I don't care about how many oil disasters there were in the world before the Deepwater Horizon. THIS IS THE WORST. By every standard.

An oil slick near the Chandeleur Islands in Louisiana in May 2010. The Gulf of Mexico spill, already deemed worse than the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, may be the worst environmental disaster the U.S. has ever faced.  (click title to entry - thank you)

This is the USA.  This isn't suppose to happen to us as if we were a third world country.  THAT is insulting to other countries, but, it painfully true.  If the USA is allowing exploitation of its natural resources with abandon, it only sets THE  WORST  INDUSTRIAL  STANDARD on Earth.

The reference by Newsweek that the Gulf of Mexico is 'the gulf of oil' for all the water contamination is probably true, however, just because the Gulf of Mexico was previously contaminated along other coast lines doesn't mean that it is 'OKAY' to now do the same in USA waters.  Nor is it okay to disregard the livelihoods of Americans that utilize the fisheries now drenched with oil.

That isn't all.

The USA has high standards for wildife protections.  It took decades and a lot of US dollars to bring the Louisiana Brown Pelican back from endangered status.  It came off the Endangered List as of November 2009.  The Louisiana Brown Pelican is probably at least 'threatened' all over again, because, they aren't being returned to Louisiana habitat after they are rescued.  I hope the birds are being tagged to return to Louisiana, but, the fact is that a Brown Pelican that lives outside of Louisiana is NOT a Louisiana Brown Pelican.  Not only that, but, even if the rescued birds are alive and tagged in Florida, they will probably be replaced by many generations of pelicans before their former habitat can ever be used for habitat again.

In the meantime, the Louisiana Brown Pelicans that can be saved, should be saved and their offspring followed and tagged in order to return them to Louisiana eventually.  The problem is that they will have to be oriented to new habitat AGAIN and there is always stress on animals when that occurs and there will be unnecessary deaths as they have to learn their new feeding grounds and nesting grounds, etc.  All that takes money and if the Louisiana birds are in Florida, that means the fiscal burden is falling on Florida.  So the actual cost of this oil spill won't be known for decades.

But, that is not all.

THE  GULF  OF  MEXICO  LOOP  CURRENT. 

No matter how Newsweek wants to diss the people in their concern for the CONTAMINATION of the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current, it is no minor matter.  This is one of the few times, to the best of the knowledge of most of us, that such huge amounts of TOXIC oil dispersants have been introduced to the water column for such an extended period of time.  If this is the practice of the Petroleum Industry then governments are NOT doing their jobs in allowing this practice.  And the question is, "Why are they using oil dispersants anyway and where has it been used and how much has been used and what were the outcomes of the industy vs the environment and economies it may have effected?"

This is also the first time the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current has been involved in any oil disaster incident.  Now, if political figures and the media want to 'blow this off' as nothing and hysteria, they are welcome to do, but, this is not a minor incident.  It has the potential to imperil Earth. 

SO.

I don't care if there were incidents of oil disasters worse than the BP disaster.  THE FACT that this happened at all in the USA is outrageous.  It has followed a time that regulations and federal infrastructure has been 'culled' by the Bush/Cheney administration and left the USA vulnerable.  The BP disaster is a National Secuity Issue among others thngs.

I don't care if other abandoned oil wells ended up becoming an environmental nightmare, because, of a SIX MONTH 'investigational' moritorium.  If there is an oil well that is being abandoned because of the moritorium and something ADVERSE happens, then the company holding that lease has liability.  I don't think any company wants that to happen and they better be 'manning' all their wells to standard and in anticiaption of either closing them securely or waiting to find out what the USA government is going to do.

I don't care if 'rigs' leave the area because of the moritorium.  It just goes to prove how the USA needs to regulate not just the industry practices of drilling, BUT  ALSO, the industry standards it 'fitness of rigs' that come into our waters.  So, Oil Rigs are going to have to pass safety standards and be maintained well or they don't come into USA waters again.

And if an industry, of any nature, practicing within the USA does not understand or care to understand the high quality standards this country holds for them, then they can leave.  There are independant operators willing and able to meet high quality industry standards and it is those businesses we need to nuture and bring 'online' with businesses and jobs for the USA economy.   Operators with RESPECT for our government, ouir standards of living and THEIR place within all that.  Operators that don't have CEOs seeking a bonus at the cost to national economies.

The BP disaster will never be completely paid for by the company.  It will cost generations of Americans billions US$ and we know it.  In that reality, is it EVER worth allowing any business to practice substandard 'trades' when it will only burden the country with debt unending?

NO. 

It is just not worth it.  The truth of the matter is that oil and gas are as ancient to Earth as the dinosaurs and prehistoric lagoons that supply it.  We need to move on in the USA in order to secure the future generation of Americans and global allies and friends.  The jobs these industries supply aren't worth it and can be replaced with jobs in 'local eocnomies' where artists are valued, craftspersons produce quality products rather than 'K-Mart' Red Light Specials. 

The USA has been indulging corporations under misguided and corrupt Republican leadership and the disasters we are facing as a country today is a direct result of those policies for over 30 years of exploitation.  Heck, even American lives didn't matter to the CEOs of health care insurance corporations.  American lives were just another bargaining chip in the next CEO bonus.

The USA military needs to understand the Oil and Gas Industry, have personnel at the ready to intervene and be able to carry out a 'closure' to any rupture that imperils our country, its populous, its economy and the global ocean circulations.

ENOUGH. 

Ken Arnold, Oil and Gas Consultant has made a mistake. CNN attacks the American citizen and promotes Petroleum Industry standard to exceed the standard of the citizen.

Ken Arnold makes a lot of money from the Petroleum Industy.  (click title to entry - thank you)  He advocated for overriding the 'citizen standard' of the USA by stating the Petroleum Industry KNOWS BEST.

