http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704700404575391582687553008.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_realestate
Check out the graph on the bottom of the page, there in lies the truth of America's troubles.
It ain't getting any better
Sales of new homes are near 47-year lows, yet the supply of new and existing homes is expected to grow in the months ahead as construction ramps up and a wave of foreclosed homes hits the market.
In June, new-home sales were running at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 330,000 units, the Commerce Department said Monday. While that was up 23.6% from the all-time low of 267,000 in May, the June figures were the second lowest on record.
LPS Applied Analytics, a firm that tracks mortgage data, said Monday that there were 4.56 million loans in default or in some stage of foreclosure in June, down slightly from May. But the number of new foreclosures initiated on properties backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increased sharply, rising 21% in June from May.
The rise in foreclosures on Fannie and Freddie properties reflects the failure of many troubled borrowers to receive permanent loan modifications plans, analysts said. Having exhausted all options to rescue their homes, many troubled borrowers may now be giving up.
."Looking at the numbers you're seeing about this pickup in foreclosure starts, it's hard to see how it's not going to translate into elevated levels of [properties taken over by banks] down the road," said Herb Blecher, an analyst at LPS.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Michigan oil spill largest in Midwest history
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/27/michigan-oil-spill-among_n_661196.html
Add one more for good measure
As the Gulf Coast deals with the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, the Midwest is now facing an oil spill of its own.
A state of emergency has been declared in southwest Michigan's Kalamazoo County as more than 800,000 gallons of oil released into a creek began making its way downstream in the Kalamazoo River, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports.
The trouble began Monday at 9:45 a.m., when an oil pipeline owned by Enbridge Liquids Pipelines sprung a leak in Marshall Township. Enbridge Energy is a subsidiary of Calgary, Canada based Enbridge Inc., the Detroit Free Press reports. According to the company, it is the largest transporter of oil from western Canada.
The cause of the leak is under investigation, and the pipeline has been shut down--but not before it did some serious damage. U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer called the spill the "largest oil spill in the history of the Midwest." Officials are suggesting all water activities in the Kalamazoo River be put on hold until the situation is resolved--and some are fearing contamination of local water supplies:
The Battlecreek Enquirer reports:
Add one more for good measure
As the Gulf Coast deals with the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, the Midwest is now facing an oil spill of its own.
A state of emergency has been declared in southwest Michigan's Kalamazoo County as more than 800,000 gallons of oil released into a creek began making its way downstream in the Kalamazoo River, the Kalamazoo Gazette reports.
The trouble began Monday at 9:45 a.m., when an oil pipeline owned by Enbridge Liquids Pipelines sprung a leak in Marshall Township. Enbridge Energy is a subsidiary of Calgary, Canada based Enbridge Inc., the Detroit Free Press reports. According to the company, it is the largest transporter of oil from western Canada.
The cause of the leak is under investigation, and the pipeline has been shut down--but not before it did some serious damage. U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer called the spill the "largest oil spill in the history of the Midwest." Officials are suggesting all water activities in the Kalamazoo River be put on hold until the situation is resolved--and some are fearing contamination of local water supplies:
The Battlecreek Enquirer reports:
GE fined 23 million by SEC
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/GE-pays-23M-to-settle-Iraq-apf-2815785122.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=6&asset=&ccode=
Another fine, which amounts to a drop in the bucket of money that GE has made off of it's corporate contracts from the United States Government during it's on going invasion of Iraq. But what the heck GE will surely recoup any loss it might have incurred from it's Iraq indiscretions, over in Afghanistan.
How convenient
GE to pay $23 million to settle SEC charges over oil-for-food kickbacks in Iraq
General Electric Co. will pay $23.4 million to settle federal charges that some of its subsidiaries paid illegal kickbacks to the Iraqi government in order to win contracts under a U.N. program.
The Securities and Exchange Commission said in a civil complaint filed Tuesday in federal court that GE subsidiaries gave cash, computers, medical supplies and other goods worth $3.6 million to the Iraqi health and oil ministries from 2000 to 2003.
The SEC alleged the kickbacks were in return for contracts to supply medical and water purification equipment under the United Nations' oil-for-food program, which provided humanitarian aid to prewar Iraq.
Cheryl Scarboro, head of the SEC's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act unit, said GE "failed to maintain adequate internal controls to detect and prevent these illicit payments."
GE agreed to pay a $1 million penalty and give up about $22.5 million in profit and interest earned from the transactions. The company does not admit or deny wrongdoing under the settlement. GE also said that the Department of Justice has closed its own investigation into the matter.
Another fine, which amounts to a drop in the bucket of money that GE has made off of it's corporate contracts from the United States Government during it's on going invasion of Iraq. But what the heck GE will surely recoup any loss it might have incurred from it's Iraq indiscretions, over in Afghanistan.
How convenient
GE to pay $23 million to settle SEC charges over oil-for-food kickbacks in Iraq
General Electric Co. will pay $23.4 million to settle federal charges that some of its subsidiaries paid illegal kickbacks to the Iraqi government in order to win contracts under a U.N. program.
The Securities and Exchange Commission said in a civil complaint filed Tuesday in federal court that GE subsidiaries gave cash, computers, medical supplies and other goods worth $3.6 million to the Iraqi health and oil ministries from 2000 to 2003.
The SEC alleged the kickbacks were in return for contracts to supply medical and water purification equipment under the United Nations' oil-for-food program, which provided humanitarian aid to prewar Iraq.
Cheryl Scarboro, head of the SEC's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act unit, said GE "failed to maintain adequate internal controls to detect and prevent these illicit payments."
GE agreed to pay a $1 million penalty and give up about $22.5 million in profit and interest earned from the transactions. The company does not admit or deny wrongdoing under the settlement. GE also said that the Department of Justice has closed its own investigation into the matter.
GE pays $23M to settle Iraq kickback charges
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/GE-pays-23M-to-settle-Iraq-apf-2815785122.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=6&asset=&ccode=
Another fine, which amounts to a drop in the bucket of money that GE has made off of it's corporate contracts from the United States Government during it's on going invasion of Iraq. But what the heck GE will surely recoup any loss it might have incurred from it's Iraq indiscretions, over in Afghanistan.
How convenient
GE to pay $23 million to settle SEC charges over oil-for-food kickbacks in Iraq
General Electric Co. will pay $23.4 million to settle federal charges that some of its subsidiaries paid illegal kickbacks to the Iraqi government in order to win contracts under a U.N. program.
The Securities and Exchange Commission said in a civil complaint filed Tuesday in federal court that GE subsidiaries gave cash, computers, medical supplies and other goods worth $3.6 million to the Iraqi health and oil ministries from 2000 to 2003.
The SEC alleged the kickbacks were in return for contracts to supply medical and water purification equipment under the United Nations' oil-for-food program, which provided humanitarian aid to prewar Iraq.
Cheryl Scarboro, head of the SEC's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act unit, said GE "failed to maintain adequate internal controls to detect and prevent these illicit payments."
GE agreed to pay a $1 million penalty and give up about $22.5 million in profit and interest earned from the transactions. The company does not admit or deny wrongdoing under the settlement. GE also said that the Department of Justice has closed its own investigation into the matter.
Another fine, which amounts to a drop in the bucket of money that GE has made off of it's corporate contracts from the United States Government during it's on going invasion of Iraq. But what the heck GE will surely recoup any loss it might have incurred from it's Iraq indiscretions, over in Afghanistan.
How convenient
GE to pay $23 million to settle SEC charges over oil-for-food kickbacks in Iraq
General Electric Co. will pay $23.4 million to settle federal charges that some of its subsidiaries paid illegal kickbacks to the Iraqi government in order to win contracts under a U.N. program.
The Securities and Exchange Commission said in a civil complaint filed Tuesday in federal court that GE subsidiaries gave cash, computers, medical supplies and other goods worth $3.6 million to the Iraqi health and oil ministries from 2000 to 2003.
The SEC alleged the kickbacks were in return for contracts to supply medical and water purification equipment under the United Nations' oil-for-food program, which provided humanitarian aid to prewar Iraq.
Cheryl Scarboro, head of the SEC's Foreign Corrupt Practices Act unit, said GE "failed to maintain adequate internal controls to detect and prevent these illicit payments."
GE agreed to pay a $1 million penalty and give up about $22.5 million in profit and interest earned from the transactions. The company does not admit or deny wrongdoing under the settlement. GE also said that the Department of Justice has closed its own investigation into the matter.
Researchers confirm subsea BP oil plumes
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/07/23/98088/researchers-confirm-subsea-gulf.html
But naturally BP denies the claim because it's actually contrary to their own claims of the surface oil is getting harder to find, thereby psychologically implying that
the disaster that they negligently created was not as bad as everyone thought.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Through a chemical fingerprinting process, University of South Florida researchers have definitively linked clouds of underwater oil in the northern Gulf of Mexico to BP's runaway Deepwater Horizon well — the first direct scientific link between the subsurface oil clouds commonly known as "plumes" and the BP oil spill, USF officials said Friday.
Until now, scientists had circumstantial evidence, but lacked that definitive scientific link.
The announcement came on the same day that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that its researchers have confirmed the existence of the subsea plumes at depths of 3,300 to 4,300 feet below the surface of the Gulf. NOAA said its detection equipment also implicated the BP well in the plumes' creation.
Together, the two studies confirm what in the early days of the spill was denied by BP and viewed skeptically by NOAA's chief — that much of the crude that gushed from the Deepwater Horizon well stayed beneath the surface of the water.
But naturally BP denies the claim because it's actually contrary to their own claims of the surface oil is getting harder to find, thereby psychologically implying that
the disaster that they negligently created was not as bad as everyone thought.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Through a chemical fingerprinting process, University of South Florida researchers have definitively linked clouds of underwater oil in the northern Gulf of Mexico to BP's runaway Deepwater Horizon well — the first direct scientific link between the subsurface oil clouds commonly known as "plumes" and the BP oil spill, USF officials said Friday.
Until now, scientists had circumstantial evidence, but lacked that definitive scientific link.
The announcement came on the same day that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that its researchers have confirmed the existence of the subsea plumes at depths of 3,300 to 4,300 feet below the surface of the Gulf. NOAA said its detection equipment also implicated the BP well in the plumes' creation.
Together, the two studies confirm what in the early days of the spill was denied by BP and viewed skeptically by NOAA's chief — that much of the crude that gushed from the Deepwater Horizon well stayed beneath the surface of the water.
Afghanistan war logs: How US marines sanitised record of bloodbath
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/26/afghanistan-war-logs-us-marines
No you didn't read about this from any journalist, because they are under threat of death by the United States Military to cover up the exposure of their crimes.
It makes you proud to be an American...... doesn't it?
War logs show how marines gave cleaned up accounts of incident in which they killed 19 civilians
Brevity is the hallmark of military reporting, but even by those standards the description of one disastrous event is remarkably short: "The patrol returned to base."
It started with a suicide bomb. On 4 March 2007 a convoy of US marines, who arrived in Afghanistan three weeks earlier, were hit by an explosives-rigged minivan outside the city of Jalalabad.
The marines made a frenzied escape, opening fire with automatic weapons as they tore down a six-mile stretch of highway, hitting almost anyone in their way – teenage girls in fields, motorists in their cars, old men as they walked along the road. Nineteen unarmed civilians were killed and 50 wounded.
None of this, however, was captured in the initial military account, written by the marines themselves. It simply says that, simultaneous to the suicide explosion, "the patrol received small arms fire from three directions".
No you didn't read about this from any journalist, because they are under threat of death by the United States Military to cover up the exposure of their crimes.
It makes you proud to be an American...... doesn't it?
War logs show how marines gave cleaned up accounts of incident in which they killed 19 civilians
Brevity is the hallmark of military reporting, but even by those standards the description of one disastrous event is remarkably short: "The patrol returned to base."
It started with a suicide bomb. On 4 March 2007 a convoy of US marines, who arrived in Afghanistan three weeks earlier, were hit by an explosives-rigged minivan outside the city of Jalalabad.
The marines made a frenzied escape, opening fire with automatic weapons as they tore down a six-mile stretch of highway, hitting almost anyone in their way – teenage girls in fields, motorists in their cars, old men as they walked along the road. Nineteen unarmed civilians were killed and 50 wounded.
None of this, however, was captured in the initial military account, written by the marines themselves. It simply says that, simultaneous to the suicide explosion, "the patrol received small arms fire from three directions".
Text of H.R. 5741: Universal National Service Act
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-5741
I wonder if the civilian service participant would be required to go to places like Iraq or Afghanistan in place of the sub-contractor employees that are paid to take care of the needs of our troops over there now.
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5741
To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 15, 2010
Mr. RANGEL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A BILL
To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the ‘Universal National Service Act’.
I wonder if the civilian service participant would be required to go to places like Iraq or Afghanistan in place of the sub-contractor employees that are paid to take care of the needs of our troops over there now.
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5741
To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 15, 2010
Mr. RANGEL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A BILL
To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security, to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title- This Act may be cited as the ‘Universal National Service Act’.
Oil spewing from well near Louisiana marsh
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38429966/ns/us_news-environment/
20-foot-high plume seen; tug boat hit well before dawn, officials say
Adding insult to the Gulf's injury, a wellhead hit by a tug boat is now spewing oil near a Louisiana marsh area, officials said Tuesday.
The oil is shooting up 20 feet into the air, the office of Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said.
"We cannot catch a break," Deano Bonano, Jefferson Parish emergency management director, said in a note to parish officials.
The well is in inland waterways on the border of Plaquemines and Jefferson parishes, about 65 miles south of New Orleans; it's marsh area not accessible by road
20-foot-high plume seen; tug boat hit well before dawn, officials say
Adding insult to the Gulf's injury, a wellhead hit by a tug boat is now spewing oil near a Louisiana marsh area, officials said Tuesday.
The oil is shooting up 20 feet into the air, the office of Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said.
"We cannot catch a break," Deano Bonano, Jefferson Parish emergency management director, said in a note to parish officials.
The well is in inland waterways on the border of Plaquemines and Jefferson parishes, about 65 miles south of New Orleans; it's marsh area not accessible by road
Monday, July 26, 2010
Warren Pollock Warns Of Emergency Drug Shortage As EMTs Told To Go To "Alternate Protocols"
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/warren-pollock-warns-emergency-drug-shortage-emts-told-go-alternate-protocols
Oh look something new to wonder or in this case worry about.
These are standard drugs used on a daily basis in emergency rooms also. This shortage has been going on for three months. I don't see this as being a cost cutting measure by the individual states, not with the FDA confirming the shortages.
ASHP Drug Product Shortages Management Resource Center
http://www.ashp.org/DrugShortages/Current/
Warren Pollock reports on a rather troubling development which we can only attribute to various cost cutting measures by near-bankrupt states, as anything beyond that would be far too macabre even for us. It appears that "several drugs are in severe shortfall, drugs used to treat emergency patients that might be transported by ambulance to emergency rooms, the drugs include heart attack drugs, epinephrine, lidocain, as well as drugs used to treat shock and other conditions. These emergency care drugs are now in shortfall with alternate protocols going out to emergency services in various parts of the nation. This means that if you need emergency services, the drugs you rely upon to save your life may not be there." As WEP asks, "where have these drugs gone? It is unrealistic to suggest that a whole variety of emergency treatment drugs would go missing from the inventory all at the same time, and areas around the country all at the same time." Pollock highlights the states of TN, PA and CA may have already seen the incorporation of the "alternate protocol." Once again, we hope this is merely an interim shortage and not a widespread effort to impair the traditional operation of emergency technicians across the country.
