Of course, everyone is paying attention to the next set of hurricanes in the making, right?

July 4, 2010
1630z
UNYSIS Enhanced Infrared Satellite (click title for 12 hour loop - thank you)

The next hurricanes are currently in the Carribean where Alex was born, east of the Yucatan and the other is east of the Antilles where Alex' twin existed.  The turbulence east of Florida is interesting as well.

The reason Rolling Stone printed Hastings article is their own, but, due to the scandal the 'guts' of the article was lost.

I am sorry General McCrystal has retired, but, his career was not without its scandalous nature from its beginning.

His life is not my interest.  My country is my interest.  I wish him and his family well.  General McCrystal needs to continue to contribute to our country in whichever way he finds satisfying.  The USA Congress needs to pass the provision for General McCrystal to receive the retirement benefits of a Four Star General.  His service at all levels was valuable.

On the Fouth of July, I intend to address what I believe is the importance of the Hastings' article.  I believe the conversation is long over due.

Here is a quesiton for the movie critics no one ever hears from anymore.

When is there going to be any real adult entertainment that moves "Toy Story 3" off the top of the movie charts this summer?

I haven't seen Toy Story, yet alone go to see "3" out of pure desperation!

Tomorrow is another day.

The political discourse in the USA has become grossly dysfunctional.  It accomplishes nothing except to raise the 'hatred' level of anything that seems as though it deserves to be attacked for any reason.

The USA has real problems.  The Gulf Fisheries are in serious condition and yet there has been no real discussion about the condition and the capacity of the remaining healthy fisheries in the USA.

I don't 'buy it' that the Gulf Fisheries are healthy.  That to me is irresponsible.  "Lack of hydrocarbons must be a new measure of success."  What does that mean?  What ever happened to 'Lack of Chemical Dispersants?"  or "Lack of dead whale shark consumption?"  It's nonsense.

That is only an example of the lack of direction the country has taken. 

I'll do something tomorrow. 

Good night.

This has got to be as hideous as Americana comes. Texas is like Dubai; it has its own gravity and extravagance in demeanor.

Texas never makes sense, it just is.  Always obnoxious, boistrous and self centered.

How to choose a Bum Steer of the Year (click title to entry - thank you) in such a bummer of a year? We thought we had an answer in February, when U.S. marshals raided the Houston headquarters of Stanford Financial, the house-of-cards money-management firm of the knight from Mexia, Sir Allen Stanford. He spent two days holed up at a girlfriend’s house while we rubbed our hands together, imagining his pugnacious mug frowning out from our January cover. But then he surfaced, and as the story unfolded of his “massive ongoing fraud,” as the Securities and Exchange Commission put it (with gusto!), we began to worry. Ridiculous as his “outside wives,” gold helicopter, and fake British snobbery were, Stanford turned out to be more villain than clown. The sins were too serious. The victims too aggrieved. He didn’t make you want to laugh; he made you want to punch him in the face.
But not to worry. The year was young. Another candidate would come along. Sure enough, on tax day, with tea partiers making merry all around him, Governor Rick Perry obliged, hinting strongly—though erroneously—that if the federal government didn’t watch out, the State of Texas might just have to see about seceding from the union. Visions of the governor storming Washington immediately began to dance before our eyes. There would be pitchforks! There would be torches! Someone would be riding a mule! But this one wouldn’t stay funny either. Next thing we knew, Perry was tied up in a controversy about the possible execution of an innocent man. Not a lot of yuks there. Then he was proclaiming that the president was “hell-bent toward taking America towards a socialist country.” It didn’t make you want to laugh; it made you want to cry.
Meanwhile, a dark horse had entered the race. On September 21, before a television audience of 17.5 million viewers, former House majority leader Tom DeLay pranced into our plans as a contestant on season nine of Dancing With the Stars. Unlike our previous contenders, the Hammer got off to a slow start. The fact that he had made a calculated decision to appear on ABC’s hit reality show, weighing the probable humiliation against the probable goodwill it would generate, initially hindered his candidacy.
Needless to say, any doubts we had were completely obliterated by the first close-up shot of the DeLay buttocks awkwardly shaking from side to side like two elderly lap dogs fighting under a blanket. Over the next three episodes, the former majority leader showed a surprising passion for ass-shaking. Who knew? Who wanted to know? The response from the judges’ table and the morning talk shows suggested that it was not necessary for us to see any more rump, but DeLay carried on gamely, tossing that thing around whenever he had a chance, putting the bum back in Bum Steers. He also favored the knee slide. And his outfits! In an early Entertainment Tonight interview from the rehearsal studio he explained, “Most of my costumes are going to be really classy and tasteful and reflect the grandfather image rather than the extreme fighter image.” That made sense until he came flouncing onstage for his first cha-cha looking like an extra from Boogie Nights. Goodbye, Grandpa. Hello, Fabulous. When you were done cringing, you had to laugh, and in a year as unfunny as 2009, this was no small feat. Thanks, Tom. We needed that.