I don't think so.

What does CNN 'follow up' Arnold's appearance with?  Comedy segments.  Hello?

One aspect of this oil rupture in the Gulf that comes to light and why a plutocracy flourishes over the citizen is because the Petroleum Industry 'runs' LOBBYISTS as PR folks such as Ken Arnold.

Basically, the 'citizen standard' is ignored in the "W" economy.  It is 'substituted' for 'be grateful in employment' rather than standards of excellence to PROTECT the citizen from abusive industry infrastructure.

I am not interested in what ARNOLD has to sell.  Thanks, anyway.

Louisiana Governor Jindal states he is in a war against oil. Heck. He should have thought of that one a long time ago before their product lined his beaches and fisheries.

Jindal the inspirational speaker.  Typical Republican lawmaker.  Pander to Wall Street and become the quintessential emergency coordinator when disaster strikes.  Does Jindal EVER reflect on the fact HE is as much Louisiana's problem as BP !!!  PREVENTION.  Think prevention, Louisiana.

..."You know, when you're in the middle of a battle, a lot of times it is easy to be skeptical about victory, " Jindal began as he stood on a makeshift stage at the Fort Jackson Wildlife Center in Buras alongside Saints owner Tom Benson and Coach Sean Payton, among others. "Indeed, we all remember the Saints overcame the odds, they overcame the critics, they overcame the skeptics. . . . We all remember that onside kick. We all remember that interception.

Share "Well, you know what, Louisiana? We're in a battle right now to save our coast. This is a war to protect our way of life in Louisiana. And just like the New Orleans Saints overcame the odds, Louisiana is going to win this battle...

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2010/06/new_orleans_saints_rally_lifts.html


That is what is amazing about Republicans, they use opportunity to make money of their citizens.  BUT, it ain't taxes, though.

Louisiana doesn't have a Brown Pelican anymore.  The ones still alive are now residing in Florida.

From Melinda Deslatte, June 9, 2010 - 08:05 AM

Lawmakers send Jindal bill to remove $15 license price hike, despite governor's opposition  (click title to entry  - thank you)

By Melinda Deslatte

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The decision of whether to repeal or keep a $15 increase in the price of a Louisiana driver's license now rests with Gov. Bobby Jindal.

The Senate gave final approval to reversing the price increase by a 29-5 vote Tuesday, sending the measure to Jindal, whose administration repeatedly tried to kill the bill as it wound its way through the Legislature.
Jindal wants the $13.6 million to be raised by the license hike annually to help cover costs for state police in the upcoming budget year that begins July 1.
If he vetoes the bill, Jindal will be taking ownership of the price boost even as he has repeatedly talked about opposing tax hikes to fill budget shortfalls and the need for the state to "do more with less." If Jindal lets the bill become law, that shrinks state revenue....

Severe Weather - UNISYS 12 hour loop (click at title to entry - thank you)

June 9, 2010

00:17 GMT

Atlantic Ocean Satellite

The FIRST hurricanes of the season are gaining potential as well. 

Red River Valley is in the path of the potential tornadoes and heavy rain.

The same vortex street is taking a north - east track.  The Jet Stream is becoming dominated by the vortexes again.  The 'heat plume' coming up from the equator is going to reek havoc with the air mass and movement in the central USA.

There are actually two streets, the ones nearest the equator is primarily stationary.  Those are starting to pick up some minor amount of moisture.  Minor in the sense of 'percent of water vapor to size of vortex.'  With added water vapor there might be some added turbulence and movement in the equatorial systems.

Severe thunderstorms, hail move across St. Louis region

By Lisa Watson

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Tuesday afternoon thunderstorms brought hail to the St. Louis region and are expected to continue through the night.
A flood warning is in effect in St. Charles County, and a severe weather warning has been issued for St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Clair County and Monroe County in Illinois. A storm capable of producing quarter-sized hail was spotted in the region, according to the National Weather Service.
Very large hail is possible, as are strong winds and isolated tornados, according to the National Weather Service. Severe weather moved in from the northwest Tuesday morning, and was expected to bring 1 to 2 inches of rain across Northeast Missouri, West Central and Southwest Illinois.
Globe-Democrat.com spotted dime-sized hail in St. Louis County.
Unstable conditions in the atmosphere and a slow-moving front will keep rain in the forecast through Sunday, according to the Weather Service

http://www.globe-democrat.com/news/2010/jun/08/severe-thunderstorms-hail-move-across-st-louis-reg/

Oil and Gas the safest energy sources on Earth. The latest assessment of the the Hood County gas expolsion is three dead and others missing.

Officials say one person is dead after a gas line explosion and fire near Cleburne, Texas, about 80 kilometres southwest of Dallas. (CBC)

Monday, June 7th, at 2:40 p.m. a natural gas facility in Hood County, Texas exploded. (click title to entry - thank you)  Ten people are missing and three died. The explosion was south of Granbury, near Pecan Plantation.

UPI news says, "Hood County Fire Marshal Brian Fine told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram the workers were missing after a work crew hit a gas pipeline while digging a trench. Officials urged residents to stay in their homes so emergency responders could have full access to the rural roads to the site."
Durango Texas reports, "Firemen from 8 different fire departments have surrounded the site of the explosion. Parkland Hospital, in Dallas, is expecting burn victims to be brought to their specialist burn unit."
Fire crew will have to wait for the gas line to shut off and the fire to burn itself out. Smoke and flames from the fire can be seen for miles.



Company: Workers followed procedure before blast  (link below)

By ANGELA K. BROWN (AP) – 2 hours ago
CLEBURNE, Texas — A utility crew that accidentally struck a natural gas line, sparking a fiery explosion that killed one worker, followed the proper procedures in locating the line before digging, a company official said Tuesday....


