I have a friend who lives in Mexico and there is a story going around among people within the local police in Mexico, that a major announcement will be made in about two weeks with regard to the flu bug.
I will put my neck out on this and say will instead of maybe that something will occur. My friend couldn't tell what was for sure other than the police said a major announcement was going to be made.
As an aside, remember the Mexican beauty queen that was caught with the guns? She was freed.
The Catholic Church in Mexico fears the cartel and so does the government.
I believe at this point that miraculously a vaccine will be reported to have been made or is close to being made and a truce will be made behind the scene with the cartels.
The White House is issuing a health advisory outlining "protective measures" to anyone who traveled on President Barack Obama’s trip to Mexico, after a member of the U.S. delegation is suspected of contracting the swine flu strain on the trip.
The individual – an advance security staffer for Energy Secretary Steven Chu – fell ill with flu-like symptoms while there and appears to have spread the flu to three members of his family. All three have tested probable for swine flu, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
Gibbs, who did not name the security aide, said he did not work closely with Obama, didn’t fly on Air Force One and is back at work at the Energy Department.
One story has it that Obama wasn't tested... B.S. he wasn't.
People in Mexico are saying the Narcos are to blame.
Mexican Drug Cartels & Islamic Radicals Working Together
Al Pueblo Mexicano una alerta, estas agrupaciones terroristas podrian estar involucradas en los secuestros, por esto son tan cruentas las acciones contra los secuestrados, ya que estos terroristas son criminales y no se miden ni tienen misericordia.
Hezbollah y hamas una pandilla de terroristas vende drogas y dicen servir a Dios a que dios? satan que ni siquiera es dios.
domingo 29 de junio de 2008
UPDATE: If I were a border agent, I would wear one regardless of what the department said.
Party Boy Andrew Halcro has to finally get down to really running the rental car business that his dad built.
Good riddance Andrew, you won't be missed and by the way, Specter was losing, so, so much for your asinine comments about how Republicans should be changing to be a so-called moderate.
As an aside, here is a link to the numbers on Halcro's site.
Not sure what the KTUU newscast meant by over 3.8 million page views in two years.
After a cliffhanger of a plane landing in the Talkeetna Mountains earlier this month, 21-year-old Matthew "Jake" Soplanda of Anchor Point and a skiing buddy managed to climb away from Soplanda's dated, single-engine Taylorcraft as it hung perched over a 1,500-foot drop.
Arlen Specter was going to lose the Republican primary. He left because of that fact. It was not done out of principle, but he did it out of his own political self-interest.
What did he say when Jim Jeffords switched?
From the L.A. Times of all places.
When the Vermont Republican became an independent, Specter lost a committee chairmanship in the Senate's resulting power shift. An angry Specter proposed a ban on such party switches.
If Palin is not attached to this group, why is this news?
And judging by the comments and the recommendations, there must be a bunch of Outside whiners, crying about Team Sarah's effort.
The ADN and the Alaska Standard have become a haven for those disenfranchised from a logical thought. You can tell by the recomendations of the articles by the readers.
For the last month, I have been talking about submarine tankers and why has the idea been discarded by the United States. I had asked the question if Gazprom was looking to build submarine tankers.
In an article found here, the development of submarine tankers and submarine terminals are discussed.
Today, one of the main directions of the Arctic Region development is the exploitation of gas and oil deposits situated in the Arctic Ocean. It was in St.Petersburg that in 1992 scientific research institutions, designing bureaus and submarine construction plants, in cooperation with their partners from Moscow, Archangelsk, Severodvinsk, Murmansk and Nizhny Novgorod and with the participation of the RAO GASPROM, set up a Russian company for the shelf exploitation called ROSSHELF. It is to exploit hydrocarbon deposits situated on the Arctic shelf of Russia with the support of the national scientific and production potential in marine technologies.
(...)
Major hydrocarbon deposits on the Arctic shelf of Russia are situated in polar water areas covered with drifting ice. For the exploitation of these deposits it is necessary to work out entirely new and entirely under water and under ice technologies for projecting and exploiting the deposits, and for the oil and gas transportation. Such new technologies are being worked out on the basis of Russian technologies for submarine building and nuclear engineering by the Academician A.N. Krylov Central Scientific Research Institute, by the Lazurit Central Designing Bureau, by the Malachite Marine Engineering and by the Kurchatov Institute Russian Scientific Centre, in cooperation with institutions, specialized in oil and gas technological cycle.
The suggested scheme of the submarine technical complex for the exploitation of marine gas deposits includes the system for the submarine well water-flooding; the unit for the processing of the extracted product, for separating condensate and for preparing gas for transportation; a control and power unit for submarine extraction; a submarine condensate reservoir; a submarine terminal for trans-shipping the condensate to the submarine tanker; submarine tankers for condensate exportation and the system of submarine pipe-lines for the transfer of gas to the shore. As part of the submarine technical complex, the Nizhny Novgorod Lazurit Central Designing Bureau headed by N. Kvasha is designing submarine drillships and platforms for prospecting and for industrial drillings. Submarine tankers and submarine gas pumping stations are being worked out as part of the submarine complex. The necessary power supply for the submarine complex and for its technical means, under the conditions, may, obviously, be provided only by nuclear power units, which are being designed on the basis of the working nuclear power units of the Navy and of the nuclear ice-breakers.
In the process of exploitation of its Arctic shelf, Russia today is undertaking a break-through towards the XXI-st century technologies. That is in full measure true for the Rosshelf company, which is integrating into a comprehensive programme the exploitation of rich national resources and the utilization of a unique scientific and production potential of the marine technologies.
There is no doubt that Gazprom is looking at developing the idea.