Oh look something new to wonder or in this case worry about.
These are standard drugs used on a daily basis in emergency rooms also. This shortage has been going on for three months. I don't see this as being a cost cutting measure by the individual states, not with the FDA confirming the shortages.
ASHP Drug Product Shortages Management Resource Center
http://www.ashp.org/DrugShortages/Current/
Warren Pollock reports on a rather troubling development which we can only attribute to various cost cutting measures by near-bankrupt states, as anything beyond that would be far too macabre even for us. It appears that "several drugs are in severe shortfall, drugs used to treat emergency patients that might be transported by ambulance to emergency rooms, the drugs include heart attack drugs, epinephrine, lidocain, as well as drugs used to treat shock and other conditions. These emergency care drugs are now in shortfall with alternate protocols going out to emergency services in various parts of the nation. This means that if you need emergency services, the drugs you rely upon to save your life may not be there." As WEP asks, "where have these drugs gone? It is unrealistic to suggest that a whole variety of emergency treatment drugs would go missing from the inventory all at the same time, and areas around the country all at the same time." Pollock highlights the states of TN, PA and CA may have already seen the incorporation of the "alternate protocol." Once again, we hope this is merely an interim shortage and not a widespread effort to impair the traditional operation of emergency technicians across the country.
Police to experiment with blinding 'Dazer Laser'?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20011548-71.html
This sounds like a nightmare for the innocent bystander.
My first thought after learning the range of this laser is up to a mile and a half was I wonder what the death toll will be from car accidents from people driving by when they use one of these things.
Perhaps "Don't Dazer Laser me, bro" doesn't quite trip off the tongue. However, police in the Northwest may soon be experimenting with the Dazer Laser, a tool which, well, shoots, blinds, and disorients.
The Dazer Laser is a gun that emits a green light at suspects and causes them to temporarily lose their sight and wonder whether they might have been transported to an alternative galaxy. And, according to King 5 News in Seattle, police in the Northwest might soon be the first to experiment with zapping a green light at a suspected evildoer.
The Dazer Laser, allegedly, has less deleterious side effects than tasers and enjoys a greater distance of use than pepper spray.
But perhaps the most extraordinary claim is that these little babies might be efficacious from not merely 3 feet but up to one and a half miles. The Laser Energetics site (which, I warn you, offers some rather pulsating music) says that the Dazer Laser not only blinds and confuses, but might also make you feel a little sick.
The effects might last "up to hours, depending on the threats physiology," says the site.
This sounds like a nightmare for the innocent bystander.
My first thought after learning the range of this laser is up to a mile and a half was I wonder what the death toll will be from car accidents from people driving by when they use one of these things.
Perhaps "Don't Dazer Laser me, bro" doesn't quite trip off the tongue. However, police in the Northwest may soon be experimenting with the Dazer Laser, a tool which, well, shoots, blinds, and disorients.
The Dazer Laser is a gun that emits a green light at suspects and causes them to temporarily lose their sight and wonder whether they might have been transported to an alternative galaxy. And, according to King 5 News in Seattle, police in the Northwest might soon be the first to experiment with zapping a green light at a suspected evildoer.
The Dazer Laser, allegedly, has less deleterious side effects than tasers and enjoys a greater distance of use than pepper spray.
But perhaps the most extraordinary claim is that these little babies might be efficacious from not merely 3 feet but up to one and a half miles. The Laser Energetics site (which, I warn you, offers some rather pulsating music) says that the Dazer Laser not only blinds and confuses, but might also make you feel a little sick.
The effects might last "up to hours, depending on the threats physiology," says the site.
Judge Rules CIA Can Withhold Info about Illegal Methods
http://www.allgov.com/Top_Stories/ViewNews/Judge_Rules_CIA_Can_Withhold_Info_about_Illegal_Methods_100726
So the CIA can now do what it wants to who it wants without question.
This was a very dangerous precedent to set considering what the definition of terrorism now is in the United States.
A federal judge has backed CIA efforts to conceal information about treatment of detainees, even if the suppressed records contain details about illegal activity on the part of the intelligence agency.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that he was unwilling to “second-guess the CIA Director regarding the appropriateness of any particular intelligence source or method,” while rejecting the American Civil Liberties Union’s request to obtain records related to the treatment of detainees, those who died in U.S. custody and the names of anyone kidnapped and sent to secret prisons.
So the CIA can now do what it wants to who it wants without question.
This was a very dangerous precedent to set considering what the definition of terrorism now is in the United States.
A federal judge has backed CIA efforts to conceal information about treatment of detainees, even if the suppressed records contain details about illegal activity on the part of the intelligence agency.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled that he was unwilling to “second-guess the CIA Director regarding the appropriateness of any particular intelligence source or method,” while rejecting the American Civil Liberties Union’s request to obtain records related to the treatment of detainees, those who died in U.S. custody and the names of anyone kidnapped and sent to secret prisons.
All in the "Family." Global Drug Trade Fueled by Capitalist Elites
http://www.blacklistednews.com/news-9850-0-11-11--.html
When you read this story, keep in mind, that in the eyes of all that is right and just, no corporate entity will be tried for the punishment of a prison term, because that's just the way it works in America.
When investigative journalist Daniel Hopsicker broke the story four years ago that a DC-9 (N900SA) "registered to a company which once used as its address the hangar of Huffman Aviation, the flight school at the Venice, Florida Airport which trained both terrorist pilots who crashed planes into the World Trade Center, was caught in Campeche by the Mexican military ... carrying 5.5 tons of cocaine destined for the U.S.," it elicited a collective yawn from corporate media.
And when authorities searched the plane and found its cargo consisted solely of 128 identical black suitcases marked "private," packed with cocaine valued at more than $100 million, the silence was deafening.
When you read this story, keep in mind, that in the eyes of all that is right and just, no corporate entity will be tried for the punishment of a prison term, because that's just the way it works in America.
When investigative journalist Daniel Hopsicker broke the story four years ago that a DC-9 (N900SA) "registered to a company which once used as its address the hangar of Huffman Aviation, the flight school at the Venice, Florida Airport which trained both terrorist pilots who crashed planes into the World Trade Center, was caught in Campeche by the Mexican military ... carrying 5.5 tons of cocaine destined for the U.S.," it elicited a collective yawn from corporate media.
And when authorities searched the plane and found its cargo consisted solely of 128 identical black suitcases marked "private," packed with cocaine valued at more than $100 million, the silence was deafening.
Michelle Obama to vacation in Spain
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/336549,michelle-obama-vacation-spain.html
What is the entertainment budget of the White House, and why should the taxpayer pickup the tab for this elaborate extravaganza? It's not as though Michelle didn't just come back from vacation.
Spanish media reports said Michelle Obama and her younger daughter Sasha, 9, would be on Spain's Costa del Sol between August 4 and 8.
There had been speculation that Barack Obama might also come to Spain to celebrate his 49th birthday on August 4.
Michelle Obama has reserved about 30 rooms for herself and her daughter, their friends and bodyguards at a five-star hotel in Benahavis near Marbella, hotel sources said.
What is the entertainment budget of the White House, and why should the taxpayer pickup the tab for this elaborate extravaganza? It's not as though Michelle didn't just come back from vacation.
Spanish media reports said Michelle Obama and her younger daughter Sasha, 9, would be on Spain's Costa del Sol between August 4 and 8.
There had been speculation that Barack Obama might also come to Spain to celebrate his 49th birthday on August 4.
Michelle Obama has reserved about 30 rooms for herself and her daughter, their friends and bodyguards at a five-star hotel in Benahavis near Marbella, hotel sources said.
Wall Street Still Doesn’t Have a Sheriff
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/opinion/26sauer.html
So what it all boils down to is that Wall Street will continue to carry on as it pleases, no matter what the consequences are to not only the United States economy but the worlds as well, justified under the guise, that it's what's best for the investor, who should never be punished over the choices of an "artificial being"
Some how it amazes me that no one has ever thought to unplug the "artificial being"
(retract it's corporate charter)for the safety of mankind.
The question of how best to discipline what Chief Justice John Marshall in 1819 called “an artificial being, invisible, intangible and existing only in contemplation of law” is indeed vexing. A corporation can’t be put in jail, its fines are ultimately paid by investors not responsible for the misconduct, and a court order forbidding future violations merely shelves the issue until the next occurrence.
In 19th-century America, permissive incorporation laws and rapid economic development led to the rise of the large corporation, which, in turn, led to a century of expanding federal regulation. Most measures regulated certain forms of conduct and prohibited others, specifying fines for failure to comply. There was little consideration given to questions of when, as a matter of practical legal policy, an artificial entity should be treated as if it were a person.
The S.E.C. wasn’t forced to grapple with the issue until 1990, when Congress greatly expanded its power to seek financial penalties from corporate violators. (Before then, companies could shrug off civil orders as a passing embarrassment.)
Initially, however, the agency made infrequent use of this new authority. Its staff saw fining public companies as harmful to shareholders, the very people the S.E.C. was created to protect. It also feared that managers would tap their corporate treasuries to buy their way out of individual liability.
So what it all boils down to is that Wall Street will continue to carry on as it pleases, no matter what the consequences are to not only the United States economy but the worlds as well, justified under the guise, that it's what's best for the investor, who should never be punished over the choices of an "artificial being"
Some how it amazes me that no one has ever thought to unplug the "artificial being"
(retract it's corporate charter)for the safety of mankind.
The question of how best to discipline what Chief Justice John Marshall in 1819 called “an artificial being, invisible, intangible and existing only in contemplation of law” is indeed vexing. A corporation can’t be put in jail, its fines are ultimately paid by investors not responsible for the misconduct, and a court order forbidding future violations merely shelves the issue until the next occurrence.
In 19th-century America, permissive incorporation laws and rapid economic development led to the rise of the large corporation, which, in turn, led to a century of expanding federal regulation. Most measures regulated certain forms of conduct and prohibited others, specifying fines for failure to comply. There was little consideration given to questions of when, as a matter of practical legal policy, an artificial entity should be treated as if it were a person.
The S.E.C. wasn’t forced to grapple with the issue until 1990, when Congress greatly expanded its power to seek financial penalties from corporate violators. (Before then, companies could shrug off civil orders as a passing embarrassment.)
Initially, however, the agency made infrequent use of this new authority. Its staff saw fining public companies as harmful to shareholders, the very people the S.E.C. was created to protect. It also feared that managers would tap their corporate treasuries to buy their way out of individual liability.
Goldman reveals where bailout cash went
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/banking/2010-07-24-goldman-bailout-cash_N.htm
By Karen Mracek and Thomas Beaumont, Des Moines Register
It's enough to make you sick.
Goldman Sachs sent $4.3 billion in federal tax money to 32 entities, including many overseas banks, hedge funds and pensions, according to information made public Friday night.
"We thought originally we were bailing out AIG. Then later on ... we learned that the money flowed through AIG to a few big banks, and now we know that the money went from these few big banks to dozens of financial institutions all around the world."
Grassley said he was reserving judgment on the appropriateness of U.S. taxpayer money ending up overseas until he learns more about the 32 entities.
Goldman Sachs (GS) received $5.55 billion from the government in fall of 2008 as payment for then-worthless securities it held in AIG. Goldman had already hedged its risk that the securities would go bad. It had entered into agreements to spread the risk with the 32 entities named in Friday's report.
Overall, Goldman Sachs received a $12.9 billion payout from the government's bailout of AIG, which was at one time the world's largest insurance company.
Goldman Sachs also revealed to the Senate Finance Committee that it would have received $2.3 billion if AIG had gone under. Other large financial institutions, such as Citibank, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley, sold Goldman Sachs protection in the case of AIG's collapse. Those institutions did not have to pay Goldman Sachs after the government stepped in with tax money.
Goldman had not disclosed the names of the counterparties it paid in late 2008 until Friday, despite repeated requests from Elizabeth Warren, chairwoman of the Congressional Oversight Panel.
"I think we didn't get the information because they consider it very embarrassing," Grassley said, "and they ought to consider it very embarrassing."
By Karen Mracek and Thomas Beaumont, Des Moines Register
It's enough to make you sick.
Goldman Sachs sent $4.3 billion in federal tax money to 32 entities, including many overseas banks, hedge funds and pensions, according to information made public Friday night.
"We thought originally we were bailing out AIG. Then later on ... we learned that the money flowed through AIG to a few big banks, and now we know that the money went from these few big banks to dozens of financial institutions all around the world."
Grassley said he was reserving judgment on the appropriateness of U.S. taxpayer money ending up overseas until he learns more about the 32 entities.
Goldman Sachs (GS) received $5.55 billion from the government in fall of 2008 as payment for then-worthless securities it held in AIG. Goldman had already hedged its risk that the securities would go bad. It had entered into agreements to spread the risk with the 32 entities named in Friday's report.
Overall, Goldman Sachs received a $12.9 billion payout from the government's bailout of AIG, which was at one time the world's largest insurance company.
Goldman Sachs also revealed to the Senate Finance Committee that it would have received $2.3 billion if AIG had gone under. Other large financial institutions, such as Citibank, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley, sold Goldman Sachs protection in the case of AIG's collapse. Those institutions did not have to pay Goldman Sachs after the government stepped in with tax money.
Goldman had not disclosed the names of the counterparties it paid in late 2008 until Friday, despite repeated requests from Elizabeth Warren, chairwoman of the Congressional Oversight Panel.
"I think we didn't get the information because they consider it very embarrassing," Grassley said, "and they ought to consider it very embarrassing."
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The war logs
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/world/war-logs.html
A little light reading material for your perusal.
An archive of classified military documents offers an unvarnished view of the war in Afghanistan
The articles published today are based on thousands of United States military incident and intelligence reports — records of engagements, mishaps, intelligence on enemy activity and other events from the war in Afghanistan — that were made public on Sunday on the Internet. The New York Times, The Guardian newspaper in London, and the German magazine Der Spiegel were given access to the material several weeks ago. Read More »
A little light reading material for your perusal.
An archive of classified military documents offers an unvarnished view of the war in Afghanistan
The articles published today are based on thousands of United States military incident and intelligence reports — records of engagements, mishaps, intelligence on enemy activity and other events from the war in Afghanistan — that were made public on Sunday on the Internet. The New York Times, The Guardian newspaper in London, and the German magazine Der Spiegel were given access to the material several weeks ago. Read More »
U.S. withdraws ‘pain ray’ from Afghan war zone
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1297361/US-withdraws-pain-ray-Afghan-war-zone.html
Perhaps it left those that it was used upon a little well done.
A ‘pain ray’ that blasts the enemy with unbearable heat waves hasbeen pulled out of Afghanistan by the US military.
The Active Denial System (ADS), which cost about £42 million to develop, was on the brink of being deployed to disperse members of the Taliban as they attacked US forces.
The weapon, which causes immense pain to subjects but no lasting physical damage, was pulled from the war zone last week but US army chiefs in Afghanistan have stayed silent about the reason for the U-turn.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1297361/US-withdraws-pain-ray-Afghan-war-zone.html#ixzz0uigAqGut
Perhaps it left those that it was used upon a little well done.
A ‘pain ray’ that blasts the enemy with unbearable heat waves hasbeen pulled out of Afghanistan by the US military.
