Monday, November 2, 2009

Pravda.ru | Now for the Yanks. The Americans, more so than any others are about to find out the shocking truth of their paper debt economy.

Keep Your Hands Inside the Coaster, We Are At The Top Of The Second Hill

November 2, 2009 - It is becoming more and more evident, to the astute observer of realistic economics, that the second dip in the "W" global recession is coming up quickly. This is of course, identical to what took place between the 1929 collapse and the 1931 final landing. The world economy fell hard, bounced high and than fell into a deep black hole, that it took it thirty years to climb out of. This time will be worse, at least for the Anglos and more specifically the Americans.

The signs are everywhere: massive government stimulus (read money printing) whose only obvious effects have been on the stock markets around the world (again, just like in 1930), continued increases in global unemployment and thus a collapse in global goods demand, instability and a free fall in the shipping indexes. That is correct, it is not just the Baltic Dry Index, which is once again in a free fall, now that the Chinese have stopped hording iron ore, but also the various other indexes, including Chinese ones.

That is a sign of real doom, not only for China, but for many others. The fact that containers of goods are not moving out of China, in September and October, regardless that the Chinese stimulus has kept its factories producing as if nothing is wrong, means that the holiday shopping season will be empty and hallow, just like the Anglo mantra of recovery. Sure, France and Germany are out of recession and Russia and Italy are both heading out too, but that is because they have done the exact opposite of the Anglos, by cutting taxes, controlling spending, putting down real hard infrastructural investments and projects without tying them in courts and hearings for years, cutting regulations while avoiding nationalizations, in other words the smart moves vs the Anglos dumb ones. The Anglos, specifically America and England and to a lesser degree, Canada, have done the opposite on all accounts, regardless of warnings. No amount of Hopy-Changy media Zombies will change the inevitable out come.

The British Police State got a rude wake up, this past week. The Bolshevik Labour and their Menshavik Tori allies were expecting to exit the recession with a +.2% GDP but instead had a further recession with a -.4% drop. Surely this must be the fault of those "evil" English Defense Leaguers, for not islamocizing like good little kaffer serfs. Go get them lads, show them that eve if no longer "Great" Britain is not dead either.

Oops, I guess this will now get me on the famous banned list to the British Police State, not that I have any plans on visiting that Orwellian prison camp.

As for the Russians, Germans, French and Italians, sure they will suffer in Europe too, but not nearly as much, as they are already on a much more solid foundation than the New Orleans financial foundation of the Anglos. Sinking and sinking and nothing else.

Now for the Yanks. The Americans, more so than any others are about to find out the shocking truth of their paper debt economy. Most prosperous nation on earth indeed. Biggest mooch and beggar and debtor to every third world country, does not make a nation "prosperous". Unlike 1929, America is not a loaner of cash, though it still gives it out to various puppets and fascists and Marxists around the world, oh my. Instead, it is the biggest debtor in all of history of human civilization. Furthermore, unlike 1929, it is not a net exporter of but an importer of everything short of the tanks, bombers (but not of the bullets and handguns) and heavy equipment. It must now import even food from China and Latin America.

With the holiday sales about to prove as absolute a flop as possible, we will know by mid November for sure, the US can look forward to mass unemployment come January/February 2010, that no amount of DC papering over can solve or hide.

To make things worse, by that point, the US will have Cap and Trade and thus skyrocketing energy costs and regulations and thus skyrocketing prices on everything. Jobs will not just hemorrhage, but will fountain out of the gaping neck wound where the head was just secured. Add to this the British modeled National Healthcare system that Americans will have by than and you get the image of a gang of pig headed little demons of regulation, chopping with their axes, at the headless and stumbling cadaver that was the US. economy.

A rush, no a stampede out of the dollar, will follow by the first half of 2010, followed by a police crack down, anarchy and possible civil war(s).

And all this is even before the bottom is ever reached.

Good night and good luck America, you are going to need it, in this very long winter night.

Stanislav Mishin

Agence France-Presse | 4.9-quake topples 1,000 homes in southwest China - 11/02/2009 3:19 PM

BEIJING - A moderate earthquake hit southwest China Monday, injuring 28 people, toppling more than 1,000 houses, and killing hundreds of livestock, local authorities reported.

The 4.9-magnitude quake hit Yunnan province early Monday morning not far from popular tourist destination Dali, striking at a depth of 35 kilometres (22 miles), the US Geological Survey said on its website.

