Saturday, October 10, 2009


Philippine flooding from Tropical Storm Parma
AFP/Getty Images photo by Ted Aljibe / October 10, 2009)

Residents wade through a flooded street in Dagupan City, in the northern Philippine province of Pangasinan on October 10, 2009. Floodwaters from Tropical Storm Parma have receded in much of the northern Philippines but the toll rose to 299 confirmed dead in landslides and flooding, officials said. This brings the death toll from two weeks of killer storms to at least 636 Tith about 301,000 still crammed into makeshift evacuation centers since Tropical Storm Ketsana struck two weeks ago, the civil defense office said.
Russian protest
(AFP/Getty Images photo by Dmitry Kostyukov / October 10, 2009)
A Russian political opposition activist waves a flare at a protest in Moscow on October 10, 2009. A few hundred protestors participated in the "Day of People's Rage" to express their anger at the current political situation in the country.

Real-time Magnetosphere Simulation | Saturday night and our planet's magnetosphere - October 10, 2009 7:30pm CDT


Reason.com | Geithner's Old Boy Network Doesn't Extend West of the Appalachians

John Carney notes that Geithner's list of BFFs doesn't include some of the biggest players in the field, including Wells Fargo. There's also an interesting though imperfect geographical overlap, where your chances of being a FOG increase the closer your headquarters is to New York. More specifically, the more you suck up to Number One TurboTax Recession Warrior, the more power you will have over the taxpayers....

NewsBlaze.com | Top Stories - October 10, 2009

The Chinese American Museum Partners With Academy Award®-Nominated Filmmaker Arthur Dong on a Groundbreaking Exhibition About Hollywood's Forgotten Past

His Holiness the Dalai Lama sent a letter of congratulations to President Obama today on being named the recipient of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

The establishment of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture was announced October 8 by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and White House Science Advisor John Holdren.

Oh, man. Doing a great job, doing a great job. Thank you very much, Paul. And again, let's give him a big hand for being such a great leader and helping us, pulling everyone together. Thank you very much, Paul, for the great work that you are doing

Within 11 days of entering the White House, it was decided that Obama should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, even though there were some 200 candidates potentially more deserving for this honour.

British actor Clive Owen reconsidered his career choices a few years ago when an outspoken Scottish taxi driver branded him a liar.

Sharon Stone was so desperate to impress 'Casino' director Martin Scorsese she didn't eat for a week.

Kristen Bell has denied her 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' co-star Russell Brand is a lothario, insisting he is respectful to women.

Keira Knightley has signed up to star in a new production of Moliere's 17th century comedy 'The Misanthrope' in London's West End.

Ozzy Osbourne is keen for his autobiography, 'I Am Ozzy', to be turned into a film with Johnny Depp playing him.

If someone asked you if you were happily married, what would you say? Would you have to think about it? You just might, if you read Improve Your Marriage - Don't Overlook the Obvious, by Russell A. Irving.

Assistant Secretary Blake Discusses the Humanitarian Situation and Prospects for Political Reconciliation in Sri Lanka with Sri Lankan-American Community Representatives

Eileen 'The Hawaiian Mongoose ' Olszewski, the current and reigning WIBA Flyweight Champion has recovered from some nagging injuries and is ready and willing to defend her WIBA World Flyweight.

The auction is being held to raise funds for Lenny's House, *a non-profit recovery house for women healing from drug and alcohol addictions.

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Kentucky.com | Weather service confirms three tornadoes hit Kentucky

... The National Weather Service confirmed Saturday that three tornadoes touched down when a storm system moved through Kentucky Friday. ...

RELATED:

Tornado Tears Through Tennessee
WHNT
The National Weather Service says an EF1 tornado hit Lincoln County. The NWS says wind speeds in Lincoln County peaked at 100 miles per hour. ...

TheTriangle.org | Philadelphia: New casino town

Issue date: 10/9/09 - Despite renovations over the last 10 years within college campuses and shopping districts, Philadelphia today is very much the same city of my childhood. Poverty is still prevalent but tucked away-crouching on bridges and dark corners of parking garages. Violence and dealing remain a reality, but only for those who inhabit its arteries, from 52nd and Market to Bridge and Hawthorne. Philadelphia's legislature, like most, tends to consider a fresh coat of paint as a panacea for its city's problems. Today, with the budget crisis and many local establishments on the chopping block, our municipality has converged to one solution: a casino.....

Telegraph.co.uk | Huge profits put Goldman on track for pay bonanza

Goldman will lead a series of bank results that defy the recession. JP Morgan, Citigroup and Bank of America are also set to unveil bumper results this week which could also convert to big payouts...

Guardian.co.uk | David de Rothschild is about to sail a 60ft plastic catamaran, kept afloat with 12,500 empty bottles, across the Pacific

David de Rothschild on the Plastiki, in San Francisco. The 60ft catamaran is made of recyclable plastic. Photograph: Barry J Holmes

An unlikely heir to his banking family fortune – he is the son of Sir Evelyn – de Rothschild appears at first sight to be in the great British tradition of Ripping Yarns adventurers (with a slacker twist): vaguely distracted, carefully dishevelled, unflappably amused. Past expeditions have taken him to both Poles on foot and deep into various jungles, but he resists the idea of himself as part of the "only just survived" school of exploration.

FULL STORY

Blue Springs, MO shortage leads to Salvation Army pantry closing - With more than a month before bell ringers start, officials say situation is ‘dire’

OathKeepers.org | Active Duty Troops In Iraq Are Wearing Oath Keeper Tabs: “… what we are wearing while over here in Iraq”


Full Story






Rense.com | 3-D Chalk Drawings On Flat Cement Surface - Wow





See more>>>>

UPI | 17 year old Eagle Scout, honor student, honored for saving a woman's life - receives 20 day suspension for a pocket knife in his car

Published: Oct. 10, 2009 at 3:07 PM

LANSINGBURGH, N.Y., Oct. 10 (UPI) -- A 17-year-old Eagle Scout in Lansingburgh, N.Y., says he was suspended from school for a knife he kept in his car for emergency situations.