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i3fQFROi7EjjP1ifzux9UOPWFP8AD9G7B20G3



Oklahoma Man Dies In Texas Natural Gas Explosion
Posted: Jun 08, 2010 1:07 PM EDT

Updated: Jun 08, 2010 7:46 PM EDT
By Craig Day, The News On 6
RAMONA, OK -- A utility worker found dead several hours after a natural gas line erupted in north Texas is from Oklahoma.
The explosion killed 45-year-old James Neese, from Ramona. Neese leaves behind a wife and seven children, including a toddler and infant. Residents are saddened at the death of a hard working, family man.
While OSHA and National Transportation Safety Board investigators are working to find out how a utility crew ruptured a natural gas line, in Ramona people are saddened to hear the explosion killed one of their own....


http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=12614362



2 hurt in W.Va. well blast still hospitalized  (link below)
06/08/2010
UDRL / Associated Press
Three more workers injured in a West Virginia drilling rig explosion have been released from the hospital, bringing the total to five.
By Tuesday afternoon, only two workers remained hospitalized. A spokeswoman for Dallas, Texas-based Chief Oil & Gas LLC says neither has life-threatening injuries.
Seven workers were hurt when a crew with Union Drilling struck a pocket of methane Monday in an abandoned coal mine near Moundsville. Union was drilling a natural gas well in the Marcellus shale formation for Chief.
Union is based in Fort Worth, Texas, but the crew was from Buckhannon. Union has refused comment except to say it's cooperating with investigators.
Chief spokeswoman Kristi Gittins says it's too soon to know how the methane ignited. The gas is still burning.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D9G77NP82.html



Parkland Memorial Hospital Burn Unit is a busy place evidently.


Kitchen Explosion Injures Five At Texas Restaurant

One person was in critical condition Tuesday after an explosion in the kitchen of a Texas restaurant.
DALLAS (June 8, 2010)--A natural gas explosion Monday in the kitchen of a restaurant in Gainesville left one person in critical condition.
Parkland Memorial Hospital officials said Tuesday that four other people are in serious condition after the explosion around 4:30 p.m. Monday in the kitchen of a Mexican restaurant, El Taco Riendo.
Three women, a young girl and a toddler were flown to the hospital with burns after the blast.
Hospital officials would not say which victim is in critical condition.
Fire officials told The Dallas Morning News that they have not determined the cause of the explosion, but most of the damage occurred inside the building.


http://www.kwtx.com/news/headlines/95866449.html?ref=449


Yep.

Are Natalee's parents still in Aruba regularly? I can't believe Van der Sloot actually pleaded guilty.

I wonder what the penalty for Murder is in Peru?  I would think he would finally confess and tell the Holloways what happened to their daughter.  Is his father a judge or something in Aruba?  And what about the other two men, are they involved or not?  It seems like such a 'huge' crime not that another woman had died.  He could have been stopped.  I can't help but wonder if there are others we don't know about.

New Search to be Conducted for Natalee Holloway's Body  (click title to entry - thank you)

...Arubian authorities told Jossy Mansur, editor of Aruba's Diario Newspaper, they "believe they must have missed something, some kind of evidence" related to Natalee's murder. Natalee, then 18, was last seen leaving a bar with van der Sloot, then 17....

Further demonstration can be made of the media hatred of Democratic innovation in social content.

Since the Obama Administration has taken office, I have heard over and over and over again how violence rules Chicago youth. 

The other day there was an article in the New York Times about prison, etc. 

In response to rampant urban violence Bob Herbert featured an Op-Ed.  Please see below.

YET.  One of the greatest hopes for reforming the urban violent youth to provide for 'HOPE' in their lives a man by the name of Van Jones and his Green Jobs Economy was 'ridden' by the media in a campaign of harassment that ended his career in the White House to improve the 'chances' the youth of the inner city face everyday and within their culture of violence.

The American Media drove a man of 'Hope' out of the White House with complete disregard of his work, his hopes for the youth in the USA and what would be the result of such actions.  They got ratings, they got gratification of the 'hate mongering' and they relished the 'power' of undoing the Obama Administration at every turn.

Did they care about this country?  NO !  Resoundingly.  NO !

I could go on and on and on with examples of every kind to prove exactly the level of hatred the media has for Democratic innovation and problem solving.

THE  TRUTH.  If it doesn't serve Wall Street, it doesn't matter !

If Wall Street or the American Media don't have hope and solutions for USA inner city youth, then they need to SHUT UP, because, they are only making it worse. 

When a 'role model' and 'hero' such as Van Jones is 'shot down' by the American media it tells the young men of the inner city just how insignificant they are and how they are doomed to live within the culture of violence they were born into. 

So, don't tell me about how the Democratic innovation that can actually solve the problems of this country is treated 'as a game toy' for political volleys and Republican Fervor.  During the harassment of Van Jones there was NO  REPUBLICAN to be found because they were to busy 'obstructing' the votes of the Senate and chronically campaigning for their majority return without a single answer for the problems the USA is facing, but, plenty of rhetoric !




Van Jones is a globally recognized, award-winning pioneer in human rights and the clean-energy economy. Van is a co-founder of three successful non-profit organizations: the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Color of Change and Green For All. He is the best-selling author of the definitive book on green jobs: The Green-Collar Economy. He served as the green jobs advisor in the Obama White House in 2009.
Van is currently a senior fellow at the Center For American Progress. Additionally, he is a senior policy advisor at Green For All.
Van also holds a joint appointment at Princeton University, as a distinguished visiting fellow in both the Center for African American Studies and in the Program in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs....

http://www.vanjones.net/



...If a stranger or someone (click title to entry - thank you)  from a rival clique steps on your clean, white sneakers, or makes a crack about your manhood, or laughs at you, putting a bullet in his heart or his head is seen by an awful lot of young people as an appropriate response. This is a form of crazed thinking that needs to be confronted and changed.