The Active Denial System (ADS), which cost about £42 million to develop, was on the brink of being deployed to disperse members of the Taliban as they attacked US forces.
The weapon, which causes immense pain to subjects but no lasting physical damage, was pulled from the war zone last week but US army chiefs in Afghanistan have stayed silent about the reason for the U-turn.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1297361/US-withdraws-pain-ray-Afghan-war-zone.html#ixzz0uigAqGut
Study: Fallujah’s health fallout ‘worse’ than Hiroshima, Nagasaki
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0724/study-health-effects-felt-fallujah-widespread-nuking-hiroshima-nagasaki/
In the wake of America's "shock and awe" bombing campaign to take Baghdad, radiation detectors as far away as the United Kingdom noticed a fourfold spike in radioactivity in the atmosphere. At the time, the Department of Defense bragged that the substance, a nuclear byproduct with a fraction of the radioactivity as standard uranium, is commonly ingested by Americans, in food, drinking water and the air, allegedly with no ill effects. Officials went on to say its use would cause "no impact on the health of people and the environment."
Today, according to a study by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [PDF link], rates of cancer, leukemia, infant mortality and sexual mutations in Fallujah are higher than those reported in the aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear detonations.
In the wake of America's "shock and awe" bombing campaign to take Baghdad, radiation detectors as far away as the United Kingdom noticed a fourfold spike in radioactivity in the atmosphere. At the time, the Department of Defense bragged that the substance, a nuclear byproduct with a fraction of the radioactivity as standard uranium, is commonly ingested by Americans, in food, drinking water and the air, allegedly with no ill effects. Officials went on to say its use would cause "no impact on the health of people and the environment."
Today, according to a study by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health [PDF link], rates of cancer, leukemia, infant mortality and sexual mutations in Fallujah are higher than those reported in the aftermath of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear detonations.
Hillary Clinton ADMITS that the US and Pakistan created the Mujahaddin
http://dailypaul.com/node/140479
Where I come from we call this kind of thing: Job Security
Seeding future plots for harvest.Hey you don't think that Saddam became the ruler of Iraq all by himself do you?
I happened to be flipping through the channels last night, when I stumbled onto this interview.
I chose to watch, as I was curious as to what the justification for the recent decision to give Pakistan billions of dollars, was going to be.
Needless to say, my jaw dropped when Hillary admitted with a straight face, that the US and Pakistan created the supposed enemies we now face.
This is obviously something that most of us knew, but to watch them admit it, and use it as a reason to stay there and or expand, is beyond insanity.
The hits just keep on comin'
Note: She admits it @ 3 minutes, but the whole interview is quite telling, if you can stomach it.
Where I come from we call this kind of thing: Job Security
Seeding future plots for harvest.Hey you don't think that Saddam became the ruler of Iraq all by himself do you?
I happened to be flipping through the channels last night, when I stumbled onto this interview.
I chose to watch, as I was curious as to what the justification for the recent decision to give Pakistan billions of dollars, was going to be.
Needless to say, my jaw dropped when Hillary admitted with a straight face, that the US and Pakistan created the supposed enemies we now face.
This is obviously something that most of us knew, but to watch them admit it, and use it as a reason to stay there and or expand, is beyond insanity.
The hits just keep on comin'
Note: She admits it @ 3 minutes, but the whole interview is quite telling, if you can stomach it.
Iran to shun euro, dollar in oil deals
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=135932§ionid=351020102
You know what happened to the last country that tried this? An invasion called:
The Iraq war
Iran is to use any currency in its oil transactions as the country wants to move away from receiving payments in dollars and euros, Iranian vice president says.
"We are free to choose any currency to sell our crude oil and this issue depends on Iran's interests," Mohammad Reza Rahimi said during a ceremony releasing a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Mehr news agency reported.
"The important issue is to exclude euros and dollars,” he added.
You know what happened to the last country that tried this? An invasion called:
The Iraq war
Iran is to use any currency in its oil transactions as the country wants to move away from receiving payments in dollars and euros, Iranian vice president says.
"We are free to choose any currency to sell our crude oil and this issue depends on Iran's interests," Mohammad Reza Rahimi said during a ceremony releasing a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Mehr news agency reported.
"The important issue is to exclude euros and dollars,” he added.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
House OK's possible Israeli raid on Iran
http://presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=136016§ionid=351020101
Our top Military brass are against this promotion with good cause, but the "House of Reps" wants to shit stir anyway. The Senate just had a hell of a time getting funding for the extra troops in Afghanistan, where in the hell does the "House" think that it's going to scrape up any more to fund another war front?
Republicans in the US House of Representatives have introduced a measure that would green-light a possible Israeli bombing campaign against Iran.
Resolution 1553 provides explicit support for military strikes against Iran, stating that Congress backs Israel's use of 'all means necessary' against Iran, "including the use of military force," BBC Persian reported.
The introduction of the measure coincides with a pattern of renewed calls for military strikes that have escalated since President Obama signed Congressional Iran sanctions into law.
top US military leaders have warned of the many dangers of military strikes against Iran.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has argued "Another war in the Middle East is the last thing we need. In fact, I believe it would be disastrous on a number of levels."
Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has expressed his own serious reservations about an attack on Iran.
Our top Military brass are against this promotion with good cause, but the "House of Reps" wants to shit stir anyway. The Senate just had a hell of a time getting funding for the extra troops in Afghanistan, where in the hell does the "House" think that it's going to scrape up any more to fund another war front?
Republicans in the US House of Representatives have introduced a measure that would green-light a possible Israeli bombing campaign against Iran.
Resolution 1553 provides explicit support for military strikes against Iran, stating that Congress backs Israel's use of 'all means necessary' against Iran, "including the use of military force," BBC Persian reported.
The introduction of the measure coincides with a pattern of renewed calls for military strikes that have escalated since President Obama signed Congressional Iran sanctions into law.
top US military leaders have warned of the many dangers of military strikes against Iran.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has argued "Another war in the Middle East is the last thing we need. In fact, I believe it would be disastrous on a number of levels."
Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has expressed his own serious reservations about an attack on Iran.
BP caps DIFFERENT WELL--MORE LIES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByanrzJ1gf4&feature=player_embedded
Those little pesky details they forget to tell you, like this was the second drill attempt that failed. Check the 60 minutes interview at 4:57 in, the interviewer says "And that well was abandoned" (after drilling too fast had fractured rock and it collapsed in on the equipment)
Remember those faked pics BP put out just to fill in a hole caused by a blank screen?
What if it wasn't blank, but rather something the didn't want you to see?
WELL A
Latitude 28.738132500000003
Longitude -88.36592777777777
WELL B
Latitude 28.73778527777778
Longitude -88.36682805555554
Look up these coordinates on the Marine Traffic Link posted earlier:
[link to www.marinetraffic.com]
Cracks Show BP Battled Well Two Months Before Blast
http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=alpoVYfzh.5M
On Feb. 13, BP told the minerals service it was trying to seal cracks in the well about 40 miles (64 kilometers) off the Louisiana coast, drilling documents obtained by Bloomberg show.
In early March, BP told the minerals agency the company was having trouble maintaining control of surging natural gas, according to e-mails released May 30 by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is investigating the spill.
On March 10, BP executive Scherie Douglas e-mailed Frank Patton, the mineral service’s drilling engineer for the New Orleans district, telling him: “We’re in the midst of a well control situation.”
The incident was a “showstopper,” said Robert Bea, an engineering professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who has consulted with the Interior Department on offshore drilling safety. “They damn near blew up the rig.”
60 minutes:BP Gulf disaster
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLJHTTOSkpg
Those little pesky details they forget to tell you, like this was the second drill attempt that failed. Check the 60 minutes interview at 4:57 in, the interviewer says "And that well was abandoned" (after drilling too fast had fractured rock and it collapsed in on the equipment)
Remember those faked pics BP put out just to fill in a hole caused by a blank screen?
What if it wasn't blank, but rather something the didn't want you to see?
WELL A
Latitude 28.738132500000003
Longitude -88.36592777777777
WELL B
Latitude 28.73778527777778
Longitude -88.36682805555554
Look up these coordinates on the Marine Traffic Link posted earlier:
[link to www.marinetraffic.com]
Cracks Show BP Battled Well Two Months Before Blast
http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=alpoVYfzh.5M
On Feb. 13, BP told the minerals service it was trying to seal cracks in the well about 40 miles (64 kilometers) off the Louisiana coast, drilling documents obtained by Bloomberg show.
In early March, BP told the minerals agency the company was having trouble maintaining control of surging natural gas, according to e-mails released May 30 by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which is investigating the spill.
On March 10, BP executive Scherie Douglas e-mailed Frank Patton, the mineral service’s drilling engineer for the New Orleans district, telling him: “We’re in the midst of a well control situation.”
The incident was a “showstopper,” said Robert Bea, an engineering professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who has consulted with the Interior Department on offshore drilling safety. “They damn near blew up the rig.”
60 minutes:BP Gulf disaster
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLJHTTOSkpg
Friday, July 23, 2010
US-Russia nuke treaty facing hurdles in US Senate
http://www.aolnews.com/story/us-russia-nuke-treaty-facing-hurdles-in/962958?cid=10
Why is the treaty facing hurdles you ask? Because a "think tank" thinks it's a bad idea, because it might make the sitting democratic President look good. To hell with the idea that a reduction of nuclear arms is good for the world, the political stature of the Republicans is so much more important, than worldly peace of mind.
The once smooth path for Senate ratification of a major nuclear arms control agreement with Russia is looking a little dicier.
Conservatives opposing New START, a replacement for a Cold War-era treaty, are trying to make it an issue in November's congressional elections
Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the New START agreement in April. It would shrink the limit on strategic warheads to 1,550 for each country, down about a third from the current ceiling of 2,200. It also would make changes in the old treaty's procedures that allow both countries to inspect each other's arsenals and verify compliance.
An affiliate of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has taken the lead in opposing the treaty. The Heritage Action for America, an advocacy group, has started a petition drive and may run political advertisements on the issue during the election season. It also is lobbying in the Senate.
Though arms control is hardly a major issue in a campaign season dominated by economic worries, the divisive political environment makes it difficult for Republicans to buck the conservative mainstream and hand Obama a victory that might be considered his top foreign policy achievement.
Why is the treaty facing hurdles you ask? Because a "think tank" thinks it's a bad idea, because it might make the sitting democratic President look good. To hell with the idea that a reduction of nuclear arms is good for the world, the political stature of the Republicans is so much more important, than worldly peace of mind.
The once smooth path for Senate ratification of a major nuclear arms control agreement with Russia is looking a little dicier.
Conservatives opposing New START, a replacement for a Cold War-era treaty, are trying to make it an issue in November's congressional elections
Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the New START agreement in April. It would shrink the limit on strategic warheads to 1,550 for each country, down about a third from the current ceiling of 2,200. It also would make changes in the old treaty's procedures that allow both countries to inspect each other's arsenals and verify compliance.
An affiliate of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, has taken the lead in opposing the treaty. The Heritage Action for America, an advocacy group, has started a petition drive and may run political advertisements on the issue during the election season. It also is lobbying in the Senate.
Though arms control is hardly a major issue in a campaign season dominated by economic worries, the divisive political environment makes it difficult for Republicans to buck the conservative mainstream and hand Obama a victory that might be considered his top foreign policy achievement.
How Congress spends Billions on itself
http://www.aolnews.com/house-money/article/congress-spent-604000-on-bottled-water-397000-on-catering/19541719
Raise your hand if your employer feeds you everyday in the custom that Congress has been allowed to exploit and thinks they deserve.
Crave ribs? Bagels and coffee or doughnuts? Seafood, subs or Chinese? So does Congress!
House members spent part of their Members Representational Allowances on these items -- and more -- during the nine-month period between late 2009 and early 2010 covered by the Sunlight Foundation's House Expenditure Reports Database. The info is highly enlightening, revealing, for instance, the popularity of Chantilly Donut's sinkers; what it costs to feed hungry congressional pages; and how lucrative it can be to own a part of the cottage industry of keeping our duly elected representatives fed and well hydrated.
Full Report
How Congress Spent Your $1 Billion
Food Tab: $604K on Bottled Water
Interns and Pages: $4.4 Million
News and Research: $1.2 Million
Travel: $1.4 Million a Month
Congress Is a PC: Just $22K on Apple
About This Series
Raise your hand if your employer feeds you everyday in the custom that Congress has been allowed to exploit and thinks they deserve.
Crave ribs? Bagels and coffee or doughnuts? Seafood, subs or Chinese? So does Congress!
House members spent part of their Members Representational Allowances on these items -- and more -- during the nine-month period between late 2009 and early 2010 covered by the Sunlight Foundation's House Expenditure Reports Database. The info is highly enlightening, revealing, for instance, the popularity of Chantilly Donut's sinkers; what it costs to feed hungry congressional pages; and how lucrative it can be to own a part of the cottage industry of keeping our duly elected representatives fed and well hydrated.
Full Report
How Congress Spent Your $1 Billion
Food Tab: $604K on Bottled Water
Interns and Pages: $4.4 Million
News and Research: $1.2 Million
Travel: $1.4 Million a Month
Congress Is a PC: Just $22K on Apple
About This Series
House pressured to pass stripped-down war measure
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100723/ap_on_bi_ge/us_congress_war_funding
It's a sad day in America when foreign aid to fight terrorism takes precedent over disaster aid needed here at home. Perhaps if Tennessee or Rhode Island had an oil reserve located in their back yard the US Government just might place them a little higher on the priority list.
After a take-it-or-leave-it vote by the Senate, House Democrats face little choice but to drop more than $20 billion in domestic spending from a must-pass bill funding President Barack Obama's troop surge in Afghanistan.
Instead, the Senate Thursday stripped out the $20 billion in House add-ons and returned to the House an almost $60 billion measure passed by a bipartisan vote in May. The Senate measure is limited chiefly at war funding, foreign aid, medical care for Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and replenishing almost empty disaster aid accounts.
The moves repel a long-shot bid by House Democrats earlier this month to resurrect their faltering jobs agenda with $10 billion in grants to school districts to avoid teacher layoffs, $5 billion for Pell Grants to low-income college students, $1 billion for a summer jobs program and $700 million to improve security along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Senate measure blends about $30 billion for Obama's 30,000-troop surge in Afghanistan with more than $5 billion to replenish disaster aid accounts, as well as funding for Haitian earthquake relief, and a down payment on aid to flood-drenched Tennessee and Rhode Island
The measure contains $1.1 billion for mine-resistant vehicles, $657 million for military bases in Afghanistan and $6.2 billion in foreign aid for Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Haiti.
It's a sad day in America when foreign aid to fight terrorism takes precedent over disaster aid needed here at home. Perhaps if Tennessee or Rhode Island had an oil reserve located in their back yard the US Government just might place them a little higher on the priority list.
After a take-it-or-leave-it vote by the Senate, House Democrats face little choice but to drop more than $20 billion in domestic spending from a must-pass bill funding President Barack Obama's troop surge in Afghanistan.
Instead, the Senate Thursday stripped out the $20 billion in House add-ons and returned to the House an almost $60 billion measure passed by a bipartisan vote in May. The Senate measure is limited chiefly at war funding, foreign aid, medical care for Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and replenishing almost empty disaster aid accounts.