A systems analysis of a commercial Arctic Ocean submarine tanker system to carry fossil energy to markets is presented. The submarine is to be propelled by a modular phosphoric acid fuel cell system. An electric utility type fuel cell will be fueled with methanol. Oxidant will be provided from a liquid oxygen tank carried onboard. The route will be under the polar icecap from a loading terminal located off Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to a transshipment facility postulated to be in a Norwegian fjord. The system throughput of the gas fed methanol cargo will be 450,000 barrels per day.
Seventy-seven percent (77%) of U.S. voters say that they prefer a free market economy over a government-managed economy. That’s up seven points since December.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey also found that just 11% now prefer a government-run economy, down from 15% four months ago.
Free markets are preferred by 94% of Republicans, 64% of Democrats and 78% of those not affiliated with either major party. Adults under 30 favor free markets by a 79% to eight percent (8%) margin.
And his words mean he doesn't have a clue about Begich.
It is a well known fact now that Fagan has been soft on the liberal Begich and hard on Palin who is conservative on many issues. But Fagan just can't seem to be logical in his writings or his rants on his radio show.
Hell, the swine flu epidemic can't match the Palin Derangement Syndrome (PDS) epidemic that has taken hold and infected millions of people like Fagan.
But back to Fagan and Begich.
The money quote from Fagan.
Remember when Mr. Begich was running he told us we should vote for him because, unlike Sen. Stevens, he would have a seat at the table. His team is in charge and being on the inside, he could stop some of the anti-development policies Democrats are so famous for. Well if ever Mr. Begich is going to live up to that promise, it would be when he votes on the president's $3.5 trillion budget.
If history is any lesson for Fagan, he should look back to April 2nd, 2009 when Begich voted yea on the $3.5 trillion budget for 2010.
Unfortunately, there are many fine conservative writers on the Alaska Standard, like Logan, Wood, Gimarc, but Fagan's attitude and logic compromise the integrity of the endeavor, so I, like many people are starting to tune Fagan out and read less of what he writes.
And when his articles are read, nine times out of ten, it is to critique what he has written.
Fagan's hope that Begich will do the right thing, will follow Fagan's lofty goal and hope of raising the banner in journalism.
If there is to be any counting on Begich, it's counting the numbers in the increase in spending and counting on anything else is just pie in the sky.
For me and many other true conservatives, there is one sure thing and that is, we are counting on Begich to vote yea on increasing the debt to our children.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bob Parks, bobparks.nmatv@gmail.com Heritage New Media Partners Launch “New Media Alliance Television” - NMA TV
Heritage New Media Partners, Inc. is proud to announce the launch of “New Media Alliance Television” (www.nmatv.com), an innovative video website with exclusive, cutting edge conservative content.
"A couple of years ago, conservative columnist Bob Parks approached me out of frustration when one of his video productions was removed within minutes from a prominent video upload site for 'inappropriate content' that was political", said NMA President Gary Schneider, describing how this exciting new site came to be.
“Bob and I brainstormed on how we could uniquely and effectively get our messages out to an American people starved for alternative sources of information. The result of these discussions is NMATV.”
NMATV, unlike some of the subsequent video upload sites, has fewer restrictions according to length and file size, and the finished product is presented in stereo sound (a feature important to Parks).
“Now that many home computers are hooked up to fairly sophisticated sound systems, it’s important to give the viewer the best experience possible”, said Parks, NMATV Executive Director. “Giving the video producer the ultimate flexibility was what I would be looking for, and that’s what NMATV offers both the producer and viewer. Plus the website itself looks really cool.”
NMATV is currently looking for conservative producers looking for a home for their productions, and new channels within the site are definite possibilities for those with consistent uploads. NMATV is also seeking advertisers who would like short commercials to be aired prior to our featured video.
For more information about NMATV, please contact Bob Parks: bobparks.nmatv@gmail.com
-30-
ABOUT HERITAGE NEW MEDIA PARTNERS, INC. Heritage New Media Partners, Inc. (www.heritagenewmedia.com) is a media company dedicated to improving the ability of people and organizations to successfully get their message out primarily via the non-traditional media.
ABOUT THE NEW MEDIA ALLIANCE, INC. The New Media Alliance, Inc. (www.thenma.org) is a foundation of Heritage New Media Partners, Inc. established to promote and defend traditional social, political and economic principles nationally.
No I do not buy it. This is a designer virus and the exposure is in one area of Mexico. And quite frankly, the timing of the virus' exposure to the public and Obama's visit to Mexico City is too coincidental.
Moreover, there has been great preperation on combating bioterrorism in Mexico.
Until two years ago, most citizens of Canada, the United States and Mexico experienced terrorism as a distant reality viewed from the safety of their living rooms. Today, North Americans encounter constant reminders of the aggravation and economic costs imposed on them by the now real threat of terrorism. The United States, the most obvious target for new terrorist activity, has responded by tightening its border security with all countries including its NAFTA partners.(2) Canada and Mexico joined the NAFTA to obtain preferred and more secure access to the United States market.
The increased threat of terrorist activity in North America raises three crucial questions for NAFTA members. First, how real is a bioterrorism threat? Second, how can the United States maintain access to its market for its NAFTA partners and at the same time meet its legitimate security concerns? Third, what are the potential economic effects of a bioterrorism attack on North America? While it is generally assumed that the United States would be the primary target of a terrorist attack, Canada, Mexico or all three NAFTA countries could be targeted.
2.1 GS/OAS/CICTE intends to establish a three (3) stage project (the “Project”) to be executed in Mexico or a Central American country, with participants representing Mexico, Central American Spanish-speaking countries, and the Dominican Republic (approximately 40 participants from eight countries), by contracting a firm qualified in developing, designing and conducting a bioterrorism crisis management table top (simulation) exercise (hereinafter referred to as “The Contractor”).
