Many feared dead in Haiti quake - Page last updated at 03:19 GMT, Wednesday, 13 January 2010 (click title to entry - thank you)

Haiti Earthquake "Strange," Strongest in 200 Years (click here)

Ker Than

for National Geographic News

January 13, 2010

The magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Haiti yesterday is the strongest earthquake to hit the region in more than two centuries, geologists say.

Haiti lies along the Caribbean Plate and North America Plate.  The quake occurred at the southern and eastern end of the island.  The Caribbean Plate does not have enough mass in that region to slip this far by itself.  The only feasible way to have this occur is if there was a huge nudge by the North American Plate. 

Getting the picture yet?  No?

Crush Syndrome: Saving More Lives in Disasters (click here)

Lessons Learned From the Early-Response Phase in Haiti
 
Carmi Bartal, MD, MPH; Lior Zeller, MD; Ian Miskin, MD; Gilbert Sebbag, MD; Erez Karp, MD; Alon Grossman, MD; Anat Engel, MD, MHA; Dan Carter, MD; Yitshak Kreiss, MD, MHA, MPA
Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(7):694-696. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.122

INTRODUCTION The Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps Field Hospital was fully operational 89 hours after the Haiti earthquake in January 2010. In earthquake scenarios, crush injuries are a major cause of death. The incidence of crush syndrome can be as high as 25% in earthquake victims. Acute renal failure (ARF), a complication of crush syndrome that is commonly encountered in the first days following earthquakes, has an excellent outcome when renal replacement treatment (RRT) is available.¹ The incidence of ARF related to crush syndrome depends on the intensity of the earthquake and the amount of time spent under rubble, and ranges from 0.5% to 25%. More than half of those with renal failure will require RRT.²

The 2010 Chile Earthquake

The North American Plate is huge.  It touches the Pacific Plate as well as the Cocas Plate and the Caribbean Plate. 

The Pacific Plate is large and primary free of continents.  It has a hot spot that it revolves around to some extent and that Hot Spot (click here) Hawii which will be sprouting a new island sometime in the near 'geological' future.  The Hot Spot is at the terminal end of the Hawaiian Ridge - Emperor Seamount Chain.  All that, except for the Hawaiian Islands and some atolls are under ocean surface. 

The Pacific Plate touches the Cocas Plate and Nazca Plate as well as the Antarctica Plate.  It was the Nazca Plate which was the immediate villain in this instance.  HOWEVER, 2 miles of displacement of the lithosphere required a substantial PUSH.  It is my estimate the push came from a free floating Pacific Plate due to a loosened North America Plate.

At least 521 people killed, 56 missing, about 12,000 injured, 800,000 displaced and at least 370,000 houses, 4,013 schools, 79 hospitals and 4,200 boats damaged or destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami in the Valparaiso-Concepcion-Temuco area.

At least 1.8 million people affected in Araucania, Bio-Bio, Maule, O'Higgins, Region Metropolitana and Valparaiso.

The total economic loss in Chile was estimated at 30 billion US dollars. Electricity, telecommunications and water supplies were disrupted and the airports at Concepcion and Santiago had minor damage. The tsunami damaged or destroyed many buildings and roads at Concepcion, Constitucion, Dichato and Pichilemu and also damaged boats and a dock in the San Diego area, USA.

Maximum acceleration of 0.65g was recorded at Concepcion and more than 2 m of uplift along the coast was observed near Arauco. Felt (IX) at Concepcion; (VIII) at Chiguayante, Coronel, Lebu, Nacimiento, Penco, Rancagua, Santiago, San Vicente, Talca, Temuco and Tome; (VII) from La Ligua to Villarrica; (VI) as far as Ovalle and Valdivia.

Felt in Chile as far as Iquique and Punta Arenas. Felt (V) at Cutral-Co and San Juan, (IV) at Cordoba and Mendoza and (III) at Buenos Aires, Argentina and (II) at Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Felt in much of Argentina and in parts of Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Seiches were observed on Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, USA. A Pacific-wide tsunami was generated. Tsunami wave heights in centimeters (above sea level) were recorded at the following selected tide gauges:...