The moves repel a long-shot bid by House Democrats earlier this month to resurrect their faltering jobs agenda with $10 billion in grants to school districts to avoid teacher layoffs, $5 billion for Pell Grants to low-income college students, $1 billion for a summer jobs program and $700 million to improve security along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Senate measure blends about $30 billion for Obama's 30,000-troop surge in Afghanistan with more than $5 billion to replenish disaster aid accounts, as well as funding for Haitian earthquake relief, and a down payment on aid to flood-drenched Tennessee and Rhode Island
The measure contains $1.1 billion for mine-resistant vehicles, $657 million for military bases in Afghanistan and $6.2 billion in foreign aid for Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Haiti.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Obama's Electronic Health Records Czar: HIV Status and Abortions Need Not be Included
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/69743
None of this makes sense people. First we could opt out now you can't.
Now you can leave out abortion or HIV, which absolutely make no sense to me especially after you read what's required information.
And to save money the government is going to bonus out for the hospitals and Doctors who have the new system up and running by 2014. Yeah that makes alot of sense for a system that was designed to save money.
Did you ever ask yourself what the government doesn't reward or entice with incentives of some sort anymore, except for the tax payer that is.
Dr. David Blumenthal, the Obama administration's National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, said on Tuesday that patients can choose to omit procedures such as abortions and positive HIV tests from the electronic health records (EHR) that every American is supposed to have by 2014 under the terms of the economic stimulus law that President Barack Obama signed last year
HHS: Everyone Can Opt Out of Government-Mandated Electronic Health Records System
Monday, October 05, 2009
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/54999
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says that everyone can opt out of having an electronic health record included in the federally mandated national electronic-health-record system created by the stimulus law enacted in February
None of this makes sense people. First we could opt out now you can't.
Now you can leave out abortion or HIV, which absolutely make no sense to me especially after you read what's required information.
And to save money the government is going to bonus out for the hospitals and Doctors who have the new system up and running by 2014. Yeah that makes alot of sense for a system that was designed to save money.
Did you ever ask yourself what the government doesn't reward or entice with incentives of some sort anymore, except for the tax payer that is.
Dr. David Blumenthal, the Obama administration's National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, said on Tuesday that patients can choose to omit procedures such as abortions and positive HIV tests from the electronic health records (EHR) that every American is supposed to have by 2014 under the terms of the economic stimulus law that President Barack Obama signed last year
HHS: Everyone Can Opt Out of Government-Mandated Electronic Health Records System
Monday, October 05, 2009
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/54999
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says that everyone can opt out of having an electronic health record included in the federally mandated national electronic-health-record system created by the stimulus law enacted in February
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Day 2: National Security Inc.
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/jul/21/day-2-national-security-inc/
Top Secret America: A Washington Post Investigation
Outstanding article.
So basically, General Dynamics is Homeland Security.
A corporation, outfitting our cities for safety. Handing out money like piss water to their other corporate friends to secure our nation. And who supplies them that piss water for a heavy fee? The Banks.
Now it's time to ask your senators and State Reps. What's in your portfolio?
So this is the "new world order" at least it is here in America.
Corporations will now decide on how your tax dollars are spent.
Which is however it behooves them the most. Not long ago the new airport scanners that Michael Chertoff (The last head of DHS)was so conviently selling, was mandated as a must by who else, The Department of Homeland Security aka General Dynamics.
On Sept. 11, 2001, General Dynamics was working with nine intelligence organizations. Now it has contracts with all 16. Its employees fill the halls of the NSA and DHS. The corporation was paid hundreds of millions of dollars to set up and manage DHS's new offices in 2003, including its National Operations Center, Office of Intelligence and Analysis and Office of Security. Its employees do everything from deciding which threats to investigate to answering phones.
The national security industry sells the military and intelligence agencies more than just airplanes, ships and tanks. It sells contractors' brain power. They advise, brief and work everywhere, including 25 feet under the Pentagon in a bunker where they can be found alongside military personnel in battle fatigues monitoring potential crises worldwide.
Top Secret America: A Washington Post Investigation
Outstanding article.
So basically, General Dynamics is Homeland Security.
A corporation, outfitting our cities for safety. Handing out money like piss water to their other corporate friends to secure our nation. And who supplies them that piss water for a heavy fee? The Banks.
Now it's time to ask your senators and State Reps. What's in your portfolio?
So this is the "new world order" at least it is here in America.
Corporations will now decide on how your tax dollars are spent.
Which is however it behooves them the most. Not long ago the new airport scanners that Michael Chertoff (The last head of DHS)was so conviently selling, was mandated as a must by who else, The Department of Homeland Security aka General Dynamics.
On Sept. 11, 2001, General Dynamics was working with nine intelligence organizations. Now it has contracts with all 16. Its employees fill the halls of the NSA and DHS. The corporation was paid hundreds of millions of dollars to set up and manage DHS's new offices in 2003, including its National Operations Center, Office of Intelligence and Analysis and Office of Security. Its employees do everything from deciding which threats to investigate to answering phones.
The national security industry sells the military and intelligence agencies more than just airplanes, ships and tanks. It sells contractors' brain power. They advise, brief and work everywhere, including 25 feet under the Pentagon in a bunker where they can be found alongside military personnel in battle fatigues monitoring potential crises worldwide.
BP's altered photo distorts spill center activity
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9H324OG1&show_article=1
Either BP is exceptionally stupid or they're trying to cover up something they don't want us to see.
AP) - BP acknowledges it posted on its website an altered photo that exaggerates the activity at its Gulf oil spill command center in Houston.
The picture posted over the weekend showed workers monitoring a bank of 10 giant video screens displaying underwater images.
Spokesman Scott Dean says Tuesday that two screens were blank in the original picture and a staff photographer used Photoshop software to add images.
Dean says the company put the unaltered picture up Monday after
Either BP is exceptionally stupid or they're trying to cover up something they don't want us to see.
AP) - BP acknowledges it posted on its website an altered photo that exaggerates the activity at its Gulf oil spill command center in Houston.
The picture posted over the weekend showed workers monitoring a bank of 10 giant video screens displaying underwater images.
Spokesman Scott Dean says Tuesday that two screens were blank in the original picture and a staff photographer used Photoshop software to add images.
Dean says the company put the unaltered picture up Monday after
Hearings: BP did not suspend drilling operations after report of leaking blowout preventer
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/07/hearings_bp_did_not_suspend_dr.html
It's pretty obvious at this point that the government is not doing the job it's being paid for.
It lives only as a corporate employee for which "WE" get the bill for..
This is an update from the joint hearings by the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement investigating the causes of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on April 20.
.The Deepwater Horizon's blowout preventer -- the key device for shutting off a wild oil well -- had a leak in the days before it failed to operate, which may have required BP to suspend operations under a federal regulation, a BP company man testified Tuesday.
Well site leader Ronald Sepulvado told a Marine Board investigative panel in Kenner that before he wrapped up his stint as BP's top man on the rig four days before the April 20 accident, he reported that one of the control pods on the blowout preventer, or BOP, had a leak.
He said he told his supervisor in Houston, BP team leader John Guide, and assumed that Guide would notify federal regulators at the Minerals Management Service. According to investigators, that never happened.
Federal Regulation 250.451(d) states that if someone drilling in federal waters encounters "a BOP control station or pod that does not function properly" the rig must "suspend further drilling operations until that station or pod is operable."
Asked if that was done, Sepulvado said it wasn't.
The Deepwater Horizon appeared to be out of compliance with another federal regulation requiring independent inspection of a rig's blowout preventer every three to five years.
Investigators have said they had no record of an inspection after the year 2000. Jason Mathews, a member of the Marine Board panel, said the rig was "way past" the inspection requirement in Section 250.446(a) of the code.
It's pretty obvious at this point that the government is not doing the job it's being paid for.
It lives only as a corporate employee for which "WE" get the bill for..
This is an update from the joint hearings by the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement investigating the causes of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion on April 20.
.The Deepwater Horizon's blowout preventer -- the key device for shutting off a wild oil well -- had a leak in the days before it failed to operate, which may have required BP to suspend operations under a federal regulation, a BP company man testified Tuesday.
Well site leader Ronald Sepulvado told a Marine Board investigative panel in Kenner that before he wrapped up his stint as BP's top man on the rig four days before the April 20 accident, he reported that one of the control pods on the blowout preventer, or BOP, had a leak.
He said he told his supervisor in Houston, BP team leader John Guide, and assumed that Guide would notify federal regulators at the Minerals Management Service. According to investigators, that never happened.
Federal Regulation 250.451(d) states that if someone drilling in federal waters encounters "a BOP control station or pod that does not function properly" the rig must "suspend further drilling operations until that station or pod is operable."
Asked if that was done, Sepulvado said it wasn't.
The Deepwater Horizon appeared to be out of compliance with another federal regulation requiring independent inspection of a rig's blowout preventer every three to five years.
Investigators have said they had no record of an inspection after the year 2000. Jason Mathews, a member of the Marine Board panel, said the rig was "way past" the inspection requirement in Section 250.446(a) of the code.
Former Bush administration officials: No one anticipated large oil spill
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/07/former_bush_administration_off.html
Holy shit! What an excuse!
Nobody asked and we didn't anticipate one. I wish that statement was a joke but it's not.
Now I'm scared, because I now have an understanding of the level of ignorance that is making decisions for this country.
Two former Interior secretaries told Congress today they did not anticipate an accident as large as the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
But Gale Norton and Dirk Kempthorne say no one else did either -- including members of Congress who are now blaming the Bush administration for failing to prevent the tragedy.
Kempthorne, who served as Interior secretary from 2006 to January 2009, while George W. Bush was president, said he did not recall being asked at his confirmation hearing or in later congressional testimony about major oil spills.
Holy shit! What an excuse!
Nobody asked and we didn't anticipate one. I wish that statement was a joke but it's not.
Now I'm scared, because I now have an understanding of the level of ignorance that is making decisions for this country.
Two former Interior secretaries told Congress today they did not anticipate an accident as large as the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
But Gale Norton and Dirk Kempthorne say no one else did either -- including members of Congress who are now blaming the Bush administration for failing to prevent the tragedy.
Kempthorne, who served as Interior secretary from 2006 to January 2009, while George W. Bush was president, said he did not recall being asked at his confirmation hearing or in later congressional testimony about major oil spills.
Shocking pictures of man almost drowning in oil slick on the Yellow Sea off Dalian, China
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/7900599/Shocking-pictures-of-man-almost-drowning-in-oil-slick-on-the-Yellow-Sea-off-Dalian-China.html
Shocking difference isn't it compared to what the Gulf waters look like.
Had ours looked like this rather than thinned through the use of dispersants, the huge skimmer could have been used.
These images released by Greenpeace show a worker (C) as he pulls a trapped colleague (centre L) from an oil slick following an attempt to fix an underwater pump during oil clean-up operations in the Chinese port of Dalian, Liaoning province
Shocking difference isn't it compared to what the Gulf waters look like.
Had ours looked like this rather than thinned through the use of dispersants, the huge skimmer could have been used.
These images released by Greenpeace show a worker (C) as he pulls a trapped colleague (centre L) from an oil slick following an attempt to fix an underwater pump during oil clean-up operations in the Chinese port of Dalian, Liaoning province
Soldiers in Afghanistan issued heat-ray gun
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7894040/Soldiers-in-Afghanistan-issued-heat-ray-gun.html
Coalition forces in Afghanistan having been issued a newly-developed heat-ray gun to disperse crowds and repel enemies without injuring them
The Active Denial System (ADS) uses a focused invisible beam, which causes an “intolerable heating sensation" but does not permanently harm the skin.
The first batch of the vehicle-mounted non-lethal weapons has been sent to US troops in the war-torn country but it has not yet been used on the battlefield.
When the beam is pointed at a person, it penetrates the skin to the equivalent of three sheets of paper – enough to cause pain by burning nerve endings.
The discomfort is enough to force people to move away but not to cause long-term damage. The US military says the chance of injury from the system is 0.1 per cent.
Coalition forces in Afghanistan having been issued a newly-developed heat-ray gun to disperse crowds and repel enemies without injuring them
The Active Denial System (ADS) uses a focused invisible beam, which causes an “intolerable heating sensation" but does not permanently harm the skin.
The first batch of the vehicle-mounted non-lethal weapons has been sent to US troops in the war-torn country but it has not yet been used on the battlefield.
When the beam is pointed at a person, it penetrates the skin to the equivalent of three sheets of paper – enough to cause pain by burning nerve endings.
The discomfort is enough to force people to move away but not to cause long-term damage. The US military says the chance of injury from the system is 0.1 per cent.
Laser used to shoots down planes
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7898710/Laser-used-to-shoots-down-planes.html
What happens if there is a missed target?
Laser beams have been used for the first time in naval warfare to shoot down aircraft, it can be disclosed.
The weapon, mounted on a warship’s missile, shot down four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in secret testing carried out off the California coast, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.
In a joint enterprise between US Navy and Raytheon Missile Systems the technology has now got to the stage where lasers will be deployed on warships as part of their short-range defence.
For the first time a ‘solid state’ 32 mega watt laser beam of directed energy has been fired from a warship to a distance of more than two miles burning into a drone travelling at about 300mph.
The laser is mounted on a Phalanx close in weapons system that has a radar detection system. The targeting system was used in Iraq, to train fire from a Gatling onto rockets and mortars raining down on British bases.
What happens if there is a missed target?
Laser beams have been used for the first time in naval warfare to shoot down aircraft, it can be disclosed.
The weapon, mounted on a warship’s missile, shot down four unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in secret testing carried out off the California coast, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.
In a joint enterprise between US Navy and Raytheon Missile Systems the technology has now got to the stage where lasers will be deployed on warships as part of their short-range defence.
For the first time a ‘solid state’ 32 mega watt laser beam of directed energy has been fired from a warship to a distance of more than two miles burning into a drone travelling at about 300mph.
The laser is mounted on a Phalanx close in weapons system that has a radar detection system. The targeting system was used in Iraq, to train fire from a Gatling onto rockets and mortars raining down on British bases.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Finger-pointing over Deepwater Horizon explosion grows heated
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/07/finger-pointing_over_deepwater.html
The criminal negligence of this disaster is almost beyond comprehension from the shear magnitude of it. I don't see how accidental death can be placed as the cause for the loss of life that occurred.
It was at the very least second degree murder.
Testimony before a panel investigating the cause of the Deepwater Horizon explosion grew heated Monday as lawyers for various companies connected to the rig attempted to place blame on one another and angled to expose maintenance problems they say existed before the April 20 accident.
BP lawyers sought to highlight unfinished work by the rig owner, Transocean, and a rash of equipment problems.
Bertone acknowledged that an audit he reviewed before the accident found 390 jobs undone, accounting for thousands of man-hours of work. Bertone also testified that he'd requested more employees from his bosses at Transocean and hadn't received the help.
A computer system used by the driller to track activity thousands of feet down in the well was malfunctioning in the days before the accident and technicians hadn't arrived to fix it, Bertone said
The criminal negligence of this disaster is almost beyond comprehension from the shear magnitude of it. I don't see how accidental death can be placed as the cause for the loss of life that occurred.
It was at the very least second degree murder.
Testimony before a panel investigating the cause of the Deepwater Horizon explosion grew heated Monday as lawyers for various companies connected to the rig attempted to place blame on one another and angled to expose maintenance problems they say existed before the April 20 accident.
BP lawyers sought to highlight unfinished work by the rig owner, Transocean, and a rash of equipment problems.
