California unemployment rate jumps to 9.3% in December

The Economic Stimulus of Obama. Will it achieve an outcome as ALL THE SPENDING OF BUSH never achieved anything except wealth of the Upper 2% of the nation (which then narrowed to the upper 1%).

There is dearly little that President Obama can do wrong so long as he has his sights on 'creating jobs' OR and better yet returning the infrastructure of LOST jobs to the American government and the American people.

The JOB LOSSES under Bush's Administration were PLANNED. They were even sought so that the ideology of the Republicans would come true and all would be so wonderful with the country that Democrats would no longer live or breath.

What Bush attempted to do was 'remake' the ' Republican Era under Reagan ' that actually masked the fact that there was no 'real' economy so much as an economy of exploitation of national resources. Reagan never had an economy that sustained either. He deregulated everything and people made lots of money. The deregulation of the Reagan Republican Era caused all kinds of economic 'Boomtown' upticks, including the Junk Bond King Michael Milken.

When Bush attempted a Reaganesque economy he forgot that American Resources 'left behind' by Reagan were down to the bare bones. Bush didn't care. He wanted 'some way' of buoying an economy. He figured when he finished there would be so many opportunities to spark entrepreneurs that all the losses would be disregarded for the wealth the nation now knew. Bush's economy, just like Reagans was illegitimate. It never 'had the qualities' of sustainability so much as 'flash in the pan' and that is what Obama has to avoid.

So. When Obama speaks of and promises change he has to insure that the monies in his stimulus package are going to deliver 'sustainable job infrastructure' and not just 'flash in the pan ideologies.' He has a unique way of looking at it as well. He doesn't support blanket 'shovel ready jobs' in the manner that one 'traditionally' thinks as 'CONSTRUCTION.' We don't need more building in this country, we need to reclaim the value of the homes and buildings that already exist. We do that through finding an economy of 'value' that 'deserves' Americans working within it.

What the Governors of the country have the luxury of doing is absorbing monies from a stimulus package and deliver 'some kind' of infrastructure to their states that provides decreases in unemployment. Obama has more responsibility than they do. He has to structure his stimulus to deliver a 'recovery' and not just a 'Boomtown.'

The 'type' of construction jobs that will result from Obama's stimulus package will come in the way of bridge repairs and alternative energy sources such as solar and wind. Accompanied by those 'temporary' construction jobs will be long term employment by workers that monitor 'the maintainence' of the construction. There will be a 'replacement' of temporary jobs with 'sustainable' jobs. The problem then arises as to how much of a 'tax base' remains after the spending for necessary infrastructure changes.

Follow?

See, the 'Boomtown' aspect to the infrastructure building in the way of alternative energy sources, that might also include ethanol plants and pumps along with the manufacture of new autos that can accommodate that change in fuel source; will provide some tax base strengthening, but, not a sustainable tax base. What can come out of 'that aspect' of the recovery and change in infrastructure is enough of a 'tax payment' to restore the ability to 'continue' to change the infrastructure of the USA by training medical technicians and maintenance mechanics, railway conductors, etc.

With changes in infrastructure there will be an automatic demand for skilled employees but DIFFERENT than what the nation 'got used to' under Bush. What occurred with lack of job creation under Bush was a focus on 'where the jobs were' and how to get there, only to realize an applicant was one of hundreds or thousands with the same idea.

In some ways, Barak's responsibility is a lot easier than first anticipated and in some ways not. Returning necessary government workers to their jobs to collect taxes and stop law breakers to make the 'Rule of Law' actually mean something is the 'easy' part. Increased budgets in environmentally sensitive departments (and not to be blind to a reality which oddly enough includes the military that oversees vast tracks of important wilderness and encourages protections of wilderness abroad) will start to take care of 'tax base creation' but it will also add to the budget of the country and a draw on the tax base. Creating jobs in the private sector that will be sustainable tax base contributors is the greater challenge of this administration, but, I do believe he is up to it.

So, how is it that Obama can succeed where every Republican has failed? By allowing the private sector to 'service' the growth of the stimulus. In other words, rather than seeking to increase government beyond the return of vital workers, he can 'outsource' to Americans the maintainence of the new infrastruture. Sustainable energy sources given over to sustainable job creation. From that will grow the remainder of our private sector in other areas as well including education and health care.

It will happen and it will be an America we can all be proud of. The problem of the Nay Sayers will be the complaining when they finally have to pay higher taxes as the wealthiest people in the country. Boy, will they 'belly-ache' then. Toooooooo BAD !

Buy USA Savings Bonds !

Job Watch (click here)



The December level, up from 8.4% in November, is the highest in 15 years, highlighting the severity of the economic slowdown. The jobless rate in Los Angeles County was 9.5%.
By Marc Lifsher

9:42 AM PST, January 23, 2009
Reporting from Sacramento -- California's unemployment rate jumped to 9.3% in December, highlighting the severity of the economic slowdown as the state heads into a second year of recession. The December level was the highest in 15 years.Unemployment in Los Angeles County in December was 9.5%.

More tomorrow. Nite.

Okay. So where did you hear it first? Right here. And for how long? Years.

It is good to know the NYTimes has finally come to its senses after eight years of 'screwed up' priorities dominated by censorship at the FCC. It's about damn time.

So, here it is; "I told you so."


Why was I an activist on the NYTimes Message Boards, then on this blog for the entire time the Bush/Cheney Regime was in control of the powers of my nation? Why is that? Why have I sat watch and sacrificed within my own life for years to 'bring the truth' to others? Go figure, huh?

An illustration that depicts the warming that scientists have determined has occurred in West Antarctica during the last 50 years. The dark red shows the area that has warmed the most. (click on title of entry - thank you)

Don't tell me for one minute there hasn't been frank lies from DC regarding Human Induced Global Warming and extreme censorship with an FCC that didn't care about THE TRUTH ! Investigation. I want an investigation. Is Michael Powell still at The NYTimes. If so, maybe I'm being too trusting of that paper yet ? Is he still there?

July 8, 2008, 12:38 pm — Updated: 8:53 am -->
Obama Addresses Critics on ‘Centrist’ Moves (click here)
By Michael Powell

Doesn't look like it. The lousy, control freak seems to have disappeared. Good riddens ! Most admirable of Powell to realize early on that he was defeated. I guess when Dad came out for Obama the tirade to elect the mavericky McCain ended.

But, it has taken a good long time for Antarctica scientists to finally reconcile the fact that the coldest places on the planet can become far too warm to be good for human beings. It is these vast ice caps that have provided for cool enough oceans to bring weather, percipitation and 'benevolent' climate to the continents. Without our ice caps there is no 'thermostat' to cool the oceans that then cool the land.

Antarctica and the Artic Ocean are far more than a natural wonder and a place for Polar Bears and Penguins. They are vital to the climate of Earth that provides our very existence in a VERY, VERY narrow range of temperatures that human can survive within. It was difficult for 'these ice scientists' to come to terms with the fact that Earth could actually loss it's ice caps given the many variables in its arrangement of multiple combinations of gases and elements in the troposphere, especially when 'measuring' same in such frigid climates can be impossible at times.