30 June 2010Why 2010 Elections Are So Important for Texas Democrats



BIG ISSUES CONFRONT 2011 TEXAS LEGISLATURE
In seven short months we will have worked our way through an election and have seated and convened the 2011 Texas legislature. That January 2011 session will begin to deal with many issues affecting Texas for decades to come:
Redistricting: The 2010 National Census presents an opportunity to redraw state and congressional electoral districts to reflect population changes. It could present Democrats an opportunity to undo the Tom Delay "gerrymandering" or the Republicans the chance to continue and entrench the process. And, it is likely that Texas will pick up one or more House seats. It will, without any doubt, be the most rancorous issue facing the new legislature and will very likely spawn its own set of legal challenges and lawsuits regardless which party is in control of the process. You can expect this to be one of the, if not the most, dominant issue before this legislature.
State Budget Shortfall & New Taxes: The 2011 legislature will be presented with a budget shortfall now estimated to be in the range of $18 billion. Putting aside all else, common sense (I know, I know) dictates that there are only a few options available; amend the state constitution to permit a continued budget deficit, reduce spending through budget and service cuts, austerity programs, accounting tricks and devices, tap the so-called "Rainy Day Fund", find new sources of state revenue i.e. casino gambling, or raise taxes. Even if we were to see some or all of these measures except "raise taxes", there still would be a shortfall....
Sunset Review/Environmental Issues: Twenty-eight state agencies are to come under "sunset reviews" this coming session. The process will determine which agencies will continue and how and if they should be "reformed". Businesses and and established interests will be ready to fight any attempts to increase or impose new regulations. If the Democrats are in control they will target many of those agencies, which under Republican control, have all but given businesses and special interest veritable wave throughs in the regulatory and review processes....
Voter ID/Immigration: We do not expect these hot-button, emotion laden issues to even come forth in a serious manner this session. Frankly, this legislature is going to be so busy with the issues itemized above that there will no doubt be one, or even several, special sessions next summer. There will be some posturing and blustering, but no significant action.
Health Care Reform: Most of the noise on this will simply be Republicans and Democrats getting "on the record" for the folks back home. However, look to decisions on how Texas is to implement new federal requirements to generate a lot of spleen as the legislature confronts whether to join the federal high-risk pool, and at what level to set Medicaid reimbursements....


Posted by Shane Fox at 9:23 AM
 
http://psst-progressivesavvyseniorstexas.blogspot.com/2010/06/why-2010-elections-are-so-important-for.html


...Records made available to the public make clear that Green Party leaders – particularly Executive Director kat swift and Party Co-Chair Christine Morshedi – knowingly conspired with Republican political operatives to use money from a secret donor funneled through a non-profit corporation to pay for the collection of ballot petition signatures. Green Party leaders have acknowledged publicly that they did not have the money or the organizational ability to collect the ballot signatures on their own (Source: Dallas Morning News, June 6, 2010)....

 http://bayareahouston.blogspot.com/2010/06/advice-for-green-party-dont-mess-with.html


Everyone knows who replaced DeLay, right? 

No? 

The 'Bone Man' himself.

...Just ask John Boehner, the tan man who serves as the House minority leader. Early in the week, in an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Boehner said President Obama's Wall Street reform plan amounts to "killing an ant with a nuclear weapon."...

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/02/AR2010070202443.html





http://sex251.chi2.pl/?p=5239



Casino Jack and the United States of Money

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3267168025/


Follow the Money

The news out of Washington D.C. is filled with talk of "earmarks," "pork barrel-spending" and "goodies," but what do these expressions really mean, who is responsible for them and how do they affect the average citizen? The Social Action Campaign for CASINO JACK and the United States of Money highlights the corruptive role of money in politics with initiatives designed to educate citizens about their elected officials ties to special interest groups and provide tools to create a movement to bring real and meaningful campaign finance reform.

In Theaters May 7, 2010



Of course, the former Secretary of the Treasury had nothing to do with the mess we are in and of course, DeLay would know best.  Murdoch.
July 1, 2010, FOX, home of the great patriots.




Jack Abramoff's new job: Selling pizza, not influence

Convicted lobbyist hired to work in marketing for Reisterstown Road pizza shop.

June 22, 2010
By Jean Marbella, The Baltimore Sun
Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, still serving a sentence for defrauding clients and conspiring to bribe public officials, has a new job: He's selling pizzas in Baltimore rather than influence in Washington.
Abramoff, recently released from a federal prison camp in Cumberland to a halfway house in Baltimore, began working Monday at Tov Pizza on Reisterstown Road.
"I think people get a second chance," said Ron Rosenbluth, owner of the shop, which boasts of the city's best kosher pizza — which means lots of veggie options but no meat. "If they do their time, they deserve a chance."
Abramoff's job, first reported by the Baltimore Jewish Times, will involve marketing, Rosenbluth said, "to get us more business."...


http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-06-22/news/bs-md-abramoff-pizza-20100622_1_jack-abramoff-home-detention-new-job

Sixty one children including orhpans and 36 women are among the 230 dead from an oil tanker explosion...