Lansingburgh Senior High School student Matthew Whalen said he was suspended for 20 days under the school district's Codes of Conduct when school officials learned of the 2-inch pocket knife in his car, WTEN-TV in Albany, N.Y., reported Thursday.

"My car is designed in a way that if I ever broke down, I'd be OK," Whalen said.

The school suspension last month is a rare negative mark against Whalen, who has completed Army basic training as part of his goal of attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Whalen is also on the honor roll and was recognized by the Boy Scouts of America and the city of Troy for saving a woman's life last summer.

Whalen's father, Bryan, told WTEN he was upset to learn of his son's punishment.

"I want him to have fair treatment based on his character," the elder Whalen said. "It just totally baffles me that they would go after this when they have much bigger fish to fry."

RELATED:

Soldier suspended from school

WTEN - Mark O'Brien - ‎Oct 8, 2009‎
He's an Eagle Scout, on the honor roll, taking Advanced Placement classes, and never been in trouble with the law. He's received commendations from the City ...

Devvy Kidd - NewsWithViews.com | BOMB IRAN NOW BECAUSE...UH, WHAT'S THE REASON?

Telegraph.co.uk | Jordan to refill shrinking Dead Sea with salt water despite concerns from environmentalists about threat to its unique eco-system

Earthquakes hit 8mi ESE of Harrisville, New York and 4mi SSE of Philadelphia, Tennessee - October 10, 2009

    MAG    DATE    LOCAL-TIME  LAT     LON    DEPTH    LOCATION
y/m/d h:m:s deg deg km
map 2.4  2009/10/10 16:49:52 44.091N 75.189W  8.0   13 km ( 8 mi) ESE of Harrisville, NY
map 1.2 2009/10/10 02:00:41 35.629N 84.384W 21.6 6 km ( 4 mi) SSE of Philadelphia, TN
map 1.9 2009/10/09 23:01:56 34.492N 85.334W 6.1 2 km ( 1 mi) NE of Summerville, GA
map 1.8 2009/10/07 22:59:48 36.489N 89.561W 9.5 11 km ( 7 mi) SSW of New Madrid, MO
map 1.8 2009/10/06 08:17:33 36.482N 89.542W 6.8 12 km ( 7 mi) S of New Madrid, MO
map 1.7 2009/10/06 02:07:52 37.711N 78.040W 3.5 14 km ( 9 mi) ESE of Columbia, VA
map 0.9 2009/10/06 02:01:38 36.294N 89.525W 8.6 5 km ( 3 mi) NW of Ridgely, TN
map 1.9 2009/10/05 19:12:08 36.347N 89.501W 5.3 4 km ( 3 mi) SW of Tiptonville, TN
map 2.5 2009/10/05 13:11:36 36.346N 89.500W 5.0 4 km ( 3 mi) SW of Tiptonville, TN
map 1.5 2009/10/05 10:39:07 36.346N 89.501W 5.0 4 km ( 3 mi) SW of Tiptonville, TN

MarketOracle.co.uk | Fractional Reserve Banking System Basis of Bankster Fraud

Oct 10, 2009 - 02:52 PM

The heart of the modern monetary system is fractional reserve banking. This system is based on fraud. At the very heart of the modern economy is fraud – fraud on a gigantic scale.

What is the nature of this fraud? Counterfeiting. Banks are government-licensed institutions that issue bogus IOUs. Because these IOUs function as money, they are counterfeit money. This is the heart, mind, and soul of all modern banking.

There is only one textbook in money and banking that states explicitly that all fractional reserve banking rests on fraud: Murray Rothbard's The Mystery of Banking. It is not used in any university. It never has been. It was published in 1983. It went out of print almost immediately. It is on-line here.

Rothbard takes the reader through the traditional T-account exercise that is common to all upper-division textbooks in money and banking. Unlike all the others, his book shows how the process of making deposits and lending the money involves counterfeiting whenever the depositor has the legal right to withdraw his money on demand.

This is not the same as a life insurance contract in which you can borrow against your built-up reserves. The company treats the policy-holder as it would treat another borrower. It raises money to make the loan.

The withdraw-on-demand banking process has the same effect as counterfeiting gold and silver coins by adding base metals (pp. 48–51). It has the same effect as issuing paper money that has no backing in gold or silver (pp. 51–55). It has the same effect as issuing warehouse receipts for goods stored for which there are no goods stored (pp. 88–90).

The banking system issues multiple IOUs to depositors and borrowers, yet these IOUs are based on the same initial deposits. Traditional textbooks describe this process, but they refuse to identify the process as counterfeiting. They also refuse to mention that this process of monetary inflation is the sole basis of all booms and busts: the business cycle. This was Ludwig von Mises' insight as far back as 1912 in his book, The Theory of Money and Credit.

Rothbard makes it clear why fractional reserve banking is fraudulent. This is why no professor assigns his book to his classes.

The irresistible temptation now emerges for the goldsmith or other deposit banker to commit fraud and inflation: to engage, in short, in fractional reserve banking, where total cash reserves are lower, by some fraction, than the warehouse receipts outstanding. It is unlikely that the banker will simply abstract the gold and use it for his own consumption; there is then no likelihood of ever getting the money should depositors ask to redeem it, and this act would run the risk of being considered embezzlement. Instead, the banker will either lend out the gold, or far more likely, will issue fake warehouse receipts for gold and lend them out, eventually getting repaid the principal plus interest.