The "Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002," became law on June 12, 2002, but the provisions affecting all domestic and foreign producers that manufacture, process, pack or store food for consumption in the United States takes effect in two months on December 12. The law is designed to protect against bioterrorist threats to the food supply, giving the FDA better tools to track shipments and contain any terrorist attack.
Mexico is the only country (other than Canada) that shares a land border with the United States, and which ships most of its exports of food product to the United States by truck or train, rather than by ship or plane. Many of the provisions in the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 appear to be addressed to shipments of food product made by either ship or plane. Little consideration appears to have been given to the unique issues arising from the land shipment of product - - particularly when, as in the case of Mexico, a large portion of the products covered by they Act are shipped from facilities located within a few miles of the U.S. border.
SANTIAGO, Chile – Delegates at the INTERPOL Americas Regional Workshop on Preventing Bioterrorism have endorsed a series of measures aimed at improving law enforcement awareness and training to face the threat of bioterrorism.
Attended by 78 delegates from 26 countries, participants at the three-day meeting included Police Chiefs or their representatives and scientific, legal and academic experts.
Recognising the need to continue developing awareness and expertise in preventing and investigating bioterrorist attacks, Mexico and Argentina have each agreed to host a ‘train the trainer’ programme.
Canada is taking the lead role in developing the international plan to bolster security against bioterrorism. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the US and the European Union have each agreed to designate a "point person" in that effort.
Why were the viral genomes of the 1977 H1N1 isolate and the 1950 virus so similar? If the H1N1 viruses had been replicating in an animal host for 27 years, far more genetic differences would have been identified. The authors suggested several possibilities, but only one is compelling:
…it is possible that the 1950 H1N1 influenza virus was truly frozen in nature or elsewhere and that such a strain was only recently introduced into man.
The suggestion is clear: the virus was frozen in a laboratory freezer since 1950, and was released, either by intent or accident, in 1977. This possibility has been denied by Chinese and Russian scientists, but remains to this day the only scientifically plausible explanation.
The current Swine Flu virus may be a designer virus...
The reason for this thread is to raise the question on the accuracy of news reports and question if anyone that accompanied Obama to Mexico had become ill from the trip.
First to the death of Felipe Solis Olguin. He was as reported by the Reforma to have met with Obama on April 16th and had died on the 23rd from a combination of diabetes and pneumonia.
So how did he die? Who knows, but one thing is for sure, people who have visited Mexico are coming back sick. And Obama may not be sick, but that does not mean others that went on the trip to Mexico wouldn't be.
It would be interesting to know if anyone that went on the trip, was quarantined.
The flu can also worsen chronic health problems: asthmatics are more likely to have asthma attacks and people with chronic congestive heart failure may have their condition worsen.
On average, 36,000 people in the United States die from influenza and related complications each year, according to the CDC. More than 200,000 are admitted to hospitals for treatment.
Mexican states identified by health authorities as having confirmed swine flu outbreaks:
_ Mexico City
_ Mexico State
_ Veracruz
_ Oaxaca
_ Baja California
_ San Luis Potosi
Some, including Oaxaca, Mexico City and Baja California, have tourist areas. But authorities have not said where in these states the outbreaks occurred.
PARIS, Apr 26 - French health authorities have found two suspected cases of swine flu in travellers returning from Mexico and others are expected to follow, the top health official said in an interview Sunday.
"We do have suspicions, but these have not been confirmed, about two people who have returned from Mexico," general health director Didier Houssin told Le Parisien newspaper.
"There will certainly not be a lack of other cases in the coming days because there have been a lot of flights and boat trips" from Mexico, he added.
It has been confirmed that ten of the party of students and teachers from Auckland's Rangitoto College who returned from a school trip to Mexico on Saturday with flu-like symptoms, have tested positive for Influenza A.
Monica Whelan, the daughter of a Montreal woman in hospital, was quoted by a national news outlet as saying that her mother has a fever and is coughing following her return from Mexico.
And relatives who live in Mexico are sick as well, she said.
"With news that it's been going around Mexico, my mother went right away to the hospital and now she's on quarantine and she's isolated, and we still haven't found out any news yet, so we're very worried and hoping it's nothing serious, but her family is getting worse in Mexico," Whelan said.
"Her niece just ended up in the hospital (in Mexico). She couldn't breathe. So we're really, really worried right now."
Patricia Whelan, a West Islander who feared she had contracted swine flu while in Mexico, was released from the Lakeshore General Hospital in Pointe-Claire Saturday afternoon, after spending hours under quarantine.
The Dollard-des-Ormeaux resident, 50, said she underwent a series of blood tests after being placed in isolation, and was eventually informed that she did not have the potentially deadly strain of flu.
Welcome to Japan: A family arriving from Mexico is checked out with a thermographic device at Narita airport in Chiba Prefecture on Saturday. KYODO PHOTO
It will be interesting to see if certain flghts going to Mexico are canceled.
In Sunday's Washington Times, there is an editorial on the Tamil Tigers.
Some key points that were made:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, one of the world's most violent terrorist outfits, are surrounded in northern Sri Lanka and about to be destroyed - but Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and European self-styled peacemakers are getting in the way of victory. The meddlers should let Colombo finish off this menace.
In desperation, the Tamil Tigers are using tens of thousands of locals as human shields. The Sri Lankan government declared a cease-fire and called on the Tigers to release their hostages, but unmanned-aerial-vehicle video footage shows the terrorists holding masses of innocents at gunpoint, refusing them freedom. Last week, Mrs. Clinton played into the hands of the terrorists by blaming the Sri Lankan government for the crisis. "The entire world is very disappointed" that they were "causing such untold suffering," she said.
(...)
We can only imagine American satisfaction if we had al Qaeda in this position. It is unconscionable for the United States to castigate its Sri Lankan ally for prevailing in its war against terrorism. The Tamil Tigers have purposefully created the conditions for a humanitarian crisis and deserve neither amnesty nor mercy. There are ways to help resolve this standoff that will not allow the Tigers to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, such as providing military and intelligence support for pinpoint strikes against the terrorist leadership. Failing that, the Obama administration should mind its own business. The Sri Lankans are winning; we should let them finish the job.
