NO more Bush Tax Cuts

It is important the Republicans in the House of Representatives accept the leadership the country voted for in 2012. They haven't. They are determined to cast the country into more dismal outcomes regardless of what the people of the nation has stated.

There is not an American in the country that does not understand when the Middle Class is empowered the economy improves.

When a recession begins again it will be the Republican Do Nothing Congress that will cause the damage. The longer they stall the nation's progress, the longer it takes. They will be held responsible in 2014, when people have started down that slippery slope all over again.

President Obama could not be more correct. The nation needs to build its economy while paying its bills. The only way forward is to continue tax relief for the Middle Class and tax the wealthy. There is nothing strange or odd about that path. Even wealthy Americans are stating the same thing. 

The Republicans have extremists that continue to pander to their cronies and continue the dialogue that is taking the country into an adverse outcome. We have to stop this incompetency with the House of Representatives. Many of their members are illegitimate through the process of gerrymandering. The country is more important then Republican ideology. It just is and the Republicans could not be more wrong about the USA Economy and the path forward.

Hey, we are down to 7.7% in the face of a storm characteristic of a hot planet.

There was never a return to a recession the entire time during President Obama's first four years. Let's see what the Republicans can do to change all that now.

WASHINGTON -- The nation's unemployment rate fell (click here) to a four-year low of 7.7% in November as employers added an unexpectedly large but still moderate 146,000 jobs over the month, despite the disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy.

Although the severe storms in the Northeast in late October clipped economic activity and kept many workers at home, they had no major effect on the monthly employment statistics, the Labor Department said Friday.

Many analysts had forecast unemployment to rise to 8% with job growth of less than 100,000 for November.

The better-than-expected job gains came in part from unusually strong hiring by retailers, possibly reflecting the early start of the holiday shopping season this year.

Although the severe storms in the Northeast in late October clipped economic activity and kept many workers at home, they had no major effect on the monthly employment statistics, the Labor Department said Friday.

Many analysts had forecast unemployment to rise to 8% with job growth of less than 100,000 for November.

The better-than-expected job gains came in part from unusually strong hiring by retailers, possibly reflecting the early start of the holiday shopping season this year....

He deserved it.

He stalked an innocent African American man minding his own business and when alarmed he attempted to defend himself. Unfortunately, Trayvon Martin was unsuccessful in defending his life. But, it is a sure bet if Trayvon survived and Zimmerman was dead, Trayvon would be charged with aggravated manslaughter.

Zimmerman took the law into his own hands and now an innocent man is dead. Zimmerman should have listened to the police, but, no he was more of a man than any police officer he knew. He could do something no one else could. Zimmerman could stop a burglary, but, those wicked people that cannot be ordinarily stopped.

Zimmerman put material goods ahead of a human life. That is why this occurred and it is why Trayvon Martin was stalked, became alarmed and is now dead. A black man talking to his girlfriend, suffering the rigors of growing up was killed by a man with bias to his own priorities.

Trayvon and young black men like him are living targets in their lives. That is outrageous.

Being a teenager in the USA should never include being a target.

Trayvon was wearing a hoodie and talking on a cell phone. He was a black man. A young black man and what he had to defend from in his life included being a target as a 'gangsta.'

He played basketball. How sinister is that, huh? 

What does this country have to do to protect them? Should we all, no matter what race, go through the world wearing a sweatshirt with a bull's eye on its back. Sound right? Maybe if everyone got the message we are all targets of the self-righteous gun owner it might do something. 

Epilepsy (click here)

..."Our findings suggest that fasting (click here) does not merely intensify the therapeutic effects of the ketogenic diet but may actually represent an entirely new way to change the metabolism of children with epilepsy," says lead investigator Adam Hartman, M.D., a pediatric neurologist at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center....

Typhoon, earthquake and huge storms in northwest North America.

477 dead as homeless swell after Philippine typhoon.(click here)

Updated: 2012-12-07

By Jason Gutierrez in New Bataan, Philippines (Agencies/China Daily)

A quarter million people were homeless and 477 confirmed dead after the Philippines' worst typhoon this year, officials said on Thursday.

