Africans Elephants are in profound danger of extinction due to poaching.

Africa needs special soldiers, either private or public to end the poaching. We have to find a way. There are many excellent elephant groups. They need to get permission, if in the USA, through the Kerry State Department to raise monies on source funding sites and hire the soldiers needed to protect these special animals. 

If anyone understands the profound and incredible society that exists with elephants, they will want to end this massacre. The US State Department could work with the countries in Africa to end this tragedy. The effort will not attack the sovereignty of the countries, it will improve their status and their economic tourism.
 
File photo shows a Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) officer standing near a burning pile of 15 tonnes of elephant ivory seized in kenya at Nairobi National Park on March 3, 2015 (AFP Photo/Carl De Souza) 

March 23, 2015
By Christophe Beaudufe

Kasane (Botswana) (AFP) - African elephants (click here) could be extinct in the wild within a few decades, experts warned at a major conservation summit in Botswana that highlighted an alarming decline in numbers due to poaching for ivory.

The Africa Elephant Summit, held at a tourist resort in Kasane, gathered delegates from about 20 countries across Europe, Africa and Asia, including China -- which is accused of fuelling the illegal poaching trade.

"This species could be extinct in our lifetime, within one or two decades, if the current trend continues," Dune Ives, senior researcher at Vulcan, a philanthropic organisation run by US billionaire Paul Allen, said.

"In five years we may have lost the opportunity to save this magnificent and iconic animal."

The conference heard latest figures from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which reported that the African elephant population had dropped from 550,000 in 2006 to 470,000 in 2013....

The House and Senate are engaged in "The Fantasy Congress."

The latest Republican Budget balances the budget over 10 years by cutting $5 and a half trillion. They are canceling the Affordable Care Act, keeping the taxes, completely changing Medicare and Social Security payments.

The Fantasy Congress. This is not a sincere balanced budget, it assaults the American public to benefit no one. It is pure nonsense and politics at the cost of the American Taxpayer. Gaming the electorate. 

The House is playing with "Queen of the Hill."

"Queen of the Hill is a type of special rule from the House Rules Committee that permits only one amendment of a series of amendments adopted on the House floor to prevail. The others fall aside, even if adopted. 

"Queen of the Hill" rules specify that only the amendment with the largest margin of victory prevails in the end.

GAMES. This is all fun and games for the right wing extremists.

The entire mess is politics and the Congress goes on recess for two weeks following the latest 'Under the Circus Tent' antics. 

I wish the President would speak out about this before Congress leaves so the electorate can be called on to take their legislators to task. 

Please don't send these Republican House members and Senators back to Congress, they don't deserve recognition of having been productive or APPROPRIATE demeanor. They have no respect for the people.  

These people are engaged in fun and games. Just that simple. There is nothing serious about these antics and it needs to stop. 

Candidate Clinton needs to take notice of this mess of a Congress. She might not even want it when she realizes now ridiculous this country's government has become. There will need to be a strong Democratic Congress to even engage Immigration Reform. 

I already know it will take on the characteristics of the Affordable Care Act as soon as it is introduced for passage by both houses. 

Additionally, I don't know how anyone can say their lives are improved by the Affordable Care Act. If they are thinking with their wallets, they need to realize the old insurance paradigm could refuse to pay a claim and throw a person off their insurance. Don't even try to tell me or many other Americans they are worse off with the Affordable Care Act, it is a lie. And if it is a Congressman or woman making the statement, well then, they are very welcome to the insurance they receive at taxpayer expense. We should all be so lucky.

Unfortunately today, Senator Sander's amendment to create an automatic "War Tax" should the USA continue and/or enter war was rejected. If this tax was employed with the previous administration the country would not be in debt as we are today.

RT is reporting the black box has been found,

It would appear France is ready to receive any parts and people of the crash site.

French fire brigade rescue units gather in a field near a farm buidling as they prepare to reach the crash site of an Airbus A320, near Seyne-les-Alpes, in the French Alps, March 24, 2015.(Reuters / Robert Pratta)

French rescue workers (click here) have discovered a flight recorder from the Germanwings A320 jetliner, which crashed in the in the French Alps on Tuesday, local media report.

France Info radio station cites parliamentarian Christophe Castaner, who said that one of the black boxes from flight 4U 9525 has been found. Same reports were broadcast by BFM TV and Le Monde.... 