The first case was seen in Mexico on April 13. The outbreak coincided with the President Barack Obama’s trip to Mexico City on April 16. Obama was received at Mexico’s anthropology museum in Mexico City by Felipe Solis, a distinguished archeologist who died the following day from symptoms similar to flu, Reforma newspaper reported. The newspaper didn’t confirm if Solis had swine flu or not
When I heard Clinton was picked by the Obama administration to serve as the Secretary of State, I was curious if anyone in the Senate confirmation hearings would bring up her political ties with Ram Ranjan.
And since her confirmation, Clinton has now put blame on Sri Lanka for the death of civilians.
For those who don't know who Ram Ranjan is, he was involved with a political fundraiser for Hillary Clinton. Ram Ranjan is a supporter of the Tamil Tigers.
The Tamil Tigers are considered a terrorist group.
In the above hyper link you will find the following:
Update II: One press outlet in Canada is starting to investigate the matter. The story is here: http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/980 Special investigative report: “Tamils for Clinton”
Clinton fundraising ties to terror group By Doug Hagmann
Saturday, December 15, 2007
On December 4, 2007, we reported that members of the terrorist organization Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), more commonly known as the Tamil Tigers, were arrested in New York for their plot to use stolen credit card numbers and other methods to steal $250,000 in New York “and tens of millions from ATMs worldwide.”
One of the men arrested worked three jobs at Newark Airport as a security agent and baggage handler with complete security clearance. The Tamil Tigers are well known for their use and “perfection” of terrorists’ “suicide belts” and vests, and the use of females as suicide bombers as illustrated in our report published earlier his month.
Further investigation conducted by this investigator of Tamil Tiger activity in the U.S. confirmed published reports that at least one well-known supporter of that terrorist organization, 56 year-old New Jersey resident Ramanathan RANJAN is actively soliciting funds for New York Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton RANJAN, of New Brunswick, NJ was identified as an approved recipient for funds solicited by Pat PATHMAKUMAR through her e-mail campaign containing “Tamils for Clinton” in the subject line. A fund raising event this week in New Jersey at The State Theater in New Brunswick, advertised on Clinton’s web site, offered potential donors tickets ranging from $100 - $2,300, depending upon seat selection. Although the referral list has been removed from the site, the Northeast Intelligence Network was able to secure a list of referrals that included the names of both RANJAN and PATHMAKUMAR.
[Note: Congressman Frank Palone is on the list and is mentioned by Ram Ranjan in a post he made. See first update] Notably, RANJAN was an organizer of “LTTE Heroes Day,” an event that praised and eulogized LTTE terrorists and homicide bombers on December 2, 2006. That event was held in the auditorium at the south Brunswick Middle School in New Brunswick, New Jersey. According to reports of the event, the terror group’s flag was raised as those in attendance sang the LTTE anthem.
RANJAN is noted to be the state coordinator of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), identified by the US State Department as a front organization of the LTTE.
I found it very interesting and telling how little backbone our Congress has when it comes to confirmation hearings and investigative skills. I found it interesting that no one asked Clinton about her ties with Ram Ranjan.
I had caught a brief clip on C-Span on Clinton's testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and it was a clip on her talking about Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers. It was very brief so I was curious to see what she had to say about the situtation.
WASHINGTON, April 22 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka has caused "untold suffering" as it fights Tamil Tiger rebels in what is believed to be the endgame of Asia's longest-running war, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday.
"I think that the Sri Lankan government knows that the entire world is very disappointed that in its efforts to end what it sees as 25 years of conflict, it is causing such untold suffering," Clinton told lawmakers, referring to the thousands of civilians trapped in the war zone.
As I said before, the Obama administration plays the blame game well and so do people within his administration to include Clinton.
Here is the United States Secretary of State putting the responsibility of the deaths of civilians on a small country who has had to deal with a known terrorist organization who themselves have killed innocent people.
The Tamil Tigers had alleged by way of an unsubstantiated video from Al Jazeera, that the Sri Lankan government had killed 1000 civilians but the allegations could not be proven.
What Clinton didn't state in her testimony was that there was the possiblity the Tamil Tigers were holding the civilians as shields to the attack of the Sri Lanka army.
And it was the Sri Lankan government who was asking for help with the civilians.
This clearly shows how Clinton operates and quite frankly she should have been questioned on the remark and then it linked back with her past political ties with Ram Ranjan.
What is even more troubling on her one-sided remark is that before her testimony was presented, here were some of the headlines coming out of Great Britain and other news outlets.
LONDON, April 17 (UPI) -- A London court has found the leader of the Tamil Tigers in Britain guilty of coordinating the supply of bomb-making materials to the Sri Lankan militant group.
And while I am not a big fan of Al Jazeera, the following video is on the civilians fleeing the Tamil Tigers.
Like I said on a previous thread about Obama and what papers he reads, maybe it would be a good idea that Couric ask Clinton what newspapers does she read.
Not bad for the first 100 days of Obama's presidency...
For the first time since Barack Obama was elected president last November, more than half of U.S. voters (53%) say it is at least somewhat likely that the next occupant of the White House will be a Republican. Thirty-one percent (31%) say it is Very Likely.
(...)
Naturally, there is a partisan divide--77% of Republican voters say it’s likely the next president will be from their party. Just 39% of Democrats agree.
Still, that’s an increase among both parties from previous surveys. Among voters not affiliated with either major party, 47% now say a GOP president is likely, while 33% think not.
By 2010-2011, all of the fuss about Palin will be forgotten and the press will have nothing more to talk about.