Dr. Gary Slutkin, an epidemiologist who began focusing more than a decade ago on urban violence as a public health matter, has developed a program that is making progress in altering such behavior, and thus reducing the violence. Antiviolence initiatives that actually work are desperately needed to cut down on the slaughter that continues with numbing regularity, year after tragic year....



Chicago Violence: At Least 27 People Shot Over Memorial Day Weekend
First Posted: 06- 1-10 01:48 PM

At least 27 people were shot, two fatally, over the long weekend in Chicago, and police are blaming gang violence for more than half of the incidents.
Between noon on Saturday and noon on Sunday, at least 22 people were shot in the city, the Chicago Tribune reports. One of those wounded was a woman who was eight months pregnant.
"Fortunately, she only suffered a graze wound," Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis told the Tribune. "But it could have been much worse."
The violence continued through Memorial Day into early Tuesday morning, when five more people were shot in separate incidents. One of those wounded died from his injuries early Tuesday.
The Tribune reports that no one is in custody for any of the shootings.
On Sunday, Weis told reporters that half of the 15 separate shootings appear to be gang-related, including the 19-year-old's murder. He also said several victims refused to cooperate with police "which makes the job of our detectives ... far more difficult," he told the Tribune.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/01/chicago-violence-at-least_n_596335.html

BP has given up on capping the disasterous human induced Oil Seep, the economy of the Gulf Coast is lost and BP's CEO is confident all with the company will be well.

This DOES  NOT  NEED  NUCLEAR  MATERIAL TO WORK.

It would be insane to use nuclear material for such a methodolgy.

JERKS !!!!!


It is "W"rong for the media to imply a 'nuclear option' would be the result of such a method.  FEAR.  The Americna Media will do anything to instill FEAR into the electorate when it comes to DEMOCRATS AND THEIR 'INNOVATION.'

The TRUTH is that this tragedy may never end.  That is the truth with a human induced oil seep one mile below sea level. 

That reality dictates a vastly different course of action as the actions of BP now endangers the entire health of the global oceans.

The sea bed surrounding the "exporatory" drill has to be displaced.  In order for this procedure to work the explosives have to be set at an odd number of places and not equi-distant.  The charges have to be placed at different depths within the rock and have varying levels of explosive capacity.

THE ROCK where the explosives are placed has to accounted for in calculating the amount of explosive material needed.

The more 'tight' the molecular structure of the rock the better, but, when the fisile nature of the rock increases, the more explosive material that is necessary. 

Why?  That should be fairly obvious.  The explosion will be absorbed by very fisile rock while the 'energy' from the explosion will be more distributed and be able to 'act on' the concrete and steel within in the densest molecular structure.

The USA military uses explosives all the time, including bullets in guns and cannons.  They should already have information within their 'knowledge base' of what it takes to 'act on' concrete and steel.  They can work with USGS to determine the layers of 'sea bed' that would be best to accommodate the explosives to 'close the space' at the interior of this drill hole.

There is too much methane coming through the drill hole for any conventional methods to work as well as its location one mile down.

SERIOUSLY !!!!!!

Give me a minute.

To begin with the entire coast of Louisiana and the off shore geological content is well known to the USA military.

There has been a lot of money spent on those wetlands by the people of the USA to protect fisheries, etc.

The point is the geology of this region is well known and the seismic activity of the offshore areas is required to be well known in order to drill at all.

This region has to take top priority in national security and any and all available resources need to be dedicated to it.

Now while BP states there is no way this can be handled differently, I have a very difficult time believing that.  The 'strata' of geological layers in this picture does not illustrate the current status of the well in the Gulf.

The drill casing is made out of steel.  There is usually cement poured around it to reinforce the drill hole.  BUT, the center of this 'structural hole' is empty.  It is hollow.  It is highly vulnerable to collapse.  All that has to occur is a blast strong enough to displace the geological structure surrounding this 'hole' and the cement that reinforces the VOID of structure ENOUGH  to collapse it.

What does that mean?  Easy.

At places in the geological layers of strata surrounding the well there needs to be drilled, NO DIFFERENT THAN THE WELLS DRILLED PARALLEL TO ABANDONED OIL WELLS THAT CHILDREN FALL INTO,  holes to have placed in them highly explosive devices to be ignited to displace the concrete, steel and strata at the place of the well.

There is no reason to believe this hole is going to get any bigger than it is.  The 'induced seismic' action will dislocate the concrete, steel and surrounding layers of Earth under high PSI at one mile down and cause a collapse of the 'space' that the oil and methane gas are escaping from.  There are no ADJOINING cavities to the well to allow any methane to escape into the holes were explosive devices are placed.  And to insure the explosion don't move UPWARD rather than OUTWARD, the top of the drill holes with the explosive devices has to be sealed with the geological earth that has been removed to create them.  The PSI of the sea water and the movement of the earth itself will take care of this mess once and for all.

The DRILLED HOLES (at least four if not six or eight) have to go deep 'enough' to place the explosives and NOT, definately NOT, near the vat of oil currently ruptured by BP.  Basically, 'shake' the hole to implosion.  It is a highly viable SOLUTION to the problem.  The explosions have to be strong enough to displace the geological rock horizontally.

As the Nation's largest (click title to entry - thank you) earth-science and civilian mapping agency, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) works in cooperation with many Federal, State, and local organizations to provide reliable and impartial scientific information to resource managers, planners, and others throughout the country. This information is gathered in every state by USGS scientists to minimize the loss of life and property from natural disasters, contribute to the conservation and sound management of the Nation's natural resources, and enhance the quality of life by monitoring water, biological, energy, and mineral resources. This Fact Sheet describes some of the USGS activities in Louisiana. 
 