Typhoon Bopha ploughed across Mindanao Island on Tuesday, flattening whole towns in its path as hurricane-force winds brought torrential rain that triggered a deadly combination of floods and landslides....

There are for techtonic plats in the are

200 km

200 mi

Powered by Leaflet

37.889°N, 144.090°E
Depth: 36.1km (22.4mi)

   

















Japan and the surrounding islands straddle four major tectonic plates: Pacific plate; North America plate; Eurasia plate; and Philippine Sea plate.

The entire idea nuclear plants were ever built in this region of Earth was a bad idea. Typical of human engineering, anything is possible. Not. I think it has something to do with landing on the moon. Somehow humans got the idea they could do anything without problems if done well enough. It reminds me of the foolishness of establishing nuclear plants with simultaneous hydraulic fracturing causing seismic activity. Humans think they can do anything to perfection without problems. Not at all.

Event Time

1. 2012-12-07 08:18:24 UTC
2. 2012-12-07 18:18:24 UTC+10:00 at epicenter. 
3. 2012-12-07 03:18:24 UTC-05:00 system time.

Location

37.889°N 144.090°E depth=36.1km (22.4mi)

Nearby Cities

1. 245km (152mi) SE of Kamaishi, Japan
2. 245km (152mi) ESE of Ofunato, Japan
3. 251km (156mi) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan
4. 251km (156mi) SE of Otsuchi, Japan
5. 462km (287mi) ENE of Tokyo, Japan

Nothing like an earthquake in the middle of the night.

Communications are possible. Doesn't say if it is a cell or satellite. I doubt land lines would be functioning.

A 7.3 magnitude quake (click here) has struck off Japan's eastern coast, triggering a tsunami warning and a one-metre wave that has hit Miyagi Prefecture.

The wave hit the city of Ishinomaki, while the quake was also felt strongly in the capital, Tokyo.

The epicentre of the quake was about 245km (150 miles) south-east of Kamiashi at a depth of about 36km, the US Geological Survey said.

Miyagi was hit by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011....

The Democrats should consider attaching a Hurricane Sandy recovery bill to the Middle Class Tax Cuts.

...Walz, a Democrat who was elected to his fourth term in November, (click here) waded into the forefront of the debate over the expiring tax cuts, which are separate from the debated tax cuts for top earners, by filing a discharge petition Tuesday in the U.S. House of Representatives. The petition allows the bill specifically dealing with the middle class tax cuts to be forced on the floor for a vote if it garners 218 supporting votes. The middle class tax cut includes tax breaks on the first $250,00 people earn and several additional items like child care tax credits and college affordability programs. If allowed to expire, taxes could increase on middle class families by up to $2,000....

Updated: 2012-12-06 08:59

WASHINGTON - A US government spokesman (click here) said Wednesday that Washington is aware of the informal offers by some countries to give asylum to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"We do understand that some countries both in the region and elsewhere have offered to host Assad and his family should they choose to leave Syria," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner at a regular news briefing.

"We, at this point, don't have any formal understanding or knowledge of concrete offers, we are aware that some offers have been made informally," he told reporters....

My favorite Star Trek film.

Having a maverick as the leader of the party has its disadvantage.

Disappointed supporters of Mitt Romney waited for his concession speech on Tuesday in Boston.

In case the Republicans are looking to find the party they abandoned in 2000, they need to reflect on how they 'got here.'

The Republicans chronically believe they can 'run game' on the Middle Class forever without destroying the nation. 

"W"rong. I don't mean that smugly. They have taken their draconian methodology to the end of the road and now the nation is awakening to it.

The taxes on the wealthy need to be increased because that is where the money went. The electorate is seeking moral leadership, not religious leadership. The Republican Party is not capable of providing moral leaders to the nation. The GOP is failing the people. "W" started the awakening and it has slowly revealed itself to the electorate. In other words, "The Jigs Up."