Nearly 300,000 people were affected by the tremor, but no deaths were immediately reported, an official at the Dali civil affairs bureau surnamed Zhao told Agence France-Presse.

Zhao said more than 400 livestock, including sheep, chicken and pigs, had been killed.

as of 11/02/2009 3:22 PM

A U.S. soldier from Stryker Brigade walks during a foot patrol in Arghandab District, Kandahar province November 1, 2009.

REUTERS/ Omar Sobhani

NewsWithViews.com - Tim Baldwin | Choosing Federalism, Choosing Freedom

Thus, to call a constitutional convention would most certainly place us in a worse situation. That said, there is one positive that could result from this. If the Constitution were re-written, it would require the ratification of the states that wanted to join a new union under a new contract (Constitution). In this case, it very well may provide a way for the people of the states to decide which path they wanted to take: national or federal. In other words........

http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin544.htm
by Chuck Baldwin's Son, Tim Baldwin

Reuters | U.S. auto supply sector must shrink

DETROIT (Reuters) - Mon Nov 2, 2009 6:49pm EST - The U.S. auto supply industry averted catastrophe during the implosion of vehicle sales this year but more than half of the private companies still standing are distressed, an industry consultant said on Monday.

William Diehl, chief executive of advisory firm BBK, told the Reuters Autos Summit the sector must shrink rapidly to match output with vehicle sales, which have declined from nearly 17 million units three years ago to just over 10 million this year....

TimesOnline.co.uk | Psychic computer shows your thoughts on screen

November 1, 2009 - Scientists have discovered how to “read” minds by scanning brain activity and reproducing images of what people are seeing — or even remembering.

Researchers have been able to convert into crude video footage the brain activity stimulated by what a person is watching or recalling.

The breakthrough raises the prospect of significant benefits, such as allowing people who are unable to move or speak to communicate via visualisation of their thoughts; recording people’s dreams; or allowing police to identify criminals by recalling the memories of a witness.

However, it could also herald a new Big Brother era, similar to that envisaged in the Hollywood film Minority Report, in which an individual’s private thoughts can be readily accessed by the authorities.

Jack Gallant and Shinji Nishimoto, two neurologists from the University of California, Berkeley, last year managed to correlate activity in the brain’s visual cortex with static images seen by the person. Last week they went one step further by revealing that it is possible to “decode” signals generated in the brain by moving scenes. FULL STORY

Rense.com - Patricial Doyle, PhD | Ferret Dies of H1N1 Swine Flu in Nebraska - virus is widening its host range

Ferret Dies of H1N1 Swine Flu in Nebraska,
From Patricia Doyle, PhD
11-2-9

Hello Jeff - I think we are on the brink of a very different outbreak. The virus is widening its host range, and is transmitting a tamiflu resistant strain H2H in the US.

Patty

http://vetmedicine.about.com/b/2009/11/01/h1n1-swine-flu-ferret-dies-in-nebraska.htm

VetMedicineAbout.com | H1N1 (Swine Flu) News - Ferret dies from H1N1 infection in Nebraska
Sunday November 1, 2009

A news station in Hastings, Nebraska (KHAS) has reported that Stormy the ferret, one of four ferrets in a family of humans sick with the flu, has died from the H1N1 virus.

According to the news report:

Testing was done by the University of Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Lab where the ferret tested positive for H1N1. The state public health veterinarian said it is not unexpected, but it is rare. Only 2 ferrets in the nation have died from H1N1. That includes Stormy.

A second sample has been sent to a national laboratory for confirmation of H1N1 infection.

Alabama's agriculture commissioner says heavy rains have damaged some Alabama crops and caused poor harvesting conditions.

Commissioner Sparks added the rains have reduced crop yields on many farms and says most affected crops are cotton, soybeans, corn and peanuts.....

AFP | Prince Charles introduces Camilla to Canada

OTTAWA - November 2, 2009 — Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, and his wife Camilla arrived in Newfoundland province Monday for the start of a Canadian tour and a look into Camilla's roots.

Prince Charles said in a speech that his 15th trip to Canada is "something rather special."

"But more special still, if I may say so, is the opportunity to introduce my wife to Canada for her first ever visit," he added.

The couple were greeted by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Governor General Michaelle Jean and other officials, and entertained at a local stadium by aboriginal drum dancers, a youth choir and a military band.

Tuesday, they will visit Canada's oldest English settlement in Cupids, which is celebrating its 400th anniversary next year, and Brigus, home of famed Arctic explorer Captain Robert Bartlett, before heading across Canada.