By KENNETH CHANG
Published: January 21, 2009
...“Obviously the situation is complex, resulting from a combination of man-made factors and natural variability,” said Michael Oppenheimer, a professor of geosciences at Princeton, who was not involved in the research. “But the idea of a long-term cooling is pretty clearly debunked.”
Dr. Monaghan, who had not detected the rapid warming of West Antarctica in an earlier study, said the new study had “spurred me to take another look at ours — I’ve since gone back and included additional records.”...

Barak Obama needs to put more employees to work at US Fish and Wildlife.

I am not understanding some of the 'hype' about US Fish and Wildlife saving the Grey Wolf from delisting under an Obama directive. The decision to delist the Grey Wolf has been made. It is only a 'select' populous that is still being protected and that decision was made before inauguration (see title to entry - thank you). So. Like. What's the deal with the media? I am looking for 'real change' not more Bush Propaganda.

There are many 'W'rong decisions that were made by the EPA regarding the 'natural treasures' of the USA under the Bush Executive Branch. Many.

Please see below to continue...



Gray wolf is back on the endangered species list (click here)
Thursday, January 22, 2009, 4:22 PM
by Bob Meyer
The gray wolf is back on the Endangered Species list in the Western Great Lakes and northern Rocky Mountains…at least for a while. On Tuesday, President Obama signed an executive order putting a “hold” on all last-minute rules made by the Bush Administration, one of those rules was the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reinstatement of the delisting last week.

The wolf was originally delisted early last year and management of their population was turned over to the affected states. A federal judge put them back on the list saying the state management plans could not guarantee a sustained recovery. Last week the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said they had met the concerns of the court and reissued the delisting.


Some of the worst decisions made by Bush's EPA was to drastically cut funding and personnel from US Fish and Wildlife. Bankrupting the country was a way of 'persuading' the American populous to realize that 'exploitation' of their natural resources while cutting to the bone any scientific and support staff to the USA's natural world was THE ONLY WAY out of Bush's negligence of the USA economic stability.

continued below...

January 19, 2007
Contact(s) Deborah Bagocius, (202) 772-0239
Feds Slash Staff at National Wildlife Refuges in Midwest (click here)
Over 70 Refuge Positions Cut in 8 Midwest States, 3 Refuges to Lose Entire Staff
Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is making drastic reductions and redeployments of staff in the National Wildlife Refuge System throughout the Midwest region. Reductions in services will be felt in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri. The consequence of these reductions will be the elimination of environmental education programs for school children, endangered species recovery programs, reduced habitat management and law enforcement. These cuts come on the heels of a crippling budget backlog of over $2.5 billion....

The US Fish and Wildlife Service are 'the police' to prosecutions taken before US Attorneys when violations to our nation's laws exist. Without US Fish and Wildlife 'agents' protecting the USA's natural heritage through 'protection' laws there would be no way that any US Attorney could bring charges of violators. (And by the way, the protection laws need to STOP being misdemeanors and take on far more serious consequences. The more exploitation that occurs, the more precious the species and the costly it is to restore it. The laws aren't WEIGHTED CORRECTLY to oppress violators. They are OLD standards when restoration wasn't as critical as it is now given the extent that Human Induced Global Warming is causing damge to the nation's natural world.)

Convenient. Bush could actually say that convictions fell during his years as the 'enforcement' of laws worked better than ever before, while our natural world was being exploited and reduced by profiteers that 'simply got away with it.'

And they did get away with it. The EPA cut US Fish and Wildlife to the bone through most of the nation. There were poachers caught here and there, one or two. But, for the most part the departments of the EPA have been grossly understaffed and in some cases redirected to 'track what might be potential terrorists' in cities and towns. Chemical plants were more the focus of agents, yet under Bush there were numerous Chemical Plant explosions as the 'rules and regulations' they had to abide by became less and less in number and restriction.

The new Secretaries of the EPA and Interior have a lot of work ahead of them to restaff their agencies and begin again to protect forests and wildlife from damage and extinction.

Encroachment and 'over building' in our nation has gone to nearly ever corner of the county in what was "W"rongfully called an economy. It is going to require the 'RE-HIRE' of qualified people to return protections under the law to this country.

Why is it important? I'll use the Bald Eagle as an example. In places in Maryland, along the Chesapeake Bay there have been reports of the destruction of nests since the delisting of our national symbol. As soon as the delisting occurred, within days there were permits issued for building homes in what once was protected areas. That put 'pressure' on the nesting Bald Eagles and today there are abandoned nests that no longer provide for the return of a precious and endangered species.

The article below is from 1995 and discusses the success of the Bald Eagle program. You have to understand these programs were important enough to Americans to 'spend money' on the restoration of the Bald Eagle and now in the year 2008 with the 'W'rongful delisting of the nation's raptor; the bird is becoming less in number in some of their territory. All those monies were wasted for the 'gain of wealth' of a few housing contractors that caused a 'flooding of the housing' market.

Md. survey finds eagle numbers up (click here)

March 1995

By Karl Blankenship
Maryland in January recorded the second highest number of bald eagles ever counted near the Chesapeake Bay during the 20 years it has conducted a midwinter eagle survey, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
"Surveys of both breeding and wintering bald eagle populations in Maryland continue to demonstrate the success of the Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts," said former Natural Resources Secretary Torrey Brown.
This winter, 194 bald eagles and one golden eagle were counted at three of the state's primary eagle concentration areas. That is second only to the 263 bald eagles counted in 1990.
"That year, extremely cold weather conditions prevailed throughout the northeastern United States, forcing more eagles into Maryland," said Glenn Therres, DNR's bald eagle biologist. "This year's number is extremely encouraging given the mild winter we have had so far."
On Jan. 13, biologists found 72 bald eagles and one golden eagle at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge near Cambridge on the Eastern Shore. Surveys on Jan. 15 found 101 bald eagles at the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground and 21 along the lower Susquehanna River.
Maryland's midwinter survey does not include most of the 159 pairs of bald eagles that nested in the state in 1994 because those birds are dispersed to their breeding areas.
The midwinter bald eagle survey is a national effort conducted in the lower 48 states to assess the wintering population of the endangered bird. Last winter, 15,305 bald eagles were counted during the national survey. The survey is designed to measure changes in eagle populations; it is not intended to be a complete census.
In Maryland, the survey is conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army. The National Biological Service coordinates the survey nationally.
Contributions on line 63 of the Maryland Income Tax Form, and donations to the Chesapeake Bay and Endangered Species Fund help to support threatened and endangered species work such as the eagle survey, as well as other nongame wildlife and Chesapeake Bay projects.

In a nation dedicated to 'doing the right thing' and unholding their right to a natural world to protect within our borders it requires PERSONNEL to 'stand the line' on species demise and delisting. US Fish and Wildlife can't carry out its enormous responsibility and literally there are plenty of examples throughout this country were species laws have been abandoned for one reason and one reason only and that is because QUALIFIED scientists and agents were removed from positions within departments of the Federal Government.