The profound corruption started in 2000 because the legitimacy of Reagan was lost. The innocence of the nation was beginning to wane. In its place was a willingness to leverage power over the democracy of the nation and the legitimate 'state of being'of the USA changed to a 'front' rather than a 'reality.' The Bush/Cheney administration cashed in on the latent understanding of a benevolent USA to the point of no immoral war and aggression was too great with a profound disrespect for human life, even within the USA's borders. 

The attack on the Middle Class had been conducted since Reagan, but, at no point was it so terrible the nation was at stake. The Clinton Administration turned the slippery slope of decades of Republican abuse into traction for the nation of people. Due to an illegitimate election of 2000, the nation fell back into the grasp of exploitation rather than productivity. Basically, 'the kill' of the Middle Class and their unions were within reach. 

There are many nations in the world with a severe reality of two economic classes, the poor and the wealthy. The USA was to become exactly that with no further promise of changing the circumstances of the poor. We were, after all, a nation forever at war because of 'the recycle 'osama' bin' at hand. The GOP could continue to terrify the nation forever and to that end all were asked to sacrifice, accept their 'lot in life' as if Job himself and just 'get on with it.' 

The USA was to be first at war. What else needed to be understood? Any jargon, language of the electorate was simply unnecessary. We were to become a warrior nation and nothing more.

McCain made it worse with his Veep pick. He had to know putting a completely unqualified candidate for Vice President at his side would be the desperate end of everything benevolent about the party. Either they could catch the outrageous Bush Doctrine for their own that the nation would buy in the election or it was over. After the 2008 elections, Palin grabbed the opportunity at fame and set the party on a different path of propaganda and happy talk. The GOP has been there ever since. Why have their lent their monies to people unable to actually govern within the USA?

So, now the GOP is the reality of unleased power that would seek to destroy the domestic economy, happiness of the people, the promise of the USA for generations to provide opportunity to change their circumstances and the pride of caring for those that built this nation on their backs, through their sweat, through service to its military by allowing the entitlements to be degraded into oblivion. That was the goal anyway.

Where is the GOP going? We all hope nowhere, but, it takes time and money to turn the corner on gerrymandering. 

How can the GOP rehabilitate their image? Image? Image? They want to change their image? That isn't possible. This is the NEW USA. The USA reality built. It takes sincere good acts, not just changing the image. Clear, measurable ability laced with reality. The GOP has to GIVE UP their images with the extremists and they need to reform their lives, priorities and agenda. 

These aren't my rules. These are the rules of the people of the USA. They sincerely don't want to live miserable lives. The USA has never been about misery, but, empowerment and improving the quality life of its people generation after generation. Those are the rules. No image is going to change that anymore.

by Michael Cooper
Published: November 7, 2012

It was the morning of the Republican hangover. (click here)

After four years in which the jobless rate never dipped below 7.8 percent, with millions of Americans still unemployed or underemployed and median household income falling, Republicans still failed to unseat President Obama and, for the second election in a row, fell short in their efforts to win control of a Senate that seemed within reach. The Wednesday-morning quarterbacking began quickly....

There are some USA Senators truly remarkable and then there are The Tea Party Republicans.

It was so good seeing Seantor Dole out and about again. And to come to the Senate for a plea for disabled veterans was exactly a reflection on his work as a US Senator. Thank you, Senator Dole.

It is more than obvious what a hideous situation the USA has with this branch of the Repubican Party. The fact of the matter is the Tea Party can't stand on its own without Republican money. So, we are stuck with them.

But, in this case, there are several angry reasons for the vote yesterday in the Senate.

The least of which is Justice Ginsberg. She once brought the global community into discussion simply because it was related to making decision that impact USA policy. But, that was the least of it.

The primary reason the disabled veterans treaty didn't pass yesterday is because Republicans want entitlements to go away. Social Security Disability ends in less than two years unless it is affected by Congress. Does anyone actually believe those benefits will be extended with this current Congress?

This is a prime example of over reach, hubris and ideology and how the Tea Party brings stupid reasons to their Congressional seats to play politics with American lives rather than doing their jobs. It is important to bring resolve in primary elections to stop this extremism. The extremists are destroying our country.

Does anyone believe cutting off funding to SSD is a good idea? Does anyone believe it will expand the economy or resolve the national debt by ending SSD?

