Friday, September 4, 2009
The 150-Foot Solar Tower Current Towercam Image From the Mount Wilson Observatory, Mt. Wilson, California.
Solar observer comment posted on September 1, 2009 at 10:32 P.D.T.
Current weather conditions: smokey
www.ChinaView.cn | China to float $3.66 billion T-bonds
The ministry said one batch, with a face value of 10 billion yuan would have a term of 91 days, with an issue price set at 99.71 yuan after bidding for a face value of 100 yuan. The annual interest rate would be 1.19 percent.
The other batch, with a face value of 15 billion yuan, will have a term of 273 days, and an issue price set at 98.992 yuan for100 yuan, with an annual interests of 1.37 percent.
The T-bonds will begin three-day sales on Sept. 7, with interest calculated on the same day. They will become tradable on September 11.
HurriyetDailynews.com | Fresh protests in Xinjiang capital of Urumqi continue for second day
An angry exchange of words between Chinese authorities and Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer continued for a second day on Friday as did the protests in the Xinjiang regional capital of Urumqi.
Police used tear gas and public appeals Friday to break up crowds protesting a lack of public security after a string of the syringe stabbings that appeared ethnically motivated, reported The Associated Press.
China's Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu blamed ethnic separatist forces for a bizarre series of needle attacks in the restive western region of Xinjiang. Meng's comments Friday came as thousands of mostly Han Chinese have taken to the streets of the regional capital Urumqi for a second day to demand increased security.
The protesters wanted punishment for those behind the July riots between Han Chinese and Muslim Uighurs and the culprits in a series of stabbing attacks with syringes in the past two weeks that state media has said targeted predominantly Han victims.
The unrest shows how unsettled Urumqi remains since 197 people were killed in July in the worst communal violence to hit Xinjiang in more than a decade.
Pointing fingers
"I call on Chinese officials to guarantee the security of all people living in East Turkestan, including Uighurs and Han Chinese," said Kadeer in a statement on Thursday.
She added: "A precondition for peaceful coexistence between Uighurs and Han Chinese is the resignation of [regional Communist Party boss] Wang Lequan, leading to the appointment of moderate officials who understand the legitimate grievances of the Uighur people and the needs of the Han Chinese."
Meanwhile, China warned other countries Thursday not to provide a platform for Kadeer, reported the AFP. "We hope relevant parties can recognize her true nature and not provide a stage for or facilitate her anti-China separatist activities," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters.
Call for talks
Kadeer said on Tuesday she wanted direct talks with the Chinese government on what she called its "policy failures" in Xinjiang. "I'm ready to discuss with the Chinese government the way we can address its policy failures of the past 60 years and seek political reforms," she said at a session of the European Parliament's human rights committee in Brussels.
"It is time for the Chinese government to sit and talk with me, his holiness the Dalai Lama and all those leaders of non-Han Chinese communities who have been vilified, imprisoned and slandered just because we happen to disagree with the bankrupt official policy," she said.
Uighurs have long complained of repression by China. China, however, has accused exiled Kadeer, who lives in the United States, of orchestrating the unrest. Kadeer has strongly denied the allegations and insists that police used excessive force against Uighurs, who were airing grievances after an ethnically charged brawl among factory workers.
Pravda.ru | Russia Does Not Need Preferential Loans from IMF- SDRS intended to be used for new world currency - an alternative to US dollar
Russia will not use the right to receive a preferential loan from the International Monetary Fund, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at a recent session of the government. Russia could receive $8.840 billion from the IMF. Moreover, Russia intends to say no to investments in the Special Drawing Rights program (SDR), which were originally intended to be used for the creation of a new world currency, an alternative to the US dollar.
“Let’s agree to the following. We will not be using those resources [from the IMF], nor do we have any plans to be a donor state,” Putin said at the government Thursday, Interfax reports.
Russia ’s Finance Minister Aleksey Kudrin stated during the meeting that Russia could count on a preferential loan from the IMF within the scope of the SDR program - $8.840 billion.
SDRs are used as an accounting unit with other international organizations. The cost of SDRs is based on the basket of world’s four major currencies: the US dollar, the Euro, the British pound and the Japanese yen. SDRs virtually represent records on accounts of shareholders at the IMF. The countries can receive currency assets from the fund (free of charge, in case of necessity) – an equivalent to the volume of SDRs on their accounts.
Russia has a right to use 4.407 billion SDRs, which is equal to $6.870 billion. Additionally, Russia receives 1.26 billion SDR ($1.970 billion) from the countries that became IMF’s shareholders after 1981.
“This is our reserve in case of a crisis, or a different situation, in which we would have to attract a loan to preserve stability of the Russian payment balance,” Finance Minister Kudrin said.
“For the time being, Russia covers its current imbalance of treasury with the help of the Reserve Fund. Probably, Russia will resort to its share at the IMF in the future, in case of a serious budget deficit. There is no such need at the moment. As for Putin’s refusal to act as a donor state, the situation here is clear. Russia cannot be a sponsor of other countries taking into consideration the nation’s budget deficit of nine percent. Governmental officials say that Russia’s Reserve Fund will be emptied by the end of 2010,” Andrey Gangan, a senior analyst with Kalita Finance Group said in an interview with the Vzglyad newspaper.
Putin’s decision to decline foreign investments means that the current situation in Russia is stable enough. Aleksey Kudrin said that Russia was not in a critical situation to attract IMF’s loans.
“Russia does not have such a situation. We do not think that there is a need for us to use those resources,” the minister repeated.
Related:
11-07 Pravda | U.S. dollar loses its value because of dirty politics
RussiaToday.com | “World leaders can catch swine flu at summits in US”
And with two major international conferences scheduled in the US in the near future, many think that it could be the perfect time and place for the swine flu to hit again.