OIL  KILLS. 

Whether it is in wars or exploitaton of people, their land, their rights or nation's rights, oil kills for it !

For USA citizens to simply solve the Gulf of Mexico issues without completely looking at the global destruction by the petroleum industry is immoral. 

...Guardian reports, '"It's a terrible scene. There are lots of dead bodies on the streets. The population is in terrible shock – no one is crying or speaking,' said Jean-Claude Kibala, South Kivu's vice-governor. 'We are trying to see how we can co-ordinate [with the UN] to manage the situation.'"... (click title to entry - thank you)

AND they call it 'Western Civilization.'

I've had enough. Anderson, shut up. You don't even try to apply logic to THE RULES Admiral Allen has applied to the DANGER of RAW OIL.

There is going to be increased 'outings' in the area by eco-tourism that are concerned about getting 'the truth.'  See, Anderson, no one really believes the government is DOING NOTHING or that there is not an effort to stop the oil rupture.

Tansparency doesn't matter if people are hurt or killed.  Medical Units are requried to apply CONFIDENTIALITY to every patient it treats.

YOU KNOW THAT, ANDERSON !!!!

So, in realizing people are allowed confidentiality to insure their privacy and treatement, do you think there should be 'Carte Blanc Cameras' everywhere?

I can see it now, a person comes out of the examination room with some disturbing news and the first thing they meet is Anderson and a Camera; "So, tell me sir, are you going to live or die, our viewers want to know?"

Go to hell, Anderson !  And everyone that is as disgusted with this mess as I am should say the same thing !

Admiral Thad Allen is a valuied member of 'the team' that is trying to 'end this mess.'  I believe Presideent Obama needs to ask the scientists, engineers from both the government and BP to have an open news conference where they can ILLUSTRATE on 'White/Black Boards' the intricacies of the entire disaster and where this is all going.,

It would help end this 'media circus' that believes it has to be compeletey Anti-Government in order to acheive a goal for the public.  Whatever that goal is, is a good question because there is no satisfying them.

Give them millions upon millions of miles of boom to fight a hurricane and they cry for more when it was ruined in the first attemtps that should have never been tried.

I doubt a news conference would do any good either, but, what the hell.

We want booms, we want skimmers, we want dispersants, no, no, we want different dispersants, no, no, no we want no dispersants and just skimmers.  No, no, we want, we want and we want some more.

Well, the truth of the matter is that the circumstances are hopeless, they have been hopeless and every person that is an expert that I know has all their oars in the water trying to fight this disaster.

The only thing that is going to close that damn hole is a subterranian explosion and I have said that from the beginning, but, no one listens.

The RULES of what was to happen with such a disaster as this were 'set up' with complete disregard to the citizens of this country and their right to have a life and a 'way of life.'  The RULES were 'set up' a long time before the Obama administration came into the White House and I do believe the President is doing his level best at trying to end this mess.

No one will say it though.  All the USA media wants to do is create a circus for their ratings.  Capitalistic Media at its best.  Nearly worthless and crying like children that they can't have every opportunity to exploit a disaster that has cost the USA their Gulf Fisheries.

And I sincerely don't care if there are 'no hydrocarbons' in the fish.  There are more than hydrocarbons in the water.  There are chemicals in the water and no one is testing for that, are they?

The Untied States has budgetary issues.  While BP is 'footing the bill' in the Gulf, it still takes time and money to train recruits and develop strategies and plans to allow 'deep access' that will provide the citizens of the country the information they are looking for while keeping HUMAN BEINGS and BIOTIC content as safe as can be achieved. 

The Coast Guard is simply 'doing its job' and 'limiting the danger' to the public, including the media.

I realize there are people that have committed their lives to covering this event in US history to the end and Anderson is one of them.  He is a New Orleans resident and feels a deep commitment.  I admire commitment THAT MATTERS, but, to allow human injury or danger to exist among vessels that have never been achored this close together before in a SEA OF COMBUSTABLE material is insane.

There should be a PERIMETER where NO ONE has access except the USA military. 

END OF DISCUSSION.

Do I believe Admiral Allen is trying to HIDE something POLITICAL that benefits the PRESIDENT.

No !

I believe Admiral Allen has an impossible job and he is tired of having BP fail over and over and over again.  He has had to become a petroleum drilling expert in a very short period of time and he has done a remarkable job.  Absolutely remarkable and I don't give a damn who says otherwise !

The fact of the matter is FAILURE  HAPPENS  AT  MANY  LEVELS.  I also believe there has been really POOR coverage of 'anything' except 'adrenalin charged' moments so citizens continue to be aggitated enough to carry on until the elections in November. 

There have been no investigations by the media to the 'input' Louisiana Lawmakers had to implementing 'emergency measures' when such an emergency POTENTIAL existed.  NONE.  Everyone is Louisiana that is a lawmaker is PERFECT.  Absolutely perfect.  Do I hear Jindal apologizing for his LACK OF INSIGHT?  No.  Do I hear Parish Presidents' apologize for their insistance on 'greed' over 'livelihoods?'  No.  Do I hear anyone from Louisiana apologize to THE NATION for being focused on oil wealth over the best interest of the USA fisheries?  No.