The press who played the boy who cried wolf will have come to rest and the ankle biting wolves will have faded into the deep dark parts of the woods and their faint cries of ethics violations, lies and innuendo will no longer make the news.
Because the MSM will soon realize that with all of their crying, Palin's poll numbers continue to rise and they lose viewers while the economy continues to tank and countries like North Korea threaten our security.
Obama will be just an entry on a history page and Americans will look to a leader who can call out men like Obama who were/are palling around with men like Rev. Wright, Bill Ayers, Hugo Chavez and call them out with honor and no guilt for doing it.
As Josh Painter and C4P have stated it's official.
It will be interesting to see how well this does. I am betting the fund does very well and the effect of what people like Andree, Linda and others have done, it will show how popular the Governvor is.
The new reality has emerged in off-hand remarks and in single sentences buried in lengthy reports. Increasing numbers of authoritative experts — from the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the U.S. Defense Secretary — are admitting that North Korea has miniaturized nuclear warheads to the extent that they can be launched on medium-range missiles, according to intelligence briefings.
This puts it ahead of Iran in the race for nuclear attack capability and seriously alters the balance of power between North Korea’s large but poorly equipped military and the South Korean and U.S. forces ranged against it. “North Korea has nuclear weapons, which is a matter of fact,” the head of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, said this week. “I don’t like to accept any country as a nuclear weapon state we have to face reality.”
That is why North Korea told Russia to stick it.
And that is why Obama is scrambling now on how to find a way to deal with North Korea.
TOKYO (AFP) — US President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso in a telephone talk Friday discussed North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons threat, according to officials in Tokyo.
Obama in the 15-minute conversation also agreed to visit Tokyo in the second half of the year, a plan welcomed by Aso, the Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement.
"President Obama told (Aso) that he highly praised the close cooperation between the United States and Japan over the missile launch by North Korea, and that he would like to continue the close cooperation," the statement said.
"Prime Minister Aso replied that it was good for the United Nations Security Council to jointly send a strong statement without delay" against North Korea's recent rocket launch, the statement said.
In an unprecedented move, the White House has relieved press secretary Robert Gibbs of his official duties and replaced him with the White House first lady Michelle Obama.
Some in the press circle feel that the heat was getting too much for Gibbs and he had to get out of the kitchen.
No other statements where made as to why the replacement was made. In the first lady's first press conference as the official white house press secretary, Michelle Obama said "Bo is crazy"
The boys and girls in the press corp were enthusiastically asking questions of Mrs. Obama on why Bo was acting crazy.
The final question and answer raised the idea that the Obama's are into reality shows and have signed on with "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan for a one year contract to teach president Barack Obama how to be a leader among the pack.
State media in North Korea said Friday that investigators have completed the questioning of two detained U.S. journalists and will bring formal charges against them.
Russia should be feeling a little isolated right now. Betcha North Korea has the other lawyer president thinking, what does China have up their sleeve?
I noticed the young president from Russia wasn't doing too much blogging today. He must be in conference with Putin.
SEOUL (AFP) — North Korea has told Russia's foreign minister that it has no further use for international nuclear disarmament talks, according to official media.
Sergei Lavrov is visiting the communist state to try to persuade it to return to the six-nation negotiations, but reported tough going after talks with his counterpart, Pak Ui-Chun, Thursday.
Pyongyang's foreign ministry, in a statement on the Korean Central News Agency, said Lavrov's team had "paid attention to the DPRK's (North Korea's) position that it no longer needs six-party talks."
North Korea has pretty much told the U.S. and Russia to go stick it.
I had posted a thread on Padre Martinez "spilling the beans on famed drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman who had or has his "hide out" in Durango Mexico.
Mexico's influential Roman Catholic Church is seeking protection for its priests who fear they will be targeted in drug violence, a document said Thursday, after an archbishop said "everybody knows" where the nation's most-wanted trafficker lives.
Amid almost daily drug attacks, in which more than 7,000 have died since the start of last year, the archbishop of the northern state of Durango said last week that the alleged leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel lived in his state, and "everybody knows it except the authorities."
The comments, for which Archbishop Hector Gonzalez Martinez quickly apologized, sparked fear among the region's clergy.
(...)
Rumors on the location of Guzman, who escaped from prison in 2001 and was named on the latest Forbes list of the world's richest people, have pointed to locations across the country, especially in the northern areas renowned for drug trafficking activity.
The federal prosecutor said via a representative in Durango that he had "no sign" of the presence of the cartel leader in that state.
After the archbishop's statement, two soldiers were found killed Wednesday in Durango, alongside notes referring to "El Chapo," according to media reports.
Some 300 priests have abandoned their churches due to threats in recent years, according to opposition senator Fernando Castro Trenti.
This should anger every Catholic worldwide and should give pause to every religious person worldwide. And quite frankly where is the Vatican on this?
There is no doubt in my mind, Obama came out and reversed himself on prosecuting the Bush administration on the use of torture for two reasons.
One, when Cheney came out and stated the Obama administration was being political when it released only parts of memos related to water-boarding, Obama became indignant.
The other reasons is; the issue of the U.N. statement that Obama's decision not to prosecute torture would violate International Law.
Since Obama is a "Basketball Jones" one should ask how high Obama would jump.
Looks like Obama is trying to jump pretty high, but he is doing it while passing the ball to Holder.
What is strange about the whole thing is; this issue about who knew what and when in Congress. There is talk that Pelosi knew about the water-boarding back in 2002.
I have to ask why the big deal?
The WaPo wrote an article about Pelosi and other Congress-peoples meeting with the CIA on the matter.
In September 2002, four members of Congress met in secret for a first look at a unique CIA program designed to wring vital information from reticent terrorism suspects in U.S. custody. For more than an hour, the bipartisan group, which included current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was given a virtual tour of the CIA's overseas detention sites and the harsh techniques interrogators had devised to try to make their prisoners talk.
