheries. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute might be able to help, too.

Marine environments are always complicated, but, it is not as though the impact on fish species can't be sorted out and should. When species crash in population it usually is more an indication of the conditions they thrive in rather than the species themselves. So, if the stone crabs are low in number or missing from their usual environments that is a clear indication there is something wrong that will ultimately effect other species to crash, too.

For unknown reasons, it has been a banner season for octopus, a predator of stone crabs in the Keys and all along the state's Gulf of Mexico coast.
BY KEVIN WADLOW
KEYSNET.COM

The end of stone-crab season (click here) this week may be barely noticed by the Florida Keys commercial fleet.

With costs of making a trip to pull traps often higher than the value of claws harvested, many Monroe County stone-crabbers gave up on the poor season months ago.

The seven-month season, which ended Wednesday, was only weeks old when Gary Graves of Marathon's Keys Fisheries described a harvest "as bad as I can remember during my 45 years in the business.... It's just bleak."

It never improved, Rick Hill of Key Largo Fisheries said Tuesday. Fishermen count on cold weather to lure stone crabs into traps, Hill said....

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/16/3400578/keys-suffers-through-dismal-stone.html#storylink=cp

Add to natural trends in warming oceans that allow OPPORTUNITY for other species and then realize the Florida waters are complicated by oil and debris and subaquatic environments hostile to stone crabs and the picture is fairly grim.

March 31, 2009 10:01 AM
...While many fish species (click here) have been declining in the Pacific, there has been a population boom in Humboldt squid....

by Jacek Majkowski

Most tropical principal market tunas (click here) have reacted well to exploitation due to their very high fecundity, wide geographical distribution, opportunistic behaviour and other populations dynamics that make them highly productive. With proper management, they are capable of sustaining high yields. The possibilities of overexploitation and stock depletion should not be underestimated, however.

In the western and central Pacific, there is still a potential for significant increases in catches of skipjack. Higher catches of skipjack might be sustained also in the eastern Pacific and possibly, also in the Indian Ocean, but this is uncertain.

Concerns is also increasing over the overexploitation of bigeye, another species highly desired for sashimi, which is tropical and has a life span shorter than bluefin. In addition to possibly causing over-fishing, the increasing purse seine catches of small bigeye may negatively affect the longline catches of large bigeye, which has much higher prices.

The remaining stocks of tropical principal market species are close to being fully exploited.

Already the temperate species of bluefin, most desired for sashimi, are overexploited, if not depleted. The Western Atlantic bluefin stock is depleted as is the southern bluefin. The yield-per-recruit of Pacific bluefin could be increased if catches of small bluefin taken by trolling and purse seining are reduced.

The stocks of temperate species of albacore used mostly for canning are moderately exploited in the South Atlantic and the South Pacific, fully to overexploited in the North Pacific and overexploited in the North Atlantic. The status of albacore in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Indian Ocean is unknown....

When populations of predators at the top of the marine food chain collapse the remaining species have an OPPORTUNITY to explode their populations. In the case of species like squid and octopus any lack of predation allows huge explosions in populations because they produce large amounts of young in one  spawning and then extrapolate that to a season and the pictures becomes obvious to why these species over take the waters.


Three species face global extinction, while two more will be under threat without action to help them


By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
UPDATED: 10:36 EST, 8 July 201

...Dr Kent Carpenter, manager of IUCN's marine biodiversity unit (click here) and an author of the study, said: 'All three bluefin tuna species are susceptible to collapse under continued excessive fishing pressure.

'The southern bluefin has already essentially crashed, with little hope of recovery.

'If no changes are made to current fishing practices, the western Atlantic bluefin stocks are at risk of collapse as they are showing little sign that the population is rebuilding following a significant reduction in the 1970s.'

Most of the economically valuable species such as tuna are at the top of the marine food chain, and their decline could have negative impacts on other species....

I would expect arms shipments into Syria would be curtailed in large measure to move a transition forward.

UN condemns Assad forces but unease grows about Syria's fractious rebels (click here)

Reuters

Thursday 16 May 2013

...While the non-binding text has no legal force, resolutions of the 193-nation assembly can carry significant moral and political weight. There were 107 votes in favor, 12 against and 59 abstentions - a drop in support compared with a resolution condemning the Syrian government that passed in August with 133 votes in favor, 12 against and 31 abstentions.

UN diplomats cited concerns that Syria could be headed for "regime change" engineered by foreign governments and fears about a strengthening Islamist extremist element among the rebels as reasons for the decline in support for the resolution.

Russia, a close ally of and arms supplier to Assad, strongly opposed the resolution drafted by Qatar, which Assad's government has accused of arming the rebels seeking to oust him. But Moscow, which along with China has used its veto three times to prevent Security Council action against Assad, could not block the motion as there are no vetoes in the General Assembly....

I love the fact there are so many more participants in leadership at the United Nations. The countries with the best insight into the best outcome for a country or region should be leading at the United Nations. There is no reason for them to be overshadowed when they hold the greatest insight to peace.

By Patricia Zengerle
KIRUNA, Sweden (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (click here) said on Wednesday they believed they could pull off peace talks on Syria, where their nations back opposing sides in a war that may have cost 120,000 lives.

Differences between Russia, a main ally of President Bashar al-Assad, and the United States, which supports those trying to topple him, have long obstructed U.N. action on the turmoil that has convulsed Syria for more than two years.