In short, the deposit banker has suddenly become a loan banker; the difference is that he is not taking his own savings or borrowing in order to lend to consumers or investors. Instead he is taking someone else's money and lending it out at the same time that the depositor thinks his money is still available for him to redeem. Or rather, and even worse, the banker issues fake warehouse receipts and lends them out as if they were real warehouse receipts represented by cash. At the same time, the original depositor thinks that his warehouse receipts are represented by money available at any time he wishes to cash them in. Here we have the system of fractional reserve banking, in which more than one warehouse receipt is backed by the same amount of gold or other cash in the bank's vaults.

It should be clear that modern fractional reserve banking is a shell game, a Ponzi scheme, a fraud in which fake warehouse receipts are issued and circulate as equivalent to the cash supposedly represented by the receipts (pp. 96–97).

Modern economists do not acknowledge that fractional reserve banking is a gigantic system of counterfeiting. They do not apply the same analysis to fractional reserve banking that they would apply to counterfeiting if they discussed counterfeiting. They rarely discuss counterfeiting. This is because they know that bright students can make the analytical connection. The students will be tempted to conclude what is in fact the case, namely, that fractional reserve banking is a form of counterfeiting.

BORROWED SHORT AND LENT LONG

The banker offers a deal to holders of currency. (Prior to 1914 in Europe and prior to 1933 in the United States, the public held gold coins.) Here is the offer.

FULL STORY

Telegraph.co.uk | Lord Mandelson and Nat Rothschild share Brazilian ambitions

When Lord Mandelson pays tribute to President Lula of Brazil at the Banqueting House in Whitehall on Bonfire Night, his Brazilian-born boyfriend, Reinaldo da Silva, will not be the only one hoping for friendships to sparkle. The Business Secretary's holiday host Nat Rothschild has decided to expand massively his interests in Brazil.

Published: 10:56PM BST 10 Oct 2009

Lord Rothschild's heir has invested £75 million in BR Properties to take advantage of Brazil's booming economy.

Nat, from whose villa in Corfu Peter Mandelson reportedly ran Britain while Gordon Brown was on holiday in August, is expected to take a seat on the board of BR Properties. His father is the chairman of the RIT Capital investment group, which is also taking a minority stake in the company.

Nat's previous property interests centred on Montenegro, where he is investing with another of Mandelson's chums, Oleg Deripaska, the controversial Russian oligarch.

Mandelson's relationship with Nat became a major talking point when Mandrake disclosed last year that the former European trade commissioner had, while staying with Nat in Corfu, been entertained aboard the yacht of Deripaska, an aluminium tycoon, whose businesses benefited from tariffs the commission set.

Nat, who is the co-chairman of the hedge fund Atticus Capital, has been linked to the son of the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gaddafi. In 2009, Saif threw his 37th birthday party at the Splendid Hotel in Becici, Montenegro.

NaturalNews.com | Today's Featured Stories - October 10, 2009

CSPI "top 10 risky foods" list gets it wrong: We need more leafy greens, not less
(NaturalNews) This week, the CSPI released a "risky foods" list aiming to reveal the top ten riskiest foods responsible for most food-borne illnesses. Number one on the list is "leafy greens." Does this mean people should stop eating leafy greens? Of...

Spirulina helps treat anemia
(NaturalNews) Many people don't know this, but spirulina is an outstanding dietary aid to help prevent (or reverse) anemia. What follows is a compilation of expert quotations on precisely this topic, cited from some of the most authoritative books and...

Bogus Science: Medical "Fact" About Aging Brains Shrinking is Wrong
(NaturalNews) As people age, the chance of dementia rises. The most dreaded form of this memory robbing condition is Alzheimer's disease (AD). Already the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S., the incidence of Alzheimer's is expected to soar as...

Top Five Herbs that Promote Kidney Health
While many herbs are popular for liver and colon health, the best herbs for kidney maintenance are not as well known in Western medicine. Those suffering nausea, loss of appetite, stunted growth, dry skin, sleep disorders, concentration problems...

Asthma Caused by Deficiency in Vitamins
(NaturalNews) Low vitamin intake may increase the risk and severity of asthma, according to a study conducted by researchers from Nottingham University and published in the journal Thorax. "Our findings indicate that low levels of vitamin C...

USDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Sugar Beets Ruled Unlawful by Federal Court
On September 21, a California federal district court found that the USDA's 2004 approval of Monsanto's genetically engineered "Roundup Ready" sugar beets was unlawful. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) deregulated...

Troubled Teens: Thirteen Percent Eat Recommended Amount of Fruits and Veggies
As any parent will tell you, life for the average teen is a juggling act. They do their best to juggle their jumble of tasks, but almost inevitably, something gets neglected. And for the overwhelming majority of teens living in the U.S. today...

Epidemic of Fever Phobia: The Facts on Why Fever is Your Friend
Health and medical journalists are not presently providing the public with what might be the most important health advice that they should be given during the flu season: people with the flu should avoid taking fever-reducing drugs, such...

Urgent lawsuit filed against FDA to halt swine flu vaccines; claims FDA violated federal law
(NaturalNews) Health freedom attorney Jim Turner is filing a lawsuit in Washington D.C. mid-day Friday in an urgent effort to halt the distribution of the swine flu vaccine in America. On behalf of plaintiffs Dr. Gary Null and other licensed health care...

Webster Tarpley | World Crisis Radio Program - October 10, 2009 MP3s

October 10, 2009 (hour 1)
October 10, 2009 (hour 2)

How mercury kills brain neurons - University of Calgary (video)

This video is from the university of Calgary. It shows how mercury kills brain neurons. Using live brain cultures, the mercury is introduced and the video shows how autism occurs.. Autism is mercury poisoning.