Strong earthquake strikes central Chile (click here)

January 02, 2011
By the CNN Wire Staff

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the central coastal area of Chile on Sunday, some 70 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of Temuco, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury.
The quake, which stuck around 5:20 p.m. (3:20 p.m. ET), was felt as far away as Santiago, roughly 595 km (370 miles) north of where the USGS said the quake occurred. The epicenter was more than 10 miles underground, the USGS said.
Loreto Henriquez, manager of the Holiday Inn Express in Temuco, felt the quake for about a minute, describing it as loud and strong. She said people ran into the streets, but did not report any major damage.

Magnitude 5.3 quake shakes Chile, no damage seen  (click here)

SANTIAGO
Wed Mar 16, 2011 7:17pm EDT

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake rattled central Chile on Wednesday, shaking buildings in the capital Santiago, but there were no reports of any damage or injuries, the government said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck 45 miles north-northeast of the central Chilean port city of Valparaiso, at a depth of 15.3 miles.
Reuters witnesses said buildings swayed in Santiago, 75 miles miles to the east.
"There are no reports of any damage or injuries," a spokeswoman for state emergency office Onemi told Reuters.
Quake-prone Chile's economy is still recovering from a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake a year ago, which hammered towns, infrastructure and industries in south-central Chile and killed more than 500 people.

Tsunami Christmas 2004

It wasn't that long ago a tsunami hit the area of the Indian Ocean and Indonesia. 

Some want to say it is becuase we have better technology, so we know more about what is occuring around the world, hence, there is more awareness of these tragedies.  Tragedies like these don't go unnoticed no matter what the technology is like.  The technology allows for preparedness and saving lives, not 'knowing' or 'reporting.'

These pictures were sent to me within days of the tsunami.  They appear in other entries on this blog.  The picture above was taken as the wall of water broke into the area where tourists or community had gathered.  The picture to the right was taken seconds later when the water had consumed most of the people standing there.

The earthquakes we are seeing sometimes followed by these devastating earthquakes are happening more freqently.  This was 2004.  Seven years later we are standing in witness of still yet another incredible tragedy.  There is 'something' going on with the planet and I am fairly confident I know what it is.

Powerful earthquake rocks Indonesian island, tsunami warning canceled  (click title to entry - thank you)

3 April 2011

JAKARTA (BNO NEWS) -- A powerful earthquake struck the Indian Ocean south of the Indonesian island of Java on early Monday morning, seismologists said, prompting local residents to flee to higher ground. A tsunami warning was later canceled.
The 7.1-magnitude earthquake at 3.06 a.m. local time (2006 GMT Sunday) was centered about 293 kilometers (182 miles) southwest of Cilacap, a regency in the southwestern part of Central Java province. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake, according to Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
BMKG immediately issued a tsunami warning for some coastal areas of Indonesia, prompting residents in those and surrounding regions to flee to higher grounds. The warning was canceled nearly 2 hours later and there were no reports of tsunami activity.
Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the strength of the earthquake at 6.7 on the Richter scale with a depth of 24 kilometers (14.9 miles). It said there was a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Indonesia is on the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire', an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent and large earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions also occur frequently in the region.
On December 26, 2004, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded struck off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. The 9.1-magnitude earthquake unleashed a deadly tsunami, striking scores of countries. In all, at least 227,898 people were killed....

Plate Tectonics, a science built by Alfred Wegener.in 1912.

The genius of his work would not be widely accepted until after his death in November of 1930.  He was not without recognition.  The German government invested $120,000 in 1930 for his last expedition to the Arctic where he studied weather.  That sum compares in value to $1.5 million in 2007 (pre-Bush global economic collapse).  He was a bit of a national hero.  He died in Greenland with a collegue, Rasmus Villumsen, during that expedition with temperatures reaching -76 Fahrenheit.  I don't believe they see those temperatures in Greenland anymore.  I am confident he did not want to die, but, died with dignity and commitment to purpose.