What I do hear are a lot of whiney politicians that seem to ENJOY pointing to failure rather than success and how oil drilling is more important than the fisheries it destroys for generation after generation.  Not even a fisherman's death by his own hand when his value system was being destroyed day after day in the face of 'false hope' does it stop them.

Amazing and they call themselves moral men. 

I am demanding the US Coast Guard set up a 'protective layer' of distance from the oil rupture that will provide for citizens to witness the disaster in a way that satifies their 'need to know' while protecting their lives and well being.  If citizens are so concerned they will be 'viewing' the area to discern their own roll in this disaster then they have a reason to have their 'knowledge base DEFINED.'

Most biologists that work with complex issues have a clear understanding of how the public has a right to know what is transpiring.  The land, regardless of ownership, still belongs ultimately to the government.  The government oversees issues and protects the public no matter how much a private land owner believes they have 'rights' to its exclusive use and sale.  That is true with the leases of the land for mineral rights.  Ultimately, it is the USA that has domaine over all that occurs.  The USA is comprised of citizens that require their government to be honest and forthright in their dealings, otherwise, there are consequences.  Those consequences are being upheld under this President.  Thank goodness and finally.

The problem is the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is very complicated.  It has occured, with complications, by the indulgence of the petroleum industry in disgusting ways by past administrations.  That was pure unadulterated corruption and the current disaster is the RESULT.  That is not Admiral Allen's fault, but, gratefully he has consented to 'see this through' no different that Mr. Cooper has.  Admiral Allen is already sensitive to the needs of the public and how to best address them.  He is about as honest a man as the USA Coast Guard has and it would be a huge loss to the effort to resolve this disaster to have him leave now. 

Admiral Allen has to see his way through to stay and continue to oversee the Gulf Disaster and provide continutity to its resolve.  I don't see it any other way and if he says 'jump' everyone needs to ask 'how high.'  Just that simple.  If he says PRIVACY is paramount, then it is.  If he sees 85 feet or 65 feet or whateve that ridiculously small number is, is required for a SAFETY MARGIN, then it is. 

Enough. 

Let's hope the relief wells will stop this insanity. 

Until then. 

We keep on, keepin' on and BP gets to satisfy their conscience by paying the costs.

In the meantime, the 'experts' need to 'contribute' to the 'knowledge base' available to the citizens of the USA.  I thank them for their help in achieving a concern for the citizens as well as their roll in stopping and minimizing the damage to our fisheries.  We don't want, nor do we need offshore oil drilling anymore.  We are moving toward a 'greener' USA and that is the most moral way a citizen can see their roll in all this.

A rare honor for a Senator. As eveyone imaginable collected for his final service, he lay in State in the USA Senate.

At the title, is a photo collection by the Washington Post.  It is an amazing collection of the love the people of West Virginia had for their Senator. 

He was a feature of a 'memorial figurine' at a minor league game as one was given to all those that attended. 

That is amazing.

The Spaceship that came in from the cold.

I bird, a plane, no a spaceship.  Don't tell me the USA is again flexing its spy muscle and decided to let the Russians know exactly how much they are not in control of 'the cyber war.'



Spy Incident May Resurrect Cold War Between USA and Russia
01.07.2010
The arrest of 10 alleged Russian spies in the United States suggests that Washington and Moscow are predestined to be eternal adversaries in a Cold War without end, despite a slight respite. Kindnesses and courtesies seemed to give the world hope for achieving the long sought after social peace sought after among all the peoples of all mankind....

 http://english.pravda.ru/hotspots/conflicts/01-07-2010/114097-spy_incident_may_resurrect_cold-0


I think it is time to end the Star Wars research as it is the bastion of Republican opposition to nuclear non-proliferation.  Time to cut any and all funding. 

In San Francisco, Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev greets California's first lady, Maria Shriver, with former secretary of State George Shultz in back.



 
By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY



WASHINGTON — As President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev focus on economic issues during their seventh meeting today, debate over the new nuclear arms treaty that is the cornerstone of improved U.S.-Russian relations will continue across town in the Senate.


That the Foreign Relations Committee will be holding two hearings on the pact to reduce each country's nuclear arsenal while the presidents talk about innovation at the White House and meet with business leaders at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce shows just how much the relationship between Russia and the United States has changed over the past year or so, White House aides say.
"This visit takes place at a new phase in U.S.-Russia relations," says National Security Council spokesman Ben Rhodes. "It comes after a period when we've made very substantial progress in resetting the U.S.-Russia relationship and making concrete progress on a number of very important and substantive issues."

The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as START, was signed by the presidents in April and now needs to win 67 votes in the Senate for ratification. Other signs of the improved relations cited by the White House: securing Russian support for United Nations sanctions against North Korea and Iran, gaining approval from Russia to allow troops and supplies to cross its borders on the way to Afghanistan, and Russia's participation in Obama's 50-nation Nuclear Security Summit in April.
On Thursday, the leaders will broaden their agenda to include economic issues....



....Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., however, says the treaty could jeopardize the nation's security by limiting both the impact of deterrence and the United States' right to build missile defense systems. "To put it bluntly, this treaty will have profound negative implications for U.S. national security," he says.
James Schlesinger, who served as Defense secretary under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, disagrees. "It is obligatory for the United States to ratify," he told Kerry's committee. There is "nothing in the treaty that is problematic" with respect to missile defense....


http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-06-23-nuke-treaty_N.htm

The Democrats need to concentrate on their Voter Turnout in 2010. Don't let your backbone slip.

What is Generation Vote?  (click title to entry - thank you)



We are a coalition of teens from youth organizations in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti working together to get out the vote among 18-29 year-olds. Even though we can't vote, we can still have a voice in our democratic proccess!


Poll: GOP Has Sizable Enthusiasm and Turnout Advantage



More than in 1994, voters are ready for the election


By Paul Bedard






Posted: July 1, 2010


..."With four months to go before Election Day, voting intentions for the House remain closely divided, and neither party has gained or lost much ground over the course of 2010. However, Republicans are much more engaged in the coming election and more inclined to say they are certain to vote than are Democrats. This could translate into a sizable turnout advantage for the GOP in November that could transform an even race among registered voters into a solid victory for the Republicans....

http://politics.usnews.com/news/washington-whispers/articles/2010/07/01/poll-gop-has-sizable-enthusiasm-and-turnout-advantage.html

What are some ideas from ecological economics that might help with the kind of disaster?

CANE AND ABLE? Marsh plants like roseau cane hold the soil together and help keep Louisiana’s wetlands from vanishing into the Gulf of Mexico. But a rust-colored sheen from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill floats among the reeds, and a black stain is visible about two feet above the waterline.

 

Gulf Coast Oil Spill: Analysis from All Sides

Released: 7/1/2010 4:00 PM EDT

Source: University of Vermont
...Wetland loss is complicated: it's a matter of having channelized the river and controlled the flow of sediment that used to replenish the marshes naturally. It's also a function of oil and gas canals that were dug through the marshes to allow for oil exploration -- back when we didn't have to go miles off the coast! Now, with the BP disaster, the wetlands are threatened by oil washing up. This kills plants, and when plants die you don't have them there to stabilize the soil. Combine this with more hurricanes and we can foresee even bigger losses of coastal wetlands...

...Ecological economics takes a deep look at the proper roles of government and business -- where are the incentives for business to look out for the long-term future? They're really not there in the current economic model. The focus is quarterly profits. From a traditional business perspective, if you can cut some corners on safety or the environment and human health -- and make some more money -- that's seen as a good thing....
 
http://www.newswise.com/articles/gulf-coast-oil-spill-analysis-from-all-sides

The current business models for companies engaged in 'commerce' in the USA is AMORAL and UNETHICAL.  Just that simple.  There was a time in the USA when ethical business practices were a 'value' everyone admired.  That doesn't exist anymore.  What exists today are 'bonuses' and 'profit' at any cost.  The Republicans like to call it 'GROWTH,' when in fact it is EXPLOITATION and amoral business content.

"Excellant Customer Service" is the only 'value' citizens receive anymore and that is only to facilitate profits. 

In this UNISYS Enhanced Infrared Satellite of North America, Alex and its twin have morphed into a significant set of storm sytems. (click title for 12 hour loop)

July 1, 2010
21:30:13z

A Cat Two Hurricane is killing people in Mexico.  Wow.  What are they going to name it once it enters the Pacific?

Hurricane Alex pounds northern Mexico; at least 2 killed



The storm sends rivers overflowing and cuts power to thousands of homes in the states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon.

By Ken Ellingwood, Los Angeles Times
July 1, 2010
2:00 p.m.

Reporting from Mexico City — Remnants of Hurricane Alex on Thursday raked northern Mexico with damaging winds and heavy rains, knocking out power to thousands of homes and causing floods that killed at least two people.
Alex, which roared in from the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane, weakened to a tropical storm as it crossed the states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon into Mexico's northern interior.
But high winds and torrential rain left much of the region without electricity or working telephones, forced schools to close and sent rivers over their banks in Monterrey, the capital of Nuevo Leon and Mexico's most important industrial city....

Municipal officials stand next to the overflowing La Silla river in Monterrey, Mexico on Thursday. (Kristian Lopez / Reuters)

So, is there any leverage on Iran? Is that why spies that hadn't accomplished squat were arrested?

In this undated photo, Peruvian journalist Vicky Pelaez is seen on assignment in Lima, Peru. Pelaez and her husband Juan Lazaro were among 10 suspects arrested in a sweep in the United States on June 27 as part of an alleged Russian spy ring and charged with conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. Attorney General, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction. (AP Photo/Diario La Republica) PERU OUT - NO PUBLICAR O USAR EN PERU


See, journalists really do have bad reputations even in the USA.