“If they are taking some precautions, they are certainly not advertising them,” investigative journalist Wayne Madsen told RT. “We’ve got almost 200 leaders gathering in New York for the UN General Assembly on September 23 and later that week at least 20 of them will be going to Pittsburgh for the G20 summit. So if they don’t get the flu in New York, there’s a good chance that they’ll get it in Pittsburgh.”
Cave's Headlines | September 4, 2009
Disinformation: A common disinformation tactic is to mix some truth and observation with false conclusions and lies, or to reveal part of the truth while presenting it as the whole.James McCanney's SOHO comet solar flare movie 01072004.mpeg
Large passing object could cause disasterous effect and natural catastrophes to the earth at a distance - by means of electrical conditions
PowersThatBe by means of their controlled science (Tier 2 Science) perpetuate the harmless "dirty snowball" comet coverup- while our fearless leaders are preparing for themselves with underground facilities, seed vault, etc.
http://jmccanneyscience.com/
MISCONCEPTIONS REGARDING PLANET X (and the many planet X objects)
The following will only play on Real Player
Streaming JamesMcCanneyScienceHour_August_06_2009.mp3
Streaming JamesMcCanneyScienceHour_August_13_2009.mp3
Streaming JamesMcCanneyScienceHour_August_20_2009.mp3
Streaming JamesMcCanneyScienceHour_August_27_2009.mp3
5th in the series not yet in archives
SilverSeek.com | Theodore Butler - Warnings Ignored
FDIC.gov | Bank Closing Information (starting to come in) - September 4, 2009 6:30pm CDT
These links contain useful information for the customers and vendors of these closed banks.
Vantus Bank, Sioux City, IA
InBank, Oak Forest, IL
First Bank of Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
CapeCodOnline.com | Expert: Great white shark likely sighted
UAnews.org | Evening Lectures on Migrating Planets, Hazardous Asteroids Search
In this artist's concept, a narrow asteroid belt filled with rocks and dusty debris orbits a star similar to our own sun when it was approximately 30 million years old. (Illustration credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T.Pyle, SSC)Planetary sciences professor Renu Malhotra will speak on “Migrating Planets” on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
Did the solar system always look the way it is now? New studies by Malhotra and others find that the outer planets – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune – were more tightly clustered in the early solar system, then moved away from each other.
Malhotra’s models show that as the solar system evolved, Jupiter moved slightly closer to the sun, while the other giant planets moved farther apart from each other and farther away from the sun.
The migration likely perturbed asteroids that contributed to the heavy bombardment of the inner solar system.
The evidence is recorded as close as the moon and as far away as Pluto.
Catalina Sky Survey director Ed Beshore will talk on “The Search for Hazardous Asteroids from Mount Lemmon” on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
On Oct. 5, 2008, the UA’s Catalina Sky Survey discovered a small asteroid named 2008 TC3. It is the first asteroid discovered with a 100 percent certainty of colliding with Earth.
Just 17 hours after Catalina Sky Survey team member Rich Kowalski discovered 2008 TC3, it fell harmlessly in the desert of northern Sudan. During those 17 hours, amateur and professional astronomers made more than 570 observations of the asteroid. Months later, U.S. and African students and researchers recovered more than eight pounds of meteorites from the fall.
Beshore will also talk about how the Catalina Sky Survey searchers for dangerous asteroids, and some ideas about what might be done if an Earth-threatening asteroid is found.
Research
- Bailey, B.L., Malhotra, R., Two dynamical classes of Centaurs, Icarus, in press.
- Tiscareno, M.S., Malhotra, R., Chaotic diffusion of resonant Kuiper Belt objects, AJ, 138, 827-837 (2009).
- Minton, D.A., Malhotra, R., A record of planet migration in the main asteroid belt, Nature, 457:1109-111 (2009).
- Volk, K., Malhotra, R., The Scattered Disk as the source of the Jupiter family comets, ApJ, 687:714-725 (2008).
- Malhotra, R., Minton, D.A., Prospects for the habitability of OGLE-2006-BLG-109L, ApJ-Letters, 683:L67-L70 (2008).
- Moro-Martin, A. Wyatt, M.C., Malhotra, R., Trilling, D.E., Extra-Solar Kuiper Belt Dust Disks, in "The solar system beyond Neptune", edited by A. Barucci, H. Boehnhardt, D. Cruikshank, A. Morbidelli, The University of Arizona Press (2008).
- Moro-Martin, A., Malhotra, R., et al., The dust, planetesimals and planets of HD 38529, ApJ, 668:1165-1173 (2007).
- Minton, D.A., Malhotra, R., Assessing the massive young Sun hypothesis to solve the warm young Earth puzzle, ApJ, 660:1700-1706 (2007).
- Moro-Martin, A., et al., Are Debris Disks and Massive Planets Correlated?, ApJ, 658:1312-1321 (2007).
- Ito, T., Malhotra, R., Dynamical transport of asteroid fragments from the nu6 resonance, Advances in Space Research, 38(4), 817-825 (2006). Preprint
- Pascucci, I., et al., Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems: Upper Limits to the Gas Mass in Disks Around Sun-like Stars, ApJ, 651:1177-1193 (2006).
- Moro-Martin, A., Wolf, S., Malhotra, R., Signatures of planets in spatially unresolved debris disks, ApJ, 621:1079-1097 (2005).
- Kim, J.S., et al., Formation and evolution of planetary systems: cold outer disks associated with sun-like stars, ApJ, 632:659-669 (2005).
- Moro-Martin, A., Malhotra, R., Dust outflows and inner gaps generated by massive planets in debris disks, ApJ, 633:1150-1167 (2005).