The work of Wegener is not dissimilar to those that practice scientific investigation.  While a theory can be well founded and evidence compellling, the actual acceptance of the reality of the truth of the work often takes time by the community and other government.  Scientists die.  They die more times than reported in doing what they love and what they know.  Dedication knows no purpose to scientists.  The dedication they exude, no different than astronauts, are their lives.  There is no line drawn between life and purpose, it is the same thing.

His theory known then as 'continental drift' became obvious with the discovery of seafloor spreading.  The continents are above sea level, but, the actual continental plates have definitive boundaries below the surface of the oceans.  The boundaries of these huge and heavy masses of land are in the 'lithosphere.'  Plate Tectonics occurs because the lithosphere floats on the asthenosphere a very ductilly weak layer of Earth with high temperatures and varying depths.  The asthenosphere varies in depth from 62 to 124 miles below Earth's surface.  The heavier the plate the deeper its 'disposition' in the asthenosphere.

Today's Earthquake activity at USGS. (click title to entry - thank you)

Not much reporting in the middle of oceans. 

The USGS is among the most sophisticated records of quake activity in the world.  The agency of the US government was created on March 3, 1879 by President Rutherford B. Hayes.  It has developed over time, but, has been cutting edge in scientific understanding of Earth from the ground up, including it waters, waterways and wildlife including valuable recreational wildlife that contributes to local economies in the USA. 

The Survey became vital in 1964 after a devastating Alaskan earthquake.  Earthquake prediction became a priority and much of the scientific investigation the Survey had been doing proved to be invaluable to begin this process.  The USGS, through records, have been able to determine seismic activity in the USA since 1750. (click here)

The USGS records their data in areas where people live.  That has been the purpose of the prediction center.   The USGS has become recognized worldwide as a place to look for some of the most immediate information when quakes strike.

This is for them.

...Keiko Niinuma (click title to entry - thank you) has her hands full looking after her three boys, aged four, seven and eight.
They are easily distracted from their school books.
She likes to keep busy. The month that has passed has done nothing to ease the pain.
"When I think about that day, I start crying," she says.
"I get so much help from so many people, I always think I should keep smiling. But when I think of it, if I had been a few minutes later there's a good chance I would have been washed away.
"I drove towards the tsunami to get home. I was so worried about my children I didn't care about my own life. The only thing I thought about was them."
Down the hill from the temple, in the town, it seems little has changed in the few short weeks since the tsunami powered through....

This is the kind of sanity I understand. The propaganda against safe and sane offshore wind farms needs to stop.

All is calm: Wind-power generators work off a jetty housing power transformers 50 meters off Kamisu, Ibaraki Prefecture, in this photo taken before the March 11 tsunami. COURTESY OF MITANI CORP.

 

Offshore windmills weather crisis (click title to entry - thank you)

Expansion eyed for plant off Ibaraki running at full capacity

By MINORU MATSUTANI

Staff writer

A cheap and simply structured wind-power plant proved more resistant to natural disasters than nuclear plants.

The wind plant 50 meters off the coast of Kamisu, Ibaraki Prefecture, survived the massive March 11 tsunami and is now running at full capacity supplying electricity to Tokyo Electric Power Co., which was greatly compromised when the waves crippled the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

The wind plant owned and operated by Fukui Prefecture-based Mitani Corp., one of Japan's two offshore wind-power plants, has seven power generators. Each generator is attached to three propeller blades sitting atop a mast that, when turning, transforms wind into electricity.

"All the windmills and transformer stations were safe. Our facilities proved resistant to tsunami," Mitani Managing Director Yoshitaka Yamamoto said.

Each mast, sunk into the seabed at a depth of 25 meters, stands roughly 70 meters above the water. The March 11 tsunami reached 5 meters, Yamamoto said. Each transformer is located on a jetty dozens of meters away from the masts and is enclosed in fiber-reinforced plastic measuring 8.3 meters x 4.3 meters and 4 meters high, he said....