There is a lot of work to do and none of it is frivilous or unnecessary. If we are to 'Save Earth for our Children' we have to FIRST restore the staffing to agencies that carry out that responsibility before we can RESTORE our nation's species that are now facing hideous threats from negligence and criminal intent by the 43rd President of the USA.

We are closing Gitmo. Get over it. It's real. End of discussion.

There was no real reason for Gitmo. There wasn't anything about Gitmo that was any more dangerous than Zacarias Moussaoui. He was the final terrorist that didn't make his flight on September 11, 2001. There were more dangerous men than him? No.

Osama bin Laden is more dangerous than the young men he suckers into dying for a cause with no purpose? No. He is a figure head, no different than Dr. Aimon Muhammad Rabaie al-Zawahiri. They are the sociopathic icons of a global terrorist network that was successful because Bush and Cheney allowed it to happen. No one will convince me differently. Diane Feinstein knew the attacks were on the way and Richard Cheney simply stated, "Hey look, Diane, we're busy here. We'll get to taking some action in about six months." The FBI and CIA told the Bush Executive Branch they had three months or less and literally Cheney called for a 'study' of the issue.

So. All in all, there were no really MORE dangerous men in Gitmo than Zacarias. What were the detainess going to do, overcome the USA military, escape into the USA, disappear and destroy more lives? I mean for real.

The USA has successfully arrested and tried terrorists, both international and domestic, for decades. These so called 'global terrorists' are actually more dangerous than any other criminal that we have held within our prisions before? Heck, no. Monsters are monsters, either the USA can contain them with the virtue of 'human rights' or not. But. We never sink so low as to allow our own dignity to be tarnished by them. Never.

Literally, what Bush and Cheney did by creating the 'spectacle' called 'Gitmo' was to encourage the Ameircan imagination that those men were "Super Terrorists." It added to the Culture of Fear that Rove propagated. Gitmo was a 'prop' in the prolonged propaganda of the Bush/Cheney administration. That is all it was and that is all it is today.


By Al Pessin Pentagon


21 January 2009
Image reviewed by US military, shows 'Camp Justice' sign near high-security courtroom in Guantanamo, Cuba, 08 Dec 2008U.S. military judges in Guantanamo acted quickly Wednesday morning to suspend two of the 21 terrorism trials now in progress, based on a request from the Obama administration. Judges in the other trials are expected to do the same.


One of the trials suspended Wednesday was the biggest of them all - the case against five men accused of involvement in the September 11th attacks on the United States in 2001. The moves came based on requests from military prosecutors, acting on orders from President Obama.


The military trials are suspended for 120 days, and Pentagon Spokesman Bryan Whitman says he expects the Defense Department will soon receive further instructions from the new president.


"The president has clearly made his intentions well known, running up to taking his oath of office yesterday in terms of what his intentions are," he said. "And he has taken the first steps with respect to his direction to the secretary of defense to order a pause to military commissions proceedings. I would expect that the department will get additional guidance and direction in the near future."


Whitman says that additional direction could come within days, and he expects it to involve "a broad, comprehensive review."...

The First Lady stole the show. She really is lovely and the ball gown was refreshing.

The Obamas are wonderful people and a great couple. They are charismatic, warm, and affectionate with each other and dedicated parents as well.

I watched Barak turn to look up at the instrumental ensemble when they first started playing. He eventually settled back into his chair and 'tuned into' the sound, as I did. The selection was lovely. But, in those first moments when he turned to look at the performance above him, he noted Sasha restless in her chair and struggling to stay under a blanket to keep warm. He looked at her for more than pause and he finally had her attention and smiled in reassurance of her presence and patience. It was a charming moment between a Father and Daughter and a statement of his love and concern for his children.

I believe he carries his devotion of his family in his heart and measures the importance of America's children and families and their outcomes and safety with that same depth of commitment he shows his own.

They are a remarkable couple and I look forward to their leadership from here on.

Did everyone else, besides me, realize the youthfulness of the Democrats as they took the platform at the inauguration. Our former Presidents and Vice Presidents are young and were young when they took office. In the long view, their longevity, insight and faithfulness to this nation counts. Nice. To realize in eight years we will still 'have Obama' to steady the ship is more than a treasure there are words to describe. It is going to be a great eight years and the Democrats in 2010 will take an unchallenged majority in both the House and Senate.




January 20 2009
US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during the Commander-in-Chief Ball at the National Building Museum in Washington DC.

We have a real President. A President that loves us and has a deep abiding love of this nation.

..."Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations....

His speech yesterday was one of the greatest speeches ever made by a President. He was passionate, intelligent, spoke to us not Wall Streeet, called up the spirits of the dead and they came to remind us all of the GREATNESS that America was born.

You have to be reminded once in awhile of the cornerstones a country was founded. He paid reverence to those that found diligence in hours of 'trial,' that summoned up the will of spirit, loyalty and veracity to found a nation devoted to 'truth' and freedom. Barak Obama stood on the shoulders of men he has come to respect and reminded us all of the greatness within us. He was magnificent and for the first time in a long time I heard the voice of my nation speak to me.

The crowds were innumerable. I think it was something close to 6 billion people that 'listened in' on the words of a man removed from praise of himself and spoke only of the greatness that was displayed before him on the edge of an "Icey Potomac" on a great mall where millions of people withstood winter's cold to admire the man that deserved their trust.

He is our America. He is without hesitation a man that cares deeply and is willing to listen to us all and return our country to us. As he is our partner and the world's friend, we should remind ourselves of our responsibility in placing our votes and bringing forth the one 'true patriot' that can return our Constitution and Bill of Rights to us. In our vote lay a responsibility to 'tend' to our nation, now a greater expanse than in the years when Washington braved the winters of The Delaware, to secure an independant nation for generations to find expression of freedom and the love of life and happiness.

Yesterday was a happy day. A day full of the richness that only America can contain. A heritage of bravery, trustworthiness, enlightenment and adventure. I have enjoyed the time since yesterday recalling the sounds of our Revolutionary Army, Paul Revere, the scientific heart of Benjamin Franklin and the willingness of an open spirit that was Thomas Jefferson. If it were anyone other than Barak Obama would the speech have been so reverent, so correct and so inspiring. I think not.

I reflected for awhile on the words that could have been said. Realizing what he did say made me realize that he could never taint the love of this country with words that would not heal the wounds cast on this nation by predecessors with tainted agendas and wrongful use of our freedom and strength.

We have a President that loves us. He loves this nation. He was molded by years of devotion and dedication and it is his time as sure as the sun rises on the horizon. I am grateful for him. I am grateful for my country. I know today, we have a country that was worth the wait and a President to return it to us.