- Hahn, J.M., Malhotra, R., Neptune's Migration into a Stirred-Up Kuiper Belt: A Detailed Comparison of Simulations to Observations, AJ, 130:2392-2414 (2005).
- Strom, R.G., Malhotra, R., Ito, T., Yoshida, F., Kring, D.A., The origin of planetary impactors in the inner solar system, Science 309, 1847-1850 (2005). Preprint
- Kortenkamp, S.J., Malhotra, R., Michtchenko, T., Survival of Trojan-Type Companions of Neptune During Primordial Planet Migration, Icarus, 167:347-359 (2004). Preprint
- Michtchenko, T., Malhotra, R., Secular Dynamics of the Three-Body Problem: Application to the upsilon Andromedae Planetary System, Icarus, 168:237-248 (2004). Preprint
- Meyer, M., et al., The formation and evolution of planetary systems: First results from a Spitzer Legacy Science Program, ApJS, 154, 422--427 (2004).
- Bernstein, G.M., D.E. Trilling, R.L. Allen, M.E. Brown, M. Holman, R. Malhotra, The Size Distribution of Trans-Neptunian Bodies, AJ 128:1364-1390 (2004). Erratum.
- Yoshida, F., et al, Photometric observation of a very young family-member asteroid (832) Karin, Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 56, 1105-1113, (2004). Preprint
- Moro-Martin, A. Malhotra, R., Dynamical models of Kuiper Belt Dust in the inner and outer Solar system, AJ, 125:2255-2265 (2003).
- Tiscareno, M., Malhotra, R., The dynamics of known Centaurs, AJ, 126:3122-3131 (2003).
- Allen, R.L., Bernstein, G.M., Malhotra, R., Observational Limits on a Distant Cold Kuiper Belt, AJ, 124, 2949-2954 (2002).
- Malhotra, R., A dynamical mechanism for establishing apsidal resonance, ApJ, 575:L33-L36 (2002).
- Moro-Martin, A., Malhotra, R., A Study of the Dynamics of Dust from the Kuiper Belt: Spatial Distribution and Spectral Energy Distribution, AJ, 124:2305-2321 (2002).
- Allen, R.L., Bernstein, G.M., Malhotra, R., The edge of the Solar system, ApJ 549:L241-L244 (2001).
- Malhotra, R., Duncan, M., Levison, H., Dynamics of the Kuiper Belt, in Protostars and Planets IV , University of Arizona Press-Tucson, p. 1231-1254 (2000). Preprint
- Malhotra, R., Holman, M., Ito, T., Chaos and stability in the Solar system, PNAS, 98(22):12342-12343 (2001).
- Stepinski, T.F., Malhotra, R., Black, D.C., The Upsilon Andromedae System: Models and Stability, ApJ 545:1044-1053 (2000).
- Malhotra, R., Migrating Planets, Scientific American 281(3):56-63 (1999). pdf
- Hahn, J.M., Malhotra, R., Orbital evolution of planets embedded in a massive planetesimal disk, AJ 117:3041-3053 (1999).
- Malhotra, R., Chaotic planet formation, Nature 402:599-600 (1999).
- Showman, A., Malhotra, R., The Galilean Satellites, Science 286:77 (1999).
- Malhotra, R., Orbital resonances and chaos in the Solar system, in Solar System Formation and Evolution, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ASP Conference Series vol. 149 (1998). Preprint
- Malhotra, R., Williams, J., The heliocentric motion of Pluto, in Pluto and Charon, D.J. Tholen, S.A. Stern, eds., Arizona Space Science Series, Univ. of Arizona Press, Tucson (1997).
- Liou, J.C., Malhotra, R., Depletion of the outer asteroid belt, Science 275:375-377 (1997).
- Showman, A., D.J. Stevenson, R. Malhotra, Coupled orbital and thermal evolution of Ganymede, Icarus 129:367-383 (1997).
- Showman, A., Malhotra, R., Tidal evolution into the Laplace resonance and the resurfacing of Ganymede, Icarus 127:93-111 (1997).
- Malhotra, R., The phase space structure in the Kuiper Belt, AJ 111:504-516 (1996).
- Malhotra, R., The origin of Pluto's orbit: implications for the Solar system beyond Neptune, AJ 110:420-429 (1995).
- Malhotra, R., Dynamical model of pulsar-planet systems, in Millisecond Pulsars -- A Decade of Surprise, M. Tavani, D. Backer & A. Fruchter, eds. Pub.: Astronomical Society of the Pacific. p. 399-410 (1995).
- Malhotra, R., Nonlinear Resonances in the Solar System, Physica D 77:289-304 (1994)
- Malhotra, R., A mapping method for the gravitational few-body problem with dissipation, Cel. Mech. & Dyn. Astron. 60:373-385 (1994).
- Malhotra, R., The origin of Pluto's peculiar orbit, Nature 365:819-821 (1993).
- Malhotra, R., Orbital resonances in the Solar Nebula: strengths and weaknesses, Icarus 106:264-73 (1993).
- Malhotra, R., Orbital dynamics of PSR1257+12 and its two planetary companions, ASP Conf. Proc. # 36 (1993)
- Malhotra, R., Three-body effects in the planetary system of PSR1257+12, ApJ 407:266-275 (1993).
- Malhotra, R., D. Black, A. Eck, A. Jackson, Resonant orbital evolution of the putative planetary system of PSR1257+12, Nature 356:583-35 (1992).
- Malhotra, R., Tidal origin of the Laplace resonance and the resurfacing of Ganymede, Icarus 94:399-412 (1991).