From November 2-12, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are to visit 12 Canadian cities and communities, touring the 2010 Olympic Village in Vancouver and meeting with opposition leader Michael Ignatieff.

But the highlight of the trip for Camilla is expected to be a tour of Dundurn Castle in Hamilton, Ontario, built in 1835 for her great-great-great-grand-father and former prime minister of the united Province of Canada, Sir Alan MacNab.

"For my wife, it is both figuratively and literally true that Canada is in her blood since she has the good fortune to be a great, great, great granddaughter of the prime minister of the united Province of Canada, Sir Alan MacNab who lived in Hamilton, Ontario," said Prince Charles.

"We are both eagerly looking forward to discovering those family roots and of seeing her forbears' home in a few day's time."

CAVE EDITOR'S NOTE: SORRY - STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS GUY'S LAST NAME IS!!


FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SCIENTISTS FAS | Missile Watch: Global Update (April – October 2009)

Missile Watch
A publication of the FAS Arms Sales Monitoring Project
Vol. 2, Issue 2
October 2009
Written by Matt Schroeder and Matt Buongiorno

Table of Contents:
Honduras/Mexico: Alleged arms trafficker offered to sell “17 or 18 surface-to-air missiles,” claims US informant
Kenya: MANPADS threat affects US air travel to Nairobi
Russia: 20 MANPADS seized from militants in North Caucasus region
Sri Lanka: Terrorist group had access to more than a dozen SA-14s
Venezuela: Video of new SA-24s posted on Youtube
UN Arms Register: New ASMP resource
In-depth: MANPADS Control and the Obama Administration

The Reserve Bank of India is buying 200 tonnes of gold from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), nearly half what the IMF plans to sell

http://www.livemint.com/2009/11/02231541/RBI-to-buy-200-tonnes-of-IMF-g.html

RELATED:

IMF earns 6.7 billion dollars in sale of gold reserves to India

EarthObservatory.NASA.gov | New Updates - November 2, 2009

FIRES IN NORTHWESTERN INDIA
Agricultural fires burned in northwestern India in late October 2009.
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40971&src=nha
*** MODIS(Aqua) image from Nov 01, 2009 (Posted on Nov 02, 2009 12:36 PM)

OIL FIRE IN INDIA
An intense fire broke out at an oil depot in western India on October 29, 2009.
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40956&src=nha
*** MODIS(Terra) image from Oct 30, 2009 (Posted on Oct 30, 2009 10:39 AM)

-- SEVERE STORMS (1 updated events, 2 new images) --

TROPICAL STORM MIRINAE
Tropical Storm 23 strengthened to a named storm, Mininae, in late October 2009. Initially located northwest of Guam, the storm was expected to strengthen further to a typhoon and head toward the Philippines.
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40954&src=nha
*** MODIS(Aqua) image from Oct 30, 2009 (Posted on Oct 30, 2009 9:06 AM)
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40928&src=nha
*** MODIS(Terra) image from Oct 27, 2009 (Posted on Oct 27, 2009 1:08 PM)

-- DUST, SMOKE, AND HAZE (5 updated events, 6 new images) --

GLACIAL DUST OFF ALASKA
Fine dust blew over the Gulf of Alaska on October 29, 2009.
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40973&src=nha
*** MODIS(Terra) image from Oct 30, 2009 (Posted on Nov 02, 2009 1:07 PM)
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40965&src=nha
*** MODIS(Aqua) image from Oct 29, 2009 (Posted on Oct 30, 2009 5:17 PM)

HAZE OVER INDIA
Haze built over the Ganges Plain along the front of the Himalaya Mountains in late October 2009.
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40946&src=nha
*** MODIS(Aqua) image from Oct 29, 2009 (Posted on Oct 29, 2009 4:11 PM)

HAZE OVER CHINA
Thick haze covered eastern China on October 28, 2009.
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40941&src=nha
*** MODIS(Aqua) image from Oct 28, 2009 (Posted on Oct 28, 2009 1:31 PM)

DUST STORM IN NORTH CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
A dust storm blew across Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia in late October 2009.
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40938&src=nha
*** MODIS(Aqua) image from Oct 26, 2009 (Posted on Oct 27, 2009 2:45 PM)

FIRE AT FUEL STORAGE FACILITY IN PUERTO RICO
A fire at a fuel storage facility in Puerto Rico billowed brownish smoke over the Caribbean Sea in late October 2009.
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40920&src=nha
*** MODIS(Terra) image from Oct 23, 2009 (Posted on Oct 26, 2009 3:22 PM)

-- VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES (1 updated events, 1 new images) --

ASH EMISSIONS AT NEVADO DEL HUILA
Volcanic tremors and emissions of ash have affected Colombia’s Nevado del Huila Volcano since October 16, 2009.
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40949&src=nha
*** MODIS(Terra) image from Oct 28, 2009 (Posted on Oct 29, 2009 4:13 PM)

-- CROPS AND DROUGHT (1 updated events, 1 new images) --

DROUGHT IN AFRICA
Rain came late in East Africa’s March-to-June rainy season and little fell. Following on the heels of a poor rainy season in 2008, the ensuing drought caused food and water shortages.
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40959&src=nha
*** AVHRR(NOAA-17 POES) image from Jul 21, 2009 (Posted on Oct 30, 2009 12:23 PM)

-- UNIQUE IMAGERY (2 updated events, 2 new images) --

OIL SLICK IN THE TIMOR SEA
An oil rig in the Timor Sea began leaking oil and gas on August 21, 2009, and fuel continued to spill into the sea in mid-September.
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40944&src=nha
*** MODIS(Aqua) image from Oct 28, 2009 (Posted on Oct 29, 2009 11:15 AM)

SPRING BLOOM IN NEW ZEALAND WATERS
The spring 2009 phytoplankton bloom off the east coast of New Zealand colored the waters shades of turquoise and green.
* http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=40924&src=nha
*** MODIS(Aqua) image from Oct 25, 2009 (Posted on Oct 26, 2009 4:30 PM)

USGS | 2.7 magnitude earthquake hits OKLAHOMA - 56 mi E from Oklahoma City, OK - Monday, November 02, 2009 at 12:27:05 PM at epicenter

MAP 2.7 2009/11/02 18:27:06 35.432 -96.550 5.0 OKLAHOMA


MAG UTC DATE-TIME
y/m/d h:m:s
LAT
deg
LON
deg
DEPTH
km
Region
MAP 2.7 2009/11/02 18:27:05 35.432 -96.550 5.0 OKLAHOMA
MAP 2.5 2009/11/02 15:55:54 35.602 -92.508 0.1 ARKANSAS

Detroit Free Press | Ford sees bright future - nearly $1B profit - long way from nearly $30 billion in losses it racked up between 2006 and 2008

After closing more than 10 plants and slashing 45% of its workforce since 2006 in its long-ailing North American division, the Dearborn-based automaker today reported net income of $997 million, or 29 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $161 million, or 7 cents per share, a year ago. For the first nine months of the year, Ford has now posted a $1.8-billion profit. That’s a $10.6-billion improvement from the same period a year ago......

Cave's Headlines | Monday Afternoon - November 2, 2009

BusinsssInsider.com | This Commercial Real Estate Collapse Is Way Different Than The One In The 90s

November 2, 2009 - The last time commercial real estate trebbled like it is now was in the early 90s, and that collapse did lead to a series of bank failures, prompting bailouts like we see now. But the overall impact was muted compared to the bust of the recent housing bubble, and compared to the implosion many are expecting right now from commercial real estate....

Nearly half of all U.S. children will be on food stamps at some point during childhood, and fallout from current recession could push those numbers even higher, researchers say.....

Citigroup Was a Winner of Paulson Aid to Banks, Researchers Say
Citigroup and the three other firms that either merged into or became commercial banks -- Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Merrill Lynch -- showed signs ...

Bloomberg.com | Yen Rises to 3-Week High Versus Dollar, Euro on CIT, Stock Drop

BusinessInsider.com | It's Time To Fire Tim Geithner

November 2, 2009 - This is why I think we must ask if U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is still the right person for the job. It has become clear recently that, back in his previous role as New York Federal Reserve Governor, he unnecessarily gave ...

EVWorld.com | Louisiana Man Wins Hybrid Car Generator Patent - estimates an electric car using the generator could get the equivalent of 100-150 mpg

AFP | Obama warns of more US jobs losses ahead

WASHINGTON — November 2, 2009 - President Barack Obama said Monday that the US economy will continue to lose jobs in coming months despite exiting a recession, striking a cautious tone on unemployment.

"We anticipate that we're going to continue to see some job losses in the weeks and months to come," Obama said ahead of the release of unemployment figures for October on Friday.