But last week Kerry and Lavrov announced plans to hold a peace conference now expected to take place in Geneva in June.

"Both of us are ... very, very hopeful that within a short period of time, pieces will come together so that the world, hopefully, will be given an alternative to the violence and destruction that is taking place in Syria at this moment," Kerry said at a news conference after meeting Lavrov in Kiruna, Sweden.

"I would very much share the assessments just presented by John," Lavrov said.

He said Moscow and Washington were trying to mobilize support for the negotiations from Syria's government and opposition, as well as other countries concerned....

There are still no arrests in the West Texas explosion? Tax protests are the best they can do?

What Went Wrong in West, Texas - and Where Were the Regulators? (click here)

A member of the Valley Mills Fire Department walks among the remains of an apartment complex next to the fertilizer plant that exploded on April 17, 2013 in West, Texas. Seven different agencies regulate fertilizer plants in Texas, but none of them have authority over how close they are to homes and schools. (Erich Schlegel/Getty Images)

By SUSANNA KIM (@skimm)

May 15, 2003

After a fertilizer plant explosion (click here) destroyed part of a small city last month, the leaders of West, Texas, find themselves in the difficult financial position of having to collect property taxes from residents whose homes were destroyed.

No one is more conflicted than West Mayor Tommy Muska, whose home was partially damaged by the blast at West Fertilizer Co. outside Waco April 17 that killed 15 people. And while 55-year-old mayor understands the need to collect revenue, he can identify with the frustatration of homeowners who're facing an expensive repair of their property.

"It's a double-edged sword," Muska said. "I'm a taxpayer as well. I clearly don't want to pay taxes on a house that's been damaged like mine's been damaged."...

The "heat sink" in the area. Cities and towns are heat sinks. They spawn their own tornadoes. It has been a bit of a trend.

The reason the tornado formed over the city itself is because it was the hottest spot in the area. It has been a characteristic for some of the tornadoes in a hot troposphere.

If one recalls the tornado that caused significant damage to St. Matthews Church in Memphis years ago. I think it was Memphis. It was a place where tornadoes never happened before.

This was the tornado that occurs in Massachusetts.

City and town are heat sinks. It is irrelevant whether the tornadoes are an outbreak or not, heat sinks are creating their own tornadoes in a hot troposphere.

At Least 6 Confirmed Dead from Possible Tornado in Texas (click here)

Published: May 16, 2013, 7:27 AM EDT weather.com 

Officials awaited daybreak to fully assess the scope of the destruction left in the wake of a deadly tornado in Granbury.

Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds said he hoped the death toll from the tornado would hold at six, with about 50 people injured and 250 people left homeless....

I thought tornadoes were becoming such common place in the USA they weren't being noticed in the media, so much as just another weather event. I guess this one is in Texas so 'it matters.

This tornado outbreak, noted below, occurred in January. The first of it's kind for the month of January. We should still be talking about this, but, other than local coverage I think it mostly went unnoticed. So, while everyone is traumatized over the predictable Texas tornado, I thought I'd bring up this historic event.

Posted: Jan 28, 2013 5:35 PM ESTUpdated: Feb 19, 2013 3:09 PM EST

Twenty tornadoes confirmed in Middle Tennessee (click here)

Tornado 1: An EF2 in Mt. Juliet in Wilson County near the intersection of Mount Juliet Road and Lebanon Road.

Tornado 2: An EF0 from south of White Bluff in southeast Dickson County to Kingston Springs in southern Cheatham County.

Tornado 3: An EF2 has been confirmed in Hickman County near the Coble Community.

Tornado 4: An EF0 from Shute Lane in southwest Gallatin in Sumner County through Fairview Plantation, to Bay Point to Bledsoe Creek State Park.

Tornado 5: An EF0 has been confirmed in Sumner County, between Millersville and Gallatin.

Tornado 6: An EF0 has been confirmed in Sumner County, from HWY 25 and Harsh Lane to the Sumner County RC Fliers area.

Tornado 7: An EF1 has been confirmed in eastern Robertson County near Highway 76 between Springfield and White House including the Pinson School Rd area to Bethlehem Rd and Baggett Rd. This tornado continued into western Sumner County.

Tornado 8: An EF1 has been confirmed in north-central Wilson County from along Mann Rd. to southern Trousdale County near Highway 141.

Tornado 9: An EF0 has been confirmed in southwest Macon County about 7 miles southwest of Lafayette.

Tornado 10: An EF0 has been confirmed in northeast Macon County about 7 miles northeast of Lafayette.

Tornado 11: An EF0 has been confirmed in Cheatham County in Ashland City.

Tornado 12: An EF1 has been confirmed in Rutherford County near Eagleville.

Tornado 13: An EF0 has been confirmed in Williamson County in Franklin.

Tornado 14: An EF0 has been confirmed in Coffee County near Manchester.

Tornado 15: An EF0 tornado was confirmed in Davidson County near Dickerson Pike.

Tornado 16: An EF0 tornado was confirmed near the Sumner-Trousdale County line.

Tornado 17: An EF0 tornado was confirmed in Cannon County.

Tornado 18: An EF1 tornado was confirmed in Humphreys County.

Tornado 19: An EF1 tornado was confirmed in Wayne County.

Tornado 20: An EF1 tornado was confirmed in Lincoln County from just southeast of Dellrose to six miles west of Fayetteville.