It's Monday Night.

Yellowstone NEXT for Volcanic Eruption & Earthquake??

"Forgotten Fire" by Caldera

And you'll wake up to find
that an angel has...

Stabbed you in the back
Riddled you with lies
Took away your peace
Silenced all your cries

Torn apart your mind
Rectified your pain
Parylized your tounge
Driven you insane

How could you forget this fire?
How could justice not be served?
When will truth be on my side?
When will I get what I deserve?

A thousand teardrops
couldn't wash the dirt off
of my name
A royal pardon couldn't take
away these years of shame

I will not be lost
I will not be found
Nailed inside a box
Six feet undergound

How could you forget this fire?
How could justice not be served?
When will truth be on my side?
When will I get what I deserve?

I am running late.

I really want to discuss the problems facing the current global economy in relation to Earth's activities, primarily the Pacific.  I am toying with doing this tomorrow as I would like to line up the presentation in a more complete format.

I thnik tomorrow would be better.

I am pleased to see the President taking the initiative in regard to the deficit and debt.  The Republicans have not got a clue.  I don't mean that to be mean, but, they sincerely don't.  They are so removed from reality, both 'the human condition' and their politics they simply are not the party they used to be.  I mean Ryan's idea of perfect, just ain't.  Not even in touch with reality. 

My opinion is based on what I have been reading.  It seems to me the national debt is not the dire an issue.  There is no emergency here.  It has to be addressed through a 'process.'  I know Republicans don't find that helpful for their politics, but, the debt and deficit requries 'citizen response and comment.'  If this is done 'well' it can be extremely helpful for the citizen and their legislators. 

The tax rates for the wealthy are completely out of sync with reality or morality of any kind. 

Oh, the article in the New York Times today about the banking 'lobby' and how Chris Dodd really wasn't the man for the job.  Why did anyone believe Dodd, with resignation apparent, would put together a 'strong' oversight bill?  Now he is going to be involved with the film industry and is out to work over documentaries.  Poor Michael.  But, if that bill is going to work the "Consumer Protection Agency' is vital, its audits have to frequent of 'the internal process' the banks are suppose to have constructed to 'self-regulate' according to government standards.  If there isn't a strong oversight from the Consumer Protection Agency and / or Regulators, the process Dodd set up will never work.  It will simply be another 'figure head' position in every bank that no one will regard seriously.

Oh, well.

Until tomorrow...

The 'better circumstances' President Obama referred to was the economy and a far less hostile House of Representatives.

...On Friday night, Obama called the cuts painful, but necessary — even while he said that under better circumstance he would not have agreed to them....

That was a statement from Politico.   It is more a statement of how the Democratic Party somewhat abandoned their post during the House elections of 2010.  It is even more important in the year 2012 that citizns feeling desperate enough to abandon their principles to vote for extremists or be lead to do so by wrongful media intent be given a better chance.

In Senate and House seats it is important Democrats take their residency seriously and campaign for their candidates this year.   Get out the vote.

Participate.

I hope NOAA and the National Weather Service is paying attention to the severe storms that cropped up in past two hours.

April 9, 2011

0400.13 z

UNISYS North and West Hemisphere Water Vapor Satellite (click title for 12 hour loop)

There is also a problem in Okalhoma.  None of the wildfires are large enough to be consider a major incident, but, they are draining the local fire companies dry of their budgets. 

Who Activates National Guard Helicopters For Oklahoma Wildfires?  (click here)

Posted: Apr 07, 2011 4:32 PM EDT
Updated: Apr 07, 2011 5:02 PM EDT

Craig Day, News On 6

NEAR KEYSTONE LAKE, Oklahoma -- National Guard helicopters are being used on many of the wildfires burning this week in Oklahoma.

The state has four of them, two in Tulsa and two in Lexington. Crews have been on standby since last Sunday.

So how does the state decide when to use the helicopters?...