- Malhotra, R., Capture probabilities for secondary resonances, Icarus 87:249--264 (1990). Erratum
- Malhotra, R., S.F. Dermott, The role of secondary resonances in the orbital history of Miranda, Icarus 85:444--480 (1990).
- Dermott, S.F., P.D. Nicholson, R. Gomes, R. Malhotra, Modelling the IRAS Solar System dust bands, Advances in Space Research 10(3):171--180 (1990).
- Malhotra, R., K. Fox, C.D. Murray, P.D.~Nicholson, Secular perturbations of the Uranian satellites: Theory and practice, Astron. & Astrophys. 221:348--358 (1989).
- Dermott, S.F., Malhotra, R., Murray, C.D., Dynamics of the Saturnian and Uranian satellites: A chaotic route to melting Miranda? Icarus 76:295-334 (1988). pdf
NaturalNews.com | Today's Featured Stories - September 4, 2009
| NaturalNews Talk Hour features special guests who discuss timely natural health topics - each Thursday evening (NaturalNews) NaturalNews.com has launched a new talk show airing each Thursday evening via a call-in teleconference line. Called the NaturalNews Talk Hour, each one-hour show features a timely topic and a knowledgeable guest. The show is hosted... |
| Moms' Exposure to Air Pollution Lowers Children's IQ (NaturalNews) Planning on starting a family? Determined to provide the healthiest environment possible for your kids? If you live in an urban environment, you might want to look for a new place to live with cleaner air. City pollution has long been known... |
| Medicare, Medicaid Financially Doomed (NaturalNews) The economic crisis has pushed forward the looming day of bankruptcy for the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs, according to a report issued by the program's trustees. Social Security is in a similarly critical position, the... |
| MSG is Where You Least Expect It (Opinion) It is rather alarming that MSG, a known neurotoxin, is found in the most unlikely foods disguised or euphemistically labeled as innocent or yummy sounding food ingredients. Recently, through the internet, in a book called In Bad Taste... |
| Stopping to Smell the Roses Really can Relieve Stress Feeling stressed? Stop and smell the roses. Or perhaps get a good whiff of lavender, lemon, mango, mint, coriander or other fragrant plants. We`ve all heard the old adage that we should take breaks and "stop and smell the roses" to relieve... |
| Acid or Alkaline: Why Your Health Depends on It Drink your milk has been a common adage to build healthy bones, but it turns out, it's just wrong. Milk actually contributes to an acidic environment in the body, and acidic environments in the body actually create weak bones and create an... |
| FTC orders Daniel Chapter One to lie to customers about cancer remedies; ministry defends health freedom (NaturalNews) The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is at war with online retailers of nutritional supplements and natural remedies, but it recently lost a major battle: Lane Labs, which has suffered under FTC and FDA tyranny for years, recently won... |
PressTV.ir | Libyan leader wants Switzerland abolished, literally
The 67-year-old president is to come up with the proposal when his country takes over presidency of the UN General Assembly later this month.
The motion, however, contradicts with the UN principle of respect for territorial integrity.
Tripoli and Bern fell out last year when Swiss officials accused Qaddafi's son, Hannibal and his wife of assaulting the servants at a Geneva hotel. The issue was set to grow into a legal battle but the complainants withdrew their claims saying they had been compensated.
Libya subsequently expelled the Swiss diplomats in the country and suspended visas for Swiss citizens. Two Swiss businessmen have also been detained for apparently violating the ban.
Last month, Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz appeared in person in Tripoli and offered his apologies. Merz has been pressured to resign after the move which has been denounced in Switzerland as a sign of weakness.
The two sides are to task a bilateral panel with investigating the differences over last year's arrest.
Republic of Lakota | Chevron, Pollution and Misinformation - Andy Rooney Speaks Out
A fresh animation narrated by Andy Rooney, speaking truth to Chevron, phoney journalists and corporate executives concerning Ecuador and its Indigenous Population.
Ecuador, with its President, Rafael Corea, is a country at odds with itself. An amendment to the Constitution recently included the rights of the environment to exist, yet the Administration of Corea continues to push for expansion of oil and gas mining into the Ecuadorian Amazon, poisoning communities today and threatening to displace tens of thousands of Indigenous persons. The Indigenous People need and deserve our support, as they continue mobilizing communities to ensure their rights are not abused.
To find out more, visit chevroninecuador.com
http://www.chevroninecuador.com/2009/08/chevron-gets-no-love-from-andy-rooney.html
InfoWars.com | Why Won’t Healthcare Workers Take The Swine Flu Vaccine?
InfoWars.com | China Set to Buy $50 Billion in IMF Notes
InfoWars.com | Fairy Tales of Recovery, Reality of More Failures
InfoWars.com | Afghanistan for Dummies
InfoWars.com | Healthy People Taking Antibiotics May Spread Superbug Infection
StanDeyo.com | Headlines News - September 4, 2009
NKorea at 'Final Phase of Uranium Enrichment'Iran’s Nuclear March Continues
Iran Has Enough Uranium to Build at Least 2 Bombs
6 Nations May Reveal Data Concealed by ElBaradei on Iran's Nuke Progress
Iran's Defense Minister Warns Israel
Hizballah Deploys Chemical and Biological Weapons Near Israeli Border
New Threat: Hizbullah Chemical War on Israel
Report: Chemical Weapons in Hezbollah Arms Cache Blast
90 Killed in NATO Airstrike The Vote That Changed Japan Calif. Wildfires Declared Act of Arson
Time Lapse of Station Fire – video
Jimena Weakening after Plowing into Mexico
... Leaves Thousands Homeless in Baja Area
Weakened T.S. Erika Heads for PRico, Virgin Islands
CO Tornado on the Ground for 20 Minutes
Indonesia Earthquake Leaves Thousands Homeless
Costa Rica's Turrialba Volcano Acting Up
Earthquake Swarm Hits Kanlaon Volcano
Weather Warfare – video Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
California at Risk of New Stalemate Over Prisons
Broun Warns of Dictatorship
Website Says to Carry bin Laden "Present" to Muslims
Al Qaeda-Linked American Terrorist Unveiled And This is How Obama Remembers 9-11?