Kogelo, Kenya | Obama's step-grandmother Mama Sarah says she is happy he won the Nobel Peace Prize (video)


Click to view video on news website:

Big crowd gathered for Tucson 'Tea Party' today - expected up to 10,000 people



October 10, 2009 - The parking lot of Tucson Electric Park filled quickly Saturday morning with Tucsonans eager to take part in The Tucson Tea Party.

Organizers said they expected up to 10,000 people to descend on Tucson Electric Park for the rally to demand less government. Long lines of cars and a healthy crown of tailgaters Saturday morning made it clear organizers could get as large a turnout as they had predicted.

“We’re normal, non-racist everyday Tucsonans who are very concerned about the direction our government is going, ” said Chris Bubany, a small business owner who was serving chile relleno and peanut butter cookies while tailgating Saturday morning. “It helps to know other Americans are very concerned as well, that it’s not just me.”

T-shirts, with slogans like, “I am the mob,” were being sold, and a petition to recall Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was being circulated.

Organizers say they have heard from people all over the state who are angry about unsustainable spending and government’s encroaching role in the private lives of citizens, and who plan to carpool or rent charter buses to come from such places as Sierra Vista, Phoenix and Flagstaff.

The free event, started with tailgating at 8 a.m.. It features a meet-and-greet with political candidates running for seats from City Council to Congress. Speakers will follow from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Judge Andrew Napolitano, an author and senior judicial analyst on the FOX News Channel, as well as a regular guest on the Glenn Beck program, will be the featured speaker. Other speakers include Barry Goldwater Jr., former Arizona Congressman J.D. Hayworth and local talk radio host Jim Parisi.

The organization, registered as a non-profit political organization, is also soliciting donations to support future events, both in the upcoming city general election, as well as the bigger statewide general election next year. It is renting guest suites, at $4,000 for the suite or $500 for a single person, for a chance to mingle with the speakers.

AP | Former Marine becomes face of new Vieques battle - the small Puerto Rican island where the young US Marine guarded Cold War era chemical weapons

"Maybe I am continuously still a test," Marrero said. "How long will a soldier last after being exposed to poison?"......

BusinessInsider.com | Our Debt Will Kill Us

AP | Pollution an enduring legacy at old ICBM sites - groundwater pollution from chemicals used to clean and maintain the weapons

THE DYNAMICS OF THE GOLD & SILVER MARKETS?….EXPLOSIVE!

This basic scam is at the center of modern gold market manipulation. Paper substitutes for gold are sold instead of real gold through derivatives, futures, pooled accounts, ETF’s, gold certificates etc. I estimate that each actual physical ounce of gold has been effectively sold 20 times over or more. To be able to maintain this Ponzi scheme some real gold is required because some investors or jewelers demand real gold. For the scam to be sustained there must always be plentiful physical gold for those who want it. This physical supply has been met from mine supply and central bank leasing and selling. The market is in effect a giant inverted pyramid with a huge paper gold market being supported above a small amount of physical gold at the tip of the inverted pyramid. The scam can continue until there are indications of a shortage of physical gold. If the twenty or so claimants of each oz of real gold demand their gold then there is the potential for a squeeze like has never been seen before in history..........

U.S. Senate hears of dangers that 1092nd Engineers were subjected to carcinogenic chemical sodium dichromate

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Members of the West Virginia National Guard who were exposed to a highly toxic chemical in Iraq in 2003 will receive special medical monitoring, the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs pledged Thursday.

Sec. Eric Shinseki's assurance came in a letter to U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller in response to the West Virginia Democrat's concerns about the long-term health ramifications for soldiers who were exposed to the carcinogenic chemical sodium dichromate.

Members of the 1092nd Engineer Battalion, as well as National Guard units from Indiana and Oregon, helped guard the Qarmat Ali water plant near Basra in 2003. Civilian contractors employed by KBR Inc., a former Halliburton subsidiary, were repairing the facility, which helped provide the pressure needed to extract oil from the ground.

Bags of the toxic chemical were ripped open at the plant, and the desert wind scattered orange dust all over the facility, Russell Powell, a Moundsville resident who served as the 1092nd's medic, told members of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs on Thursday at a hearing on various exposures to military personnel.

Read more: http://wvgazette.com/News/200910080954

Geology.com | Headlines - October 10, 2009

The Largest Polar Ice Survey

Posted: 09 Oct 2009 08:14 PM PDT

Next week NASA will be starting the first of 17 flights over the Antarctic to collect data on how Antarctic ice is changing.

Solar Decathlon on the National Mall

Posted: 09 Oct 2009 08:08 PM PDT

University teams from around the world are working at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in a contest to build the best solar-powered home. Some of the teams have spent up to two years preparing their best designs for this event.

Video: Flooding and Landslides in the Philippines

Posted: 09 Oct 2009 08:02 PM PDT

This CNN video reports on recent landslides and flooding in the Philippines. Some of the flooding was triggered when water was released from dams that were about to be overtopped. Embedded video from CNN Video

Tsunami Video

Posted: 09 Oct 2009 07:39 PM PDT

This CNN video shows last week’s tsunami in American Samoa hitting a parking area about 100 yards from the shoreline. Embedded video from CNN Video

OpEdnews.com - Cindy Sheehan | "Visions" from Stckholm Sweden

Today, a President of the largest violently military empire in the world, won the Nobel Peace Prize while his nation is mired in wars in three countries where his actions have oftentimes made things worse....