All the fires are considered small compared to the wildfires that engulf 10,000 acres in one bite, but, in Okalhoma right now this small fires are rising in number.  So they are classified small, but, there are many of them.

Wildfires Burn Up Budgets For Rural Oklahoma Fire Departments  (click here)

Posted: Apr 08, 2011 3:04 PM EDT
Updated: Apr 08, 2011 3:19 PM EDT

Craig Day, News On 6

CREEK COUNTY, Oklahoma -- Not only is this year's wildfire season a dangerous one, it's also an expensive season. Many rural fire departments are strapped for cash after week after week of fighting fires.

At the Freedom Hill Fire Station in Creek County, Carolyn Smythe is paying the volunteer district's bills, like the one for fuel.

Lately, several of those bills are sky high. With such a severe fire season, meeting expenses on a small budget is getting more difficult.

"Very expensive," she said....

With so many small fires in close proximity it becomes more of an emergency because there is no relief to the fire departments and it leaves them stressed when local fires to homes might develop.  I remind there were homes last summer and the summer before in some of these states that simply burst into flames because of the heat from the sun and no trees around them.

This is the large incident map from the 8th of April.  Noted the 'many' fires in Oklahoma and northern Texas.  Texas don't seem concerned about it, but, than Texas is never concerned about anything except oil and gas.

If one starts adding the acres together in Oklahoma it begins to show a larger number of acres.

Current Large Incident
April 8, 2011 (click here)

Fires number 11 through 18 comes to about 4180 acres.  Those are a bit much for local units to handle.

The storms may help some of the fires, but, it is a heck of a price to pay.  Tornadoes instead of fire. 

The Slippery Slope of GOP lies.

Alabama (click here) has a higher teen pregnancy rate than the national average; a slightly lower AIDS rate;  and has among the worst STI rates in the nation.

One of the most astounding statements I heard today came from a Republican from Alabama.

The Need for Title X in Alabama

In 2008, 271,200 women in Alabama were in need of publicly supported contraceptive services and supplies.  Such women are sexually active; aged 13–44; able to become pregnant and not pregnant, postpartum nor trying to become pregnant; and either have a family income below 250% of the federal poverty level or are younger than age 20.

In Alabama, 21% of women aged 15–44 are uninsured, compared with 22% nationally.  Title X–supported family planning centers play an especially important role in serving the uninsured, who often cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket at private health care providers.

Martha Roby not only wants to shut down the Department of Education (click title to entry - thank you)  she was fully engaged today in the lies of the GOP in regard to Title X and abortion.  Roby is not only irresponsible, she is dangerous. 

Alabama is among the poorest states in the nation.  Is Mr. Roby worried about bringing responsible jobs to her constitutents.  No.  She is worried about breaking down the wall between church and state, at any cost.

This is where it really gets interesting.  Supported Title X Clinics in Alabama:

In 2006, 81 family planning centers in Alabama received support from Title X.  They included:

Health department clinics: 77

Community health centers: 4

Planned Parenthood clinics: 0

Hospital outpatient clinics: 0

Other independent clinics: 0

How a woman with two children can turn against other women in far less a capacity than herself to protect their lives from further impoverishment and illiteracy is anyone's guess.

Ms. Roby has no morals, no snense of whom she serves or any 'unique' statement to her purpose EXCEPT to destroy the Public Sector in Alabama.  How can I say that?  Because Roby, if successful, will remove public education (which is already far too overburdened with 'social adminisration' than actually educating) so the only schools left to Alabama children in her district will be PRIVATE education, and in Alabama that means Christian only DOGMA will be taught.

Senator Kyl's lies were more than interesting.  He is simply throwing his vote with the extremists to give them some form of legitimacy.  Kyl is not running for re-election because he wants to leave the Senate with a legacy rather than be thrown out. 

...Kyl, (click here) who has become a leading conservative voice on foreign affairs, said at a news conference it was time to give someone else a shot at the seat he's held since 1994. He said he announced his retirement now to give fellow Republicans time to raise money and formulate their campaign strategies....