Among the techniques described, said two officials present, was water boarding, a practice that years later would be condemned as torture by Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill. But on that day, no objections were raised. Instead, at least two lawmakers in the room asked the CIA to push harder, two U.S. officials said.
"The briefer was specifically asked if the methods were tough enough," said a U.S. official who witnessed the exchange.
Did Obama forget that? How about this?
The lawmakers who held oversight roles during the period included Pelosi and Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) and Sens. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) and John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), as well as Rep. Porter J. Goss (R-Fla.) and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan).
Individual lawmakers' recollections of the early briefings varied dramatically, but officials present during the meetings described the reaction as mostly quiet acquiescence, if not outright support. "Among those being briefed, there was a pretty full understanding of what the CIA was doing," said Goss, who chaired the House intelligence committee from 1997 to 2004 and then served as CIA director from 2004 to 2006. "And the reaction in the room was not just approval, but encouragement."
What is funny is you have the political hacks at the Democratic Underground who were up in arms about Nancy Pelosi.
A little irony that you could have Democrats being brought into the same investigation that Obama hinted at with the Bush administration.
Maybe Katie Couric should do an interview with Obama and ask Obama what newspapers he reads.
If I am not mistaken, didn't congress vote on the issue of water boarding in 2008?
Several national polls of Republican voters since the election last fall have shown Sarah Palin as the top choice of the party faithful to be the GOP's nominee for President in 2012. But a new national PPP poll finds that nominating Palin could be a death wish for the party, with Barack Obama leading Palin 55-35 in a hypothetical contest.
Sec. 39.52.010. Declaration of policy. (a) It is declared that (1) high moral and ethical standards among public officers in the executive branch are essential to assure the trust, respect, and confidence of the people of this state; (2) a code of ethics for the guidance of public officers will (A) discourage those officers from acting upon personal or financial interests in the performance of their public responsibilities; (B) improve standards of public service; and (C) promote and strengthen the faith and confidence of the people of this state in their public officers; (3) holding public office or employment is a public trust and that as one safeguard of that trust, the people require public officers to adhere to a code of ethics; (4) a fair and open government requires that executive branch public officers conduct the public's business in a manner that preserves the integrity of the governmental process and avoids conflicts of interest;
Andree let's talk about the story of the job offer that you were supposed to get from Palin. Or the story that you supposedly helped Palin with getting Randy fired.
Lay it all out there Andree so all of the people can see what is really going on here. To see if a job was offered to you but you didn't get it.
Maybe it is time to write Doogan a letter that the law is flawed and that if the person filing the complaint through any means makes it public, then the complaint is dismissed.
That would be a good place to start.
Andree when you talk about ethics, here is one for you.
How ethical is it for you to not follow the law on keeping the law confidential when you file it?
After all, how ethical is one that wanted to be come a legislator by running against Gardner, when that person has shown themselves to violate the law's confidentiality rules.
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
A little ironic that the bunch of you claim ethics violations when those of you who have filed, have broken the intent of the very laws that are used by you.
The Andree that I ran against is not the same person today. Too bad Andree, your actions have made you look like a women who has crossed over the line of one who has been scorned.
Let's see, Iranian courts put away an American journalist and the president of Iran wants to ensure the courts are being fair and Russian courts are limiting Internet forums while the President of Russia is calling for more openness on his blog.
The Oregon coast is no place for plainly visible wind turbines
Energy production ain't pretty, even in its more environmentally friendly forms. If Oregonians want to reduce dependence on foreign oil and support cleaner energy, they need to accept wind turbines in many of their wide open spaces.
The Oregon coast, however, should remain sacred territory. Wind turbines that are plainly visible from shore would be a blight on the horizon and should be treated as an energy option of last resort -- not just another frontier in the wind rush.
A Seattle-based company wants to put 20 to 40 floating wind turbines off the Oregon coast, as The Oregonian's Gail Kinsey Hill reported Monday. This one-year-old company, called Principle Power Inc., is in early stages of talks with Tillamook County officials. The turbines could be as close as 10 miles from land. At that distance, the massive floating structures would still be clearly visible from shore.
Could you Photoshop them out of your sunset photos?
Technically, yes.
Could you ignore them?
Hardly.
Don't panic quite yet. The plan remains tentative and would be subject to a lengthy approval process. Any company wanting to harness the wind off the coast would need to address far more than visual blight. The possible impact on fishermen and marine life are two of the most important concerns.
Still, those artist renditions of sleek, tall offshore turbines cause an acute case of N.I.M.B.O., Not in My Big Ocean. The ocean pounding the Oregon coast is one of the few wild spaces left -- one of the few vistas largely unchanged by time and "unimproved" by human endeavors.
Wind technology is advancing at hurricane speed because of volatile oil prices, new state laws requiring renewable energy, a changing political climate and healthy tax incentives. Ocean-based platforms may make economic and environmental sense within a few short years.
Any ocean-based wind turbine would need to be closer to 20 miles out, based on current size and projections, to be hidden from view. Oregon should lay its marker down in the sand: A truly green energy project minimizes visual pollution too.
God save the whales if they get tangled up in the cables that anchor the wind turbines.
And on top of that, Obama said wind energy could be supplying 20 percent of the country's energy needs by 2030.
Not if the environmentalist lawyers get a hold of those lawsuits on the leases and costs don't drop with the making the wind turbine farms.
A Roman Catholic bishop's revelation that "everybody knows" that Mexico's most-wanted drug lord lives in a remote mountain town in northern Mexico has taken officials there by surprise.
"Everybody knew" about the wedding that Guzman attended too. So the question has to be asked, are the clergy in Mexico ready to do battle with the cartels?
For a little background, Guzman escaped federal custody in Mexico when Vicente Fox was president.