"We have two big issues at the moment -- currency uncertainty and inflation uncertainty." Both are likely to stimulate further gains in gold

UFO World News | UFOs on the Moon

James Lovell Statement:

We must also consider a statement by James Lovell on Apollo 8. He was on the command module, and after coming around the far side of the Moon, he made the statement, “PLEASE BE INFORMED THAT THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS.” Many people dismissed this statement because it occurred on Christmas Day, 1968, but many of those who are leery of NASA, read much more into his statement.

Military Security Regulations:

Although NASA is officially a civilian institute, much of its monetary support comes from the defense budget, and therefore astronauts are required to follow military security regulations. All imagery, and probably audio transmissions, are screened by the National Security Agency, supposedly for the sake of national security. There is also a rumored discussion between a professor and Neil Armstrong about the astronauts and UFOs. I have included this question and answer session below.

Warned off by Aliens:

Professor: What REALLY happened out there with Apollo 11?

Armstrong: It was incredible, of course we had always known there was a possibility, the fact is, we were warned off! (by the aliens). There was never any question then of a space station or a moon city. Professor: How do you mean “warned off”?
Armstrong: I can’t go into details, except to say that their ships were far superior to ours both in size and technology-Boy, were they big!… and menacing! No, there is no question of a space station.

A CIA Cover-up:

Professor: But NASA had other missions after Apollo 11? Armstrong: Naturally-NASA was committed at that time, and couldn’t risk panic on Earth. But it really was a quick scoop and back again. Armstrong confirmed that the story was true but refused to go into further detail, beyond admitting that the CIA was behind the cover-up.

“Gordo” Cooper:

One of the most outspoken astronauts was Gordon “Gordo” Cooper, one of the original Mercury astronauts. His discussions with other astronauts, along with his own UFO sighting experiences, caused him to see a need for more discussion and disclosure about the subject of UFOs. In 1985, he appeared before a United Nations panel discussion on UFOs. Here is the statement he made.

Top Level Program Needed:

“I believe that these extraterrestrial vehicles and their crews are visiting this planet from other planets, which are a little more technically advanced than we are on Earth. I feel that we need to have a top level, coordinated program to scientifically collect and analyze data from all over the Earth concerning any type of encounter, and to determine how best to interfere with these visitors in a friendly fashion.”

FULL STORY

Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government | 10 Oct 2009

'The investigation doesn't list what kind of bug it was.' Military says 'large insect' distracted Minot AFB missile driver --Shipment also contained two 14-gallon tanks of liquid rocket fuel 09 Oct 2009 A truck driver who lost control of a semi-trailer carrying missile parts from North Dakota's Minot Air Force Base was distracted by a "large insect" that flew in a window and landed on the driver's back, the military said in a report released Friday. The Air Force said the truck from the base's 91st Missile Wing, which overturned Aug. 31 on a gravel road in northwest North Dakota, was carrying rocket engine parts for intercontinental ballistic missiles but no nuclear material. It was the second crash of a base vehicle in just more than a year. The Air Force spent about $5.6 million last year to recover an unarmed booster rocket for an intercontinental ballistic missile after the truck carrying it overturned in July 2008. [And the Minot AFB Clandestine Nukes 'Oddities' keep on coming.]

Broward Republicans go gunning --GOP congressional candidate shoots at target bearing rival's initials 08 Oct 2009 (FL) Armed with handguns and AK-47 and AR-15 assault rifles, the members of the Southeast Broward Republican Club abandoned the usual community center for their club meeting this week, and gathered at the Pembroke Gun and Range on Tuesday night... Though most of the targets of gunfire were standard gun-range fare, a few shooters used large color posters instead. They depicted a menacing figure, adorned in a kaffiyeh. One of the shooters at the Tuesday evening event was Robert Lowry, a Republican candidate hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston. Lowry's target had the letters "DWS" next to the silhouette head. Lowry said he didn't know who wrote Wasserman Schultz' initials on his target, but said he knew they were there before he started shooting. [See: Guns OK Outside Obama Town Hall; Kerry Pins Brought Arrest At Bush Rally By Lori Price 12 Aug 2009.]

MDR's Word of the Day 10 Oct 2009 "Obamapologetics." Obamapologetics is a systematic excusing of Barack Obama for actions blatantly contradicting his change rhetoric simply on the grounds that Obama committed said actions. The term can be applied more broadly to any justificatory rhetorics used by or on behalf of supposed "liberals" or those claiming to work for progress on behalf of the people, while acting in fact against their interests. --Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D.

(Satire) GOP On Obama's Peace Prize: ACORN Rigged the Voting --"Barack Hussein Obama has not yet proven he was born on this planet," said Minnesota Rep Michele Bachmann, "and without an earth birth certificate, he is not eligible for the prize." By R J Shulman 10 Oct 2009 Upon the news of the surprise announcement that President Barack Obama won this year's Nobel Peace Prize, Republicans began protesting like a mad tea party on steroids. "We need to begin a full scale investigation of how ACORN illegally helped Obama win," said House Minority Leader John Boehner. "We have to call a spade a spade and start calling him Obamacorn from now on," said Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell.

(Not satire) Beck: Tea partyers should get Nobel Peace Prize instead 09 Oct 2009 Conservative talk radio host Glenn Beck[oming unhinged] said on Friday that the "tea party goers" and attendees of the 9/12 protest should receive the Nobel Peace Prize instead for stopping President Barack Obama's agenda. The controversial Beck said that the protesters have already blocked Obama from accomplishing the goals for which the Nobel Committee awarded him the prize.