Time stood still yesterday. I knew that when I looked at the pictures yesterday evening of Times Square. The only other time I have witnessed so many standing in absolute silence in that great city was when Neil Armstrong took the first step on the moon. There has been dearly other times of triumph when such silence feel across this nation and time stood still.

The ceremony was magnificent, from the voice of the First Lady of Soul, to the instrumental sounds of some of the greatest the world has to offer and spiritual words of poetry by an American. The Obama children were charming and the First Lady of our nation was disarming.

There is much work to do, much pointing to the injustices of past administrations and the path to correct the course of our nation lies ahead of us in anticipation of achievement. The Nay Sayers can banter all they want, but, they will never disrupt this country again, nor remove us from a path of freedom and justice.

I look forward to tomorrow and its challenges made much easier by a President that sees the future of our country solidly based in American values of the highest order.

Until tomorrow then.

Inaugration Day - 16 Months to Iraq Withdrawal - 24 Months to success of "The Road to Economic Recovery"

Eleven Months until oil prices rise again.

BUT.

Today is the day we reclaim our country !

James Jones, a retired schoolteacher, poses for a photograph at his home in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009. Forty-six years ago Jones attended Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington. He will be driving to Washington to witness President-elect Barack Obama's historic moment on Tuesday, Jan. 20. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

1 Day until Inauguration - Libby never spent one day in prison. NOT ONE !

Bush Commutes 2 Border Agents’ Sentences (click title to entry - thank you)
By ERIC LICHTBLAU
Published: January 19, 2009
WASHINGTON — President Bush on Monday commuted the sentences of two former Border Patrol agents imprisoned for shooting a Mexican drug smuggler, but he was preparing to leave office without granting clemency to any better-known figures or government officials who could face liability over administration policies.
The former agents, Jose A. Compean and Ignacio Ramos, will be freed from federal prison in less than two months as a result of Mr. Bush’s commutation, cutting short prison terms that were due to run at least eight more years....


Libby's Sentence Commuted (click here)
By Steve Benen
Jul 2, 2007
President Bush commuted the sentence of former aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Monday, sparing him from a 2 1/2-year prison term in the CIA leak case.Bush left intact a $250,000 fine and two years probation for Libby, according to a senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.
"My decision to commute his prison sentence leaves in place a harsh punishment for Mr. Libby. The reputation he gained through his years of public service and professional work in the legal community is forever damaged," Bush said in a statement. "I respect the jury's verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence given to Mr. Libby is excessive."

Saudis offer $1 billion to repair Gaza

An Israeli soldier prays Monday next to a stock of ammunition on the Israel-Gaza border. Israel ordered its troops out of Gaza, but warned they would return if Hamas violated a cease-fire and resumed its rocket and mortar fire. ASSOCIATED PRESS

It was rather interesting when Olmert stated he would leave Gaza immediately. I guess he felt a billion of Saudi support to rebuild Gaza would also eliminate 'the culture of hate' toward Israel. Let's hope the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is as successful in rehabilitating Gaza and Hamas as he has been his own country. I wish him well and success. The people of Gaza dearly need the influence of King Abdullah to reshape their culture and their country. He deserves praise and possibly a Nobel Prize if he is successful.

Peace offer not open-ended: KingArab News (click here)
King Abdullah and Syrian President Bashar Assad at the Arab summit in Kuwait on Monday. (Reuters)
KUWAIT CITY: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday demanded a quick, positive response from Israel to the Arab peace initiative, warning it would not stay on the table forever. “Israel must understand that the choice between war and peace will not always stay open and that the Arab peace initiative that is on the table today will not remain there indefinitely,” King Abdullah said while addressing the Arab economic summit in Kuwait City.
He announced a donation of $1 billion from the Kingdom to help rebuild the Gaza Strip after the devastating Israeli offensive, and lambasted the Jewish state for its excessive use of force on the people of Gaza.
In his historic speech, King Abdullah said that the period of Arab disunity was over, opening a new era of Arab unity and brotherhood. The king set an example by holding talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad in the presence of Jordan’s King Abdallah, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah....

2 Days until Inauguration - A Dream Come True

President-elect Barack Obama looks out from the back of a train at Philadelphia's 30th Street Station, Jan. 17, 2009, as he embarks on his inaugural whistle stop train trip to Washington. (Photo: AP)

A New National Scripture (click here)
By ANTHONY LEWIS
Published: January 16, 2009
Barack Obama’s election as president had a thousand fathers in the long history of the struggle against American racism. But three events stand out as decisive in creating the possibility of an African-American president....

Israel agrees to unilateral peace. Why do I believe it will not hold?

An image from the video "Day of wrath in Gaza against Israel" from Al-Jazeera. (click here)

Israel declares ceasefire but Hamas rockets continue (click here)
Britain last night welcomed Israel's unilateral declaration of a ceasefire in Gaza, saying that it would come as a "huge relief".
Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that too many lives had already been lost in the 22-day conflict and that it was now "imperative" that Hamas stopped its rocket attacks on Israel.
"There will be huge relief at the announcement by Prime Minister Olmert of the end of Israeli military operations in Gaza," he said in a statement....


Israeli tanks return to Israel as they accompany troops.

Last update - 21:04 18/01/2009
Sarkozy at Gaza summit: Sole solution to peace is no rockets, IDF out of Gaza (click title to entry - thank you)
By News Agencies
European and Arab leaders racing to consolidate a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas pressed Sunday for an end to weapons smuggling into Gaza and for the opening of the territory to desperately needed humanitarian aid. The summit at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik was jointly chaired by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak. It was held amid separate truce declarations by both Israel and Hamas....

Things get stranger by the minute. I mean, who 'vets' these people?


Ingrid Mattson

Obama prayer leader from group US linked to Hamas (click here)
By MATT APUZZO – 20 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Muslim scholar chosen to speak at President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural prayer service Wednesday is the leader of a group that federal prosecutors say has ties to terrorists.
Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America, is one of many religious leaders scheduled to speak at the prayer service at Washington's National Cathedral.
Mattson has been the guest of honor at State Department dinners and has met with senior Pentagon officials during the Bush administration. She also spoke at a prayer service at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Mattson, who was elected president of the society in 2006, is a professor of Islamic studies at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Conn.
But in 2007 and as recently as last July, federal prosecutors in Dallas filed court documents linking the Plainfield, Ind.-based Islamic society to the group Hamas, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization.
Neither Mattson nor her organization have been charged. But prosecutors wrote in July that they had "a wide array of testimonial and documentary evidence expressly linking" the group to Hamas and other radical groups.
Linda Douglass, a spokeswoman for Obama's inaugural committee, would not discuss the case or say whether the committee knew about it....

3 Days until Inauguration - The Governor's Choice Awards for Infrastructure Development.

Also known as 'Who can't live within their budgets?'

OR

'Who ever elected Bush president in the first place?'

Feb. 25 (2008) —As NGA kicks-off its centennial celebration, the nation's current governors "recreated" the 1908 photo during the annual governors' meeting with the president.