This is being reported as a site of the crash. He has less issues than most thought.

Another photo of the crash site of #Germanwings flight #4U9525.

Until later.

The more I hear the more it sounds structural and decompression. Time will tell. 

Have a better day, everyone. 

Until later.

I am not surprised it will hours to reach the aircraft. BUT. It is only hours and not days and weeks.

Those recovering the site need to start to plan for the worst conditions possible to recover what lies there.

The wind conditions in the region is probably difficult. But, there will most probably be a need for "Hueys" or whatever is the equivalent today. Weather conditions at the site will dictate the ability to recover the entire fuselage. The actual jet may not be recoverable. The human toll and the black box should be recoverable. The people and the equipment may have to be brought down the mountain with sleds and arctic equipment. 

No one in the world needs more tragedy by risk taking in the recovery. Thank you.

There is enough risk built into these regions. No one needs to add more. The people able to respond are specialists. The call needs to go out to bring those able to the scene and then leave them alone to carry out a recovery with safety. Give them what they need and ask for.

France will need a coordinator/team leader to the efforts with military background. I think Alaska also has a unique team for these occasions. It will get done. 

I don't believe this one:

February 18, 2015
By Zachariah Hughes, KSKA - Anchorage

Soldiers from 12 countries and units all over the United States convened to discuss tactics, programs, and pedagogy on training military forces for operating in extreme cold environments. (Photo: Zachariah Hughes, KSKA).

Just as the Defense Department (click here) is putting the country’s military focus on the Arctic and Pacific, the U.S. Army in Alaska held its first ever international summit on cold weather combat. Elite specialists in mountaineering, skiing, and Arctic survival came to the Northern Warfare Training Center near Fairbanks to learn new techniques for fighting in terrain that can itself be a weapon against troops....

Leave it to Obama. Well, there seems to be a ready unit to do the impossible. Crevasses are no joke. They have to know what they are doing and this is a READY TEAM. The folks involved have to take care of and look out for each other in these environments.

This doesn't preclude a civilian team either. There are those probably more experienced and trustworthy to carry out the recovery, too. Climbers are awesome people. They know the responsibility to each other on a team. It is inherent to the craft.

Can jet computers be hacked? I've made that observation before in relation to drone military. It's ridiculous to rely on computers at the very least in a methodology for the defense of a sovereign country. Would someone want to make a point and hacked the computer? Anything is possible. I think the last person in "Anonymous" is in jail as of about a month ago, so it ain't them. 

Sabotage for life insurance? No. That requires a lot of expertise to carry out such a plot. The chance of making that connection from an average commercial flight is nearly zero. 

It would have to be a sophisticated computer expert and that would be a government authority, not a commercial one. I would not believe an incident like that could be accomplished by any one person. In my opinion it would require a government capacity. 

I will say though, all these online access sites that provide information about where jets are in their route would provide an access point to the transponders at the very least. The transponders should be secured as an 'end point' to their purpose. In other words, there needs to be dedicated transponders to that information that does not lead to the computer flying the jet. 

That outcome is an interesting 'mind game' but I don't believe it is realistic to consider it as a serious reason for the loss of this jet and the people aboard. I trust the major powers in the world. It is far different to hack into "Target Stores" and create mischief and the downing of a commercial jet. I would not expect any government to allow this type of disaster with their computer capacity. Any government on this planet has far better things to do with their computers. I trust them.  

It would require a rouge in order to have that occur and it would require 'practice' to carry out such a tragedy. If there was someone practicing on a government computer to commit murder I am fairly sure it would be picked up before it occurred. Computers are assessed on a regular basis. It would be a real surprise for any government to be that negligence. The USA has incredible capacity to detect such activity. Probably on a global basis to the disappointment of Chancellor Merkel. 

I just don't see that as a potential. Sorry. Interesting thought.

The Associated Press is reporting a passenger hearing noise? Wow. That could be structural integrity. In the absence of any other cause. The airlines need to do that research and don't stop with Western Pilots and airlines, invite everyone, including China and Russian commercial airlines. Those pilots fly some turbulent places. Iceland Air has amazing pilots. Everyone gets in on the project and the report is provided to everyone. This is my idea and while costs can be returned to the companies involved through whatever sources provide it, the report is to be free to everyone. End of discussion! No one is going to make a million $$$ on this project. It needs to be done. Experts can receive their pay. If all the major airlines got together they could accomplish a cooperative account in a reputable bank for their project. No outrageous expenses and 5 star hotels. Complimentary breakfast is the best they get.