Bertone acknowledged that an audit he reviewed before the accident found 390 jobs undone, accounting for thousands of man-hours of work. Bertone also testified that he'd requested more employees from his bosses at Transocean and hadn't received the help.
A computer system used by the driller to track activity thousands of feet down in the well was malfunctioning in the days before the accident and technicians hadn't arrived to fix it, Bertone said
Guard troops to head to border states Aug. 1
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100719/D9H29IF03.html
Why do we have 63 offices for ICE in 44 countries? We can't even get our own shit together concerning the problems of illegal alien infiltration costs in our own country, without the added additional burdens of trying to pay to govern the same problem in 44 other countries.
"Manpower clearly has been deficient." so stated by Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard.
Gee I can't imagine why!
Also, the agency will send ICE lawyers to U.S. attorneys offices to help prosecute felons who illegally re-enter the country after deportation. It also will increase the number of ICE agents in Mexico to 40, making it ICE's largest office among 63 offices in 44 countries.
Why do we have 63 offices for ICE in 44 countries? We can't even get our own shit together concerning the problems of illegal alien infiltration costs in our own country, without the added additional burdens of trying to pay to govern the same problem in 44 other countries.
"Manpower clearly has been deficient." so stated by Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard.
Gee I can't imagine why!
Also, the agency will send ICE lawyers to U.S. attorneys offices to help prosecute felons who illegally re-enter the country after deportation. It also will increase the number of ICE agents in Mexico to 40, making it ICE's largest office among 63 offices in 44 countries.
Post documents growth of intelligence since 9/11
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100719/D9H21JGO0.html
It's pretty obvious from the size of the budget deficit in the last few years, that the size of the Federal Government is unsustainable. The debt that it has already created up to the present moment will continue to be refinanced well into the future.
Since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, top-secret intelligence gathering by the government has grown so unwieldy and expensive that no one really knows what it cost and how many people are involved, The Washington Post reported Monday.
A two-year investigation by the newspaper uncovered what it termed a "Top Secret America" that's mostly hidden from public view and largely lacking in oversight.
In its first installment of a series of reports, the Post said there are now more than 1,200 government organizations and more than 1,900 private companies working on counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in some 10,000 locations across the U.S.
Some 854,000 people - or nearly 1 1/2 times the number of people who live in Washington - have top-secret security clearance, the paper said.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Post that he doesn't believe the massive bureaucracy of government and private intelligence has grown too large to manage, but it is sometimes hard to get precise information.
"Nine years after 9/11, it makes sense to sort of take a look at this and say, 'OK, we've built tremendous capability, but do we have more than we need?" he said.
It's pretty obvious from the size of the budget deficit in the last few years, that the size of the Federal Government is unsustainable. The debt that it has already created up to the present moment will continue to be refinanced well into the future.
Since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, top-secret intelligence gathering by the government has grown so unwieldy and expensive that no one really knows what it cost and how many people are involved, The Washington Post reported Monday.
A two-year investigation by the newspaper uncovered what it termed a "Top Secret America" that's mostly hidden from public view and largely lacking in oversight.
In its first installment of a series of reports, the Post said there are now more than 1,200 government organizations and more than 1,900 private companies working on counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in some 10,000 locations across the U.S.
Some 854,000 people - or nearly 1 1/2 times the number of people who live in Washington - have top-secret security clearance, the paper said.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Post that he doesn't believe the massive bureaucracy of government and private intelligence has grown too large to manage, but it is sometimes hard to get precise information.
"Nine years after 9/11, it makes sense to sort of take a look at this and say, 'OK, we've built tremendous capability, but do we have more than we need?" he said.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Pilot flies over BP oil slick against US orders, a Godawful, Horrible MESS - vid
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=178443
This is gut wrenching.
The first 6.5 minutes are hard enough to take but the last 4 contain the truth of what's really been done to the Gulf.
There's a reason they don't want you to see this.
Pass it on
This is gut wrenching.
The first 6.5 minutes are hard enough to take but the last 4 contain the truth of what's really been done to the Gulf.
There's a reason they don't want you to see this.
Pass it on
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Congress OKs Wall St. crackdown, consumer guards
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_financial_overhaul;_ylt=AurfNYgWXRUmAoGwT3cReVKs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNsNWpwZWpsBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNzE1L3VzX2ZpbmFuY2lhbF9vdmVyaGF1bARjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzEEcG9zAzIEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA3NlbmF0ZWNsZWFycw--
What a Party joke and Goldman is the punch line.
What's the point of all those Senate hearings if they never hear a thing.
It's just another massive waste of time and money to make it look like the Senate is actually doing something besides parting on the taxpayers dime.
A year in the making and 22 months after the collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered a worldwide panic in credit and other markets, the bill cleared its final hurdle with a 60-39 Senate vote. It now goes to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature, expected as early as Wednesday.
The law will give the government new powers to break up companies that threaten the economy, create a new agency to guard consumers in their financial transactions and shine a light into shadow financial markets that escaped the oversight of regulators. The vote came on the same day that Goldman Sachs & Co. agreed to pay a record $550 million to settle charges that it misled buyers of mortgage-related investments.
What a Party joke and Goldman is the punch line.
What's the point of all those Senate hearings if they never hear a thing.
It's just another massive waste of time and money to make it look like the Senate is actually doing something besides parting on the taxpayers dime.
A year in the making and 22 months after the collapse of Lehman Brothers triggered a worldwide panic in credit and other markets, the bill cleared its final hurdle with a 60-39 Senate vote. It now goes to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature, expected as early as Wednesday.
The law will give the government new powers to break up companies that threaten the economy, create a new agency to guard consumers in their financial transactions and shine a light into shadow financial markets that escaped the oversight of regulators. The vote came on the same day that Goldman Sachs & Co. agreed to pay a record $550 million to settle charges that it misled buyers of mortgage-related investments.
BP finally stops oil spewing from Gulf gusher
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_gulf_oil_spill;_ylt=AihedCr1bCoiZviZRpUAx8Cs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNoY3JtbTFxBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNzE1L3VzX2d1bGZfb2lsX3NwaWxsBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDMgRwb3MDNwRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDYnBub29pbGxlYWtp
Keep your fingers crossed kids, I am.
The oil has stopped. For now. After 85 days and up to 184 million gallons, BP finally gained control over one of America's biggest environmental catastrophes Thursday by placing a carefully fitted cap over a runaway geyser that has been gushing crude into the Gulf of Mexico since early spring.
Though a temporary fix, the accomplishment was greeted with hope, high expectations — and, in many cases along the beleaguered coastline, disbelief. From one Gulf Coast resident came this: "Hallelujah." And from another: "I got to see it to believe it."
If the cap holds, if the sea floor doesn't crack and if the relief wells being prepared are completed successfully, this could be the beginning of the end for the spill. But that's a lot of ifs, and no one was declaring any sort of victory beyond the moment.
The oil stopped flowing at 3:25 p.m. EDT when the last of three valves in the 75-ton cap was slowly throttled shut. That set off a 48-hour watch period in which — much like the hours immediately after a surgery — the patient was in stable, guarded condition and being watched closely for complications.
Keep your fingers crossed kids, I am.
The oil has stopped. For now. After 85 days and up to 184 million gallons, BP finally gained control over one of America's biggest environmental catastrophes Thursday by placing a carefully fitted cap over a runaway geyser that has been gushing crude into the Gulf of Mexico since early spring.
Though a temporary fix, the accomplishment was greeted with hope, high expectations — and, in many cases along the beleaguered coastline, disbelief. From one Gulf Coast resident came this: "Hallelujah." And from another: "I got to see it to believe it."
If the cap holds, if the sea floor doesn't crack and if the relief wells being prepared are completed successfully, this could be the beginning of the end for the spill. But that's a lot of ifs, and no one was declaring any sort of victory beyond the moment.
The oil stopped flowing at 3:25 p.m. EDT when the last of three valves in the 75-ton cap was slowly throttled shut. That set off a 48-hour watch period in which — much like the hours immediately after a surgery — the patient was in stable, guarded condition and being watched closely for complications.
S.E.C. Settling Its Complaints With Goldman
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/business/16goldman.html?_r=1&ref=global-home
If approved by a Federal Judge, Goldman gets off the hook for fraud for a paltry little sum.
America THIS is unacceptable.
Fraud is fraud on any level,and should not be considered just a piss poor business practice that can be made to disappear by making a cash contribution to the SEC.
They make Federal prisons for the crap that Goldman was practicing.
The allowance of a payoff with just a fine for committing fraud in itself makes our whole Justice system nothing more than a joke.
Don't accept this garbage as a solution for the answering of fraud.
This option would not be given to you!
WASHINGTON — Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay $550 million to settle federal claims that it misled investors in a subprime mortgage product as the housing market began to collapse, officials said Thursday.
S.E.C. Accuses Goldman of Fraud in Housing Deal (April 17, 2010)
If approved by a federal judge in Manhattan, the settlement would rank among the largest in the 76-year history of the Securities and Exchange Commission, but it would represent only a small financial dent for Goldman, which reported $13.39 billion in profit last year.
News of the settlement sent Goldman’s shares 5 percent higher in after-hours trading,
If approved by a Federal Judge, Goldman gets off the hook for fraud for a paltry little sum.
America THIS is unacceptable.
Fraud is fraud on any level,and should not be considered just a piss poor business practice that can be made to disappear by making a cash contribution to the SEC.
They make Federal prisons for the crap that Goldman was practicing.
The allowance of a payoff with just a fine for committing fraud in itself makes our whole Justice system nothing more than a joke.
Don't accept this garbage as a solution for the answering of fraud.
This option would not be given to you!
WASHINGTON — Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay $550 million to settle federal claims that it misled investors in a subprime mortgage product as the housing market began to collapse, officials said Thursday.
S.E.C. Accuses Goldman of Fraud in Housing Deal (April 17, 2010)
If approved by a federal judge in Manhattan, the settlement would rank among the largest in the 76-year history of the Securities and Exchange Commission, but it would represent only a small financial dent for Goldman, which reported $13.39 billion in profit last year.
News of the settlement sent Goldman’s shares 5 percent higher in after-hours trading,
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Robert L Cavner: Well integrity test? Where did that come from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-l-cavnar/well-integrity-test---whe_b_645800.html
Yeah I agree something is up. Like the methane level, it would have to be. The oil has been free flowing and so has methane gas adding that much more to an already to much level.
Sunday, BP surprised everyone by announcing that now that they had a "capping stack" set, they were not going to actually hook up all the ships they have on station to collect the oil; rather, they were going to run a well integrity test to see if they could shut-in this badly damaged well that has been flowing into the Gulf now for 86 days uncontrolled. My first reaction was What? Well integrity test? I've looked back through all of my notes, blog entries, and reviewed BP's and the Unified Command's communications. I've even done multiple internet searches, and found the first mention of a "well integrity test" related to BP on this past Sunday, July 11
This morning, we learned that, even thought the stack has now been set for 3 days, they actually haven't hooked up the two new valves. He also announced that yesterday, they pulled all of the ships off site to run a seismic survey, and, alarmingly, have stopped drilling the relief well, which is now only 4 feet away laterally from the blowout well. Since Dudley's letter to Adm. Allen last Friday laying out the relief well timeline, they have made little progress and have only 34 more feet to drill before they get to casing point for the last string of pipe. 34 feet, and they stopped. They're just sitting there circulating on bottom at 17,840. Just sitting there. Wells claims that they are doing that for "safety reasons" during the well integrity test. The one they're not going to run for at least another 24 hours. What?
Yeah I agree something is up. Like the methane level, it would have to be. The oil has been free flowing and so has methane gas adding that much more to an already to much level.
Sunday, BP surprised everyone by announcing that now that they had a "capping stack" set, they were not going to actually hook up all the ships they have on station to collect the oil; rather, they were going to run a well integrity test to see if they could shut-in this badly damaged well that has been flowing into the Gulf now for 86 days uncontrolled. My first reaction was What? Well integrity test? I've looked back through all of my notes, blog entries, and reviewed BP's and the Unified Command's communications. I've even done multiple internet searches, and found the first mention of a "well integrity test" related to BP on this past Sunday, July 11
This morning, we learned that, even thought the stack has now been set for 3 days, they actually haven't hooked up the two new valves. He also announced that yesterday, they pulled all of the ships off site to run a seismic survey, and, alarmingly, have stopped drilling the relief well, which is now only 4 feet away laterally from the blowout well. Since Dudley's letter to Adm. Allen last Friday laying out the relief well timeline, they have made little progress and have only 34 more feet to drill before they get to casing point for the last string of pipe. 34 feet, and they stopped. They're just sitting there circulating on bottom at 17,840. Just sitting there. Wells claims that they are doing that for "safety reasons" during the well integrity test. The one they're not going to run for at least another 24 hours. What?
Obama Administration Approves First Direct Taxpayer Funding of Abortion
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/69384
The shit just hit the fan. Healthcare reform just shot itself in the head.
If you want proof that President Obama's Executive Order on taxpayer-funded abortion was a sham, look no further than Pennsylvania, says House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio).
Boehner and other Republicans point to reports that the Health and Human Services Department is giving Pennsylvania $160 million to set up a new high-risk insurance pool that will cover any abortion that is legal in the state.
The shit just hit the fan. Healthcare reform just shot itself in the head.
If you want proof that President Obama's Executive Order on taxpayer-funded abortion was a sham, look no further than Pennsylvania, says House Republican Leader John Boehner (Ohio).
Boehner and other Republicans point to reports that the Health and Human Services Department is giving Pennsylvania $160 million to set up a new high-risk insurance pool that will cover any abortion that is legal in the state.
Justice: Sanctuary cities safe from law
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/14/justice-sanctuary-cities-are-no-arizona/?page=3
OK, so we don't have the money to fund our extra troop needs in Afghanistan, or to continue to extend unemployment benefits, but somehow Obama can justify yet another expensive trip to court. Have you ever noticed that no one ever states what the attorney fees come to for a year at the White House. That bill must be phenomenal, the White House sues over everything.
None of this would be up for this expensive discussion right now if the borders would have been closed up after 9/11 like they were supposed to be. It seems to me that should have been Homeland Securities first priority, oh wait, oh yeah it was.
They wasted billions on the expensive camera equipment that isn't working. A very large waste of taxpayers money and the southern border states still suffer from the governments lack of action.
This is not a personal choice for the governor or the people of Arizona, it's a measure to help ensure the safety of it's citizens. Not only from the physical harm of the drug wars, but from the further addition to their already overflowing economic hardships.
Don't judge them, they're only trying to survive this depression, just as we all are, by cutting out the extra expenses.
A week after suing Arizona and arguing that the state's immigration law creates a patchwork of rules, the Obama administration said it will not go after so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with the federal government on immigration enforcement, on the grounds that they are not as bad as a state that "actively interferes."
"There is a big difference between a state or locality saying they are not going to use their resources to enforce a federal law, as so-called sanctuary cities have done, and a state passing its own immigration policy that actively interferes with federal law," Tracy Schmaler, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., told The Washington Times. "That's what Arizona did in this case."
On Wednesday, two Republican senators -- Jim DeMint of South Carolina and David Vitter of Louisiana -- announced that they will introduce an amendment to a bill that would halt the Justice Department lawsuit by denying it federal funding.