Those that opposed the disabled veterans treaty should be ashamed of themselves because while they want to see SSD end, they also want to see disabled veterans funding end as well.

It goes like this. If the dysfunctional Republicans actually voted for the disabled veterans treaty yesterday, they could not end the benefits currently paid to USA veterans. In that is a strategy to end the sovereignty of the USA. If the USA is forced to pay benefits to veterans and it causes the country to go bankrupt or our curreny to devalue then we will lose our sovereignty.

Is this a realiistic idea of what will happen to the USA? Of course, not. If the USA ever gets to the point where they can't take care of their disabled veterans, it will no longer have a volunteer military. Why should they enlist if they have no hope if they are badly injured on the battle field? This extremist view of the world is a danger to our national security and our sovereignty.

I am getting a little tired of Mr. McAfee scapegoating the Belize government.

McAfee (click here) was in the midst of recounting an incident earlier this month in which 42 armed Belizean officers allegedly stormed his compound, arrested him and detained him for 14 hours with no found or water, and then let him go without charges.

When CNBC reporter, Robert Frank, asked McAfee why he thought the police had done that, he said it was because he ‘does not play by the rules.

McAfee said that he has donated millions of dollars to the local economy, including police departments and homeless agencies, but not through the Belizean government itself....

Belize is not so organized it can actually run an efficient corruption ring from their police stations.

I know something about the country, I am a conservationist after all. You know, Howler Monkeys and all that. So, when Mr. McAfee states he is not a smart man, he is correct. But, not because he was blackmailed by the Belize government, but, because he won't cooperate to be questioned. 

There are no torture chambers in Belize. As a matter of fact the country is far less than two decades old and have very poor jails. The country can't support a lot of prisoners, so it is amazing the amount of dangerous characters actually stay in society there. 

Belize has problems, but, they are that of a young country left with enormous debt by Great Britain when it was a colony. I haven't figured out exactly how the British actually get away with that. Belize accumulated debt when it was still a colony and now that it is a sovereign nation, they have inherited their British debt from being a colony. That is bizarre. But, the debt causes the young country a great deal of problems. It is like it was started 'behind the eight ball.' So to speak.

But, that has little to do with McAfee, except, to realize the idea a small country with limited resources would go out of its way to blackmail a citizen is ridiculous.

Belize's greatest problem is actually its border with Guatemala. The drug smuggling was so bad in the area the main road in Punta Gorda was host to very nice private jets that would drop off shipments of drugs. There were locals involved and police were indicted when with one shipment a jet could not take off because it damaged its wing when landing. The locals were arrested, by the way. The Belize government didn't take kindly to their assistance to the smugglers in the matter. It was a matter of about six months when the USA offered its services after the incident to combat drug and guns from flowing into Mexico and Guatemala. So, blackmail is not a practice of the Belize government.

The government in Belize is trying desperately to stop violence in its streets, drug traffiking and seeking to find wholesome lives for their young men. I do believe Prime Minister Barrow has started a remedial program for young men in Belize City. Belize City is not the country's capital, but,it is the city with the highest rate of violence. The gang culture is an issue there and all too frequently innocent citizens are caught in the cross fire, so Barrow is seeking ways to dilute the gang experience in his young men and diffuse the problem.

Employment and a decent wage would be nice for anyone in  Belize, but, in time I suppose. Their tourism is picking up and they are being visited more often by cruise ships now.

So. I don't know what occurred to Mr. McAfee's neighbor. But, then neither do the authorities it would seem since they want to ask him questions. It would seem to me if Mr. McAfee could afford all the elaborate game playing for 'Real TV with McAfee' then he could afford a real lawyer to protect his rights.

Mr. Costas did a very brave act by standing up for non-violence in our society.

The American fabric has gotten to be woven with violent content at nearly every turn. We are a victim to it. Guns are the primary vehicle of it. There is only one reason there is a huge gun culture in the USA and it is money.

The gun culture in the USA is enormous. It reaches into every life no matter how much one might oppose it. It is pervasive.