Economic indicators released last week indicated that the United States exited its recession this summer, but Obama emphasized that there is usually a lag time of several months before businesses resume hiring.

Unemployment hit 9.8 percent in September, the highest level since 1983. Economists believe the figure will exceed 10 percent and remain high well into 2010.

On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said the US economy could start creating jobs in the first quarter of 2010.

At a meeting of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board at the White House on Monday, Obama stressed that the actions taken by his government had "helped to stem what could have been a disastrous situation for the economy," adding that "we are starting to see stabilization and indeed some improvement."

But he acknowledged that "we are still seeing production levels that are significantly below peak levels. And most distressing is the fact that job growth continues to lag."

Obama said that "bold, innovative action" to fight unemployment would be an "overriding focus" for his administration, and he called on both Congress and the private sector to help.

He said he would discuss with the board "new models for where future job growth is going to come from," based on exports, production and investments in "green" jobs.

AFP | Canadians still 'distrust' United States: poll

OTTAWA — November 2, 2009 - Canadians are no more loving of the United States under its current leadership than during George W. Bush's presidency, suggested a poll published Monday.

But they do like President Barack Obama a whole lot more than his predecessor, said the Historica Dominion Institute survey of 1,018 Canadians.

Obama was viewed favorably by 86 percent of respondents, compared to only 21 percent for Bush in 2005.

"What's striking about these findings is how Canadians have detached their personal view of Barack Obama, whom they quite like and respect, from the United States, which they still view with skepticism, even distrust," said Andrew Cohen, president of the institute.

Compared to results of a similar poll taken four years ago, Canadians have a marginally improved view of Americans as individual people, with 71 percent expressing a favorable view in 2009 versus 68 percent in 2005.

Fewer Canadians (17 percent versus 24 percent in 1995) also said they felt Canadian and American values are diverging.

Canadians were split as to whether the United States is now "a force for good in the world." Forty-four percent agreed while 46 percent disagreed. This question was not asked in 2005.

"There really does appear to be a hardy strain of anti-Americanism in Canada," Cohen said. "Almost half of us don't believe America is a force for good in the world, even with Obama as president."

The survey has a 3.1 percentage point margin of error.

GreenBeat | Click here to find out more! Dubai’s Technosphere to simulate future climates

November 2, 2009 - Having mastered indoor ski slopes and mass desalination, Dubai just unveiled its massive Technosphere, a biological bubble oddly similar to Disney’s Epcot Center (or the Death Star), meant to simulate future climates and test sustainable technology.

Powered by the sun and carbon neutral, the sphere is similar to Biosphere 2 in representing the world’s various natural habitats. Except (unsurprisingly), it has a commercial bent — including room for office buildings, a hotel, and even full time residences. Dubai may be out of money, but it hasn’t scaled its ambitions.

In addition to observing how environments respond to climate change, the Technosphere may also be used to prove the feasibility of recreations of earth in space, with water recycling and air-purifying (or “self-breathing”) gardens highlighted as major components. It’s also supposed to draw in significant tourist dollars.

The building is anticipated to be the crown jewel of Dubai’s much-hyped Technopark. Building it in a desert community will really put artificial constructions of nature to the test, says contracted architect James Law, of James Law Cybertecture International.

The Technopark, currently under construction, is designed to jumpstart commercial technology design in Dubai. Covering about eight square miles, it’s expected to attract lucrative foreign investment and major corporations to the region.

African Desert Rift Confirmed as New Ocean in the Making - Geologists Show that Seafloor Dynamics Are at Work in Splitting African Continent

In 2005, a gigantic, 35-mile-long rift broke open the desert ground in Ethiopia. At the time, some geologists believed the rift was the beginning of a new ocean as two parts of the African continent pulled apart, but the claim was controversial.

Now, scientists from several countries have confirmed that the volcanic processes at work beneath the Ethiopian rift are nearly identical to those at the bottom of the world's oceans, and the rift is indeed likely the beginning of a new sea.

The new study, published in the latest issue of Geophysical Research Letters, suggests that the highly active volcanic boundaries along the edges of tectonic ocean plates may suddenly break apart in large sections, instead of little by little as has been predominantly believed. In addition, such sudden large-scale events on land pose a much more serious hazard to populations living near the rift than would several smaller events, says Cindy Ebinger, professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of Rochester and co-author of the study.