Atchafalaya Basin Management

The Atchafalaya Basin (fig. 1) in south-central Louisiana is the largest river-bottomland hardwood swamp in the Nation. The USGS, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), is monitoring the basin to determine environmental effects of flood-management practices. Physical and chemical-related properties being monitored include continuous velocity and stage, specific conductance, pH, dissolved-oxygen (DO) concentrations, water temperature, and sediment deposition....

Louisiana has 25 percent of the forested wetlands and 40 percent of the coastal wetlands in the 48 contiguous States but accounts for 80 percent of wetlands losses....

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-019-99/

A lot of nasty turbulence. A street of vortices north of the equator. When has that ever happened? Wow.

The current 'heat' across the country mixed with colder air around the Great Lakes.

The vortex street above the Equator is primarily stagnant air simply spinning due to high heat content. The only movement of the equatorial phenomena is Coriolis.

The Jet Stream is running north of the vortex street.  It was the Jet Stream that 'mixed' portions of each air mass to bring high turbulence to the Great Lakes where colder air would cause quick changes in 'static' conditions.

Earth is a very hot planet due to high carbon dioxide levels and the deaths related to these tornadoes can be attributed to the Climate Crisis. There is nothing 'normal' about those patterns.

WOW.

UNISYS 12 Hour Loop (click here)

Above is the GOES  EAST  SATELITTE and below is the GOES  WEST  SATELLITE.

Article published June 06, 2010

Child among 5 killed in overnight tornadoes, storms


Gov. Strickland visiting Lake Twp; Dundee Twp declares emergency
 
BLADE STAFF
Two waves of storms slammed northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan late Saturday and early Sunday, spawning at least two tornadoes, killing five people, including a child, and canceling two high school graduations....

...Three of the deaths happened in Millbury, a town of some 1,200 about 10 miles southeast of Toledo. Authorities have identified five people killed in Lake Township as:
• Bailey Bowman, 21, of Walbridge, who was picked up and tossed by the tornado as she, a male companion, and her small child were trying to take refuge at the Lake Township police station;


• Ted Kranz, 46, a Millbury resident who reportedly stepped outside of his home during the storm and was struck when part of the house fell on him;


• Hayden Walters, 4, and his mother, Mary Walters, also Millbury residents. The boy was killed during the tornado and Mrs. Walters died later at a Toledo hospital.


• Kathleen Hammitt, a Wauseon woman in her 50s, who was struck by airborne debris while driving on State Rt. 795....

...Tornado touchdowns were confirmed for 11:30 p.m. Saturday in Wood County's Lake Township and 2:17 a.m. Sunday in Dundee in Monroe County, Mich....

...By 10:30 p.m. Saturday severe thunderstorms with rotations capable of spawning tornadoes roared eastward through the region. A second wave of the storm came through a few hours later.

Toledo Edison reported about 4,000 customers without power throughout northwest Ohio. Crews from Ohio Edison were headed to the area Sunday morning to assist with restoration.


Detroit Edison on Sunday reported 28,000 of its 2.1 million customers experienced outages, about 15,000 in Monroe County, 1,400 of which were in the Dundee area. Consumers Power in Michigan reported 475 customers without electricity in southern Monroe County....

...In Ottawa County, sheriff's deputies reported six houses "totally wiped out" and eight to 10 others with damage in the hamlet of Martin and along Trowbridge Road in Allen Township. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
In Fulton County, a Swancreek Township woman suffered cuts on her foot and shoulder when the storm destroyed a home at 1520 County Road 7 between County Roads A and B, Fulton County authorities said early Sunday morning. The injured woman was struck by flying debris as she, two children, and a friend fled to a neighbor's house before the storm reduced the other residence to rubble, authorities said.

Numerous homes were damaged in the same rural residential area, the Sheriff Darrell Merillat.
At County Roads C and 3, several trees were strewn across the roads, Chief Deputy Roy Miller said. The area also was littered with metal roofing that had been ripped from barns and other structures.
Nearby in Lucas County, damage was reported in Providence Township....

...Tornado sirens first sounded across northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan after 10 p.m. as thunderstorms with strong rotations moved from Williams and Hillsdale counties to Fulton, Henry, Lucas, and Wood counties.
Sirens could be heard across Lucas County about 10:30 p.m. Sirens sounded again about 11:05 p.m. and again before 3 a.m.
Toledo police reported deep water covering roads as the storms brought heavy rain.

It is traditionally the time I say 'good night' so why change a good thing?

I still have some ground to cover. 

Until later...

Holder. Hm. I would like to see him become a legislator after his term as Attorney's General.

He ain't no Gonzalez. 

Gratefully.

The criminal investigation into the Gulf tragedy is a given. 

I think the Huffington Post has a point when they call for a 'Temporary Receivership' for BP.

He needs to write an ethics manual for Rahm.  Rahm is screaming for guidance.  It's all that Ritalin he takes.

He doesn't take Ritalin? 

Oh.

I mean there are reports of him unable to keep his clothes on at times.  Sounds a little maniac to me.