Front Row (left to right): Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, North Carolina Governor Michael F. Easley, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (NGA Chair) President George W. Bush, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell NGA (Vice Chair), West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin III, Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons, Puerto Rico Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, Kentucky Governor Steven L. Beshear

Second Row (left to right): California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., Washington Governor Christine O. Gregoire, Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Maine Governor John Baldacci, Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, Guam Governor Felix Perez Camacho, Northern Mariana Islands Governor Benigno Fitial, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri, American Samoa Governor Togiola T.A. Tulafono

Third Row (left to right): Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr., Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal, Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, Alabama Governor Bob Riley, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, Missouri Governor Matt Blunt, North Dakota Governor John Hoeven, Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell, Vermont Governor James H. Douglas, Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, South Dakota Governor M. Michael Rounds, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, Iowa Governor Chet Culver

You know there has to be something very, very "W"rong when California with the sixth largest economy in the world 'can't cut it.'

And I love the way 'The Governator' simply 'turns the tables' on the California Legislature stating he wants to build a better California, but, can't find harmony with the budget. Is that a politician in survival mode or what?

Then yesterday, Duval Patrick comes up with this 'bright idea' about improving infrastructure. Massachusetts' Patrick wants to build roads to 'nowhere.' Ready for this?

In his estimation what needs to be done for Massachusetts is to build roads where no houses yet exist. Huh? And he calls it "Spurring Private Development." Wait. A. Minute. There. I don't think so.

Patrick wants state's share to spur private development (click here)
By Casey Ross
Globe Staff / January 16, 2009

...The federal funds would help foot the bill for highway ramps, parking garages, or rail stations that are typically paid for by builders, who are already struggling for financing during the current downturn....

This is some of the worst priorities for government spending I've witnessed yet. The 'turn around' to the economy is supposed to be limited to six months to 'beef up' the tax base to allow for more income to the USA Treasury which will lead to more infrastructure building which will lead to more jobs, etc., etc., etc.

To begin, the nation doesn't need anymore construction. It doesn't need any more houses being built or any more buildings for business. THAT IS OLD STYLE INFRASTRUCTURE. What the country desperately needs are 'jobs' that return incomes to families so they can buy houses or KEEP homes already in foreclosure. Infrastructure projects that undermine priorities such as rebuilding bridges and enhancing economic opportunity with longevity ARE NOT good ideas.

Repairing dangerous roadways and highways that have been neglected because of draconian cuts in federal spending in DC should be addressed, but, to provide 'expansive' building projects in addition to what is already a deflated housing/building/real estate market is NOT the best venue for change in the USA.

The best venues for sustainable futures and jobs include enhancing the tourism industry while providing for those 'road trips' and 'consumer commutes' across safe roads and bridges. The responsible return of the Public School System with creative new ideas for enhancing the learning experience with computers and their software, putting the nation's health care system to work for employment, turning to areas of Conservation to return to work public employees or contract companies engaged in 'caring for nature' and 'protecting endangered species and forests.'

Ultimately, supportive projects for rail services and bus routes that alleviate the COST of owning and operating an internal combustion engine have to be engaged. I remind that even OPEC has stated the reduction in oil prices is only temporary due to poor insight in global inventories and the higher prices will return no later than November of 2009. What 'kind of' Governor ignores that impact on the citizens of their state.

The prudent Governor will take this opportunity to prepare their state for vast changes in energy and infrastructure that will provide for 'better quality of life' which means 'higher disposible incomes.' Does Massachusetts actually want to continue to receive 'charity' oil shipments from Venezuela? I would hope not. So why squander this time and these monies on what seems like 'shovel ready' projects when certain economic disaster is ready to revisit the citizens of any state at the end of this year?

What I believe President Elect Obama is looking for at the end of six months is a positive 'up tick' to the economy, but, also some real genius in managing a vast amont of money that will be released to the states to help with their Republican Imposed Plight. I would hope, 'at the end of any day' any Governor in the USA can have a sense of accomplishment and some 'real in-roads' to long term employment for the state's citizens that contribute to a larger budget 'wind fall' for the states and federal government. We have to succeed. There is no option. We can fund our own recovery, but, we have to have 'the best of the best' Governors extend their long term view and protect us from a 'return' of high energy and fuel costs due to arrive by the end of 2009.

I do believe the USA has some of the best Governors this country has to offer. They need to take their 'states' bull by the horns' and make it all work. That doesn't mean 'selling out' to crony interests or short term 'bounces' that will 'in the long view' have been more costly than prudent.

Go, Governors, Go !!!

4 Days until Inauguration - The Plane with 'The Right Stuff.'

According to ABC News this is the plane. (click here) The landing gear are up and the engines are still attached. Let no one ever say that US Airways has 'the cheap seats' because they seem to have some of the best pilots in the business.

Kindly see discussion below.



US Airways Flight 1549 descends on its way to an emergency landing on the Hudson River in New York Jan. 15, 2009. The Airbus A320 bound for Charlotte, N.C., had reportedly struck a flock of birds immediately after takeoff minutes earlier at LaGuardia Airport. The birds apparently disabled the engines. The pilot maneuvered the crippled jetliner over New York City and ditched it in the frigid Hudson River. All 155 onboard were pulled to safety as the plane slowly sank.(Trela Media/AP Photo)

If that is not the loneliest picture of the year then don't ask me what is. Imagine being one of many in a cabin of passengers and finding yourself looking at rising water outside your window, then to step out on the wings of the aircraft and see 'the rescue' in progress. What a feeling for a flight crew to be able to save all those passengers 'intact.' You know, there is always those 'information cards' and 'flight crew demonstrations' of what to do in case of a water 'ditching' and it is taken with a grain of salt because everyone figures there is 'no chance' of survival if a plane crashes. Well. Who ever guessed this would occur, be survivable and those instructions actually being important. Goes to show what is important, huh?

I would like to point out the 'slides' that deployed at the front of the aircraft. For people that exit the plane at the front and aft doors those slides actually serve as floatation devices. What if these conditions existed and there was an unfavorable chance of rescue. Those floatation slides would never be able to hold all those folks. Yet, those that 'made it' would have to make decisions whether to 'rescue' or 'not rescue' knowing they could actually sink their small floation slides. Think about it. And then think about whether or not there should be more of those that are deployable within the aircraft should the need apply.

Passengers stand on the wings of a US Airways plane as a ferry pulls up to it after it landed in the Hudson River in New York, Jan. 15, 2009. Local media said the plane was an Airbus with 146 passengers and five crew members, which had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport and was trying to return after apparently striking a flock of birds. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Tug boats are simply amazing water crafts. I always loved 'tug boats,' don't you? You know the story about the 'work horse' of the shipping fleet. What was the name of that children's story? Tubby the Tug Boat or something like that? Whoever would expect any New York City Tug Boat to be attain hero status here? Huh? With a plane. There was no training for this. Of course we can take this far more lightly than otherwise simply because 'the rescue' was so complete, from the training of the aircraft crew to the people that responded. Everyone survived even though some people were bearly able to walk with their extremities freezing. I am sure there are some injuries.