FBI says alleged Russian 'sleeper agent' Juan Lazaro admitted passing data  (click title to entry - thank you)
Jul 01, 2010
...Juan Lazaro also implicated his wife, Vicky Pelaez, a New York newspaper columnist, and acknowledged that his Yonkers home had been paid for by the Russian intelligence service. The admissions came in what the FBI said was a "lengthy'' statement following the arrest of Lazaro and Pelaez in New York on Sunday.
"Although he (Lazaro) loved his son, he would not violate his loyalty to the (Russian intelligence) service, even for his son,'' federal prosecutors alleged in documents filed to keep Lazaro, Pelaez and two suspects who had been living in New Jersey, Richard and Cynthia Murphy, in jail without bail because they might flee the country....

What kind of information, because, the charges against these people don't reflect any brevity to the crimes.  What was it a telephone number to Hardee's CEO or something?

I figured they were more 'corporate' spies than government spies.  There is more reason to spy on the Plutocracy than the USA government actually.

These are the Anti-Discriminaton Laws of the USA that Elena Kagan had to consider when making her decision regarding miltary recruiters.

It doesn't surprise me that a Republican like Sessions wouldn't have a profound RESPECT for the laws of the USA.  They like to circumvent them and defraud them and obstruct the passage of them rather than ABIDE by them.

Solicitor General Kagan had to take into consideration not only EVERY  CIVILIAN law on the books, she had to consider the By-Laws of the university and the impact on the students and faculty should she simply disregard all of it to allow the USA military 'carte blanc' access to the campus.

Obviously, Sessions believes the USA military has 'Eminent Domane' over every PRIVATE university in the country.

NOT ! 

It was the obligation of Solicitor General Kagan to make the argument on behalf of those that would be most deeply effected by a 'glib' attitude regarding Civil Rights.

Oh, yeah.  Besides the laws below there are also criminal statutes such as "Hate Crimes" statues to consider as well.  You see, sometimes when poeple feel as though an 'entity' of the government can trample Civil Rights as if they are nothing, people get the idea an act of violence, such as the murder of Matthew Shepard, can be justified.

Any decision regarding Civil Rights in a varied society that is the USA carries with it the brevity of the outcomes should they not be taken seriously.

Honestly!

- Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution



- Civil Rights Act of 1871[4]


- Lloyd – La Follette Act (1912)


- Fair Employment Act of 1941


- Executive Order 11478[5]


- Equal Pay Act of 1963


- Civil Rights Act of 1964[6]


- Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965


- Civil Rights Act of 1968


- Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967[7]


- Rehabilitation Act of 1973


- Age Discrimination Act of 1975


- Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978


- Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990[8]


- Civil Rights Act of 1991


- Employment Non-Discrimination Act


- California Fair Employment and Housing Act[9]


- Executive Order 13166 – “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English
    Proficiency”


- Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 - enables qualified employees to take prolonged unpaid leave
 for family and health-related reasons without fear of losing their jobs. For private employers with 15
 or more employers


- No-FEAR Act


- Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act

I don't believe the Russian '11' can be called a 'spy ring.' It was a 'cultural experiment' by Russia. That's my take.

In a Chinese newspaper it was stated these were Russian citizens that have done nothing wrong.  The families need to be sent home.  Deproted if you will.

  Russia says suspected spies are its citizens who didn't harm U.S. interests

English.news.cn 2010-06-30 00:16:25

MOSCOW, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that suspected spies detained in the United States were Russians who did nothing to harm U.S. interests.

They were "Russian citizens who found themselves on U.S. territory at different times," said the RIA Novosti news agency.
"They have not committed any actions directed against U.S. interests."
The ministry also said Moscow hoped they would be "well treated while in custody" and be granted access to Russian lawyers.
Editor: yan

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-06/30/c_13376041.htm

My best guess is that Russia is still a bit confounded by the USA and its 'citizen' culture.  Under the Presidency of Vladimir Putin, the Russia society has shown more and more 'Western' tendencies.  He was interested in his people.  I really believe Prime Minister Putin was the first leader in Russia to sincerely change the course of his country's concern for its citizens in a way that 'blends' with other First World countries.  

If one looks at China there is 'that striviing' that can be witnessed.  China holds onto its 'old world' fears and distances as a security blanket even as Taiwan moves closer and closer to the Mainland as a real member of the Chinese society.  It is my guess 'being communist' is a bit tedious in a global community that is changing by the day to seek 'influence of the individual.'

The current President Medevedev is a very brilliant man.  He is a man for his time.  He seeks to make historic changes in course by Russia in their willingness to move the global community back from the brink of nuclear proliferation.  Even /Russia has to admit the 'idea' of allowing every country in the Middle East to be a breath away from nuclear weapon capacity is completely foolish and very dangerous.

But, what does this have to do with 'families of spies?'

The USA has just come through a very, very rough eight years under Bush and Cheney.  Even their elections of 2000 were contentious. 

The USA is a super power.  Under Bush and Cheney the world has never been closer to nuclear weapons exchange with Russia, China or both.