Jun 4, 2010
US Attorney General Urges OECD To Do More To Fight Corruption


By Samuel Rubenfeld, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder called on the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to do more to combat corruption, in a speech Monday in Paris.
Holder said that although the group has led the response to a global problem that the World Bank says costs 3% of world gross domestic product, some member countries still haven't convicted anyone. He acknowledged that it is difficult to investigate and prosecute corruption because it requires "more will, resources, experience and effort" than most crimes.
"It involves gathering evidence from foreign jurisdictions, pursuing wealthy and powerful individuals, and enduring lengthy challenges in the courtrooms," Holder said. "I urge the countries...to deepen their commitment to this global effort by dedicating the appropriate resources, such as prosecutors and investigators focused exclusively on foreign bribery cases, and by prioritizing the prosecution of corruption, no matter where the evidence leads."


http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201006011809dowjonesdjonline000420&title=us-attorney-general-urges-oecd-to-do-more-to-fight-corruption

If there is one Obama Cabinet member that really, really wanted the job is was Solis,

When is the last time the USA has had a pro-labor Secretary of Labor?

Can't remember when.

I'm glad she is there.

Do you there are four wind power assembly plants in Michigan? 

Blew me away.

The problem is this, this is NOT a jobless recovery, but, the media should likes to look at it that way.  The problem is that jobs are being lost as fast as they are being created and it is impossible to stabilize the employment dynamics of the USA.  The losses aren't really at the fault of the Labor Secretary or anyone else either.

Flood Related Unemployment Numbers Rise



Posted: Jun 05, 2010 10:13 PM EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn.- A record 4,400 Tennesseans have filed for unemployment in the weeks following the flood.
State labor officials believe this is a sign of just how widespread the damage was and the number of industries impacted. That number jumped this week after Gaylord Opryland said they were laying off more than 1,700 people.
Across the state, 416 self-employed workers and small-business owners have also sought relief from the Unemployment Assistance program.

http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=12601679

And then there is the Gulf Coast.  The unemployment is huge.  Besides fishermen, there is tourism taking a big hit as well.  So, this whole 'jobless' recovery is mostly bozo stuff as far as I am concerned. 

The complaints about an improvement in unemployment due to the Census is stupid as well.  The Census workers count.  It is not a volunteer effort.  They are doing valuable work that will directly effect the election dynamics of our democracy, so I really don't want to hear it.

The media discusses this as if it were artifical monies coming back into the economy.  It isn't.  The monies people are earning is infusing the economy no different than any other job would.  People are spending and/or saving their incomes and contributing to stimulating the economy. 

I do believe most small business owners are correct to underestimate any recovery and hold back on stocking shelves and employing more people.  This are scary times.  Modest improvements in business is a good thing.

Baby steps, if you will.

So, given the mess at the beginning of this President's term and the continuing ups and downs, I don't really think there are clear indications to economic growth and vigor.  There just isn't. 

I heard Bernanke is 'bummed out' by the unemployment and stating it is reeking havoc on him.  Too bad.  Call it a 'bad hair year' or something.  Better yet, recall some of the money you've printed.

So, if there was any kind of uptick in May in employment and/or the economy it was as real as any development to date.

Ah, don't ask me. But, this is our Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. I guess he's promoting honey.

This has got to be the easiest job in the Obama Cabinet right now.  No issue with oil, except, used cooking oil.  And he is 'the guy' that can make IT all happen.  'Ethanol,' 'biodiesel' from Prairie Grass.

Do you know that Prairie Grass is NOT on the commodities exchange.  The most valuable commodity for an American OPEC and it isn't even on the Stock Exchange?

Secretary Vilsack has some homework to do. 

...Former governor and current U.S. Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, current Governor Chet Culver, and Congressman Leonard Boswell, all Democrats, joined together today to say Iowa is heading toward an economic recovery. Vilsack touted the impact of federal recovery dollars on Iowa.
Vilsack says in Iowa “it’s fairly clear” 31,000 jobs were retained or created by the economic recovery act. “That’s roughly two-point-three percent of Iowa’s workforce. In other words, our unemployment rate, which is relatively low, relative to other states, would be two-point-three-percent higher but for the recovery act,” Vilsack said....

http://www.radioiowa.com/2010/06/04/ag-secretary-vilsack-governor-culver-say-iowa-economy-improving/

I am glad he brought up that 'economic recovery' thing.  I wanted to talk about that a bit.

I never trust a guy in a cowboy hat. I used to wear one by the way, until 2000. I gave it away.

At the Interior Department website though, he is wearing a baseball cap similar to Michael Moore.  So, he is getting more credibility.

The Interior Department has announced plans to reorganize its Minerals Management Service, which is the agency charged with royalty collections on tribal and federal land. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar signed a secretarial order May 19 that will lead to restructuring of the agency, “and the division of its three conflicting missions into separate entities with independent missions,” according to a release from the department.

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/politics/95611179.html



...Seven species of penguins in the Southern Hemisphere will receive protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act as a result of a settlement reached in federal court in San Francisco.
U.S. District Judge Samuel Conti on Thursday signed off on a settlement reached between the U.S. Interior Department and two conservation groups.


The groups are the Center for Biological Diversity, based in Tucson, Ariz., and the Turtle Island Restoration Network, based in Olema, which sued the government earlier this year.
Catherine Kilduff, a lawyer in the center's San Francisco branch office, said, "Penguins are poster children for the devastating effects of climate change."...

http://sfappeal.com/alley/2010/06/sf-based-court-settlement-mean-new-protections-for-seven-penguin-species.php


He was right to lose the cowboy hat.  Now, if he could simply 'take control' of the image of the department, its credibility and stop the petroleum industry from walking all over Americans, it would be nice.


Let’s review his tenure as a member of Obama’s cabinet.
He assumed the post in January 2009, knowing that during six of the last eight years, his department was run by Gale Norton, a political hack who fled to take a cushy job at Shell Oil.
Further, there’s a scathing 2007 report sitting on his desk that says the Minerals Mangement Service office in Denver is "a dysfunctional organization that has been riddled with conflicts of interest, unprofessional behavior and a free-for-all atmosphere" that included some of your employees doing drugs and having sex with the very people they’re supposed to be keeping an eye on.
But instead of taking a blowtorch to the infected parts of the operation, he scooted about the country doing photo opportunities in front of really groovy places run by his National Park Service.