Dems' 9/11 Plan: Blast 'Right-Wing' Terror
40 Children Have Died of H1N1 in US
Swine Flu to Put Health Care, Economy to Test
Finger Bitten Off During California Health Protest Unemployment Jumps to 9.7%
Gold Edges Nearer $1,000
G20 to Keep Stimulus for Now
As Internet Turns 40, Barriers Threaten Its Growth
'Telepathic' Microchip Could Help Paraplegics Control Computers
SteveQuayle.com | Hot Headlines - September 4, 2009
Chinese Sovereign Wealth Fund Dumping Dollars for Strategic Investments Like Gold
Gold: Separation Before Liftoff
China and the Buzz of a Pending Bank Default
China to Buy First IMF Bonds for 50 Billion Dollars
Derivatives Contracts in China: Our Loss, Your Problem
Six Million Home Foreclosures: Are FDIC Insured Banks the Next Time Bomb? (Part 1)
Top 25 Banks by Loan Portfolio
No Pity for Citi
Mad, Mad World
States Shut Down to Save Cash
Food Aid Grows in California's Agricultural Heart
Hizballah Deploys Chemical and Biological Weapons Near Israeli Border - Arab, European Sources
Israel has Iran in Its Sights
WHO Admits to Releasing Pandemic Virus into Population via 'Mock-Up' Vaccines
CIA Counterterrorism Expert: Obama and Holder 'At War' with Agency
An Unconstitutional Internet Power Grab
Big Brother Alert: Sorry, But Obama's Planned Address to Nation's Schoolchildren is Creepy
Goals of the Illuminati and the Committee of 300
Want a Wiretap Warrant? No Problem, Court Says
Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government | 04 Sep 2009
Is the Taliban on the U.S. Gov. Payroll? --Source: Taliban takes as much as 20% of development aid awarded to contractors 03 Sep 2009 A portion of American taxpayer dollars slated for development projects in Afghanistan is alleged to end up in the hands of the Taliban, the GlobalPost reports. The United States Agency for International Development is investigating if its funds are being used by contractors to pay the Taliban for protection – from itself. GlobalPost reporter Jean MacKenzie writes, "the Taliban allegedly receives kickbacks from almost every major contract that comes into the country. The arrangements are at times highly formalized and, as GlobalPost spelled out, the Taliban actually keeps an office in Kabul to review major deals, determine percentages and conduct negotiations."
Clinton outraged by guards' sexual misconduct 03 Sep 2009 Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is "genuinely offended" by reports of misconduct by private guards mercenaries working for the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, a State Department spokesman said Thursday... ArmorGroup was awarded the $189 million security contract in March 2007 and has been repeatedly warned of performance deficiencies. [Then why does the US keep renewing their contract?]
Gates Open to Troop Increase --Meanwhile, Army Will Extend Tours In Afghanistan 04 Sep 2009 Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates indicated Thursday that he is open to increasing the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, voicing a shift in his position as the administration ponders a military assessment expected to lead to a formal request for additional forces. Gates, in a briefing at the Pentagon, also defended the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, rebutting suggestions that it is time to pull out. His remarks came just hours before the Army announced that it will extend the tours of about 3,000 soldiers in Afghanistan for between two weeks and two months amid an intensifying Taliban 'insurgency.'
Obama Urged to Rally Support for War 04 Sep 2009 The White House is facing mounting pressure from lawmakers to work harder to rally flagging public support for the war in Afghanistan. With casualties rising, the administration is struggling to persuade voters that the war can be won or is worth the human and financial costs. Afghanistan is President Barack Obama's top foreign-policy priority, but recent polls show that a majority of voters oppose the war for the first time since the conflict began eight years ago.
NATO air raid kills '100 civilians' in Afghanistan 04 Sep 2009 More than one hundred people, mostly civilians, have reportedly been killed and scores of others injured after US-led warplanes targeted fuel tankers in an area of northern Afghanistan The NATO alliance on Friday confirmed the lethal incident in Kunduz province, hinting that the air raid had targeted two fuel tankers allegedly hijacked by 'Taliban linked militants.'
UK soldier killed in Afghanistan 03 Sep 2009 A soldier from 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment has been killed in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The soldier, operating with The Light Dragoons Battle Group, died as a result of a gunshot wound on Thursday. He was shot while on a foot patrol in the Babaji district, Helmand province.
'The magnitude of these crimes demands that they be addressed immediately by the international community.' Iraq PM asks for UN inquiry into Baghdad bombings 03 Sep 2009 Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has formally asked the U.N. Security Council to launch an inquiry into a series of [Xe?] explosions that killed 95 people in Baghdad last month. More than 1,000 people were also wounded on Aug. 19, Iraq's bloodiest day this year, when at least six blasts struck near government ministries and other targets. In an Aug. 30 letter forwarded to the Security Council on Thursday by the office of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Maliki asked for an independent international commission of inquiry to be set up.
Two U.S. soldiers die in vehicle accident in Iraq 03 Sep 2009 Two U.S. soldiers died and five injured in a vehicle accident in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said on Thursday. The two soldiers, assigned to Multi-National Division-North, were killed on Wednesday in a vehicle roll-over accident in the province of Diyala, a military statement said without giving further details.
