Senate nixes debt commissionNEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Senate on Tuesday rejected a proposal to create a bipartisan commission charged with reining in the country's debt.The goal was to create a framework to force Congress to make some tough choices -- specifically tax increases and spending cuts.
Had it passed, Congress would have been required to take speedy votes on the commission's recommendations. The recommendations would have gone up for a vote by the end of this year.
The proposal fell by a vote of 53 to 46. Sixty votes were required for passage. The measure was attached as an amendment to a bill that would increase the legal limit U.S. debt by $1.9 trillion.
"While the statutory fiscal task force proposal ... did not secure the necessary 60 votes for adoption, I am heartened by the 53 votes we did receive," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., who co-sponsored the amendment with Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., the committee's top-ranking Republican.
Read more....
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Debt Control ... Not Really
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Intelligence Chief Slams Handling of Christmas-Bomb Case
Dennis Blair, the director of national intelligence, told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Wednesday that officials botched the handling of terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who is accused of working with a Yemen-based offshoot of al Qaeda to try to bring down the Detroit-bound jet carrying 290 passengers and crew.
A new panel charged with designating so-called high-value terrorism suspects for special interrogations should have been used in the case and the suspect should have been questioned by an elite group of interrogators, said Mr. Blair, who used the expression "duh" to emphasize his point.
Read more....
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Democrats start to question strategy
By Anna Fifield in WashingtonPublished: January 20 2010 15:21 | Last updated: January 20 2010 18:11
Democrats were on Wednesday morning conducting an autopsy into their humiliating Massachusetts Senate defeat, which puts President Barack Obama’s legislative agenda at risk and underlines the challenges the party faces in this year’s mid-term congressional elections.
The loss of one of the safest liberal seats in the country will cause many Democrats to question their entire strategy. It has also rattled those in more marginal seats and prompted warnings that the party needs to focus on the middle political ground.
“There’s going to be a tendency on the part of our people to be in denial about all this,” said Evan Bayh, a centrist Democratic senator from Indiana, whose own seat could be in jeopardy in November.
“If you lose Massachusetts and that’s not a wake-up call, there’s no hope of waking up ... The only way we are able to govern successfully in this country is by liberals and progressives making common cause with independents and moderates,” Mr Bayh told ABC News.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
You Call It Bribery
UN Afghanistan survey points to huge scale of bribery
The UN says corruption is holding back Afghanistan's developmentAfghans paid $2.5bn (£1.5bn) in bribes over the past 12 months, or the equivalent of almost one quarter of legitimate GDP, a UN report suggests.
Surveying 7,600 people, it found nearly 60% more concerned about corruption than insecurity or unemployment.
More than half the population had to pay at least one bribe to a public official last year, the report adds.
Read more...
Monday, January 18, 2010
Washington Screws Samoa
Last year an earthquake of 8.0 magnitude hit along with a 20-ft. tidal wave [tsunami]. This is the official report:
The American Samoans total less than 100,000 people and are as poor as the Haitians. But there is no political/ethnic pressure group in Washington D.C. pushing for a similar response that the Haitians are receiving. To be fair, the devastation in Haiti is much worse and the Haitian society does not have the cultural cohesiveness and strength of the Samoan society. Still, the response from Washington was anemic, at best.Most Recent Disaster Declaration:
Samoa
Disaster Assistance at a Glance
Recent Disaster Declarations:
Tsunami
OFDA Response:
Emergency relief
OFDA Preparedness:
Disaster preparedness, capacity buildingLatest OFDA Report:
East Asia and Pacific Tsunami and Storms Fact Sheet #5 (79KB PDF)Asia and Pacific - Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation Programs (67kb PDF) and (map)
Tsunami, 10-01-2009
On September 29, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred off the coast of Samoa, 120 miles south of the capital of Apia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake generated a tsunami surge that resulted in waves reportedly reaching as high as 20 feet, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The tsunami surge particularly affected the south and southeastern coast of Upolu Island, while also affecting villages on Savai’i, Manono, and Apolima islands. The earthquake and associated tsunami killed 110 people, injured 180 others, and displaced approximately 32,000 individuals according to the Government of Samoa (GoS) Disaster Action Council (DAC). On September 29, the GoS issued a declaration of disaster. On October 1, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., Arnold H. Campbell issued a disaster declaration due to the effects of the tsunami. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $100,000 through the U.S. Embassy in Apia for the purchase and distribution of relief commodities in coordination with the GoS DAC and the Samoa Red Cross Society.