In March 2009, he called the controversy surrounding an 11th-hour Bush administration decision to allow people to carry concealed, loaded guns in national parks a "distraction" to Americans and his department.
The folks who know better--the ones who raise money for parks and former employees--disagreed. The National Parks Conservation Association and the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees filed suit, asking that the no loaded guns policy established under the Reagan administration be restored.
Salazar hired Sylvia Vaca, a former BP executive, to be deputy administrator for land and minerals management.
Meanwhile, the MMS allowed the operators of the BP Deepwater Horizon rig to cut corners.


And even with oil erupting into the Gulf, Salazar's underlings approved other underwater drilling permits.
Last week, the Inspector General issued another MMS report that found employees in Louisiana took tickets to sports events, indulged in free lunches and other gifts from oil and gas companies. Thirteen employees had porn on their government computers and others did drugs.
Salazar called the report, "deeply disturbing."...

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/outdoors/blog/2010/06/obama_should_fire_ken_salazar.html

Ah, yes. Secretary Geithner. Didn't know how to spell his name when he took the job. Wall Street. In many ways, his White House job made him find Main Street.

This is the part that is really scary about Tim.  I mean besides his chronic 'finger' language.

...Mr. Geithner joined the Department of Treasury in 1988 and worked in three administrations for five Secretaries of the Treasury in a variety of positions. He served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs from 1999 to 2001 under Secretaries Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers....

http://www.ny.frb.org/aboutthefed/orgchart/geithner.html

But, at the same time, it is what makes him the perfect choice.  He was there before the corruption that manifested as deregulation beginning in 1998?  Is that the correct date?  He was there through the height of the misguided Republican agenda and he saw the disasterous end.

See, many including me, saw Tim as the man who caused the problem.  The only thing that can really be said about Timothy Geithner at the NY Fed was that he was as stymied by the 'corruption machine' as anyone was.  It was the 'risk' that everyone wanted to believe was uncorruptable.  In actuality, it is the 'risk' that corrupts most absolutely.

Under the direction of Republican influence, 'risk' became the word and 'investment' disappeared off the books.  "How Risk Destroyed the USA Economy."  If there is a book Secretary Geithner can write, that would be it, more than likely.

I heard a recent testimony by him.  He has changed from his previous appointment at the NY Fed.  He has discovered the power of 'destruction' and 'devastation' to the American Landscape in a way that caused him pause at his reflection in the mirror. 

Yep, it was Tresury and not Commerce.

Geithner asks China to adopt flexible exchange rate policy



6 Jun 2010, 0103 hrs IST,AGENCIES
BUSAN: The United States again urged the world’s biggest exporters to boost domestic demand to provide an impetus to the global economy...
 
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/the-sunday-et/dateline-india/Geithner-asks-China-to-adopt-flexible-exchange-rate-policy/articleshow/6016212.cms
 
 
Geithner Tells G-20 Reliance on U.S. Will Curb Growth (Update2)
June 05, 2010, 5:05 AM EDT
June 5 (Bloomberg) -- Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told his Group of 20 counterparts that the pace of the global recovery depends on domestic demand in Japan and Europe, and countries shouldn’t rely on spending by U.S. consumers.
“The necessary shift towards higher savings in the United States needs to be complemented by stronger domestic demand growth in Japan and in the European surplus countries, and sustained growth in private demand” and end to the yuan peg in China, Geithner wrote in a letter before a two-day G-20 meeting in Busan, South Korea that ended today.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-05/geithner-tells-g-20-reliance-on-u-s-will-curb-growth-update2-.html

One of the most important people of the Obama Cabinet and we never see this guy. He doesn't like interviews or the press just doesn't like him?

His Dad was a Small Business Owner.  I do believe he understands the USA economy as it relates to 'local economies' intimately.

...As the first Chinese-American to hold this post in a president's cabinet, Locke has a distinctly American story. His grandfather emigrated from China to Washington state, initially finding employment as a servant, working in exchange for English lessons. Locke's father, also born in China, was a small business owner, operating a grocery store where Locke worked while receiving his education from Seattle's public school system. His strong work ethic and determination eventually took him to the highest office in the state of Washington....

He even gave Americans their own Commerce Department Blog. 

The Commerce Blog


http://www.commerce.gov/blog


Where is everyone?

There is an "i6 Challenge."  Hello?  This isn't new, this was announced in March.  Is the Commerce Department under Obama the 'dead zone' or something?  It sure wasn't under Evans.  He was corrupt as hell.

EDA Announces Competition to Bring Innovative Ideas to Market


Submitted on May 3, 2010 - 10:20am


http://www.commerce.gov/blog/2010/05/03/eda-announces-competition-bring-innovative-ideas-market


What gets me is that I would think the media would be all over this guy because of his China connections.  You know, there has to be something to do this, right?  Who ever expected a Chinaman to be USA Commerce Secretary.  Scary, isn't it?  Then again, maybe not.\


Secretary Locke Honors U.S. Companies with Highest Presidential Award for Exports

Submitted on May 13, 2010 - 4:15pm

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today presented 22 companies and organizations with the 2010 Presidential “E” Award and “E” Star Award for outstanding contributions to growing U.S. exports, strengthening the economy and creating American jobs. The Presidential “E” Awards are the highest U.S. government honor for increasing exports.
These are the first “E” and “E” Star Awards given out since President Obama announced the National Export Initiative, which aims to double American exports and support two million U.S. jobs by 2015....

http://www.commerce.gov/blog/2010/05/13/secretary-locke-honors-us-companies-highest-presidential-award-exports


How is the Chinese currency holding out, anyway?  Oh.  Maybe that is Treasury.