Under Bush and Cheney we abandoned a war into Afghanistan to remove al Qaeda from the face of Earth after commercial planes were turned into weapons and we nearly had our Capital building destroyed.  Russia was in Afghanistan with Medical Support before the CIA even parachuted in to begin the USA arrival to dismantle 'bin Laden's' insane hatred and ability to kill citizens half way around the world.  RUSSIA was at our side.  No different than it was duiring WWII. 

Yet.  The USA, in a sudden and very unpredictable 'atmosphere' abandoned the war to end al Qaeda to chase down 'mystical WMD' that even UN inspectors could not find a miniscule trace of.  Getting the picture? 

The sudden, unpredictable and nearly 'emotional' reaction to nonexistant WMD which lead to a war to invade a DISARMED country was more than a worry to nearly every other country on Earth.  It was why Tony Blair was immediately at the side of Bush, nearly as a moderator, to the actions of the President of a Superpower, now preceived to be out of control and making 'a new reality' in order to carry out wars of preemption.

Then to realize, the Republicans and their cronies could actually carry out a propaganda campaign enough to discredit a distinguished man that was John Kerry in the elections of 2004.  Those propaganda attacks of Kerry were completely baseless and instilled deep fear of a change in President while still in Iraq. 

I don't know about you, but, its pretty scary stuff.  I would imagine Putin looked at the populous of the USA and decided he didn't know nearly enough about 'the people' as he thought he did.

So, what is a Russian President to do, except, seek to understand Americans more when they have been attacked by a lunatic like bin Laden.

The Russian citizens are and have been completely benign to any outcome in the USA.  Their children were welcome peers to American children.  It seems glib to say, "No harm done,' but, in all honesty it is a great honor to realize other nations and one such as Russia valued the 'citizen' enough to send a mission to seek a deeper understanding of the social cultures it was unsure was intact and benevolent.

It has always been a curiosity to me as to what Russians would think of our 'captialized' medical culture.  I remember when 'Lasik' surgery became a method to correct nearsightedness, an articile appeared in a magazine that Russians across the culture were encouraged to seek the 'treatment' for nearsightedness that would remove the need for eyeglass changes.  Russia saw the 'treatment of lasers' as a means of saving monies to their treasury.

Then, to come to the USA and find out that physicians are making huge profits on an 'optional' 'procedure' as an alternative reality to what actually 'goes on' in Russia.  To say the American Medical Structure is a culture shock to the Russians is an understatement.  While the USA touts it has the 'best' medical treatment on Earth, it hardly seems sufficient to realize so many Americans die annually for the pure reason of being uninsured.  Dying of stupid things such as pneumonia.  A completely treatable disease.

Well.  At any rate, in this bizarre reality of Russian citizens 'living among us' to come to understand the culture of the USA more deeply is an interesting paradigm.  Very interesting. 

The bottom line is that both Russia and the USA are still here without trading nukes.  We managed to 'make it through,' now didn't we?

Send the families home to Russia with their children.  I am confident they will miss us.

General Petreus needs to get his mind around the fact the troops in Afghanistan are coming home July 2010.

U.S. General David Petraeus testifies at his Senate hearing to become commander of the International Security Assistance Force and commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan on June 29.

The tail isn't going to wag the dog anymore, General.  And there won't be anymore illegal or plutocratic wars.

As an American I remind him the Iraqi military and police didn't 'take up' their responsibilty until the USA was leaving THEIR country.

President Karzai needs to review his troops and come to terms with the fact that they aren't able to protect him nor their own country in the 'state' they are in right now.

I do believe Jordan was very successful in training many of the police for Iraq.  I believe Karzai needs to consult with his peer leaders with morals in the Middle East and come up with a plan that actually CLEANS UP his country to rid it of the depraved values of the Taliban and Karzai's brother.

We know for a fact, the more money that is thrown at Afghanistan the worse the corruptoin gets.

The USA and NATO has been seeking to correct the path of Afghanistan since September 11, 2001.  Karzai was an appointed President and the nation has sunk lower and lower on the 'trustworthy' scale under his leadership.  I don't believe 'corruption' even begins to describe the 'depraved' nature of Afghanistan.  At least we know where we stand with Pakistan.  In Pakistan we know when 'moral' leadership is in place, the people rise to the occassion and even the ISI will do what its asked more often than not.  I am sure India would say differently and perhaps rightfully so.

But, Afghanistan?  The Middle East nations need to stop exporting their worse terrorists and begin to execute them.  Bin Laden should have been executed a long time ago.

This incident below happen in THE CAPTIAL of Afghanistan against a United Nations personnel.  The Capital of Afghanistan can't even appreciate the humanity provided by the world enough to protect the 'moral' content of the efforts the international community sends.

UN vehicle shot in Afghan capital, driver killed



By DEB RIECHMANN (AP) – 6 hours ago
KABUL, Afghanistan — An Afghan man working for the United Nations was shot and killed in his vehicle Tuesday near a busy traffic circle in Afghanistan's capital, the world body said.
Elsewhere, U.S. and Afghan forces battled hundreds of militants from an al-Qaida-linked group for a third day in Kunar province of eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said. Two U.S. soldiers were killed Sunday in the first day of the operation.