I heard the statement about concussion. Okay. So, that means if football is going to continue to spin out concussion the players need to be banned from gun possession. Is that right?

There is nothing football can do about concussion. They can attempt to resolve it by padding helmets and seeking to insulate the head from such crashing to the ground after being tackled, but, there is absolutely nothing one can do about the fact the cranial vault contains a brain floating in fluid. No matter how much padding there is on the outside of the head, when a body slam results in sudden halt of forward movement, the brain is going to slosh around inside the cranial vault no matter what. It can't be stopped.

A person running down a field with as much speed as legs can carry him reaches sudden impact with another player there is going to be a movement inside the head of the brain floating in fluid. It is the way it is. 

So, if footballs wants to explain away the fact a murder-suicide occurred because of concussion they are backing the gun lobby, not their players. It is a way of exonerating the gun culture in the USA from its responsibility. There is no black and white here. There are no shades of gray either. Both the gun lobby and football have their responsibility. Not one or other.

Football causes player concussion. Guns are used in domestic violence. One is exclusive of the other. Players suffering from concussion which results in such violence could use other weapons. Guns in the USA are the weapon of choice. It is effective and quick and handy. Guns can be found everywhere these days. So, let's  not forgive the gun culture in the USA to focus on concussion in football players. There is no forgiving a gun. A gun is the most guilty of the entire scenario. It killed.

USA Senator Al Franken wants the Farm Bill made part of the legislation to protect the Middle Class Tax Cuts.

That's right. The 2008 Farm Bill expired in 2012 and there still isn't another one. The USA House of Representatives could not pass one. That's leadership? I don't think so.

By AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST
Published: SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

America needs a Farm Bill, and we need a Farm Bill now! (click here)

In a year when the rains stopped, the crops withered and the banker still calls, farmers and ranchers are the first to understand the value of conservation programs. The Farm Bill is where, every five years, American’s draw a compact to fight through drought, protect fragile farmland, restore our wetlands and keep our landscape healthy. It is where the nation comes together in the interest of a productive and sustainable farming industry. Agriculture is not a partisan issue. It’s not about politics; it’s about sound policy that benefits us all....

This was the rally (click here).

Senator Franken says fiscal cliff deal needs to include comprehensive farm bill (click here)

By Site Editor

November 30, 2012 at 11:31 am

Washington, D.C.  – In an effort to help farmers across Minnesota who are facing uncertainty because a new Farm Bill hasn’t been passed by the House of Representatives, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) urges Senate leadership to include the bipartisan, Senate-passed Farm Bill in any deal brokered to address the nation’s fiscal challenges.

“Minnesota’s farmers, livestock producers, and rural entrepreneurs support one in five jobs in our state, and they need a new Farm Bill so they can plan for next year,” said Sen. Franken. “The Senate has passed a comprehensive Farm Bill that will give our farmers the stability they need, but the House simply hasn’t taken action. As we work to address our nation’s fiscal challenges, it’s critical to remember that our farmers need a new Farm Bill—that’s why I urged Senate leadership to make passing this legislation a top priority.”...

Here we go again with WMD. We are not putting in Syria. NOT !

Syria's outcome is on the shoulder of Russia. If Russia wants to condone WMD by Assad of his own people, then he is no worse than Donald Rumsfeld when Saddam did the same thing. The Syrian people need to seek asylum elsewhere. I am sure Assad is so obsessed with ethnic cleansing he will do exactly what he pleases. 

The most the USA can do is place sanctions against Syria and ultimately Russia, but, there will be no USA troops on the ground. Perhaps the global community needs to move for a No Fly Zone with Syria. Russia is in control of the outcomes with the Syrian people. Russia has been in control of their outcomes. There should be no diluted ideas that the USA is going to war with Russia because Assad is committing war crimes against his own people. We are not going to war with Russia. 

Putin Reassures Turkey that Syria Is No Threat (click here)
23:10 03/12/2012

ISTANBUL, December 3 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin (click here) on Monday reassured Turkey that Syria is too busy dealing with its internal conflict to plan any attack on its neighbors.