Kyl was ranked as the most conservative Senator under the Capital Dome.  If he can throw weight to the extremists it might improve the next contenders chances of being elected or influence the national elections which is more the case.  I haven't heard Kyl speak about the need for gun control yet.  Now.  That.  Would be a very interesting 'fairwell' to the Senate.

Exposing the lies of the Regressive Republicans in the last few days has resulted in a 'Wizard of Oz Effect."
They seemed to be melting as each one was exposed.  "Help Me, I'm melting..."  It will be interesting to see how they REGROUP their paranoid caucus over the weekend.

$60+ billion in discretionary spending cuts is NOTHING in relation to the national debt.

So then why go there?

A stopgap bill that Democrats (click title to entry - thank you) hope to pass in the Senate today to avert a shutdown would fund the Pentagon through the rest of the fiscal year and other arms of government for another week at current levels, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said on Friday.

Discretionary spending is where all the wedge issues are for the 2012 elections.

The real challenges to the country is not about their discretionary budget, it is about Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Miliary Budget.

The reason those items are not 'on the table' is because they cannot be solved in a Budget proposal.  These issues have to be addressed through HONEST debate, requires a COMMENT PERIOD from the citizens in the country, well written legislation that will probably far more than three pages long and should begin ASAP.

The BEST 'rider' that should have been attached to the 2011 and the next 2012 budget bill would be to start a 'five year or ten year' process to take PUBLIC COMMENT on major spending programs.  It would provide a time period during which citizens could learn about the spending in these large budget topics, learn where waste is occurring and seek to investigate ways to resolve those problems in order to bring these programs under control from what the country can tolerate and what it cannot not.

On most areas that effect the average citizen, such as banking, which when out of control can cause use impacts to the USA economy should have the same 'frequency' of citizen review, every five years.  In other words, once the Banking Regulation Act was passed, the Affordable Care Act was passed a 'time component' that accepts PUBLIC COMMENT should be nearly automatic in a way the public would expect it to be a part of any significant bill.

PUBLIC COMMENT means something.  It goes into the record and it is reviewed by the administrative departments involved.  The comments cannot be dismissed.  There needs to be a measure by which the American citizen can 'redress' the bills after they are passed an implimented.  Public Comment does not mean the legislation changes, however, it gives a chance for Americans to be heard and that is made a part of teh record, so that individuals or organizations such as AARP can review the statements of citizens that have gone through the trouble of making comment to understand where the legislation worked and where it missed the mark.

To have this 'seesaw' of passing bills and recalls and attaching social wedge issues to budgets is hideous and results in real ramifications in the world.  It really isn't appropriate.  A bill doesn't sincerely reach its implimentation until 2 years after its passage due to the irregular implimentation at the State level.  It requires at least three additional years to come to understand the implications of a bill and it is the citizen that finds out FIRST the impact of most legislation.

A five year review of major legislation should be a standard in the House and Senate and not simply an accommodation.

To completely demonstrate how completely "Two Faced" this House majority is, they are violating their own rant about "States Rights."

The Regressive Republicans, up to now, have stated, Gay Marriage and Abortion are "States Rights" and not a topic for federal elections.  Yes?  Yes.  All of a sudden in the USA federal budgte the Wedge Issue to end all wedge issue is abortoin.  Oh, so the federal government is now the place for this issue or not?

As Congressional budget talks continue (click title to entry - thank you) Washington, women's health is in the spotlight. Lawmakers were reportedly wrangling over funding for Planned Parenthood, a major provider of health care for women, ncluding abortion and family planning services.

"This all deals with women's health," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) told reporters in an exchange broadcast on CNN, the New York Times reported.

Whatever is decided, it could have broad implications for women, especially the poor. Seventy-five percent of Planned Parenthood's clients live close to the poverty line, according to the organization.
Planned Parenthood provides a wide array of medical services including reproductive health care, cancer screenings, and STD testing at more than 800 locations across the country. They are also the country's largest abortion provider.