This video frame grab image taken from WNBC-TV shows the US Airways aircraft that landed in the Hudson River in New York Jan. 15, 2009. Rescue and ferry boats surround it. (WNBC-TV/AP Photo)

I guess the latest about this failure to attain 'take off' is that the plane still has an engine attached to the right wing. That can also be discerned by the photos of the plane 'listing' to the right in this photo.

Officials have praised the US Airways pilot, Chesley B. Sullenberger, who made a split-second decision to ditch the aircraft into the river rather then try to reach a small airport in New Jersey. (Edouard H. R. Gluck/AP Photo)

I am never going to be a 'fan' of flying. I have flown for lack of time when I needed to get somewhere, but, I also boycotted flying for nearly 18 years. I only fly because I have to, not because I want to. I don't believe in it and if we didn't have a 'fast forward' society I probably would find that I never would have to fly.


The airline industry is not my friend. It speeds the pace of life, pollutes my air, adds huge amounts of carbon dioxide to the troposphere and has 'built' the 'need' for itself through corporate infrastructure management that demands 'the same person' to be in ten places at once. Literally, one person's salary is utilized by some corporations in many places globally facilitated by air flight. Just that simple.

In realizing that level of competition, air flight has also facilitated 'consultants' and 'individuals' to compete with corporations in what is probably an 'unhealthy' corporate climate. I know that sounds like I am talking out of both sides of my mouth, but, the bottom line is that airlines have survived in a way that facilitates 'unhealthy' business patterns regardless of their nature.

Unlike some 'politicians' I don't believe 'every' industry should or can survive infrastructure changes demanded by reversing the trends of Human Induced Global Warming. To the extent the airline industry does exist today? I don't see it surviving in that capacity tomorrow.

So.

To engage a discussion about 'birds' near a runway is simply an 'after thought.' Quite frankly, there is 'no excuse' for any birds to interfer with a plane taking off on a runway anywhere. What needs to be examined ALSO is why birds are congregating at such places and whether or not that 'danger' is facilitated by 'job cuts' and 'draconian spending cuts' INCLUDING the preservation of 'natural areas' that provide for bird sanctuary in migration and the 'intact' status of Bird Flyways that should be exclusive of any air traffic.

Why fly, when the USA is desperately in need of 'fast transit' infrastructure such as Elevated High Speed Magnetic Rail? It doesn't make sense to be involved in this mess anymore.


Rail line, in particular for a high-speed magnetic train (click here)
Document Type and Number:
United States Patent 5647280
Abstract:
The invention relates to a rail line, in particular for a high-speed magnetic train, comprising supports (10) constituting the rail line, which are placed on girders (12, 14) originating on opposite sides (34, 36) of the support and assigned to it in pairs and rest on the ground (16) or a foundation. To achieve an orientation of the rail line in the desired amount, it has been proposed that the girders (12, 14), which are assigned in pairs to each other, have a distance at the ground which is less than that at the supporting end, wherein the girders, controlled to the necessary extent, are adjustable in a plane extending vertically in respect to the linear axis of the rail line (18) in such a way that the rail line extends inclined in respect to the horizontal line....


The birds that may or may not have caused the 'downing' of this jet should not have been there, but, they were. The Bush White House and its supportive Republican legislature have allowed the DE-REGULATION of the airline industry to the point where attacks on skyscrapers are possible and now the interference by birds of airplanes taking off.

Do we have to go there? The damage to the 'moral priorities,' including the safety of people in their daily lives, in the USA is gone. Not justifibly gone either. Justifibly gone would be due to the fact that the Republicans 'had a better and safer idea,' but, gone because 'regulations' cut into the 'bottom line' of marginally profitable 'customer service weighted' industries.

...The economic liberalization of air travel was part of a series of “deregulation” moves based on the growing realization that a politically controlled economy served no continuing public interest....(click here)


What was once a Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) that served to protect the consumer of airline services, no longer exists. It has been so long that such an agency hasn't existed that people have little concept as to why they are always at such a disadvantage to their needs or safety. So, this is a reminder of the 'old style' of government that actually protected people rather than practicing 'victimology' as part of their 'profitibility' statements.

Oddly enough the Airline Deregulation Act was written by a former Democrat, Senator Howard Cannon, whom was once in the Army Air Corp and later the Air Force Reserve. Obviously he thought highly enough about the 'integrity' of the abilities of pilots to handle aircraft with people in them, as in the case of this US Airways pilot, to allow them to support a market for those services independant of government control. However, what Senator Howard did not forsee was the exploitation of 'decency' by businesses that would spawn 'cheap airlines' and prove it impossible for other more responsible carriers to compete.

At any rate the technology for 'other' means of high speed transportation exists and it exists in ways that are less dangerous, more glamorous and comfortable. It is time to place priorities on changing our infrastructure and securing the public in ways that are reasonable for 'the times' we live in rather than re-addressing a deregulated and failing industry. We don't have to or need to fly. As a matter of fact, it is probably time for me to revisit boycotting the industry again. As a people and citizens of the USA we need to achieve higher principles of moral business conduct that includes responsibility for a dying planet and the principles of Conservation that will support those methodologies of responsibility.

5 Days until Inauguration - HIPPA? Do you know what it is and how it affects your life?

Remember when Knut Gingrich was in the political spot light and he abused that power? You remember why or how he abused that power? He was corrupt. I am getting to the HIPPA issue, I promise. But, Gingrich, the character issue prevails. Just that simple:

GINGRICH RESIGNS FROM HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES! (click here)

"In my name and over my signature, inaccurate, incomplete and unreliable statements were given to the committee" -Stated Gingrich after he finally pled guilty in January of 1997 to charges brought against him by the House Ethics Committee. According to Michael Moore, Gingrich lied 13 times to the Committee.

GINGRICH RESIGNS!!!! On Friday, November 7, 1998, Newt Gingrich resigned as House Speaker and as the Representative from Georgia's sixth district. More than likely this was a as a result of the disastrous elections held on November 3, 1998. Over the summer and early fall, while the nation was embroiled over the Clinton scandal, Republicans, Gingrich included, were predicting pickups of a few seats in the Senate and 20-30 in the House. This is not an unreasonable prediction for a midterm election. The party of the President almost always loses seats because the opposition party is more energized and excited about voting and thus has a higher turnout. However, in a highly politically charged year, Democrats turned out to vote and picked up five seats in the House and held the Senate steady. This is an enormous win, and came as a shock to almost all pundits. It hasn't happened since about 1934, and has happened only twice since the Civil War. About the only one to correctly predict the outcome was Michael Moore , who's generally not regarded as an expert in such things....


Economic Stimulus Package Could Impinge on Americans' Health Privacy (click title to entry)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Before increasing federal spending on health IT, Congress should first fix the already-outdated 1996 HIPAA privacy rule to ensure individuals have control over their personal health information," says Sue A. Blevins, president of the Institute for Health Freedom (IHF). "Right now, the HIPAA privacy rule has too many loopholes to ensure true patient privacy," Blevins stresses....