OK, so we don't have the money to fund our extra troop needs in Afghanistan, or to continue to extend unemployment benefits, but somehow Obama can justify yet another expensive trip to court. Have you ever noticed that no one ever states what the attorney fees come to for a year at the White House. That bill must be phenomenal, the White House sues over everything.
None of this would be up for this expensive discussion right now if the borders would have been closed up after 9/11 like they were supposed to be. It seems to me that should have been Homeland Securities first priority, oh wait, oh yeah it was.
They wasted billions on the expensive camera equipment that isn't working. A very large waste of taxpayers money and the southern border states still suffer from the governments lack of action.
This is not a personal choice for the governor or the people of Arizona, it's a measure to help ensure the safety of it's citizens. Not only from the physical harm of the drug wars, but from the further addition to their already overflowing economic hardships.
Don't judge them, they're only trying to survive this depression, just as we all are, by cutting out the extra expenses.
A week after suing Arizona and arguing that the state's immigration law creates a patchwork of rules, the Obama administration said it will not go after so-called sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with the federal government on immigration enforcement, on the grounds that they are not as bad as a state that "actively interferes."
"There is a big difference between a state or locality saying they are not going to use their resources to enforce a federal law, as so-called sanctuary cities have done, and a state passing its own immigration policy that actively interferes with federal law," Tracy Schmaler, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., told The Washington Times. "That's what Arizona did in this case."
On Wednesday, two Republican senators -- Jim DeMint of South Carolina and David Vitter of Louisiana -- announced that they will introduce an amendment to a bill that would halt the Justice Department lawsuit by denying it federal funding.
Pentagon warns Congress: accounts running dry
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100714/pl_nm/us_usa_pentagon_budget
As a taxpayer, it's my belief that our troops should be paid before the hired mercenaries. Odds are though that's not the way it works
The Pentagon said on Wednesday it may be forced to take extreme measures -- like not paying salaries -- if the Democratic-led Congress fails to pass a $37 billion defense spending bill before lawmakers begin an August recess.
A senior Democratic aide said lawmakers would find a way to get it done. "We will pass it this work period. We have to," the aide said.
Tensions are growing in the Pentagon about the fate of the bill, which has languished in Congress despite repeated pleas for action by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who needs to fund a 30,000-troop surge for the Afghan war.
The White House has added to the drama, threatening to veto the bill over $800 million in education spending cuts that were added by the House of Representatives.
"While we hope and expect the Congress will get this done, we also are obligated now to begin seriously planning for the possibility that they don't," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters.
He noted that "absent more drastic action" certain Army and Marine Corps spending accounts would run dry in August.
As a taxpayer, it's my belief that our troops should be paid before the hired mercenaries. Odds are though that's not the way it works
The Pentagon said on Wednesday it may be forced to take extreme measures -- like not paying salaries -- if the Democratic-led Congress fails to pass a $37 billion defense spending bill before lawmakers begin an August recess.
A senior Democratic aide said lawmakers would find a way to get it done. "We will pass it this work period. We have to," the aide said.
Tensions are growing in the Pentagon about the fate of the bill, which has languished in Congress despite repeated pleas for action by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who needs to fund a 30,000-troop surge for the Afghan war.
The White House has added to the drama, threatening to veto the bill over $800 million in education spending cuts that were added by the House of Representatives.
"While we hope and expect the Congress will get this done, we also are obligated now to begin seriously planning for the possibility that they don't," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters.
He noted that "absent more drastic action" certain Army and Marine Corps spending accounts would run dry in August.
Monday, July 12, 2010
The Financial Con Of The Decade Explained So Simply Even A Congressman Will Get It
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/financial-con-decade-explained-so-simply-even-congressman-will-get-it
It's time to flood Congress with this explanation on how we know we were conned.
America said NO to the bailout
And then we were sold out by
Con-gress
Sometimes, when chasing the bouncing ball of fraud and corruption on a daily basis, it is easy to lose sight of the forest for the millions of trees (all of which have a 150% LTV fourth-lien on them, underwritten by Goldman Sachs, which is short the shrubbery tranche). Luckily, Charles Hugh Smith, of oftwominds.com has taken the time to put it all into such simple and compelling terms, even corrupt North Carolina congressmen will not have the chance to plead stupidity after reading this.
Of course, to those familiar with the work of Austrian economists, none of this will come as a surprise.
1. Enable trillions of dollars in mortgages guaranteed to default by packaging unlimited quantities of them into mortgage-backed securities (MBS), creating umlimited demand for fraudulently originated loans.
2. Sell these MBS as "safe" to credulous investors, institutions, town councils in Norway, etc., i.e. "the bezzle" on a global scale.
3. Make huge "side bets" against these doomed mortgages so when they default then the short-side bets generate billions in profits.
4. Leverage each $1 of actual capital into $100 of high-risk bets.
5. Hide the utterly fraudulent bets offshore and/or off-balance sheet (not that the regulators you had muzzled would have noticed anyway).
6. When the longside bets go bad, transfer hundreds of billions of dollars in Federal guarantees, bailouts and backstops into the private hands which made the risky bets, either via direct payments or via proxies like AIG. Enable these private Power Elites to borrow hundreds of billions more from the Treasury/Fed at zero interest.
7. Deposit these funds at the Federal Reserve, where they earn 3-4%. Reap billions in guaranteed income by borrowing Federal money for free and getting paid interest by the Fed.
8. As profits pile up, start buying boatloads of short-term U.S. Treasuries. Now the taxpayers who absorbed the trillions in private losses and who transferred trillions in subsidies, backstops, guarantees, bailouts and loans to private banks and corporations, are now paying interest on the Treasuries their own money purchased for the banks/corporations.
9. Slowly acquire trillions of dollars in Treasuries--not difficult to do as the Federal government is borrowing $1.5 trillion a year.
10. Stop buying Treasuries and dump a boatload onto the market, forcing interest rates to rise as supply of new T-Bills exceeds demand (at least temporarily). Repeat as necessary to double and then triple interest rates paid on Treasuries.
11. Buy hundreds of billions in long-term Treasuries at high rates of interest. As interest rates rise, interest payments dwarf all other Federal spending, forcing extreme cuts in all other government spending.
12. Enjoy the hundreds of billions of dollars in interest payments being paid by taxpayers on Treasuries that were purchased with their money but which are safely in private hands.
Charles' conclusion does not need further commentary as it is absolutely spot on:
Since the Federal government could potentially inflate away these trillions in Treasuries, buy enough elected officials to force austerity so inflation remains tame. In essence, these private banks and corporations now own the revenue stream of the Federal government and its taxpayers. Neat con, and the marks will never understand how "saving our financial system" led to their servitude to the very interests they bailed out.
It's time to flood Congress with this explanation on how we know we were conned.
America said NO to the bailout
And then we were sold out by
Con-gress
Sometimes, when chasing the bouncing ball of fraud and corruption on a daily basis, it is easy to lose sight of the forest for the millions of trees (all of which have a 150% LTV fourth-lien on them, underwritten by Goldman Sachs, which is short the shrubbery tranche). Luckily, Charles Hugh Smith, of oftwominds.com has taken the time to put it all into such simple and compelling terms, even corrupt North Carolina congressmen will not have the chance to plead stupidity after reading this.
Of course, to those familiar with the work of Austrian economists, none of this will come as a surprise.
1. Enable trillions of dollars in mortgages guaranteed to default by packaging unlimited quantities of them into mortgage-backed securities (MBS), creating umlimited demand for fraudulently originated loans.
2. Sell these MBS as "safe" to credulous investors, institutions, town councils in Norway, etc., i.e. "the bezzle" on a global scale.
3. Make huge "side bets" against these doomed mortgages so when they default then the short-side bets generate billions in profits.
4. Leverage each $1 of actual capital into $100 of high-risk bets.
5. Hide the utterly fraudulent bets offshore and/or off-balance sheet (not that the regulators you had muzzled would have noticed anyway).
6. When the longside bets go bad, transfer hundreds of billions of dollars in Federal guarantees, bailouts and backstops into the private hands which made the risky bets, either via direct payments or via proxies like AIG. Enable these private Power Elites to borrow hundreds of billions more from the Treasury/Fed at zero interest.
7. Deposit these funds at the Federal Reserve, where they earn 3-4%. Reap billions in guaranteed income by borrowing Federal money for free and getting paid interest by the Fed.
8. As profits pile up, start buying boatloads of short-term U.S. Treasuries. Now the taxpayers who absorbed the trillions in private losses and who transferred trillions in subsidies, backstops, guarantees, bailouts and loans to private banks and corporations, are now paying interest on the Treasuries their own money purchased for the banks/corporations.
9. Slowly acquire trillions of dollars in Treasuries--not difficult to do as the Federal government is borrowing $1.5 trillion a year.
10. Stop buying Treasuries and dump a boatload onto the market, forcing interest rates to rise as supply of new T-Bills exceeds demand (at least temporarily). Repeat as necessary to double and then triple interest rates paid on Treasuries.
11. Buy hundreds of billions in long-term Treasuries at high rates of interest. As interest rates rise, interest payments dwarf all other Federal spending, forcing extreme cuts in all other government spending.
12. Enjoy the hundreds of billions of dollars in interest payments being paid by taxpayers on Treasuries that were purchased with their money but which are safely in private hands.
Charles' conclusion does not need further commentary as it is absolutely spot on:
Since the Federal government could potentially inflate away these trillions in Treasuries, buy enough elected officials to force austerity so inflation remains tame. In essence, these private banks and corporations now own the revenue stream of the Federal government and its taxpayers. Neat con, and the marks will never understand how "saving our financial system" led to their servitude to the very interests they bailed out.
Bank Profits Depend on Debt-Writedown ‘Abomination’ in Forecast
http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a3Eg4vzAbneA
First Repo 105, now Statement 159
What part of the banks are actually real?
The part that "WE" bailed out?
Statement 159
In the first quarter, the four biggest U.S. lenders -- Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup and Wells Fargo & Co. -- produced combined profit of $13.5 billion, the most since the second quarter of 2007. That figure probably fell by 28 percent in the second quarter, based on a Bloomberg survey of analysts’ estimates. The banks are scheduled to announce results over the next two weeks, led by JPMorgan on July 15.
The second-quarter results may include gains taken under a U.S. accounting rule known as Statement 159, adopted by the Financial Accounting Standards Board in 2007, which allows banks to book profits when the value of their bonds falls from par. The rule expanded the daily marking of banks’ trading assets to their liabilities, under the theory that a profit would be realized if the debt were bought back at a discount.
Accounting ‘Abomination’
In practice, it’s an accounting “abomination” because fluctuations in the value of the debt don’t change the amount the banks owe, said Chris Kotowski, an analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. in New York.
“Just because Morgan’s credit spreads widened out this quarter doesn’t mean that their ultimate interest and principal payments changed one iota,” Kotowski said. “The market will back it out, both on the upside and the downside.”
First Repo 105, now Statement 159
What part of the banks are actually real?
The part that "WE" bailed out?
Statement 159
In the first quarter, the four biggest U.S. lenders -- Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup and Wells Fargo & Co. -- produced combined profit of $13.5 billion, the most since the second quarter of 2007. That figure probably fell by 28 percent in the second quarter, based on a Bloomberg survey of analysts’ estimates. The banks are scheduled to announce results over the next two weeks, led by JPMorgan on July 15.
The second-quarter results may include gains taken under a U.S. accounting rule known as Statement 159, adopted by the Financial Accounting Standards Board in 2007, which allows banks to book profits when the value of their bonds falls from par. The rule expanded the daily marking of banks’ trading assets to their liabilities, under the theory that a profit would be realized if the debt were bought back at a discount.
Accounting ‘Abomination’
In practice, it’s an accounting “abomination” because fluctuations in the value of the debt don’t change the amount the banks owe, said Chris Kotowski, an analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. in New York.
“Just because Morgan’s credit spreads widened out this quarter doesn’t mean that their ultimate interest and principal payments changed one iota,” Kotowski said. “The market will back it out, both on the upside and the downside.”
Crisis Awaits World’s Banks as Trillions Come Due
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/12/business/global/12refinance.html?_r=2
Debt refinancing to be able to further serve the ongoing payments of interest.
Digging the hole just that much more deeper.
The question is: How long before it all caves in from lack of support?
The sovereign debt crisis would seem to create worry enough for European banks, but there is another gathering threat that has not garnered as much notice: the trillions of dollars in short-term borrowing that institutions around the world must repay or roll over in the next two years.
Banks worldwide owe nearly $5 trillion to bondholders and other creditors that will come due through 2012, according to estimates by the Bank for International Settlements. About $2.6 trillion of the liabilities are in Europe.
U.S. banks must refinance about $1.3 trillion through 2012. While that sum is nothing to scoff at, analysts seem most concerned about Europe because the banking system there is already weighed down by the sovereign debt crisis.
Debt refinancing to be able to further serve the ongoing payments of interest.
Digging the hole just that much more deeper.
The question is: How long before it all caves in from lack of support?
The sovereign debt crisis would seem to create worry enough for European banks, but there is another gathering threat that has not garnered as much notice: the trillions of dollars in short-term borrowing that institutions around the world must repay or roll over in the next two years.
Banks worldwide owe nearly $5 trillion to bondholders and other creditors that will come due through 2012, according to estimates by the Bank for International Settlements. About $2.6 trillion of the liabilities are in Europe.
U.S. banks must refinance about $1.3 trillion through 2012. While that sum is nothing to scoff at, analysts seem most concerned about Europe because the banking system there is already weighed down by the sovereign debt crisis.
Berlin Pushing For European Bankruptcy Framework With Provision For State Sovereignty Give Up
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/berlin-pushing-european-bankruptcy-framework-provision-state-sovereignty-give
This is the precursor to WWIII.
Governments, have spent their countries into oblivion world wide, regardless of what their citizens thought. Every country, not just the European Nation, could become subject to the same conditions for Angela's rules of bankruptcy.
Think about it. How close to a calamity is your own country?
Would you be willing to give up your country's independence and sovereignty all because your government can't reign in it's excessive overspending?
Because that's what it's all boiling down to now.
How soon before "All of Us" are governed by one faction if Angela's rules are allowed to set a precedent?
Is servicing the interest on our government debts really worth another world war?
You have the power to just say No!
The big news out of Europe this morning, and the reason for the drag on the euro is an article in Der Spiegel, "Merkel's rules for bankruptcy" according to which Germany is now actively (and very secretly) pushing for a plan outlining a set of insolvency rules, which would require that private investors bear a portion of the rescue burden, and much more importantly, would see at least a partial give up in state sovereignty, where a new insolvency trustee (the "Berlin Club", which we fail to see at least for now, how it differs from the Paris Club) would take implicit control over and override a default nation's treasury, in essence pushing the bankrupt country into a form of Feudal vassal state-cum-reparations subservience. Welcome to financial warfare in the post-globalization period.
The main reason for the initiative is, of course, Germany's taxpayers' increasing dissatisfaction with the growing financial burden they are forced to shoulder as more and more European countries succumb under the need to resort to a bailout of some sort:
The effort is necessary, because important safety measures to protect the common currency are not working. The Stability and Growth Pact, which was intended to nip excessive government borrowing in the bud, proved to be largely worthless.