And that's where they run into trouble with conservatives....

Abortion CLEARLY is an issue that involves religious beliefs and the division of church and state.  This topic is not a matter of whether abortion involves 'unborn citizens' rights.'  There is no such thing as unborn citizen rights.  If a person is not born, then there are no rights to violate.  Where the law makes a distinction, in the case of murder, it is a matter as to the nature of the death of the woman and whether her pregnancy enticed the murder and her intention to the hopes of giving birth to another life. 

If that sounds like it is splitting hairs, it is not.  The focus on the fact that women make conscience decisions to become pregnant and carry that pregnancy to the birth of a child that she may or may not nurture to adulthood is the focus.  A women's right to decide to be pregnant and give birth is a huge leap for women.  They commit their lives and fortune to the well being and up bringing of that child.  It is not a minor commitment and for the woman that dies while pregnant due to murder the focus is more than appropriate to understand the 'special circumstances' that she entered.

So, either States Rights in regard to abortion and other matters are important to the Regressive Republicans of the Hosue or they aren't.  Which is it?

Government shutdown eminent because Republicans created a 'wedge issue' by writing policy into the USA Budget.

Expect the same type of obstructionism with every measure the House writes. 

The Republicans have become the Party of the Extremists.  It is just that simple.  They have been destroying the USA Constitution for as long as I can remember.  The Republicans elected into office in the 2010 elections are a profound representation of what the RNC is all about.  Republicans have painted themselves into being the party that can deliver a Plutocracy to Wall Street and this is the result.  They want to knock down the wall between church, state and Wall Street.  It is their goals that are the problem.  They don't do the people's business anymore because they sold out to big money for a long, long time. 

It is unfortunate the Plutocrats are able to pollute the democratic process in the USA, but, they have.  I refuse to have Regressive Republicans destroy Planned Parenthood over unsound fiscal principles based in ideologies.  Planned Parenthood has been invaluable in their services to women, men and families alike and it is an atrocity to continually attack decent people that perform valuable serves to the American people.

The Regressive Republicans are extreme.  There is no dealing with them because they are ideologues.  Ideologues do not belong in politics in the USA.  People able to understand the NEEDS of this country and how best to solve those problems are those that should be in office.  It is unfortuante the American people are so disconnected from their own understanding of the nation's problems and the best solution that this mess has to exist.  That disconnect is why the Plutocrats are able to 'manipulate' elections.

When one really reflects on the 'purpose' to the Republcan's anti-Americansim, it is desperation for being elected.  The entire party has sold out to those that want greater and greater profits without regard for the citizens of the country.  CEO decisions are based on profit and loss, not loyality to citizens.  It has been that realtiy that has brought the Republicans to 'their state of play.'  The country is in real peril with Republcans in control of any branch of office, it would seem at any level of government as well.  We are seeing it in Wisconsin and most of the Midwest states.  States mostly abandoned by the Plutocracy of Wall Street.  The 'neediness' of the people of the Midwest due to that abandonment opened them up to considering alternatives that excoriate the deceny they had remaining in their lives.  It is unfortunate what is occuring with what was once considered the Greatest Democracy on Earth.  People are losing their rights due to Republicans.  They are losing them in the courts and at the ballot box because 'the conditions' of living have become adverse at no real fault of the citizen, but, the manipulation of eight years of abuse of power in Washington under Bush and Cheney.  It is rather sad to witness.

This shutdown is more than about abortion and abortion rights.  It is about how the Regressive Republicans MANIPULATE their power to bring pressure on the country as to SARIFICING their freedoms versus political domination.  That is huge.  There is a dynamic at play here that if allowed to continue will destroy the very democracy Regressive Republicans state they love.  They are destroying the USA Constitution with every wedge issue THEY CREATE. 

Repeated earthquakes are shaking economic confidence.

...The survey (click title to entry - thnak you) comes in the same week as the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research's quarterly survey of business opinion, which is one of three key surveys measured by the Reserve Bank when determining monetary policy.