Our new President Elect has promised to make the health care of the USA safe. I believe him. He has my loyalty to see it through, but, we need to address issues that will be monsterous if not addressed properly. A 'HUGE' issue is 'the character' of HIPPA regulations going forward and whom indeed is 'certifying' the confidentiality of our 'electronic health record.' Certainly, NOT, Knut Gingrich (click here).

HIPPA regulations (click here) are important, especially if we are going to make our health care delivery efficient and life saving, however, it is also 'incomplete' in its legislation and endangers the 'marketability' of Americans into the job market and elsewhere.

One of the complaints of Mr. Gingrich was that the health care system as it existed in his days in Congress was not 'fixable' and therefore we had to trash it all and come up with something new. Even as a legislator he was 'setting the nation up' for exploitation by the private sector when he left Congress in disgrace to engage in that 'planned exploitation.'

There are many 'loop holes' to HIPPA and one might ask why, except, to realize those loopholes pander to Republican cronies is to realize why they exist.

Up to now, HIPPA has been 'deployed' 'willy-nilly' and without consistent understanding as it is a very complex law. But, basically it was established to permit clear, consise information to exist to facilitate 'care' for people within the health care delivery system. HIPPA was also never viewed from the standpoint that people have gone without health care and/or health care insurance. Those dynamics alone increase a spectrum of information and precautions for healthcare providers and caregivers that have to be incorporated into its legislative capacity.

That said, there needs to be limits placed on HIPPA's powers, especially where it currently has implications in the private sector outside the 'health care industry' in places where people find employment and credit.

HIPPA currently allows for 'sharing' of 'health information (which also needs a clear, concise definition)' to anyone that states they have a legitimate need within their capacity of the jobs they perform. That 'spectrum' of authority can include 'health departments' within corporations that have 'employee health offices' AND 'to credit agencies' within a health care facility for purposes of accuracy in billing.

As a result, when health care facilities look outside their own billing departments to resolve outstanding balances the information then goes to 'third party' companies that have no interest in maintaining health care information confidentiality. Today, when 'collection agencies' work for hospitals or doctor offices they have all the information contained in a patient's records for the purpose of collecting the debt.

Today, outside the housing crisis, the primary reason for personal bankruptcy is reason of high health care costs.

The NewStandard ceased publishing on April 27, 2007.
Health care costs main cause of personal bankruptcy, study finds (click here)
by NewStandard Staff
Feb. 4, 2005 – A study published Wednesday in the policy journal Health Affairs found that approximately half of people in the US who file for bankruptcy cite medical costs as a significant reason for their financial troubles. Based on a survey of 1,771 personal bankruptcy filers, the researchers extrapolated that between 1.9 and 2.2 million people were driven into bankruptcy because of health care costs in 2001....

When staying alive means going bankrupt (click here)
Health insurance didn’t keep cancer-stricken California woman solvent

By Mike Stuckey
Senior news editor
msnbc.com
updated 5:17 a.m. CT, Wed., Aug. 15, 2007

In our second Gut Check America vote, readers rated health care as the issue of most concern for them. After a false start in Oregon, we found reader Kathleen Aldrich, a Lompoc, Calif., resident who wrote to us about how her battle with cancer drove her to bankruptcy, even though she had health insurance. Here is her story:

LOMPOC, Calif. - Kathleen Aldrich, financially ruined by two bouts with ovarian cancer, is not who you might assume she is.
She raised three kids as a single mom. She worked hard for years. She had good jobs. She paid her bills. She lived in a nice house and drove a nice car. She had a decent credit rating. She had health insurance.
Now she has a record of bankruptcy and is the embodiment of the fear that nags at millions of U.S. families: that they are but one medical calamity away from losing everything. Like Aldrich, they — and perhaps you — could be....

So. What has occurred under HIPPA is an exploitation of American's Personal Health Information because of the victimology of our health care industry.

It can be easily stated, that the 'lady' soon to be our Secretary of State was absolutely correct from the beginning when she as First Lady tried to find a way to provide health care to the nation.

Now, only eight short years after the end of the Clinton White House, we are facing some of the most dire circumstances this country has ever had. If we had 'backed Hillary' as a nation and demanded her healthcare directive be met, we would not be standing on soggy ground as a fiscally challeged nation. Now, would we?

But to be more specific in the legislative needs for HIPPA, there has to be a limit on the 'sharing' of the personal health information of any person to 'others' outside a treating facility or office. There has to be a limit on the accessibility of health records before employment regardless of any demands for a physical exam by employers and there has to be expunged from any 'fair credit report' mention of health care information, while realizing 'life insurance' is a completely different issue.

And in realizing life insurance is a separate issue there also has to be an understanding that 'attaching' a casual 'life insurance provision' to a credit card or credit loan is NOT authority to exploit the HIPPA system that is supposed to improve health information portability to INSURE people live through any emergency, surgery or treatment.

In the case of a "Pre-employment physical" or "Pre-Life Insurance Physical" that needs to be conducted by a physician that works for the facility and limited to the information they find 'upon' performing that physical without diving into past history or other information from prior treating facilities. The 'decline' of employment or life insurance (which is a valuable way for Americans to rebuild their nation and family security) has to be based upon 'findings' and not history.

Why?

Simple.

The American health care system is incredible. There are people with 'new knees and hips' that improve their lives and expand their ability to work and enjoy life. There are life saving cancer treatments and surgeries that should return Americans to a life of enjoyment and prosperity. We need to be 'participating' in our democracy and supporting our tax base, we can't do that if we are left 'outside' the loop of employment and purchasing power.

Employers can be making the biggest mistake of their careers and profitable bottom line if they don't 'look past' the health history of people that have 'dealt' with physical ailments and can bring a life philosophy, knowledge and wisdom of a career of longevity to their prospects of employment.

In the same manner a USA national health care delivery system would remove ANY incentive for employers to 'discriminate' regarding health issues to keep health care costs down or provide health care as a benefit at all.

HIPPA is to have one purpose and one purpose only and that is to expedite excellant care to the people of this nation that pay the taxes and support the USA treasury, hence, patriotically supporting their country.

To that end, we need trustworthy people to provide 'electronic portability' to a nation of deserving people that made the 'best and correct decision' in November of 2008.

6 Days until Inauguration - Is the Fort Stuben Bridge worth saving?

One of the 'underlying' questions we all need to ask ourselves is, "How much do we WANT to drive a car and will it continue to be a focus of 'travel' in the USA that dominates our lives?" Automobiles are hugely expensive purchases and how much 'damage' do they actually do to our lives rather than enhancing our lives with a successful transportation infrastructure that works?

It is a fascinating discussion and one that we need to engage with vigor.


Bottom chord connection on stiffening truss. (click here for deteriorating infrastructure pics of Fort Stuben Bridge)


Eye bar connections. Note that the system of eye bars that connect the main cable to the anchorages are much longer at the eastern end.