The same president Fox who Juan Hernadez worked for and the same Juan Hernandez that worked for McCain and suggested McCain take a trip to Mexico to visit the Shrine of the Virgen de Guadalupa.
That is why I have little respect for McCain other than he choosing Palin, but I am a realist there, because McCain did it out of his own interest.
But as for the story of the padre, it is very interesting because if there will be change, the clergy in Mexico will have to rise to the challenge of instilling faith in their flock that Mexico is better than what some areas of the country have become.
The Catholic culture in Mexico has been mocked by the cartels in that the cartels publicly show the virgin while idolizing the "Saint of Death" which the Church criticizes.
There was talk among people in Culiacan that the Beltrans were supported by elements of the Taliban and the government under Fox looked the other way when Guzman "escaped" from prison.
It seems that the battle between Guzman (who in effect had the ability to travel through Mexico even with a bounty on his head, while the heavy hand of the FOX government was coming down on the Beltran clan) and the Beltrans may come to an end with neither one having power.
Since the new president of Mexico has taken office, things may be changing. And it may take the Catholic Church in Mexico to bring an end to the madness that has taken hold in parts of Mexico.
To anyone who thinks Obama is going to be a leader on this, think again. Russia owns Europe through Gazprom. No "ifs, ands or buts" about it.
NATO will not do anything. On a post here, I said the following:
Expect Russia to become more aggressive as talks of military exercises by NATO are discussed. And if Russia does become more aggressive, expect a tepid response from Obama.
At a military checkpoint between Georgia and its breakaway region of South Ossetia, the word "Russia" is hand-painted in pink on a concrete security barrier.
"It will be Russia," said a Russian army lieutenant as the Ossetian soldiers under his command nodded.
"And Georgia used to be Russian, too," said the young freckle-faced lieutenant, who would give only his first name, Sergei. Three armored personnel carriers and a tank were dug in around the checkpoint.
Russia has stationed its forces just 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the Georgian capital, in violation of the EU-brokered cease-fire that ended last year's brief war. And in recent weeks, it has sent even more troops and armored vehicles to within striking distance of the city ahead of street protests against Georgia's president.
(Note: Obama attacks Bush on the fact that Hamas is being funded by Iran but we find since becoming president, Obama has sent a little love to the Hamas.)
People have made careers poking fun at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
But no one was laughing this week as Palin opened up about one of the hardest decisions of her life: the birth of her son Trig, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome.
When the pro-life Palin revealed during a speech at a right-to-life luncheon that she had twice considered having an abortion, it made the maverick-quoting governor of Alaska quickly turn into a more realistic woman than a caricature.
Evidently not, look at Obama's numbers. Oprah can't even help Obama now. We get to see the real Obama in action.
What does "Obama the Barbarian" think of his falling numbers?
Any bets on a change in the storyline on future comic books on the Treasure of the Stimuli"? Something to the effect that Palin slays the barbarian tin-horn dictator wannabe in 2012?
Somehow I can't see Palin being so cordial and buddy-buddy with people like Chavez and Bill Ayers at the same time.
Two key points, McCains softening on "cap and trade" and his strong stance to put out there the development of nuclear power plants.
He is now taking a strong stance on legislation against the cap and trade when it now seems that he is going to have to start to act like a Republican.
McCain’s comments came as fellow Republicans urged the Democratic-run committee to hold off on hearings, arguing that legislation is not ready yet. In addition, it was reported that McCain will face a primary challenge in his bid for re-election next year in the person of Chris Simcox, former head of the Minuteman anti-illegal immigration group.
Moreover, he said, a fleet of submarines could be built and operated for billions of dollars less than the cost of the proposed Alaska natural gas pipeline through Canada.
(...)
The House and Senate must decide by next month whether to approve controversial waivers of federal laws to encourage private financing for the pipeline, estimated to cost more than 20 billion dollars in current dollars, 43 billion with inflation considered.
And we thought Karl Marx was popular among the United Sates college campuses?
(Excerpt)
On college campuses, in particular, Karl Marx is popular again.
“I have never voted before, but I intend to vote communist in the next elections,” said Suguru Yagi, a Tokyo college student.
Yagi, 22, said he had considered joining the party because he agrees with many of its policies and sees it as the defender of the working class. As a student about to graduate, he is concerned about the shrinking work force, and the difficulties he may find in getting a good job.
Leading Japan’s communist renaissance is Kazuo Shii, the round-faced party chief, who has become one of Japan’s most recognizable politicians and something of a media star, grilling the country’s conservative leaders from his perch in parliament and unfailingly appearing before the cameras with what boils down to: “I told you so.”
Financial meltdowns worldwide. Banks and manufacturers going belly up, or begging for bailouts. Unemployment and unrest on the rise.
Capitalism, Shii concludes, is doomed. “It is inevitable,” he said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “When the persimmon is ripe, it will fall from the tree.”
Shii, and the party, believe that time is fast approaching. And, in Asia’s most dedicated bastion of capitalism, more people are beginning to agree.
According to the party, about 1,000 new members are joining its ranks every month—a sharp contrast to the massive exodus that has plagued the ruling Liberal Democrats, who have dropped from about 5 million members in their heyday to about 1 million members now.
The Japan Communist Party was founded as an illegal movement in 1922, but legalized after Japan’s World War II defeat in 1945. It then struggled through polarizing splits with the Soviets and Communist Chinese in an effort to maintain its independence. It also has distanced itself from the radical left, which gained popularity in the 1960s and ‘70s, but has since died down.
No smiles in this exchange. In fact, Obama at first appears eager to walk away and is held back by Chavez. The American president then dominates the ongoing discussion and is seen gesturing with his right hand and pointing his finger several times at Chavez's chest.
I posted the video here and said that the two could not see eye to eye with Chavez staring Obama down. It is clear that Chavez even the bad guy he is, can stare down our president who avoided continuous eye contact with Chavez.