The "Hero" of the Obama Administration. She has a tough job, but, is making dreams come true.

She is eminently quallified.  She is dedicated to her purpose.  She tries very hard to 'bond' with the people of the USA, their experience and their worries.  I simply loved the way she dressed the other day in 'pale blue jean' in front of an EPA sign.  It didn't go unnoticed.

She has returned 'the science' and 'the scientist' to the American landscape. 

She is brave and cutting edge and backs down from no one. 

The Secretary of the EPA has to be easiest job in the world, but, nearly impossible to move the country from point A to point B.  Yet, Secretary Lisa Jackson makes definite rulings that are profoundly needed and profoundly delayed. 

The EPA operates on clear parameters and sound science.  It is why the focus is so intense on its operation and why Wall Street and corrupt Republicans seek to control it.

The EPA Secretary's job description has to be one of the clearest of any cabinet member.  It is based on 'numbers' and 'formulas' and 'chemicals' and 'livable quality of life' standards.  It is due to that reality it is obstructed from operation at every turn.  Secretary Jackson hasn't hesitated to ignore the political pressure surrounding her everyday while plotting a course for the country to 'clear the way' for clear and concise understandings of the 'new quality of life' Americans need to achieve.

Somewhere along the way, Americans got the idea the EPA was supposed to 'fit into' what was appropriate for its purpose, rather than, understanding its purpose and adjusting lifestyles to mark a clear change of policy in facing the challenges of human dynamics on a limited and delicate Earth.

Earth cannot fight cancer without clean air and water.  It cannot sustain species endlessly when carbon dioxide warms its oceans and melts its icefields.  Earth is a gift to all of us and to that end there is a responsibility to our children and their 'healthful and happy' futures.  It is the limits of Earth modern day Americans need to realize and find a way to respect its government for the policies that will sustain us.
The EPA is not an easy office to uphold, but, Secretary Jackson is handling the balancing act in the Gulf while facing uncharted territories and scary scenarios.

But the Center for Biological Diversity objects that the EPA allowed BP to pump nearly 1 million gallons of dispersants into the gulf without ensuring that the chemicals will not harm endangered species and their habitats.


I personally applaud the legal direction of the tone of the Gulf chemical dispersants.

...The group today sent the EPA an official notice of its intent to sue. The letter requests that the agency, along with the U.S. Coast Guard, immediately study the effects of dispersants on species such as sea turtles, sperm whales, piping plovers, and corals and incorporate this knowledge into oil-spill response efforts....


http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2010/06/epa-may-face-suit-over-use-of-dispersants-in-gulf-spill.html

When does the second Clinton Nobel Peace Prize take place?

I admire Secretary of State Clinton.  She has taken on a nearly impossible position in this administration.  After an illegal war into Iraq and misdirected American assets around the globe, abandoned agreements and peoples, the Clinton State Department has returned dignity and integrity to the USA.  She has managed to uphold the integrity of her mission at a time when the economic tone of the USA has never been worse.  She has overseen a huge disaster in Haiti while at the same time balancing the willingness of Russia to secure a return to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. 

Denuclearization of the globe has been a priority of her State Department and while a once Presidential hopeful, she came forward as only Hillary could to serve her country for one last time, 'righting' the 'ship' as only a Clinton could. 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY VALENZUELA: Thanks very much. I want to remind you that on the first week of March, the Secretary did a trip to the Southern Cone in Central America. She went to the inauguration of President Mujica in Uruguay and then she went to Argentina and Chile and Brazil and then to Costa Rica to the Pathways meeting and then from there to Guatemala City to a meeting with the Central American presidents. 

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/06/142734.htm

The Executive Branch is rounded out by Second Lady, Dr. Jill Biden

A beautiful woman from the soul out.  She helps support her spouse while being a dedicated professional woman, mother and grandmother.  She helps the First Lady in support of military families and carries the missions of the White House to the community.


America's Second Lady Supports The Komen Global Race For The Cure
Amy Leone 1 day ago
WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- Dr. Jill Biden and her husband, Vice-President Joe Biden, feel privileged to serve as honorary co-chairs of the Komen Global Race for the Cure again this year.
"Our family is honored to once again participate in the global fight against breast cancer," said Dr. Biden. "I encourage everyone to join in this fight and support ongoing efforts of prevention, detection, and treatment of this disease as we work towards finding a cure and future free of breast cancer. "
The Biden's active participation in the Washington, DC race will continue a tradition that was started by vice presidents and their wives in 1990.


http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=102190&catid=158
 

A First Lady that loves this country as much as her spouse.

I don't recall a proud display of a First Lady on the cover of Ebony and O.  She is magnificent.  There is no other word.  She is an accomplished career woman, wonderful daughter, sister, mother and wife.  Every woman in the USA can look to their First Lady for an example of success, love and confidence.  The 'neatest' thing of all, is that she is a dream come true for an entire community in the USA.  I simply love her.  I can't imagine USA history being painted without her.


Michelle Obama serves up anti-obesity program featuring chefs
Jun 04, 2010
First lady Michelle Obama has recruited a culinary army in her battle against childhood obesity.
More than 500 white-clad chefs gathered on the South Lawn today to highlight a new Obama program designed to help schools prepare healthier food and teach children more nutritional eating habits.
"You know more about food than almost anyone -- other than the grandmas -- and you've got the visibility and the enthusiasm to match that knowledge," Mrs. Obama told the assembled cooks.
Participants in the Chefs Move to Schools program will adopt a local school and work with officials and students there on better, more nutritious lunches.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/06/michelle-obama-serves-up-anti-obesity-program-featuring-chefs/1