Nobel peace prize awarded to Barack Obama --US president wins prize for 'extraordinary efforts' to improve world diplomacy and co-operation 09 Oct 2009 The US president, Barack Obama, was today awarded the 2009 Nobel peace prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples". The Nobel committee said "only rarely has a person such as Obama captured the world's attention and given his people hope for a better future". The committee said Obama, who only took up the presidency in January, had been acknowledged for his calls to reduce the world's stockpile of nuclear weapons and working for world peace.

Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize 09 Oct 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for giving the world "hope for a better future" with his work for peace and calls to reduce the global stockpile of nuclear weapons. The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Obama for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

The Nobel War Prize By Bill Van Auken 10 Oct 2009 Obama appeared in the Rose Garden in the mid-morning to deliver remarks that began with a declaration that he was "surprised and deeply humbled" to receive the Peace Prize. He then marched back into the White House to meet with his war council and discuss sending tens of thousands more troops to Afghanistan and escalating the bombing in that country and across the border in Pakistan. Using his statement to issue veiled threats against Iran, Obama went out of his way to declare himself the "commander-in-chief" and refer to the two wars and occupations over which he presides.

Nato trucks set ablaze in Pakistan [Gee, looks like we'll have to buy more fuel (KBR wins) and re-fund mercenaries to pretend to 'guard' the shipment (Xe wins). See? It's win-win.] 09 Oct 2009 Anti-government fighters in Pakistan have set alight supply trucks destined for Western forces in Afghanistan. The attack on six Nato vehicles on Friday at a terminal in a suburb of the city of Peshawar occurred after a weapon was stolen from a watchman, police said. One oil tanker and a container were completely gutted, although no casualties were reported.

Top Troop Request Exceeds 60,000 09 Oct 2009 The request for troops sent to President Barack Obama by the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan includes three different options, with the largest alternative including a request for more than 60,000 troops, according to a U.S. official familiar with the document. The top option is more than the 40,000 soldiers previously understood to be the top troop total sought by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. officer in Kabul.

UK soldier killed in Afghanistan 09 Oct 2009 A British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has announced. The soldier, who was serving with 1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards, died in an explosion near Camp Bastion, in central Helmand.

Wounded soldier becomes 5th to die after Afghan ambush 09 Oct 2009 An ambush in a remote part of eastern Afghanistan that raised questions about the whether U.S. troops had enough artillery, air support and intelligence [I think the horse has left the barn on that one] has claimed a fifth U.S. service member. Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Westbrookof Colorado Springs, Colo., died Wednesday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. McClatchy wrote about Westbrook in an article about the Sept. 8 ambush. A reporter helped carry the wounded Westbrook onto a helicopter shortly after a gunshot pierced his right cheek and went through his neck.

American troops in Afghanistan losing heart, say army chaplains 08 Oct 2009 American soldiers serving in Afghanistan are depressed and deeply disillusioned, according to the chaplains of two US battalions that have spent nine months on the front line in the war against the Taleban. Many feel that they are risking their lives -- and that colleagues have died -- for a futile mission and an Afghan population that does nothing to help them, the chaplains told The Times in their makeshift chapel on this fortress-like base in a dusty, brown valley southwest of Kabul.

Karachi student flings shoe at American journalist 09 Oct 2009 Pakistan opened its account in "shoe-gaming" with a Karachi student flinging his shoe at a US journalist. The shoe was flung at Clifford D May, a US journalist visiting Karachi University on Thursday, local media reported. May, who is a Republican and was said to be an active member of the party during George W Bush's administration, was speaking at the Department of International Relations on 'Pakistan's Role in Countering the Challenge of Terrorism' when a student got into action.

You've blood on your hands, Blair told at Iraq memorial 10 Oct 2009 Former prime minister Tony Blair was publicly snubbed by a bereaved father yesterday who accused him of having "blood on his hands" for sending troops to fight in Iraq. Mr Blair, who has repeatedly defended his decision to lead Britain into the conflict, was rebuked by Peter Brierley, whose son, Lance Corporal Shaun Brierley, was killed in 2003.

Bomb kills anti-insurgent cleric in Iraq 09 Oct 2009 A Sunni cleric known for denouncing 'insurgents' in Iraq was killed Friday by a bomb that ripped apart his car, a police official said, in the second targeted attack on a religious figure in as many weeks. Jamal Humadi was driving home after delivering his Friday sermon in Saqlawiyah, 45 miles (75 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, when a bomb attached to his car exploded, the official said.

Five killed in Iraq bombings 08 Oct 2009 Five people were killed, including two policemen, and 13 others wounded in two attacks in Iraq on Thursday, police officials said. In the deadlier attack, three civilians were killed by a bomb placed inside a barber shop in the town of Yusfiyah, around 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of Baghdad.

Mega barf alert! Israeli's bid to buy Al-Jazeera from Qatar 08 Oct 2009 An Israeli media tycoon has offered to buy the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera satellite television network from the government of Qatar. Haim Saban, has submitted an offer to the Qatari government in a bid to purchase half of the Doha-based Al-Jazeera satellite network. The Egyptian newspaper al-Mesryoon reported Wednesday that the Israeli billionaire is currently engaged in negotiations with Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, over the partial purchase of the media outlet.

More women than men dismissed from military for being gay 09 Oct 2009 Women were dismissed from the military for being gay at a greater rate than men last year, according to new statistics obtained by a California research group. All the services kicked out a disproportionate number of women under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, according to Department of Defense data obtained by the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Relenza warning after patient dies turning flu powder into liquid 10 Oct 2009 The drugs company GlaxoSmithKline said that at least one person has died after turning its anti-flu powder Relenza into a liquid. In a letter to doctors, GSK said reformulation was not recommended by the Food and Drug Administration in the US. The FDA posted the letter online yesterday without providing details of the person who died.