Israeli tanks invade Gaza, meet resistance 03 Sep 2009 Israeli tanks and bulldozers have invaded the eastern border areas of the Gaza Strip, destroying cultivated agricultural Palestinian land. Palestinian fighters retaliated by firing home-made shells at the invading forces. No injuries were reported from either side in the Thursday attack, the International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC) reported.
Hold on to your hats! Minot AFB Activates B52 Squadron 03 Sep 2009 This will make the most powerful base in the world, stronger. That's how the commander of a new squadron of B-52 bombers describes Minot Air Force Base. Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Notari made the comments today as he assumed command of the newly-reactivated 69th Bomb Squadron at Minot's base. The addition of the 69th gives Minot Air Force Base two active B-52 squadrons. The commander of the 8th Air Force says having four B-52 squadrons - two in Minot and two at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana - gives him more flexibility in carrying out the bombers' mission. And it will keep the bomber active for decades.
Obama to spend another $2.7 bln to fight H1N1 02 Sep 2009 The Obama administration will spend an additional $2.7 billion to buy swine flu drugs and vaccines, just days after White House science advisers called the pandemic "a serious threat to our nation." The money is on top of $1.8 billion the administration earmarked in July for tackling the virus. Obama said the $2.7 billion would go toward buying new vaccines, antiviral drugs and preparing for a vaccination [propaganda] campaign. [The 'serious threat to our nation' is the bioterrorists who synthesized the virus and the pharma-terrorists (one and the same) who are profiting from it. --LRP]
UI Health Care makes flu shots mandatory 02 Sep 2009 (IA) Flu shots are no longer optional for anyone associated with UI Health Care: It is a condition of employment. "People who do not comply will not be eligible to continue their positions at UI Health Care," said UI spokesman Tom Moore. Staff members were notified about the policy change in an e-mail sent early Tuesday morning.
Swine Flu Vaccinations May Be Delayed by U.S. Ingredient Choice 03 Sep 2009 The U.S. decision to use a swine flu vaccine without an ingredient that boosts response may mean shots will require two doses instead of one to grant immunity, health officials said. A two-dose vaccine is more likely to be required by a vaccine that doesn’t include adjuvant, an ingredient added to some shots to boost the immune response, said Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease 'Control and Prevention' in a conference call in Atlanta.
Md. Gov. Calls Seasonal Flu Shots a 'Patriotic Duty' --Health Sec'y likened Maryland's share of upcoming mass swine-flu vaccination campaign to a 'military operation' 02 Sep 2009 Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D-Insane) on Wednesday said it was residents' "patriotic duty" to get seasonal flu shots in coming weeks to make it easier for health officials to determine if outbreaks are related to H1N1, or swine flu. "You'll be doing your patriotic duty to get your seasonal flu shot this year," O'Malley said. John M. Colmers, secretary of Health & Mental Hygiene, likened Maryland's share of the upcoming mass swine-flu vaccination campaign to a "military operation," and said much remains unknown about exactly how the state will carry it out. [Petition against mandatory vaccines - 4400 signatures]
H1N1 flu hits State Fair; 120 kids sent home 03 Sep 2009 The H1N1 flu has hit the Minnesota State Fair, prompting 4-H officials to send about 120 children home after four tested positive for the disease. The four cases were detected "during the past 40 hours," prompting program officials to call parents this morning telling them to pick up their kids, said 4-H superintendent Brad Rugg.
Training Officers On Counter-Terrorism --100 officers from Eastern District of Arkansas expected to attend 03 Sep 2009 The Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council is sponsoring a training for law enforcement personnel on Defending Our Homeland: Defeating the Global Jihad Threat. David Harel, from the security consulting company, ASERO, will conduct the presentation at the Jacksonville Community Center Thursday. Harel has over 23 years of worldwide operational counter-terrorism and protective security experience with the Israeli Security Agency and Israeli Defense Force.
Pay cuts we can believe in: Obama cuts pay raise for federal workers By Tom Eley 03 Sep 2009 Invoking the state of "national emergency" declared soon after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, President Barack Obama on Monday issued a letter to congress reducing statutory 2010 pay increases for 1.3 million workers employed by the federal government. Obama reduced scheduled pay increases to 2 percent across-the-board from a contractually-required minimum increase of 2.4 percent... Adding gratuitous insult to injury, Obama copied, virtually verbatim, an order issued in the name of George W. Bush in 2007 blocking pay increases for federal workers in 2008.
Planned Obama speech to students sparks protest 04 Sep 2009 Some schools won't show President Obama's online speech to the nation's students Tuesday because of the objections of [racist] administrators and parents. Independence, Mo., School District Superintendent Jim Hinson says he's gotten "more calls than we've ever had on an issue," some from parents who will keep their children home Tuesday.
Broun warns of dictatorship 03 Sep 2009 (GA) U.S. Rep. Paul Broun is again raising the specter of Democrats turning the United States into a totalitarian state. Broun, [R-Fascist]Athens, apparently has not changed his belief that President Obama may be a fascist since he made similar remarks in Augusta in November and then in an Associated Press interview. He told a meeting of the Morgan County Republicans on Wednesday night that Obama already has or will have the three things he needs to make himself a dictator: a national police force, gun control and control over the press.
Inhofe blasts Obama at Grove town hall 02 Sep 2009 Right-thinking Americans can only hope the country will survive the next 16 months of the Obama administration until Republicans can regain control of Congress, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe [R-Racist] said Wednesday. "I never dreamed I would see an administration try to disavow all the things that have made this country different from all others," Inhofe told more than 300 people at a town hall meeting in the Grove Community Center. "I have never seen so many things happening at one time so disheartening to America."