And contrary to Andrew Malcom's fantasy on who was dominating the conversation, Obama clearly showed signs of having a weak personality.
MOSCOW (AFP) — Russia will pull out of a meeting with senior NATO military officials to protest what its envoy described Monday as "provocative" war games planned by the alliance in Georgia.
"If there will be no reaction (to a Russian complaint about the exercises) we will take certain measures," the envoy, Dmitry Rogozin, said in an interview with Vesti-24 television, quoted by the Interfax news agency.
"I can reveal one of them now: the meeting of the commanders of the general staffs of Russia and NATO, planned for May 7, will not take place," Rogozin said.
UZHNO-SAKHALINSK. April 21. VOSTOK-MEDIA – According to the data of Customs statistics, the foreign trade turnover of Sakhalin region amounted to $ 1.35 billion for the last three months of 2009. The number is 994 mln less than for the same period of 2008. 115 of these money is import and 89% export. More than 3.34 mln tons of various goods crossed the border that is 10% more than for the same period of the previous year.
Foreign economic activity included 57 countries.
The North Korea is a major co-trader country – foreign economic activity accounted $548 million, the second largest trader is Japan - $536 mln, China took the third place - $108 mln, USA - $62 mln, Great Britain – 28 mln, Singapore – 12 mln, Norway –6 mln and so on.
Sakhalin region export accounted $1.2 billion that is by 934 mln less than at the same period of 2008. The major items of export: oil – 91,1%, seafood – 3.3%, ferrous metals – 0.8%, coal – 0.4% and so on.
The import made up $143 mln, that is 30% less than for the samr period of 2008
Shannyn Moore couldn't be so right about herself. There is that part of Alaska that could be titled As Alaska Turns
An irony of sorts when Moore tries to mock the Governor with the headline while playing the lead actress in all of the episodes of "As Alaska Turns".
Shannyn, take a bow while I throw a bouquet of words your way.
If there were an academy award for gossip bloggers who don't have the brains god gave a donut, you would be the recipient of the Golden Gossip Bloggers Award.
Oh damn, it seems there is a blogger's choice awards for gossip bloggers and I see you didn't make it.
The crazies are coming out of the woods and emitting that poisonous (polluting) gas called C02, so in good conscience, put away those pop cans and shut up and don't breath.
Because some writer named Steve Clemons wants you to hear it first. He thinks, based on Boehner's comments on global warming, Boehner is positioning himself to be Palin's 2012 running mate.
Quick someone call the EPA, the Eco-warriors are polluting the atmosphere with their idiocy. Proof is in the video, er, wait a minute, it's carbon monoxide not carbon dioxide that kills.
I am getting really tired of Republicans who claim to be eco-warriors questioning the reasoning behind conservatives who question the legitimacy of global warming being caused by human activity.
After writing about Palin and global warming here, I came across a Republican who wrote about Palin here.
Jim DiPeso who I never heard of or read his blog until now, writes that Palin has said the "Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's climate scenarios are among the most credible of the modeled scenarios."
First, I get real nervous when people start calling themselves "the green conservative."
That could mean two categories of conservatives.
One, they are fanatical about money or two, they are fanatical about saving the earth from that poisonous gas, carbon dioxide....
Jim DiPeso fits in the later category when he makes comments on natural gas, oil and world affairs.
And, with a nod to T. Boone Pickens, gas would be a better fuel for motor vehicles from a climate perspective than petroleum-based liquids. Switching from gasoline to gas would lower greenhouse gas emissions from cars by a net 30 percent.
Moreover, the U.S. is far closer to self-sufficiency with gas than it ever will be with oil, and so far, there is no international cartel of gas exporters who meet regularly to rig the market, a la OPEC.
T. Boone Pickens was the one who was on a panel and made the statement that there were no wells drilled in ANWR when in fact there is one. It is on Alaska native land.
Next, the writer thinks there is no international cartel of gas exporters? Maybe not officially, but one might think about Iran, Qatar and Russia, when it comes to natural gas.
You would have to wonder what would happen if the United States took T.Boone Pickens advice and Obama had his Car guru decide that natural gas is the way to go.
Can DiPeso say Ukraine, Belarus to name a few countries that are dependent on Russia's natural gas.
That bit of information slipped by him. What is interesting is in the one link from the Voice of America, it is stated:
Analysts say a natural gas cartel would not have the influence over gas prices that OPEC has over oil because the markets for the two commodities are different. Natural gas contracts tend to be very long-term, while oil contracts are relatively shorter and more prone to price swings.
Sometimes what analysts say and what one company does, seems to contradict the analysts who must get paid big bucks to be analysts.
The Kremlin-controlled energy giant Gazprom has warned the European Union and other markets that prices of natural gas in 2008 will be higher by up to 33% in view of rising heating oil prices. Gazprom has already agreed to pay higher prices for natural gas purchases for Turkmenistan in the coming year.
Given this reality, DiPeso should be asking himself, what world is he really living in when you consider that his opinion is the same within a group of people who have blocked off-shore development of natural gas in U.S. waters, blocked the lease of shale that can develop the production of natural gas which in effect is stopping the growth of using natural gas.
He even admits to the areas being off limits but somehow in his magical world states:
Under the right circumstances, gas could help us become better climate stewards. With the caveats noted above, Sarah Palin had a point.
Gas could help us become better climate stewards? And where would that gas come from?
It seems hypocritical of him to lay criticism on people who doubt the Al Gore's of the world and it seems that a majority of people are not falling for the the global warming hype after all.
There is one thing that Di Peso is right on and that is Palin's point on natural gas development. It just doesn't match what he has stated.
CFDs, or Contracts for Difference, allows
a trader to profit from price changes in a rising or declining market.
Trade long or short while controlling risk though use of
a stop-loss.
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