As more and more nations in Europe succumb to the inevitable collapse of their overindebted economies, and with austerity sure to prevent a pick up in economic growth, will the only possible outcome soon be a return to Feudal europe where the less developed hinterlands become gradually subsumed by the wealthier core, and in which a certain percentage of all sovereign debt issues are immediately channeled back to the Berlin Club members? Is "insolvency reparations" going to be the 21st century equivalent event that triggered the reparation-driven toxic spiral in Weimar Germany culminating with hyperinflation and World War 2?
This is the precursor to WWIII.
Governments, have spent their countries into oblivion world wide, regardless of what their citizens thought. Every country, not just the European Nation, could become subject to the same conditions for Angela's rules of bankruptcy.
Think about it. How close to a calamity is your own country?
Would you be willing to give up your country's independence and sovereignty all because your government can't reign in it's excessive overspending?
Because that's what it's all boiling down to now.
How soon before "All of Us" are governed by one faction if Angela's rules are allowed to set a precedent?
Is servicing the interest on our government debts really worth another world war?
You have the power to just say No!
The big news out of Europe this morning, and the reason for the drag on the euro is an article in Der Spiegel, "Merkel's rules for bankruptcy" according to which Germany is now actively (and very secretly) pushing for a plan outlining a set of insolvency rules, which would require that private investors bear a portion of the rescue burden, and much more importantly, would see at least a partial give up in state sovereignty, where a new insolvency trustee (the "Berlin Club", which we fail to see at least for now, how it differs from the Paris Club) would take implicit control over and override a default nation's treasury, in essence pushing the bankrupt country into a form of Feudal vassal state-cum-reparations subservience. Welcome to financial warfare in the post-globalization period.
The main reason for the initiative is, of course, Germany's taxpayers' increasing dissatisfaction with the growing financial burden they are forced to shoulder as more and more European countries succumb under the need to resort to a bailout of some sort:
The effort is necessary, because important safety measures to protect the common currency are not working. The Stability and Growth Pact, which was intended to nip excessive government borrowing in the bud, proved to be largely worthless.
As more and more nations in Europe succumb to the inevitable collapse of their overindebted economies, and with austerity sure to prevent a pick up in economic growth, will the only possible outcome soon be a return to Feudal europe where the less developed hinterlands become gradually subsumed by the wealthier core, and in which a certain percentage of all sovereign debt issues are immediately channeled back to the Berlin Club members? Is "insolvency reparations" going to be the 21st century equivalent event that triggered the reparation-driven toxic spiral in Weimar Germany culminating with hyperinflation and World War 2?
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The FBI comes calling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfK8eXKj3H0
Protesting will get you checked up on or turned in by one of your neighbors.
This lady has the guts and determination not to be intimidated by anyone, not even the FBI.
Protesting will get you checked up on or turned in by one of your neighbors.
This lady has the guts and determination not to be intimidated by anyone, not even the FBI.
Gulf Oil Disaster: Aerial View from June 30th, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYCtUVd_lSw&feature=related
Oh My God
No wonder they don't want us to see the Gulf
Oh My God
No wonder they don't want us to see the Gulf
Israeli academics hit back over bid to pass law that would criminalise them
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/11/israel-academics-bds-boycott
A difference of opinion shall now be made against the law.
Hitler did something like that didn't he?
Perhaps Israel has forgotten.
Because surely they would not knowingly act in the same manner as their own oppressor
and still be able to maintain a shred of credibility.
And yet they do and expect the rest of the world to respect them for it.
An academic backlash has erupted in Israel over proposed new laws, backed by the government of Binyamin Netanyahu, to criminalise a handful of Israeli professors who openly support a campaign against the continuing occupation of the West Bank.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel has gained rapid international support since Israeli troops stormed a Gaza-bound flotilla of aid ships in May, killing nine activists. Israeli attention has focused on the small number of activists, particularly in the country's universities, who have openly supported an academic boycott of Israeli institutions.
A protest petition has been signed by 500 academics, including two former education ministers, following recent comments by Israel's education minister, Gideon Saar, that the government intends to take action against the boycott's supporters. A proposed bill introduced into the Israeli parliament – the Knesset – would outlaw boycotts and penalise their supporters. Individuals who initiated, encouraged or provided support or information for any boycott or divestment action would be made to pay damages to the companies affected. Foreign nationals involved in boycott activity would be banned from entering Israel for 10 years, and any "foreign state entity" engaged in such activity would be liable to pay damages.
Saar last week described the petition as hysterical and an attempt to silence contrary opinions. While the vast majority of the signatories do not support an academic boycott of Israel, they have joined forces over what they regard as the latest assault on freedom of expression in Israel. The petition states: "We have different and varied opinions about solving the difficult problems facing Israel, but there is one thing we are agreed on – freedom of expression and academic freedom are the very lifeblood of the academic system."
A difference of opinion shall now be made against the law.
Hitler did something like that didn't he?
Perhaps Israel has forgotten.
Because surely they would not knowingly act in the same manner as their own oppressor
and still be able to maintain a shred of credibility.
And yet they do and expect the rest of the world to respect them for it.
An academic backlash has erupted in Israel over proposed new laws, backed by the government of Binyamin Netanyahu, to criminalise a handful of Israeli professors who openly support a campaign against the continuing occupation of the West Bank.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel has gained rapid international support since Israeli troops stormed a Gaza-bound flotilla of aid ships in May, killing nine activists. Israeli attention has focused on the small number of activists, particularly in the country's universities, who have openly supported an academic boycott of Israeli institutions.
A protest petition has been signed by 500 academics, including two former education ministers, following recent comments by Israel's education minister, Gideon Saar, that the government intends to take action against the boycott's supporters. A proposed bill introduced into the Israeli parliament – the Knesset – would outlaw boycotts and penalise their supporters. Individuals who initiated, encouraged or provided support or information for any boycott or divestment action would be made to pay damages to the companies affected. Foreign nationals involved in boycott activity would be banned from entering Israel for 10 years, and any "foreign state entity" engaged in such activity would be liable to pay damages.
Saar last week described the petition as hysterical and an attempt to silence contrary opinions. While the vast majority of the signatories do not support an academic boycott of Israel, they have joined forces over what they regard as the latest assault on freedom of expression in Israel. The petition states: "We have different and varied opinions about solving the difficult problems facing Israel, but there is one thing we are agreed on – freedom of expression and academic freedom are the very lifeblood of the academic system."
Friday, July 9, 2010
Scientists develop 'fake' genetically-engineered blood for use on the battlefield
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1293361/Scientists-develop-fake-genetically-engineered-blood-use-battlefield.html
So what's the self life for this very expensive substitute?
American scientists have developed 'artificial' blood that could soon be used to treat wounded soldiers in battle.
The genetically-engineered blood is created by taking cells from umbilical cords and using a machine to mimic the way bone marrow works to produce mass quantities of usable units of red blood cells.
Known as 'blood pharming' the programme was launched in 2008 by the Pentagon's experimental arm, Darpa, to create blood to treat soldiers in far-flung battlefields.
The firm Arteriocyte, which received $1.95 million for the project, has now sent off its first shipment of O-negative blood to the food and drugs watchdog in the US, the FDA.
U.S. soldiers carry a wounded soldier in Iraq. The breakthrough could help provide enough blood for battlefield transfusions
The blood is made by using hematopoietic cells taken from umbilical cords in a process called ‘pharming’ – using genetically engineered plants or animals to create mass quantities of useful substances.
One umbilical cord can be turned into around 20 units of usable blood. A wounded soldier in the field will require an average of six units during treatment.
Blood cells produced using this method are 'functionally indistinguishable from red blood cells in healthy circulation', the company claims.
‘We’re basically mimicking bone marrow in a lab environment,' Arteriocyte boss Don Brown told Wired magazine.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1293361/Scientists-develop-fake-genetically-engineered-blood-use-battlefield.html#ixzz0tFiSmMyZ
So what's the self life for this very expensive substitute?
American scientists have developed 'artificial' blood that could soon be used to treat wounded soldiers in battle.
The genetically-engineered blood is created by taking cells from umbilical cords and using a machine to mimic the way bone marrow works to produce mass quantities of usable units of red blood cells.
Known as 'blood pharming' the programme was launched in 2008 by the Pentagon's experimental arm, Darpa, to create blood to treat soldiers in far-flung battlefields.
The firm Arteriocyte, which received $1.95 million for the project, has now sent off its first shipment of O-negative blood to the food and drugs watchdog in the US, the FDA.
U.S. soldiers carry a wounded soldier in Iraq. The breakthrough could help provide enough blood for battlefield transfusions
The blood is made by using hematopoietic cells taken from umbilical cords in a process called ‘pharming’ – using genetically engineered plants or animals to create mass quantities of useful substances.
One umbilical cord can be turned into around 20 units of usable blood. A wounded soldier in the field will require an average of six units during treatment.
Blood cells produced using this method are 'functionally indistinguishable from red blood cells in healthy circulation', the company claims.
‘We’re basically mimicking bone marrow in a lab environment,' Arteriocyte boss Don Brown told Wired magazine.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1293361/Scientists-develop-fake-genetically-engineered-blood-use-battlefield.html#ixzz0tFiSmMyZ
46 US Warships Plus 7,000 US Marines On Route To Costa Rica?
http://www.welovecostarica.com/public/46_US_Warships_Plus_7000_US_Marines_On_Route_To_Costa_Rica.cfm
Ummm what's wrong with this picture?
The Navy is supplying the toys for the Coast Guard to play with to fight the war on drugs in Costa Rica?
They honestly think we're just stupid and will believe and accept any crap that they throw at us.
Is Costa Rica picking up the tab for this latest chapter in the war on drugs?
America is broke and really can't afford it.
On the 2nd July 2010 the Costa Rica Congress authorized the entry of 46 U.S. warships capable of carrying 200 helicopters and warplanes, plus 7,000 U.S. Marines "who may circulate the country in uniform without any restrictions" , plus submarine killer ships to the Costa Rican coast for "anti-narcotics operations and humanitarian missions' between 1st July 2010 until 31st December 2010.
With this kind of nation destroying firepower, it gives real meaning to the expression "war on drugs", but if this a real six month "war on drugs" we should expect to see some fantastic results, right?
Politicians representing the Acción Ciudadana (PAC), the Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) and the Frente Amplio (FA) political parties opposed the measure saying that the destructive force of the ships, helicopters and 7,000 US Marines is "disproportionate for the fight against drug trafficking."
On Sunday, the President of Costa Rica Laura Chinchilla said that the government does not intend to militarize the fight against drugs and the Minister of Public Security Jose Maria Tijerino stressed that this huge, powerful military force would be under the command of the US Coast Guard and not the US Navy.
Ummm what's wrong with this picture?
The Navy is supplying the toys for the Coast Guard to play with to fight the war on drugs in Costa Rica?
They honestly think we're just stupid and will believe and accept any crap that they throw at us.
Is Costa Rica picking up the tab for this latest chapter in the war on drugs?
America is broke and really can't afford it.
On the 2nd July 2010 the Costa Rica Congress authorized the entry of 46 U.S. warships capable of carrying 200 helicopters and warplanes, plus 7,000 U.S. Marines "who may circulate the country in uniform without any restrictions" , plus submarine killer ships to the Costa Rican coast for "anti-narcotics operations and humanitarian missions' between 1st July 2010 until 31st December 2010.
With this kind of nation destroying firepower, it gives real meaning to the expression "war on drugs", but if this a real six month "war on drugs" we should expect to see some fantastic results, right?
Politicians representing the Acción Ciudadana (PAC), the Unidad Social Cristiana (PUSC) and the Frente Amplio (FA) political parties opposed the measure saying that the destructive force of the ships, helicopters and 7,000 US Marines is "disproportionate for the fight against drug trafficking."
On Sunday, the President of Costa Rica Laura Chinchilla said that the government does not intend to militarize the fight against drugs and the Minister of Public Security Jose Maria Tijerino stressed that this huge, powerful military force would be under the command of the US Coast Guard and not the US Navy.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
US throws three billion dollars at Afghan bombs
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.fab5bc3bb366568ae2f62748180bf049.161&show_article=1
Oh look job creation
The United States is set to deliver three billion dollars worth of equipment to Afghanistan aimed at countering Taliban-made crude bombs used in the war, a US official said Thursday.
Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, have become the main weapon used against international and Afghan forces fighting to end an insurgency increasingly seen as bogged down in favour of the Taliban.
The equipment was "at least doubling" current counter-IED capacity as forces did not have all they needed to take on an escalating threat, said Ashton Carter, US undersecretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics.
The new equipment, including tethered surveillance blimps, heavily armoured vehicles and detection machinery such as robots and mine detectors, would arrive in Afghanistan in the coming months, he told reporters.
Carter said the equipment would be accompanied by about 1,000 counter-IED experts, including laboratory technicians, intelligence analysts and law enforcement officials.
"This is an enormous plug of extra effort," he said, adding that the equipment would be shared with coalition and Afghan forces.
Oh look job creation
The United States is set to deliver three billion dollars worth of equipment to Afghanistan aimed at countering Taliban-made crude bombs used in the war, a US official said Thursday.
Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, have become the main weapon used against international and Afghan forces fighting to end an insurgency increasingly seen as bogged down in favour of the Taliban.
The equipment was "at least doubling" current counter-IED capacity as forces did not have all they needed to take on an escalating threat, said Ashton Carter, US undersecretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics.
The new equipment, including tethered surveillance blimps, heavily armoured vehicles and detection machinery such as robots and mine detectors, would arrive in Afghanistan in the coming months, he told reporters.
Carter said the equipment would be accompanied by about 1,000 counter-IED experts, including laboratory technicians, intelligence analysts and law enforcement officials.
"This is an enormous plug of extra effort," he said, adding that the equipment would be shared with coalition and Afghan forces.
U.S. marks 3rd-largest, single-day debt increase
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/7/us-marks-3rd-largest-single-day-debt-boost/
The nation's debt leapt $166 billion in a single day last week, the third-largest increase in U.S. history, and it comes at a time when Congress is balking over higher spending and debt has become a key policy battleground.
The one-day increase for June 30 totaled $165,931,038,264.30 - bigger than the entire annual deficit for fiscal year 2007 and larger than the $140 billion in savings the new health care bill will produce over its first 10 years. The figure works out to nearly $1,500 for every U.S. household, or more than 10 times the median daily household income.
Daily debt calculations jump and fall, and big shifts are common. But all three of the biggest one-day debt increases have occurred under the tenure of President Obama, and all of the top six have been in the past two years - an indication of just how quickly the pace of deficit spending has risen under Mr. Obama and President George W. Bush.
"What matters is the overall trend line, and the overall trend line is shooting up," said Robert Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, a bipartisan deficit watchdog group, who said it is one more reason for a fiscal wake-up call.
Fears over red ink have stalled key parts of Mr. Obama's agenda in Congress in recent weeks, including his push for another round of stimulus spending. Just last week, House Democrats had to use a tricky parliamentary tactic to pass an emergency war-spending bill, aid for teachers and new spending caps.
The nation's debt leapt $166 billion in a single day last week, the third-largest increase in U.S. history, and it comes at a time when Congress is balking over higher spending and debt has become a key policy battleground.
The one-day increase for June 30 totaled $165,931,038,264.30 - bigger than the entire annual deficit for fiscal year 2007 and larger than the $140 billion in savings the new health care bill will produce over its first 10 years. The figure works out to nearly $1,500 for every U.S. household, or more than 10 times the median daily household income.
Daily debt calculations jump and fall, and big shifts are common. But all three of the biggest one-day debt increases have occurred under the tenure of President Obama, and all of the top six have been in the past two years - an indication of just how quickly the pace of deficit spending has risen under Mr. Obama and President George W. Bush.