Tempe pastor reiterates wish for President Obama's death 01 Sep 2009 The United State Secret Service is speaking out about an East Valley pastor who is praying for President Barack Obama's death. Spokesperson Darrin Blackford said Monday, "We are aware of Pastor Anderson's comments and an appropriate follow up will be conducted." Parishioners leaving the Faithful Word Baptist Church Sunday carried not just their Bibles, but guns as well. On August 16th, Pastor Steven Anderson delivered a sermon titled "Why I Hate Barack Obama."
The Secret's Over and Out: Bush Chemical Exposure Rule Killed By Mike Hall 02 Sep 2009 The Bush administration’s clandestine move to loosen the rules on how much toxin or dangerous chemicals to which workers can be exposed--and to make it more difficult to issue new worker protection rules--is now officially dead. The U.S. Department of Labor announced this week that the proposed rule was unnecessary and withdrew it. The rule came to be known as the secret rule because of the Bush administration’s attempt to keep it off the public’s and media’s radar screen last year.
Quick action! Help Stop the International Polar Bear Trade 03 Sep 2009 In some countries, collectors can still buy polar bear skin rugs, claws, skulls and other parts of these animals -- even as these beloved bears struggle for survival in a warming world. The U.S. can strengthen protections for polar bears under international law by proposing to restrict trade in polar bear products -- a move that could save the lives of hundreds of polar bears each year. But officials need to hear from you. Take action now -- Urge the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to propose an international ban on the trade of polar bear products. Please take action today -- the deadline for comments is Friday, 11 September.
Fall colors fade in U.S. west as aspen trees die 03 Sep 2009 The American West is losing its autumn colors as global warming begins to bite and there is far more at stake than iconic scenery. Aspen, the white-barked trees with golden leaves that gave their name to the famed Colorado ski resort, have been dying off across the Rocky Mountain states. The die-off is puzzling but some foresters point to climate change.
Previous lead stories: CIA in human experimentation row --Watchdog says US interrogation doctors may have committed unlawful experimentation 02 Sep 2009 Doctors and psychologists the CIA employed to monitor its "enhanced interrogation" of terror suspects came close to, and may even have committed, unlawful human experimentation, a medical ethics watchdog has alleged. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), a not-for-profit group that has investigated the role of medical personnel in alleged incidents of torture at Guantánamo, Abu Ghraib, Bagram and other US detention sites, accuses doctors of being far more involved than hitherto understood. PHR says health professionals participated at every stage in the development, implementation and legal justification of what it calls the CIA's secret "torture programme".
Killers-for-hire we can believe in: Obama to increase use of mercenaries in Afghanistan --Support units will be replaced by up to 14,000 'trigger-pullers,' and noncombat posts will be contracted out, Defense officials say. 02 Sep 2009 U.S. officials are planning to add as many as 14,000 combat troops to the American force in Afghanistan by sending home support units and replacing them with "trigger-pullers," Defense officials say. Many of the noncombat jobs are likely be filled by private contractors terrorists, who have proved to be a source of controversy in Iraq and a growing issue in Afghanistan.
AFP | NATO chief pledges probe into Afghan air raid
Related:
Reuters | Afghanistan tribal elder: Taliban fighters had hijacked 2 tankers and were offering fuel to a crowd of villagers when bombed by NATO forces - 80 dead.
PressTV.ir | Japan MPs (Members of Parliament) vow to oust US forces
Newly elected Japanese legislators from Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) have promised to press for the removal of US military units from the southern island of Okinawa.
Related:
George Ure's UrbanSurival.com | Unemployment Hits 9.7% - Now here's the grim of this Grimm statistical fairytale
North Korea's announcement that it's in what's headlined as the 'last stages of uranium enrichment' has me convinced we don't have to worry about peace breaking out globally any time soon.
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However a genuinely skeptical person would probably ask an important question here: "Why the hell would they say anything about it?"
I mean check this out: If I were going to build an atomic bomb for possible future use, would I go blabbing out it? That's almost like getting spray paint out and pointing a big targeting circle and a sign "Bomb Here".
Something about this doesn't make sense. Take Israel: They've built about 300 nuclear weapons at their Dimona facility. Do they ever talk about how many they have? No. Best guesses? 250-300.
READ MORE...
Joyce Riley's THE POWER HOUR NEWS - September 4, 2009
White House Seeks to Capture and Archive Citizens’ Comments on its Facebook, YouTube, MySpace Sites -- The Executive Office of the President is looking for a private contractor to capture and archive comments and information posted on social networking and new media sites where the White House has established a presence.
VA won't pay benefits to Marine injured by vaccine -- The VA was unable to say how many claims have been rejected because of vaccine-related injuries. "It's for traumatic injury, not disease; not illness; not preventive medicine," said Stephen Wurtz, deputy assistant director for insurance at the VA. "It has nothing to do with not believing these people deserve some compensation for their losses." Read more of the article...
The Voice of a New Generation of Veterans -- After Serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, White House Aide Tackles Policy Challenges.
Rhode Island governor: State to lay off 1,000 workers -- Gov. Don Carcieri said Thursday that he will lay off 1,000 state workers after a judge issued a last-minute ruling blocking him from shutting down the government for a day to save money.
FTC warns Daniel Chapter One to lie about cancer remedies -- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is at war with online retailers of nutritional supplements and natural remedies, but it recently lost a major battle: Lane Labs, which has suffered under FTC and FDA tyranny for years, recently won a significant battle against the corrupt agency. After the FTC tried to sue Lane Labs for $24 million, claiming "contempt of court" for the company telling the truth about the efficacy of its products, a federal judge ruled against the FTC, explaining that Lane Labs was telling the scientifically-validated truth about its products when it described their health benefits.