It showed the quake's impact was localised in Christchurch, with both sentiment and activity flat rather than negative around the rest of the country.

Still, the country's economic recovery had already stalled prior to the quake, narrowly dodging recession through the latter half of last year, and the temblor may have shaved as much as 1.5 per centage points from GDP growth, according to the Reserve Bank....

What I can't understand is why Republicans are against The Affordable Care Act.

...Rep. Ryan’s budget proposal (click title to entry - thank you) would radically reshape both the Medicare and Medicaid programs. It would turn Medicaid into a block grant, which would give states more discretion over benefits and eligibility. And it would radically redesign Medicare, changing it from what is essentially a government-run, single-payer health plan to one in which people would choose coverage from competing private insurance firms, many of them for-profit....

According to Ryan, Medicare recipiants would be 'dumped off' at the State Insurance Pools, once they go into effect in 2014. 

The electorate has to remember, the Republicans were against it until they were for it.  While they openly state they are opposed to what is coined as "Obama Care," (which I would think could be understood as Obama Cares, but who am I to criticize Regressives) they restructure their approval as it appears in Ryan's proposal.  In other words, they know the insurance companies love the Affordable Care Act because it requires all Americans to be insured.  So, the Republicans simply go about trying to syphon more monies off the government and put it in the nads of their cronies.

The Ryan Proposal is a dangerous one and one the electorate should take seriously in realizing how their reality can change overnight in the hands of manipulators such as Ryan and those that stand with him.  It is my guess Ryan had 'interesting' help in crafting this disaster to the people of the country.

One has to realize, the Republicans CHRONICALLY focus on Medicare.  Bush did after being re-elected in 2004 and now Ryan and his party.  Why?  Why would that be the case?

It is easy for Republcans to come up with plans to scalp Americans, they are written by their Wall Street buddies.

In actuality, this level of corruption validates the need for a single payer system without a doubt.  That is what Americans are competing against.  They either decide to have a single payer and rid themselves of the corporate corruption of Wall Street in their health care system OR they continue to be 'watch dogs' for their own well being day after day.  Sooner or later that decision needs to be made.  It is EXPENSIVE to continually 'police' Wall Street, so why do it?  Rid the health care system of corporate corruption and instill Single Payer.  We already have it for Seniors and we know it works.  Give the "Dividends and Bonuses" to the American public for a change.

Waukesha County post election result needs to be dismissed.

It is an issue of the electronic 'hanging chad.'  It sounds as though the 'methodology' of Waukesha County, Wisconsin is clearly corrupt and one has to wonder about the election returns of previous elections where the electronic vote was in place. 

It is really terrible there.  Why do the people let her get away with it.  According to others they do not believe the practice is wise.  It is completely unethical.  The problem sincerely is that objections to Kathy Nickolaus have been ongoing, it is just she has the authroity at this point to refuse invetigation.

...The County auditors (click title to entry - thank you) said it was eminently possible -- including historical precedent -- for Nickolaus or a rogue employee to tamper with data. Why? Nickolaus insists on controlling password access and has unilaterally decided to move sensitive files, like election results, onto her personal computer....

Corruption is a terrible thing and once again the people of Wisconsin lack confidence in their state government.  It is more than obvious the results are manipulated.  Downloading anything is a manipulation and what happens from there is anyone's guess.

Aug. 18, 2010

...County Corporation Counsel Thomas Farley (click here) told the committee Monday that as an elected official with responsibility for elections, "If she wants to keep everything secret, she probably can.
"I don't know if that's wise or what she should do, but if she wants to and the public is satisfied that that's what they want - someone who keeps everything secret - that's up to them."
The issue came to a head when Nickolaus removed the election results collection and tallying system from the county computer network this spring and installed it on standalone personal computers in her office. She has said they are backed up with redundant systems.
Director of Administration Norman A. Cummings said Nickolaus has been uncooperative with attempts to have information technologists review the system and confirm the backups....