"What matters is the overall trend line, and the overall trend line is shooting up," said Robert Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, a bipartisan deficit watchdog group, who said it is one more reason for a fiscal wake-up call.
Fears over red ink have stalled key parts of Mr. Obama's agenda in Congress in recent weeks, including his push for another round of stimulus spending. Just last week, House Democrats had to use a tricky parliamentary tactic to pass an emergency war-spending bill, aid for teachers and new spending caps.
Hundreds Of Fishermen Missing Checks From BP
http://www.wdsu.com/news/24178322/detail.html
BP has stripped thousands of people from their livelihood. They said they'd make it right but they've lied. If this is how they're treating the fisherman, nothing better can be expected for the rest. These people's lives are caught in between a rock and a hard place though no fault of their own.
An executor needs to be placed over BP's escrow account to make sure the people whose lives who have been displaced over BP's excessive need for greed rather than safety are compensated for it on a regular and timely basis.
GRAND ISLE, La. --
Hundreds of fishermen from Lake Charles to Moss Point, Miss., were supposed to get checks from BP on Wednesday but didn't.
Wednesday night, their lawyer wanted answers.
Jeffrey Briet represents more than 500 fishermen, and he said the payment system he set up with BP required his clients to be paid every 30 days. Now that process has suddenly changed without warning, Briet said.
"Not only did they spring it on us that the process has changed, but the people I've been dealing with for six weeks who've done a good job said, 'We don't know what the process is going to be. We're not authorized to talk to you about it. Someone from BP will contact you,'" he said.
But Briet said he hasn't heard from BP or its lawyers. He said the claims people have been given so much conflicting information about the process that they can't provide answers.
BP has stripped thousands of people from their livelihood. They said they'd make it right but they've lied. If this is how they're treating the fisherman, nothing better can be expected for the rest. These people's lives are caught in between a rock and a hard place though no fault of their own.
An executor needs to be placed over BP's escrow account to make sure the people whose lives who have been displaced over BP's excessive need for greed rather than safety are compensated for it on a regular and timely basis.
GRAND ISLE, La. --
Hundreds of fishermen from Lake Charles to Moss Point, Miss., were supposed to get checks from BP on Wednesday but didn't.
Wednesday night, their lawyer wanted answers.
Jeffrey Briet represents more than 500 fishermen, and he said the payment system he set up with BP required his clients to be paid every 30 days. Now that process has suddenly changed without warning, Briet said.
"Not only did they spring it on us that the process has changed, but the people I've been dealing with for six weeks who've done a good job said, 'We don't know what the process is going to be. We're not authorized to talk to you about it. Someone from BP will contact you,'" he said.
But Briet said he hasn't heard from BP or its lawyers. He said the claims people have been given so much conflicting information about the process that they can't provide answers.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
BP Texas Refinery Had Huge Toxic Release Just Before Gulf Blowout
http://www.propublica.org/article/bp-texas-refinery-had-huge-toxic-release-just-before-gulf-blowout
Oh the little things that MSM chooses to overlook, as well as our government.
BP once again chooses profit over safety.
TEXAS CITY, TEXAS -- Two weeks before the blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, the huge, trouble-plagued BP refinery [1] in this coastal town spewed tens of thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals into the skies.
The release from the BP facility here began April 6 and lasted 40 days [2]. It stemmed from the company's decision to keep producing and selling gasoline while it attempted repairs on a key piece of equipment, according to BP officials and Texas regulators.
BP says it failed to detect the extent of the emissions for several weeks. It discovered the scope of the problem only after analyzing data from a monitor that measures emissions from a flare 300 feet above the ground that was supposed to incinerate the toxic chemicals.
The company now estimates that 538,000 pounds of chemicals escaped from the refinery while it was replacing the equipment. These included 17,000 pounds of benzene, a known carcinogen; 37,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides, which contribute to respiratory problems; and 186,000 pounds of carbon monoxide.
It is unclear whether the pollutants harmed the health of Texas City residents, but the amount of chemicals far exceeds the limits set by Texas and other states.
For years, the BP refinery in this town of 44,000 has been among the company's most dangerous and pollution
Oh the little things that MSM chooses to overlook, as well as our government.
BP once again chooses profit over safety.
TEXAS CITY, TEXAS -- Two weeks before the blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, the huge, trouble-plagued BP refinery [1] in this coastal town spewed tens of thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals into the skies.
The release from the BP facility here began April 6 and lasted 40 days [2]. It stemmed from the company's decision to keep producing and selling gasoline while it attempted repairs on a key piece of equipment, according to BP officials and Texas regulators.
BP says it failed to detect the extent of the emissions for several weeks. It discovered the scope of the problem only after analyzing data from a monitor that measures emissions from a flare 300 feet above the ground that was supposed to incinerate the toxic chemicals.
The company now estimates that 538,000 pounds of chemicals escaped from the refinery while it was replacing the equipment. These included 17,000 pounds of benzene, a known carcinogen; 37,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides, which contribute to respiratory problems; and 186,000 pounds of carbon monoxide.
It is unclear whether the pollutants harmed the health of Texas City residents, but the amount of chemicals far exceeds the limits set by Texas and other states.
For years, the BP refinery in this town of 44,000 has been among the company's most dangerous and pollution
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
US soldier charged in Wikileaks case
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/us-soldier-charged-with-revealing-classified-information-in-wikileaks-case/story-e6frfku0-1225888735920
Some things the human mind is forced to comprehend just can't be lived with, leaving very little recourse for the self preservation of ones own sanity. The choice is there to either die with the guilt of that knowledge, or expose that knowledge for the atrocity that it is.
AN American soldier allegedly responsible for leaking classified footage to whistleblower site Wikileaks has been charged over the incident.
The US Department of Defence said Bradley Manning, 22, was charged with disclosing classified information concerning national defence that could cause injury to the United States and transferring classified data onto his personal computer.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/us-soldier-charged-with-revealing-classified-information-in-wikileaks-case/story-e6frfku0-1225888735920#ixzz0svYV1pD9
The Collateral Murder video caused a sensation in April, showing US troops firing from Apache helicopters on supposedly unarmed men in a Baghdad village.
Twelve people were killed in the July 2007 incident, including two Reuters journalists.
The story of how Wikileaks obtained the video has always been held tightly under wraps by site editor Julian Assange, who has maintained that Wikileaks cracked the encryption that allowed it to view the video after it was handed to them in February.
..Manning has been enlisted in the US Army since 2007. His family and friends say he is an intelligence analyst with clearance that would have allowed him access to top secret intelligence.
In the release, the military announced
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/us-soldier-charged-with-revealing-classified-information-in-wikileaks-case/story-e6frfku0-1225888735920#ixzz0svXQYWob
Some things the human mind is forced to comprehend just can't be lived with, leaving very little recourse for the self preservation of ones own sanity. The choice is there to either die with the guilt of that knowledge, or expose that knowledge for the atrocity that it is.
AN American soldier allegedly responsible for leaking classified footage to whistleblower site Wikileaks has been charged over the incident.
The US Department of Defence said Bradley Manning, 22, was charged with disclosing classified information concerning national defence that could cause injury to the United States and transferring classified data onto his personal computer.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/us-soldier-charged-with-revealing-classified-information-in-wikileaks-case/story-e6frfku0-1225888735920#ixzz0svYV1pD9
The Collateral Murder video caused a sensation in April, showing US troops firing from Apache helicopters on supposedly unarmed men in a Baghdad village.
Twelve people were killed in the July 2007 incident, including two Reuters journalists.
The story of how Wikileaks obtained the video has always been held tightly under wraps by site editor Julian Assange, who has maintained that Wikileaks cracked the encryption that allowed it to view the video after it was handed to them in February.
..Manning has been enlisted in the US Army since 2007. His family and friends say he is an intelligence analyst with clearance that would have allowed him access to top secret intelligence.
In the release, the military announced
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/us-soldier-charged-with-revealing-classified-information-in-wikileaks-case/story-e6frfku0-1225888735920#ixzz0svXQYWob
Arsenic levels rise around the Gulf of Mexico
http://www.news.com.au/world/more-bad-news-for-bp-as-arsenic-levels-rise-in-seawater-around-the-gulf-of-mexico/story-e6frfkyi-1225888272667#ixzz0spHERla5
BELEAGUERED energy giant BP was hit with further bad news this morning as it emerged dangerous arsenic levels have been found in seawater around the Gulf of Mexico.
British scientists warned that the oil spill is increasing the level of arsenic in the ocean, and could further add to the devastating impact on the already sensitive environment.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/more-bad-news-for-bp-as-arsenic-levels-rise-in-seawater-around-the-gulf-of-mexico/story-e6frfkyi-1225888272667#ixzz0svURxVpC
BELEAGUERED energy giant BP was hit with further bad news this morning as it emerged dangerous arsenic levels have been found in seawater around the Gulf of Mexico.
British scientists warned that the oil spill is increasing the level of arsenic in the ocean, and could further add to the devastating impact on the already sensitive environment.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/more-bad-news-for-bp-as-arsenic-levels-rise-in-seawater-around-the-gulf-of-mexico/story-e6frfkyi-1225888272667#ixzz0svURxVpC
Blimp arrives for Gulf spill cleanup as oil reaches Texas
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/07/blimp-arrives-for-gulf-spill-cleanup-as-oil-reaches-texas/1
A massive blimp is expected to arrive in the Gulf Coast on Tuesday to help clean up the disastrous oil spill that's deposited tar balls on Texas shores.
The 178-foot-long U.S. Navy airship will be used to detect oil, direct skimming ships and look for threatened wildlife, reports CNN, adding it can stay aloft longer than helicopters and can survey a wider area.
A massive blimp is expected to arrive in the Gulf Coast on Tuesday to help clean up the disastrous oil spill that's deposited tar balls on Texas shores.
The 178-foot-long U.S. Navy airship will be used to detect oil, direct skimming ships and look for threatened wildlife, reports CNN, adding it can stay aloft longer than helicopters and can survey a wider area.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Oil found in Gulf crabs
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/07/01/96909/oil-found-in-gulf-crabs-raising.html
University scientists have spotted the first indications oil is entering the Gulf seafood chain — in crab larvae — and one expert warns the effect on fisheries could last “years, probably not a matter of months” and affect many species.
Scientists with the University of Southern Mississippi and Tulane University in New Orleans have found droplets of oil in the larvae of blue crabs and fiddler crabs sampled from Louisiana to Pensacola, Fla. The news comes as blobs of oil and tar continue to wash ashore in Mississippi in patches, with crews in chartreuse vests out cleaning beaches all along the coast on Thursday, and as state and federal fisheries from Louisiana to Florida are closed by the BP oil disaster.
"I think we will see this enter the food chain in a lot of ways — for plankton feeders, like menhaden, they are going to just actively take it in," said Harriet Perry, director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. "Fish are going to feed on (crab larvae). We have also just started seeing it on the fins of small, larval fish —
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/07/01/96909/oil-found-in-gulf-crabs-raising.html#ixzz0sXosy0av
University scientists have spotted the first indications oil is entering the Gulf seafood chain — in crab larvae — and one expert warns the effect on fisheries could last “years, probably not a matter of months” and affect many species.
Scientists with the University of Southern Mississippi and Tulane University in New Orleans have found droplets of oil in the larvae of blue crabs and fiddler crabs sampled from Louisiana to Pensacola, Fla. The news comes as blobs of oil and tar continue to wash ashore in Mississippi in patches, with crews in chartreuse vests out cleaning beaches all along the coast on Thursday, and as state and federal fisheries from Louisiana to Florida are closed by the BP oil disaster.
"I think we will see this enter the food chain in a lot of ways — for plankton feeders, like menhaden, they are going to just actively take it in," said Harriet Perry, director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. "Fish are going to feed on (crab larvae). We have also just started seeing it on the fins of small, larval fish —
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/07/01/96909/oil-found-in-gulf-crabs-raising.html#ixzz0sXosy0av
Warren's way
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/106881-dodd-lincoln-ease-worries-on-buffett-wall-street-provision
I'm wondering if Senator Dodd has placed a guarantee in writing that the American taxpayer will not be held responsible for the financial responsibilities of any past written derivative contracts should they malfunction.
Democrats have taken steps to ease concerns raised by Warren Buffett about Wall Street reform’s impact on trillions of dollars in existing derivatives as legislation nears the finish line.
On Wednesday, the day the House passed the overhaul legislation, key Senate Democrats wrote a four-page letter clarifying the legislation’s impact on the $600 trillion derivatives market that many blame for exacerbating the financial crisis.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) wrote that potential new capital and margin regulations meant to offset risk in some trades should not apply retroactively to existing derivatives.
I'm wondering if Senator Dodd has placed a guarantee in writing that the American taxpayer will not be held responsible for the financial responsibilities of any past written derivative contracts should they malfunction.
Democrats have taken steps to ease concerns raised by Warren Buffett about Wall Street reform’s impact on trillions of dollars in existing derivatives as legislation nears the finish line.
On Wednesday, the day the House passed the overhaul legislation, key Senate Democrats wrote a four-page letter clarifying the legislation’s impact on the $600 trillion derivatives market that many blame for exacerbating the financial crisis.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) wrote that potential new capital and margin regulations meant to offset risk in some trades should not apply retroactively to existing derivatives.
Lawmakers uncover fraud in LIHEAP program
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/appropriations/106945-lawmakers-uncover-fraud-in-liheap-program
No I hardly think the LIHEAP program can even be considered the posterchild for fraud and abuse. I believe that title actually belongs to the big banks, or to Congress themselves.
Three House Republicans on Thursday released a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) showing that 9 percent of households in seven states are improperly receiving funds from the Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) totaling $116 million a year.
"It looks like a ton of LIHEAP money was distributed to con artists who applied under the names of convicts and the dead," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) in prepared remarks. "Even some people living in million-dollar houses got their utility bills paid for by the taxpayer."
Barton is the ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He and Reps. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) and Greg Walden (R-Ore.) requested that the GAO investigate the matter.
The report found that more than 11,000 dead people and hundreds of prisoners were used as applicants for LIHEAP benefits. More than 1,000 federal employees whose federal salary exceeded the maximum income threshold received benefits. In several cases, people living in million-dollar homes paid their utility bills using money from the program, which is run by the Department of Health and Human Services.
"This is yet another poster child of waste, fraud and abuse,"
No I hardly think the LIHEAP program can even be considered the posterchild for fraud and abuse. I believe that title actually belongs to the big banks, or to Congress themselves.
Three House Republicans on Thursday released a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) showing that 9 percent of households in seven states are improperly receiving funds from the Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) totaling $116 million a year.
"It looks like a ton of LIHEAP money was distributed to con artists who applied under the names of convicts and the dead," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) in prepared remarks. "Even some people living in million-dollar houses got their utility bills paid for by the taxpayer."
Barton is the ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He and Reps. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) and Greg Walden (R-Ore.) requested that the GAO investigate the matter.
The report found that more than 11,000 dead people and hundreds of prisoners were used as applicants for LIHEAP benefits. More than 1,000 federal employees whose federal salary exceeded the maximum income threshold received benefits. In several cases, people living in million-dollar homes paid their utility bills using money from the program, which is run by the Department of Health and Human Services.
"This is yet another poster child of waste, fraud and abuse,"
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