Airports to Screen Passengers For H1N1 Symptoms --New Guidelines Allow Airports to Take Temperatures, Quarantine Passengers Exhibiting Flu-Like Illness --People Traveling Internationally May Be Screened When Leaving, Entering U.S. 08 Oct 2009 New government air travel guidelines are on their way. This flu season, airport staff across the nation won't just be screening for security threats. They'll also be looking out for health threats – people who look like they may have the H1N1 virus. The government says that people traveling internationally may be screened for the H1N1 virus as they leave or enter the U.S. The government warns that some passengers may be asked to pass through a screening device, have their temperatures taken, answer questions about their health, and even be quarantined if someone on the flight shows symptoms of H1N1.

N.J. residents question necessity of swine flu vaccination 08 Oct 2009 According to a Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released today, two-thirds of New Jerseyans said they plan to skip the vaccine and three-quarters said they weren’t worried about the swine flu. Nationally, an Associated Press poll Wednesday found 72 percent of those surveyed said they were worried about the vaccine’s side effects, including 38 percent who said they would not permit their child to get it.

Official: UK has 18,000 new cases of swine flu in last week 08 Oct 2009 The U.K.'s chief medical officer says there have been 18,000 new cases of swine flu in England over the last week as the country experiences the second wave of swine flu. am Donaldson said Thursday the rate of infection is much lower than had been feared.

NORAD exercise flights planned over Nevada skies 07 Oct 2009 The Continental United States NORAD Region (CONR), a geographical component of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, will conduct exercise flights Thursday over western Nevada. The flights will take place in the late morning and early afternoon and people can expect to hear and see NORAD fighter aircraft as they practice their intercept and identification procedures.

US lawmakers extend PATRIOT Act provisions 08 Oct 2009 Key US lawmakers passed legislation Thursday extending three key provisions of the PATRIOT Act, the sweeping intelligence bill enacted after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Backing a White House request, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the measure 11 votes to 8 to extend until 2013 three clauses that would have expired by 31 December. The bill now heads to the full Senate for a vote.

Police stop more than 1 million people on street 09 Oct 2009 Hundreds of thousands of Americans in big cities have been stopped on the street by police using a law-enforcement practice called stop-and-frisk that alarms civil libertarians but is credited by authorities with 'helping reduce crime.' Police in major U.S. cities stop and question more than a million people each year -- a sharply higher number than just a few years ago. Most are black and Hispanic men. Many are frisked, and nearly all are innocent of any crime, according to figures gathered by The Associated Press.

Los Angeles' anti-terrorism program sparks controversy 09 Oct 2009 Civil activists on Thursday voiced concern over an anti-terrorism program launched by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), saying the program could lead to racial and religious profiling. The LAPD launched the so-called iWATCH program earlier Thursday to encourages people to report suspicious activities and behaviors. The program has been endorsed by the Major Cities Chiefs Association and may be expanded nationwide soon.

White House strips immigration policing powers from Arizona sheriff --Sheriff Joe Arpaio has previously been attacked by critics for racial profiling among illegal immigrants 09 Oct 2009 A controversial Arizona sheriff known for taking a hard line against illegal immigrants has been stripped of some of his powers in what he described as a political move by the Obama administration. Joe Arpaio, a gruff lawman who styles himself as America's toughest sheriff, has won acclaim from US anti-immigrant forces for his relentless pursuit of mostly Hispanic illegal immigrants in Maricopa county, Arizona, a fast-growing county of 4 million people that is home to Phoenix, the nation's fifth largest city.

Hadron lab scientist held on terrorism charges --Physicist working on Big Bang suspected of advising al-Qa'ida on possible targets 10 Oct 2009 A nuclear physicist working on the "large collider" experiment to simulate the Big Bang has been arrested in France on suspicion of advising al-Qa'ida [al-CIAduh] on possible terrorist targets. The French scientist, of Algerian origin, is being held with his younger brother after being trailed, and bugged, by French anti-terrorist police for more than a year. A judicial source told the newspaper Le Figaro: "This is very high level." The French Interior Minister, Brice Hortefeux, said that the investigation "may perhaps show that we have prevented the worst".

Father of New York bomb plot suspect is indicted 08 Oct 2009 The father of an Afghan immigrant accused of plotting one of the most serious security threats to the United States since the September 11 attacks was indicted on Thursday on charges of lying to the FBI, federal prosecutors said. Mohammed Wali Zazi, 53, had previously been charged by prosecutors with lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation when it was investigating his son, Najibullah Zazi, 24.

California Man Blows Off Hands with Explosives --Authorities Say Neo-Nazi Material Found in Man's Home 08 Oct 2009 A young man blew his hands off while making homemade high explosives inside his family's California home, law enforcement sources say. Neo-Nazi and 'anarchist type' [?] literature were found in the home, authorities said. A substantial quantity of the high explosive TATP -- used in London bombings and suspected in the current Najiboullah Zazi/alleged New York terror plot case -- has been located at the scene, counter-terrorism sources say.

Chicago cop off streets after being accused of faking DUI arrests 09 Oct 2009 A Chicago Police officer honored in the past for making hundreds of drunken driving arrests has been removed from the street and placed on administrative duty as the department investigates claims he falsified arrest reports. Officer Richard Fiorito faces a lawsuit in federal court in which 19 people claim he violated their rights in DUI stops. In at least one stop, he is accused of writing an arrest report whose facts contradict video taken from a camera on his squad car.

New Orleans Police Force Faces Swarm of Inquiries 09 Oct 2009 Four years after the New Orleans Police Department was accused of acting lawlessly in suppressing violence in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, dozens of officers, some from an elite unit, have been interviewed by the F.B.I. or faced subpoenas to testify before federal grand juries. F.B.I. agents seized files from the department’s homicide division. And on a recent Saturday, a major city bridge, where police officers killed two men in the floodwaters of 2005, was shut by federal investigators for several hours.