Neurologists urged to watch for swine flu vaccine side effect -- The last time the United States had a swine flu scare, mass vaccinations led to an even bigger worry that the injections might have caused a few dozen cases of a rare disease called Guillain-Barre syndrome, which paralyzes parts of the nervous system, usually temporarily.
Swine, bird flu causes similar lung damage -- The lungs of people who have died from swine flu look more like those of the victims of H5N1 avian influenza than those of people who succumb to regular flu, the chief of infectious diseases pathology at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says.
Swine flu deaths estimates scaled down -- The government has down-scaled the potential threat from swine flu, based on new scientific advice. The 65,000 figure assumed a mortality of 0.35% or three and a half in every 1,000 people infected, and that 30% of the UK population would get infected.
Feds engage media on pandemic vaccine communication -- In advance of the expected pandemic H1N1 vaccination campaign this fall, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) yesterday invited the media to join federal officials in a tabletop exercise to prepare for some possible communications challenges.
Flu season & the CDC media partnership by Dr Sherry Tenpenny -- As predictable as the return of yellow school buses and fall foliage, the arrival
of fall also brings the escalating chatter about the approaching flu season. This year, the risk of an impending pandemic adds to the usual push to get everyone vaccinated with both the annual flu shot and the new, experimental swine flu vaccine. Read More...
Flu vaccine & the risk of cancer (also by Dr Sherry Tenpenny) -- Clinical trials will be short – less than three weeks – and the potential for
the addition of toxic oil-in-water, adjuvants to be added at the last minute to stretch the vaccine supply is disconcerting. However, the problems with flu shots go beyond current concerns. The new manufacturing process for flu shots, called cell-line technologies, are as of yet little know and have the potential for serious long term consequences.
FDA bans natural thyroid products -- We have learned that Time-Cap Labs, producer of a generic version of the brand name drug Armour, a natural and bioidentical thyroid replacement, has been ordered by the FDA to stop production.
Washington Supreme Court protects innocent owners from car seizure -- Washington State Supreme Court rules that vehicles may not be seized from owners who have not committed any crime.
Oppose Obamacare? You are a right wing terrorist -- According to an "Organizing for America" campaign document unveiled by the Heritage Foundation the plan involves having activists telephone their "State Senators" on Sept. 11, 2009, to demand a "public option" which essentially would involve a government-funded and government-run monopoly on health care.
Diebold sells off Elections division to competitor -- Diebold, maker of touch-screen voting systems that have brought controversy after controversy upon the company, said Thursday that it will sell off most of it’s elections-related business, calling it a losing investment and a persistent “distraction.”
China pushes gold & silver investment to the masses -- A report suggests that the Chinese government is pushing the general public into buying gold and silver bullion, which could have a dramatic effect on the markets.
Health care reform means more power for the IRS (this is very scary) -- In short, health care reform, as currently envisioned by Democratic leaders, would be built on the foundation of an expanded and more intrusive IRS.
US Congressman warns of dictatorship -- U.S. Rep. Paul Broun (R-Athens, GA) told a meeting of the Morgan County Republicans on Wednesday night that Obama already has or will have the three things he needs to make himself a dictator: a national police force, gun control and control over the press.
Class action lawsuit filed over mass arrests at RNC in Minnesota -- The city has admitted that people were arrested preemptively in this park,” said attorney Robert Kolstad at a press conference held on the site of the mass arrest today. “They arrested them because they were afraid of what they might do in the future, which is a dangerous path for our government to take.
The Obama I pledge video
President Obama’s Address to Students Across America September 8, 2009
Governor Balducci proclaims civil emergency over H1N1 -- Gov. John Baldacci on Tuesday declared a statewide civil emergency because of the H1N1 influenza virus, paving the way for mass immunization of Maine schoolchildren and other residents.
Maine under martial law: governor proclaims civil emergency over swine flu pandemic. WHO & Rockefeller take charge -- Maine Governor John Baldacci on September 1st signed a civil emergency decree over the "swine flu" that officially moves the state of Maine from civil to martial law with WHO and the UN having primary control.
First swine flu vaccine trial reveals strong immune response in one dose -- Results from the first swine-flu vaccine trials taking place in Leicester reveal a strong immune response after just one dose.
Single flu dose or two? Why doctors aren't sure -- Why do scientists warn it may take two doses of vaccine to protect against swine flu when one dose is the norm in a regular flu season? Blame your naive immune system.
Why health care workers won't take the swine flu vaccine -- Can vaccinations actually fuel pandemics? According to a study released August 26, 2009 by the British Medical Journal, more than half of Hong Kong's healthcare workers surveyed said they would refuse the H1N1 shot, which is not yet available, because they are afraid of side effects and doubt how safe and effective it will be.
Food stamp list soars past 35 million: USDA -- More than 35 million Americans received food stamps in June, up 22 percent from June 2008 and a new record as the country continued to grapple with the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Disaster preparedness - Principles of Self Sufficiency
Gmail may hand over IP addresses of journalists -- A California court has issued a subpoena demanding Google reveal the IP addresses of journalists writing for a corruption busting journal from the Caribbean.
Bank of America asks armless man for thumbprint, deny to cash check -- What seemed to be a very simple task and almost a daily routine, an American armless man was denied cashing a check because he could not provide a thumbprint scan.
Town seethes after cops shock 76 year old in parade -- Police use Taser on 76-year-old in a dispute about where to end parade procession.
Scared by 'frankenfoods"? Just wait for "nanofoods" -- If you thought genetically modified food stirred controversy, just wait for "nanofoods."
Artificial sweeteners help you gain weight -- Artificial sweeteners do nothing to help weight loss and could actually cause us to pile on the pounds, scientists say. Our bodies are unable to distinguish between the calorie-free sugar substitutes widely used in the food industry and the real thing, research suggests.