“It’s common sense, you don’t have to be an expert or use intelligence reports to see that Syria is far from plotting an attack on its neighbors – it is absolutely unrealistic,” Putin said at a joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.

He said that Russia shared Turkey’s concern over recent incidents on the Turkey-Syria border, but urged both sides to show restraint in dealing with the volatile situation....

Congratulations. William and Kate are pregnant.

Well done!!!!

Very exciting.

...“They’re planning to make an announcement (click here) in December,” Jessica reveals. “I have this on the highest authority, and it’s not to be taken lightly. It’s going to be wonderful, happy news when it’s announced.”

Jessica, who attended the exclusive Marlborough school with Kate at the age of 14 and was a guest at the couple’s wedding reception last year, tells Life & Style that with the queen’s Jubilee celebration over, Kate, 30, “was told to put on weight by the palace in May and that 2013 would be the year they have a baby.” Jessica continues, “The royal family have been talking about William and Catherine having children for quite some time.”...

Kate is in the hospital with morning sickness. Not fun, but, it can be difficult for some. It can be intractable at times. Fluctuating hormones is rough stuff. Be well, Kate.

I told you so.

Overall, it is not an enhanced experience. Movies are fantasy and the filming is not suppose to remind you of that. I would never recommend this technology for children.

10:45 AM Monday Dec 3, 2012

...But not everyone (click here) was impressed with the new technology.

Some viewers told the Sunday Times that the filming technique made them nauseous and dizzy, with some even complaining of migraines.

One "avid Middle-earth fan", who had flown to New Zealand from Australia for the premiere, said their eyes couldn't take everything in, the Sunday Times reported.

Another viewer commented on Twitter that the technique worked well for the snowy mountain shots, but close-up pictures strobed....

I can't believe they are allowed to experiment on people like this.

These people are going to die. They are primarily women and children without men. They have no status.

And NATO wonders why these turn to the Taliban and carry out violence. Isn't it obvious? What happens to US Aid to the Afghan people? This is outrageous. The West actually believes they are going to have good outcomes with poverty this deep in Afghanistan?

These people are refugees. They are within the borders of their own country, but, they are refugees to any form of civilization.

There is no delivery of food, clothing, shoes or blankets? What the hell is going on over there? We have drones for aircraft carriers, but, we can't even see to the basic needs of the people where we are trying to stop extremists from having influence? 

Excuse me? 

I wouldn't want Karzai as a President either. He has the nerve to ask the people why they keep killing each other? It is better than dying, that's why.

Without shoes

( Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times / November 18, 2012 )

Many children (click here) living in the camps around Kabul are without shoes. Night temperatures are already dipping to freezing or below.

By David Zucchino, Los Angeles Times

December 1, 2012, 7:38 p.m.

PARWAN-A-DUH CAMP, Afghanistan — Winter is descending on the Shakur clan.

In the pale gray twilight of late autumn, a sharp wind slaps at the scraps of plastic that Abdel Shakur, the clan patriarch, has installed on his mud hut walls in a futile attempt at insulation. The thin tarpaulins that serve as a roof are held fast by round patties of cow dung and worn auto tires.

Already, night temperatures are dipping to freezing or below. The 10 children of Abdel Shakur pad across the packed-clay floors in bare feet or plastic slippers. He pulls his wool wrap close around his bony shoulders.

"The snows are coming soon, and I'm afraid for the children," Shakur says. "When the snows come, people die."

During last year's exceptionally brutal winter, at least 42 people died of exposure or starvation in Parwan-a-Duh and other makeshift camps on Kabul's shabby fringes, according to the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations. Almost all were children or elderly....

Brinkmanship

Brinkmanship is the inability to govern.

The Republicans are not viewing the world from the point of view of governing, they are viewing from control. There is a huge difference.

The Republicans have been given a lot of concessions over the years, but, threw them away for control rather than governance.

The latest edition of brinkmanship by the Republicans still has no difference in the demands. They learn nothing and they have no way of finding a path to resolution of differences.

The entitlements are not governed by the national budget. 

So.

What is the problem?

If there is lack of revenue for the country, then there has to be more revenue.

There is nothing difficult about this.

Until tomorrow.