Restaurant Sign Attacking Obama Sparks Race Debate --Restaurant Owner's Sign: 'Obama's plan for health-care: N*gger rig it.' 08 Oct 2009 When you walk into the Georgia Peach Oyster Bar in Paulding County, you feel like you've walked into a different era. Behind the pool tables stands a mannequin in a Klu Klux Klan costume, but it's what's outside of the Patrick Lanzo's restaurant that has some people angry. Lanzo put up a sign that reads "Obama's plan for health-care: N*gger rig it." [WHY is this 'restaurant' still standing?]

U.S. Mortgage Backer May Need Bailout, Experts Say 09 Oct 2009 A year after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac teetered, industry executives and Washington policy makers are worrying that another government mortgage giant could be the next housing domino. Problems at the Federal Housing Administration, which guarantees mortgages with low down payments, are becoming so acute that some experts warn the agency might 'need' a federal bailout.

Shell plans massive floating LNG facility 08 Oct 2009 Shell plans to build a $5.5 billion floating liquefied natural gas processing plant off the West Australian coast. Using floating LNG technology, Shell plans to process gas from its Prelude and Concerto fields in the Browse Basin off Australia's undeveloped Kimberley coast, where more than a third of the nation's known offshore gas is located.

Previous lead stories: Pakistani FM: US may know Bin Laden's hideout 07 Oct 2009 The United States may know the location of Osama Bin Laden's hideout, says the Pakistan's foreign minister. "US may be aware of the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden," Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters in Washington on Tuesday, according to the India-based Sifynews. The United States had recently claimed that the notorious al-Qaeda [al-CIAduh] leader has sought refuge in Pakistan. The US President Barack Obama's Administration has repeatedly claimed that the al-Qaeda and its affiliates live in the rugged western regions of Pakistan on the Afghan border. The United States has used such claims as an excuse to attack the tribal areas in the region using its pilotless, predator drones. The strikes have resulted in massive civilian casualties, something that the Pakistani government and people have strongly opposed.

Obombings you can BELIEVE in: Is the U.S. Preparing to Bomb Iran? 06 Oct 2009 Is the U.S. stepping up preparations for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities? Based on a little-noticed Pentagon funding request recently sent to Congress, the answer to that question appears to be yes. The comptroller said the Pentagon planned to spend $19.1 million to procure four of the bombs, $28.3 million to accelerate the bomb's "development and testing", and $21 million to accelerate the integration of the bomb [Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a 30,000-pound bomb designed to hit targets buried 200 feet below ground] onto B-2 stealth bombers. On Friday, the request was quietly approved.

Sebelius: Americans must get swine flu vaccination 07 Oct 2009 Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appealed anew Wednesday for widespread inoculation against a surging swine flu threat, calling the vaccine "safe and secure." Appearing on morning news shows to step up the Obama administration's campaign for vaccinations, Sebelius said that "the adverse effects are minimal. ... We know it's safe and secure. ...This is definitely is a safe vaccine for people to get." [Petition against mandatory vaccines (6050 signatures).]

Yamal Peninsula in Northern Russia.

The Yamal Peninsula in Northern Russia. Map design - John Prusinski

The Yamal Peninsula (Russian: полуо́стров Яма́л), located in Yamal-Nenets autonomous district of northwest Siberia, Russia, extends roughly 700 km (435 mi) and is bordered principally by the Kara Sea, Baydaratskaya Bay on the west, and by the Gulf of Ob on the east. In the language of its indigenous inhabitants, the Nenets, "Yamal" means "End of the World".

The peninsula consists mostly of permafrost ground and is geologically a very young place —some areas are less than ten thousand years old

Barents Observer | TNK-BP goes for Yamal oil

The board of the oil company TNK-BP has approved a USD 400 million investment plan at three oil fields at the Yamal Peninsula.

The investment is for the initial phase of the exploration and construction of the Suzun, Tagul and Russkoye fields at Yamal, reports Dow Jones Newswire. The initial phase includes early production activities.

TNK.BP is a joint venture between British BP and a group of Russian investors. The company is Russia’s third biggest oil producer.

Background information

The Yamal Peninsula has seen the discovery of 11 gas and 15 oil and gas condensate fields. The aggregate reserves of Yamal’s largest fields - the Bovanenkovo, Kharasavey and Novoportovskoye fields. These account for 5,9 tcm of gas, 100.2 mln t of condensate and 227 mln t of oil.

The fields are 100-percent owned by Gazprom subsidiary Gazprom dobycha Nadym.

The Bovanenkovo field is planned to be in production in year 2011. The field will be linked with a western-bound pipeline. In addition south-bound railway line is to be connected to the field.

The Yamal Peninsula, located in Yamal-Nenets autonomous district of northwest Siberia, extends roughly 700 km and is bordered principally by the Kara Sea, Baydaratskaya Bay on the west, and by the Gulf of Ob on the east.

The peninsula is the place where traditional large-scale nomadic reindeer husbandry is best preserved in Russia. On the peninsula, several thousand Nenets and Khanty reindeer herders hold about 500,000 domestic reindeer.

A herd of deer grazes on pasture ground on the Yamal peninsula, north of the Arctic circle Picture: REUTERS

Baby mammoth unearthed in Yamal is 37,000 years old - scientists

Ice Baby — National Geographic Magazine, May 2009

A Nenets boy tentatively examines Lyuba outside Shemanovsky Museum in Salekhard, Siberia. Some of his elders still hold to the Nenets tradition that touching a mammoth, a creature they believe roams the spirit underworld, will bring bad luck.