"This work is a breakthrough in our understanding of continental rifting leading to the creation of new ocean basins," says Ken Macdonald, professor emeritus in the Department of Earth Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and who is not affiliated with the research. "For the first time they demonstrate that activity on one rift segment can trigger a major episode of magma injection and associated deformation on a neighboring segment. Careful study of the 2005 mega-dike intrusion and its aftermath will continue to provide extraordinary opportunities for learning about continental rifts and mid-ocean ridges."

"The whole point of this study is to learn whether what is happening in Ethiopia is like what is happening at the bottom of the ocean where it's almost impossible for us to go," says Ebinger. "We knew that if we could establish that, then Ethiopia would essentially be a unique and superb ocean-ridge laboratory for us. Because of the unprecedented cross-border collaboration behind this research, we now know that the answer is yes, it is analogous."

Atalay Ayele, professor at the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, led the investigation, painstakingly gathering seismic data surrounding the 2005 event that led to the giant rift opening more than 20 feet in width in just days. Along with the seismic information from Ethiopia, Ayele combined data from neighboring Eritrea with the help of Ghebrebrhan Ogubazghi, professor at the Eritrea Institute of Technology, and from Yemen with the help of Jamal Sholan of the National Yemen Seismological Observatory Center. The map he drew of when and where earthquakes happened in the region fit tremendously well with the more detailed analyses Ebinger has conducted in more recent years.

Ayele's reconstruction of events showed that the rift did not open in a series of small earthquakes over an extended period of time, but tore open along its entire 35-mile length in just days. A volcano called Dabbahu at the northern end of the rift erupted first, then magma pushed up through the middle of the rift area and began "unzipping" the rift in both directions, says Ebinger.

Since the 2005 event, Ebinger and her colleagues have installed seismometers and measured 12 similar—though dramatically less intense—events.

"We know that seafloor ridges are created by a similar intrusion of magma into a rift, but we never knew that a huge length of the ridge could break open at once like this," says Ebinger. She explains that since the areas where the seafloor is spreading are almost always situated under miles of ocean, it's nearly impossible to monitor more than a small section of the ridge at once so there's no way for geologists to know how much of the ridge may break open and spread at any one time. "Seafloor ridges are made up of sections, each of which can be hundreds of miles long. Because of this study, we now know that each one of those segments can tear open in a just a few days."

Ebinger and her colleagues are continuing to monitor the area in Ethiopia to learn more about how the magma system beneath the rift evolves as the rift continues to grow.

Additional authors of the study include Derek Keir, Tim Wright, and Graham Stuart, professors of earth and environment at the University of Leeds, U.K.; Roger Buck, professor at the Earth Institute at Columbia University, N.Y.; and Eric Jacques, professor at the Institute de Physique du Globe de Paris, France.

AP | Missouri, Illinois flooding - Flash Flooding and Rising Rivers - Midwestern flooding is usually associated with the spring or summer

Missouri, Illinois flooding: Casino, roads closed

ST. LOUIS — November 2, 2009 - Midwestern flooding is usually associated with the spring or summer, so even officials at the National Weather Service are perplexed about the unusual fall flood that is causing rivers to spill over their banks in parts of Missouri and Illinois.

Heavy rain fell last week over much of the two states, causing flash flooding and rising rivers. In fact, October rainfall was at record amounts at many spots.

The autumn monsoons are hard to figure, said Benjamin Sittrell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in suburban St. Louis.

"Typically during the late-year period, it's our driest portion of the year," Sittrell said. "To see such astronomically high amounts of precipitation, where we got several inches above the previous record levels, is very abnormal.

"I think there's a lot of uncertainty about how this wet October unfolded."

The flooding is generally pretty minimal compared to events such as the floods of last summer and those in the summers of 1993 and 1995, but some problems exist.

Sittrell said thousands of acres of farmland are under water, particularly in the flat areas of southern and western Illinois, where the Illinois, Ohio and Kaskaskia rivers are among several that are flooding.

Near St. Louis, the Meramec River was over its banks at Pacific, Eureka and Valley Park. It did not appear that any homes were in jeopardy but several roads were closed. Busy Route 141 in southwestern St. Louis County was threatened by flood waters, near the Intersection of Interstate 44. The interstate itself is elevated enough to be out of harm's way.

The Meramec was expected to crest about 11 feet above flood stage on Monday at Valley Park and Eureka.

The Mississippi River is expected to crest at more than 7 feet above flood stage on Tuesday in St. Louis. The President Casino, which sits near the Gateway Arch, closed on Sunday for the sixth time in the past 18 months due to high water. General Manager Chris Strobbe did not say when it would reopen.