The Afghan U.N. employee who died was driving a white pickup truck with the blue U.N. logo painted on the side. Another Afghan member of the U.N. staff, who was in the vehicle, was not wounded, the U.N. said.
The morning shooting occurred amid heavy traffic near Massoud circle, an intersection near the U.S. Embassy and an American military base. Two windows on the truck were shattered and blood was spattered inside the car....

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvWEqwq3CrRvaQCmt21MfoYhjZJQD9GL2GOO1

The fun and games  are over in Afghanistan, sir.  Karzai and his band of theives and liars are on their own.  Perhaps someday, Afghanistan will have enough moral content to even deserve the compassion of the world.  I suggest the remaining time in Afghanistan by the USA and NATO is devoted to destroying the supply of opium to the world.

Alex (click title to entry for 12 hour loop - thank you)

June 10, 2010
01:30:15z
UNISYS Water Vapor GOES East Satellite

Tropical Storm Alex currently at 55 mph and building after leaving the Yucatan Peninsula.

It is a very large storm and at this point I believe it remains unpredictable.

It has a 'twin vortex' east of the Bahama Islands. 

I would not underestimate Alex or its twin in the Atlantic.

Texas begins preparing for Tropical Storm Alex



By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN Associated Press Writer © 2010 The Associated Press


June 28, 2010, 7:37PM
 
McALLEN, Texas — Beachgoers began canceling hotel rooms for the busy July Fourth weekend Monday as officials prepared emergency shelters and sandbag distribution with Tropical Storm Alex gaining steam in the Gulf and possibly headed for Texas.
A hurricane watch stretched from Baffin Bay, near Kingsville, down the Texas coast and into northern Mexico. A tropical storm watch extended from Baffin Bay north to Port O'Connor, on the tip of Matagorda Bay. Alex had sustained winds Monday evening near 60 mph, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami expected the storm to become a hurricane Tuesday.
It was projected to make landfall as a moderate to strong Category 1 hurricane, said Barry Goldsmith, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Brownsville. The path was expected to take Alex very near the Mexico-U.S. border sometime Thursday.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7085151.html

Republicans are sexists. Never once did the 'idea' of separating personal political preferences enter into the Alito or Roberts confirmation hearings, but, with Judge Sotomayor and now Nominee Kagan has nothing but personal slurs leveled at them.

Forbid a woman should not be a 'cookie cutter' model for the Republicans to confirm.  Elen Kagan is brilliant and everyone knows it.  Her service as Solicitor General has been impeccable and LOYAL to the USA Constitution, which Alito and Roberts cannot lay claim to.  I look forward to her leadership, a woman's right too, as a Supreme Court Justice.  The Court will have three woman and how wonderful it will be.  Thank you for accepting the nomination, Ms. Kagan. 

..."I tend to be a legal realist, and I don't think there is one right answer to every legal question, especially when you are talking about the big issues the Supreme Court has to address," Kinports explained. "I think one's vote in a lot of the cases the Supreme Court hears can't help but be influenced by politics in part, but also by one's personal experience, one's sense of how the world works. Deciding a legal case is not like solving a math equation. It may well be influenced by one's views and perspective."

Kinports clerked on the Supreme Court under Justice Harry Blackmun as well as for the same Washington, D.C., Circuit Court of Appeals judge as Kagan, Judge Abner Mivka. Though she does not know Kagan, Kinports said Kagan seems to be persuasive and already appears to have developed a good relationship with the current justices during her tenure as solicitor general since 2009....

Vladimir, were you worried about us? How touching. How long have they been doing this? What political contacts were their favorite?

...The arrests are the culmination of a multi-year investigation that used extensive surveillance of communications and wiretaps, including putting listening devices into the homes of the accused individuals.
The FBI decrypted a coded message in 2009 sent to two of the individuals accused of being part of the ring. The message instructed them to "search and develop ties in policymaking circles in US and send intels" back to Moscow, according to court papers....

BP seeks to reassure Russia over oil spill



By Charles Clover in Moscow
Published: June 28 2010 17:02
Last updated: June 28 2010 17:02
BP’s embattled chief executive, Tony Hayward, met top Russian officials in Moscow on Monday in an effort to reassure them that the company’s commitment to Russia, the source of 25 per cent of its oil production, is undiminished as a result of the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
In media comments ahead of the meeting, Igor Sechin, the deputy prime minister who oversees energy policy, fuelled speculation about Mr Hayward’s future. He was quoted by several Russian news agencies, as saying “Hayward is leaving his post, he will introduce his successor.”

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c2e7150e-82c9-11df-b7ad-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss

Senator Byrd loved the USA Constitution and the people he represented. He openly wept on the Senate floor for the late Senator Kennedy.

But, he openly distained the Bush Administration for its abuses of Constitutional Law and openly brought that disdain to the Senate Floor.
 
Good-bye and Thank you, Senator Byrd.