Details of the connection where the cable ends and the eye bars begin. Note that the system of eye bars that connect the main cable to the anchorages are much longer at the eastern end.

Let's 'talk about' REAL infrastructure work that provides our 'cultural' needs as well as reliable transportation.


Shut Down For Good (click title to entry - thank you)
By DAVE GOSSETT
January 16, 2009
The 80-year-old Fort Steuben Bridge, designated for demolition later this year, was permanently closed Thursday due to the deteriorating condition of the span's deck plates.
The bridge was closed a week ago after a routine maintenance inspection discovered "a deflection, or undesirable movement under traffic," according to Becky McCarty, public information officer for Ohio Department of Transportation District 11....

For many of us living a life without a driveway or a car on that driveway or in the garage seems like a 'sci-fi thriller' whereby we are held hostage to our government and what it can provide through a public transportation system.

That is simply not the case and the real discussion is 'how much do we actually need personal transportation as opposed to a public transit system that actually provides a valuable service?'

For anyone that lives in a large city, public transportation is a requirement and not a necessity. For a minimal cost one can travel miles and miles of 'underground' and have a completely 'safe and enjoyable' life. There is a 'no limit' enjoyment principle when one does not have to pay for car insurance, maintenance, fuel or face the hardship of traffic accidents and fatalities.

While living in Boston for nine months last year I didn't worry about any of those issues and had money to send that would have been 'eaten up' by international markets that would have never served the American economy. I had friends that had motorcycles or fuel efficient cars so that travel outside the city wasn't completely inhibited and family certainly came to visit, but, it was amazing to realize how well I was served and how much 'disposable' income I had for pure enjoyment when I didn't spend it on a car.

The American Automobile will always be a part of the American landscape simply because the country is so massive. The square mileage of the USA alone dictates some degree of personal transportation will always be a necessity and we are a country that loves to 'camp' and enjoy our National, State and Local Parks and wildlife so there needs to be consideration for that aspect our society and heritage, but, to what extent should that exist and in what form does it take?

Should 'infrastructure' work include 'cultural preservation' so the 'recreational drive' in 'the two seater' include scenic by ways? Perhaps indeed it should, but, let that infrastructure work also include 'state of the art' engineering that establishes sound construction with longevity.

The American Automobile has also caused more problems than it necessarily has solved. It has allowed the creation of suburbia in a manner that dictates 'loops' around cities and expansion of paved roadways that are unsightly and environmentally assaultive to a phase we have come to know as 'progress.' The USA is slowly but surely becoming a 'pavement' jungle at the cost of our national beauty and 'green spaces.' It simply isn't practical to continue this trend, yet alone begin to believe we can actually 'back pedal' on Human Induced Global Warming by having a Chevy Volt that will allow for forty miles of electric, pollution free driving.

Currently, under the Bush White House and Transportation, Interior and EPA departments, the USA is on an ever expanding curve of destroyed 'green space' replaced by pavement and concrete. We are becoming not only 'heat islands' within our suburban areas, but, a 'heat nation.' It is not a proud heritage to leave our children and we can certainly do far better.

Enter the American Landscape such concepts at "The Zip Car (click here)."

Additionally, there are 'ideas' currently in use that personalize 'the tour' experience in small, efficient cars that are computer programmed to allow for an enjoyable experience in cities such as San Diego, Barcelona and San Francisco (click here).

One of the first places to begin to introduce 'personal transportation substitutions' are cities AND college campuses where parking is a poor use of space. Where people live in close proximity to their 'everyday' activities, "Zip Cars" are a perfect answer to 'personal transportation' accompanied by parking lots or parking decks.

If a 'campus student center' had Zip Cars for rental by the swipe of a credit card there would be far less cumbersome lifestyles and parents would have far fewer expenses providing for personal transporation needs of their high school graduates whom currently value a fancy and expensive automobile as the ultimate reward to achieving a diploma or college acceptance letter.

Hello, folks, but since when does 'achievement' in life have to be accompanied by a car?

You aren't going to tell me that city parking decks produce more income than residence towers, that is simply not the case, so why do it? Would the 'lack of parking decks' in the city produce more or less residence and business infrastructure? Would mass transit systems that have ancillary services such as 'Zip Cars' actually provide a 'congestion free' infrastruture with the ONLY regular traffic being 'certified taxi cabs' and delivery trucks?

Can commuter rail and bus routes actually deliver nearly every working class person within walking distance of their homes?

And last, but hardly least, what kind of Homeland Security does that provide to cities and towns when 'access' by auto is limited to those 'expected' as opposed to those assaulting the city infrastructure everyday with random issues of 'control.' This is discussion the nation HAS TO HAVE and one that can be innovative with a new American way of life.

And finally.

When looking at the bridge that is the subject of this entry, one has to wonder, do we want to encourage West Virginia to continue in the manner the Bush White House has emphasized for it in producing coal while killing people that mine it and through substandard 'energy' that pollutes including carbon dioxide or do we want an infrastructure for West Virginia that values its beautiful mountains and tourist dollars, hence, saving and updating bridges like the Fort Steuben Bridge? In my opinion, this continent holds such beauty that far exceeds the 'unhealthy natural resources' that mars that beauty by devastating its 'natural value' that the question really is mute and we need to seek higher standards for our energy and transportation infrastructure.

Oh, I nearly forgot. The Zip Car? When one swipes a credit car for its use? It comes with insurance that we can all live with and we no longer have to carry 'UNINSURED MOTORIST' as an expense. Not only that, but, I don't know of many rental car keys that are handed over to a 'drunk driver.' Sobriety test equipment can be built into the ignition process to any Zip Car as well.

Prince Albert trip to raise awareness of Global Warming is fraught by wind and fog.

Penguins without snow and ice. Not a pretty picture (click title to entry - thank you)


This photo provided Wednesday Jan. 7, 2009, by the Monaco Palace shows Prince Albert II of Monaco watching penguins on Ardley island, off Antarctica, Tuesday Jan 6, 2009 as part of a voyage to the South Pole to raise awareness about global warming. The trip will last through Jan. 22 and will include visits to 26 international bases on Antarctica. (AP Photo/Monaco Palace)


January 15, 2009
1200
Temperature Map of Antarctica (click here for 24 hour loop)


January 15, 2009
1200
Antarctica Humidity.

It is HIGH humidity all over the continent from melting ice.

January 15, 2009
1200
Surface Wind Map

The winds are low in velocity throughout the continent. There is no upper tropospheric winds that are 'transmitting' turbulence to the surface. The winds that do exist are primarily 'on shore' from arriving heat transfers.

January 15, 2009
0126 gmt
Antarctica - Southern Hemisphere

The frigid air is mostly gone, although there is a small incremental increase over East Antarctica.

January 14, 2009
1800 gmt
Antarctica Vortex

The Arctic Vortex is mostly stagnant and why the heat is lingering. The exception are arriving heat transfer systems.