The most significant flooding along the Mississippi was expected to be at Cape Girardeau in the southern part of Missouri. The weather service expects the river to crest 9 feet above flood stage on Wednesday. The community is protected by a flood wall, and no significant problems are expected.

The Missouri River has already crested a few feet above flood stage at Gasconade, Hermann, St. Charles and other towns in eastern Missouri.

PhysOrg.com | North Atlantic fish populations shifting as ocean temperatures warm

November 2, 2009- About half of 36 fish stocks in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, many of them commercially valuable species, have been shifting northward over the last four decades, with some stocks nearly disappearing from U.S. waters as they move farther offshore, according to a new study by NOAA researchers.....

George Ure's UrbanSurvival.com | Update Monday November 2, 2009 11:20 AM CDT

Government Complicit in Swine Flu?

No, I don't recall seeing this one before, forwarded to me by a friend who got it on Saturday but see if this sounds a little suspicious - an application filed in 2005:

"US Patent Application 20090010962 - Genetically Engineered Swine Influenza Virus and Uses Thereof"

(from the Abstract)

The present invention relates, in general, to attenuated swine influenza viruses having an impaired ability to antagonize the cellular interferon (IFN) response, and the use of such attenuated viruses in vaccine and pharmaceutical formulations. In particular, the invention relates to attenuated swine influenza viruses having modifications to a swine NS1 gene that diminish or eliminate the ability of the NS1 gene product to antagonize the cellular IFN response. These viruses replicate in vivo, but demonstrate decreased replication, virulence and increased attenuation, and therefore are well suited for use in live virus vaccines, and pharmaceutical formulations.

You can read the rest, but as my friend who sent it on asked "How much smoking gun do you need?"

I'm not ready to jump to any conclusions yet, without more reading. Besides, best I can figure, the government maybe saw this coming years ago and this is nothing more than reasonable research and possibly a preemptive move to keep the big pharma outfits from owning the underlying virus as well as their unique 'solutions' to dealing with it.

Of course, there's the next level of disease issue: Who then owns the thawed out Spanish Flu virus - the companies that thawed and cloned, or the Inuit people's from whom the virus was taken? Moot point since Big Pharma may not own the government, but through the captive regulator process, they've made a pretty damn substantial down payment on it.

Meantime, Ukraine is looking more and more like linguistic predictions of 'masked men' this fall.

Cave's Headlines | Morning November 2, 2009

Japanese PM confirms Japan's Afghan support mission to end
Xinhua
TOKYO, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama confirmed on Monday that the government of his Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) will not renew the mission refueling military vessels in the Indian Ocean in support of the U.S.-led conflict in Afghanistan. Hatoyama said at the Diet, Japan's parliament, that the nation would discuss future ways in which the nation can contribute to the stabilization of the region that would not involve military means.....

SeekingAlpha.com | On Bank Failure Friday (Nine Plus CIT)

November 02, 2009 - As an embarrassment to Treasury Secretary Geithner, the Chicago Tribune reported that one of the seized banks, Park National Bank was given $50 million by Geithner earlier in the day on Friday, which was intended to be used for low-income projects such as charter schools, health clinics and stores. OUCH.

From praise for their efforts in the community Friday morning to a padlock in the evening shows how our banking regulators don’t cooperate with each other. And Congress wants a Council of Regulators – How dumb is that?.....


McClatchy Newspapers | Goldman takes on new role: taking away people’s homes - video

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Two earthquakes hit Arkansas Monday morning - November 2, 2009

    MAG    DATE    LOCAL-TIME  LAT     LON    DEPTH    LOCATION
y/m/d h:m:s deg deg km
map 2.5  2009/11/02 09:55:54 35.602N 92.508W  0.1   18 km (11 mi) WSW of Shirley, AR
map 2.3 2009/11/02 04:11:51 36.504N 91.566W 0.6 2 km ( 1 mi) WNW of Mammoth Spring, AR
MAP 3.6 2009/11/01 21:16:45 46.108N 74.753W 4.0 141 km (88 mi) NNW of Chateaugay, NY
map 1.5 2009/11/01 21:10:53 35.137N 84.855W 22.5 2 km ( 1 mi) ESE of South Cleveland, TN
map 0.8 2009/11/01 19:34:41 35.134N 84.856W 23.2 2 km ( 1 mi) ESE of South Cleveland, TN
map 2.0 2009/11/01 19:32:56 35.134N 84.855W 25.6 2 km ( 1 mi) ESE of South Cleveland, TN
map 0.9 2009/11/01 11:09:17 35.139N 84.863W 21.3 1 km ( 1 mi) ESE of South Cleveland, TN
MAP 3.0 2009/11/01 11:01:26 35.136N 84.856W 24.0 2 km ( 1 mi) ESE of South Cleveland, TN