Dear France,

Having a rough go of it these days, huh? We in the US know the disturbing reality that is sometimes that of airliners. This, in time, will pass as well. 

France knows the dignity of retrieving people from the farthest depths. We know when it comes to life and life shortened by tragedy France is one of the most dedicated countries and people to the integrity in understanding those lives lost.

Be comforted,
An American Woman

French Alps near Digne

Meteos-Prime - Europe Channel Water Vapor Satellite
March 24, 2015
0000

The time the jet went down was 1036 ? est ? that would make it a five hour difference in time to GMT at 0536 gmt. (click here for loop)

If emergency services are on the way, they know exactly where the aircraft has been downed. 

There has been a strong set of vortexes through the region in the past few hours. This is the northern vortex.

Below is the southern vortex. There would be a 'weather front' between the two that would create turbulence in a jet crossing that front.

Meteos-Prime - Europe Channel Water Vapor Satellite
March 24, 2015
0600

There is six hours between the two radar images.

In the loop there is also a very small vortex traversing the two vortex moving from west to east. It is nearly invisible, but, it is there. The major vortexes traveling from west to east. This other air mass was moving from east to west. There was high tropospheric air turbulence. Whether or not that effected the jet is a potential. The smaller vortex moving east to west develops out of the turbulence of the two other vortex passing each other. It is off the southern tip of the northern vortex as the other approaches. The air stream was present all the way from the farthest point on the right of the image. That air injection was the turbulence that separated the two vortex. It is nearly invisible because it has little to no water vapor until it meets the lower vortex at it's entrance from the Atlantic Ocean.

I am sorry, but, Digne falls under that air injection. I can't dismiss it right now. If there is debris in Barcelona that could be the air injection carrying some of the jet from a higher altitude. I am confident the authorities in the area will have the most minor of details soon.

My sympathies to the families and friends to those lost. It is horrible when these tragedies strike. 

24 March 2015
By Adam Withnall

An Airbus A320 (click here) carrying 148 people has crashed in the Alps in southeastern France.

French authorities confirmed the German Wings plane was flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf when it disappeared from radar.

142 passengers, two pilots and four stewards were on board.

It crashed in the Massif des Trois évêchs in the valley of Haute-Bléone, in the region of Digne.

Emergency services are on their way. 

I'll be honest about these high altitude vortexes, the 'fly by wire' technology may not have the software it needs to understand these air masses. This jet had to discern three different air mass conditions with it's on board computers within a short period of time. Jets are exposed to these air masses on a regular basis and the entire populous of pilots should be surveyed for their input regarding turbulence. The most experienced pilots will have the most information with depth as to the difference there is today as opposed to the past to MAINTAIN the trajectory and stability of the aircraft. The industry needs their input and they can do it anonymously on audio tape. Anonymous identity would create an air of honesty. The information is too important to play any kind of industry politics.

The industry needs to come to terms with the Climate Crisis. It can be classified information as computer software can be written to allow pilots their autonomous flight skills in times they believe to be questionable for a computer to be competent IF that proves to be an issue. 

Reports state it was not a careening decent. In other words it did not move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way in a specified direction. It sounds as though the pilot(s) had control of the jet. If there was an on board explosion it would not have a controlled movement.

If "Fly by Wire" was discerning the flight in varying ways due to very drastic air mass differences, it could cause it's own loss of structural integrity. Just stating what is obvious to me and not making the final analysis from solid information. 

These are large jets with large surface area. The A320 does not have an exemplary record. This is from Wiki (click here). The "Miracle on the Hudson" was a A320, but, the pilot and his experience is what saved the lives. The downing of that A320 in NYC was not the fault of the jet.

No one is stating the airline industry is unsafe or they don't care enough to be safe, but, there are real estimates regarding the public knowledge of what actually occurs. When there is inconsistency in the information the public is more rattled than the industry should allow. Honest assessments, please.

The fact of the matter is the Alps have considerable number of people competent in traversing the region. There will be recovery as soon as the best folks are at the scene. If it requires large equipment to remove the plane from the crevasse it might be a challenge. But, I am sure there are people already there or soon given the expert climbers in the area.

Given the popularity of the area there are probably witnesses to the crash much to their surprise and concern.