Earthquakes in Iceland during the last 48 hours - Iceland Swarm of the Week 200+ Quakes

NOTE: ONLY TODAY - MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2009 UNTIL 11:25AM CDT

link: http://hraun.vedur.is/ja/englishweb/eqlist.html

NOTE: These are automatic results from the SIL seismic system

DateTimeLat.Lon.DepthMlQuality
Comments
2009-11-0217:18:38,564,049-21,3943,80,743,30 1,3 kmNof Hellisheiðarvirkjun
2009-11-0216:52:51,263,940-19,2982,91,062,33 9,6 kmNNWof Álftavatn
2009-11-0215:50:42,364,059-21,4279,30,537,78 2,8 kmNNWof Hellisheiðarvirkjun
2009-11-0214:46:59,064,055-21,3984,00,890,01 2,0 kmNof Hellisheiðarvirkjun
2009-11-0214:29:38,063,907-21,4599,41,451,35 4,8 kmSWof Raufarhólshellir
2009-11-0213:11:40,564,061-21,4084,90,550,88 2,7 kmNof Hellisheiðarvirkjun
2009-11-0211:16:07,163,965-20,3368,00,588,92 9,5 kmSSWof Árnes
2009-11-0210:42:27,463,704-23,2809,12,190,02 2,9 kmNof Geirfugladrangur
2009-11-0210:17:47,766,509-17,0911,11,466,06 36,6 kmNWof Kópasker
2009-11-0209:46:27,163,701-23,29211,61,990,02 2,5 kmNof Geirfugladrangur
2009-11-0208:57:50,463,742-23,17210,52,990,03 5,3 kmNNEof Geirfuglasker
2009-11-0207:32:04,965,190-16,3136,11,690,01 2,4 kmNEof Herðubreið
2009-11-0207:31:59,065,376-16,3891,12,149,86 5,8 kmNNEof Herðubreiðarfjöll
2009-11-0207:15:28,866,665-17,9839,42,082,39 13,8 kmNof Grímsey
2009-11-0207:05:48,466,107-16,6880,51,756,72 13,8 kmNWof Ásbyrgi
2009-11-0207:05:27,767,905-18,0727,52,990,01 88,0 kmNNEof Kolbeinsey
2009-11-0206:56:00,566,387-17,0607,41,190,01 28,7 kmWNWof Kópasker
2009-11-0206:55:59,466,430-17,0180,91,032,73 29,0 kmWNWof Kópasker
2009-11-0206:55:58,166,492-16,8630,91,634,57 28,0 kmNWof Kópasker
2009-11-0206:18:55,165,187-16,3094,01,890,03 2,3 kmNEof Herðubreið
2009-11-0205:55:31,366,319-18,6142,51,366,57 22,5 kmNWof Gjögurtá
2009-11-0204:49:34,463,743-23,0476,51,733,35 3,2 kmWNWof Eldeyjardrangur
2009-11-0204:27:31,763,769-23,15611,81,765,95 8,4 kmNNEof Geirfuglasker
2009-11-0204:27:12,063,418-24,4491,12,471,10 32,9 kmWSWof Eldeyjarboði
2009-11-0203:50:34,366,929-17,61814,42,385,22 46,4 kmNNEof Grímsey
2009-11-0202:16:35,264,593-20,0641,11,490,01 25,3 kmSEof Eiríksjökull
2009-11-0202:02:47,166,650-17,26012,81,890,01 35,2 kmENEof Grímsey
2009-11-0202:02:42,166,937-17,5888,82,090,01 47,7 kmNNEof Grímsey
2009-11-0202:02:41,167,002-17,4384,92,431,81 56,1 kmESEof Kolbeinsey
2009-11-0202:02:29,266,937-17,5888,82,043,67 47,7 kmNNEof Grímsey
2009-11-0201:53:42,066,989-17,66719,41,832,71 47,3 kmESEof Kolbeinsey
2009-11-0200:39:02,765,083-16,2415,20,665,30 4,7 kmNof Upptyppingar
2009-11-0200:20:22,166,645-17,9629,51,245,07 11,7 kmNof Grímsey


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