The Samoans primary industry is canning tuna which accounts for 80% of the islands' income. Last year, one cannery closed. In response, Congress decided that the other cannery must pay U.S. minimum wages. As a result, the other cannery may be closing.
Washington once again showed that it can screw up any screwed up situation even further.
Friday, January 15, 2010
White House nears deal on health care
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 15, 2010
Gripped by a building sense that its window of opportunity could be closing, the White House on Thursday broke the last major logjam blocking enactment of far-reaching health-care legislation, cutting a deal with organized labor on how to tax high-cost insurance policies.
The agreement, forged in a marathon negotiating session that included White House officials and seven prominent labor leaders, would exempt union members from a proposed surtax on expensive insurance plans until 2018, five years after the legislation would take effect. The tax is a key source of financing for Democrats' plan to extend coverage to as many as 36 million additional Americans over the next decade.
Read more....
That fits right in with Nebraska's Medicaid exemption.
The Terrible Twos
- 2... toys are important
- 12... music is important
- 22... sex is important
- 32... children are important
- 42... career is important
- 52... finance is important
- 62... grandchildren are important
- 72... estate planning is important
- 82... medicine is important
- 92... waking up is important
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Police Protect Florida From Road Terrorist
Grandma Wrongfully Jailed for Driving Too SlowWoman jailed for two weeks, but her license wasn't suspended
By TODD WRIGHT
Updated 9:23 AM EST, Tue, Jan 12, 2010
Broward's justice system is apparently doing their part to keep old people off of the roads in South Florida. Only next time, they might want to get their facts straight.
Police arrested 78-year-old Gabrielle Shaink Trudeau in November for driving with a suspended license and the grandmother was jailed for more than two weeks before someone figured out her license wasn’t suspended after all, according to the BrowardBulldog.org.
Trudeau was released at the behest of a Broward County judge who didn’t mince words about who really deserved to be shackled.
“I want her released. I think she's suffered enough at our system's mistakes," Circuit Judge Lee Seidman wrote in his court order.
The problem for poor Trudeau was, well, she’s poor. She had no one to represent her in court and the Public Defender’s Office failed to appear at her arraignment, which may have solved the problem immediately.
“We fell down and we fell down badly," Broward Public Defender Howard Finkelstein told BrowardBulldog.
Trudeau’s problems with the law started after she was pulled over a few months earlier by police for driving her car too slowly. That caused the DMV to question her ability to drive. The grandma’s license was revoked pending a review of her skills.
Then, after receiving a notice in the mail saying that her driving privileges had been restored, Broward Sheriff’s Office showed up at her door with a warrant for Trudeau’s arrest. Apparently they didn’t get the memo.
“They came on real strong, like I had killed somebody or something," Trudeau said. "There were neighbors all around. They put handcuffs on me. It was very embarrassing."
Trudeau had to spend Thanksgiving in jail instead of with her family.
Prosecutors have dropped the charges against her and offered an apology.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Ouch
An Israeli doctor says, "Medicine in my country is so advanced that weH/T Wilbert
can take a kidney out of one man, put it in another, and have him
looking for work in six weeks."
A German doctor says, "That is nothing; we can take a lung out of one
person, put it in another, and have him looking for work in four weeks."
A Russian doctor says, "In my country, medicine is so advanced that we
can take half a heart out of one person, put it in another, and have
them both looking for work in two weeks."
An ILLINOIS doctor, not to be outdone, says. "You guys are way behind.
We recently took a man with no brains out of ILLINOIS, put him in the
White House for SIX MONTHS, and now half the COUNTRY is looking for
work."
Monday, January 11, 2010
Chilean presidential candidate vows to deepen ties with China
Chilean presidential candidate of the ruling coalition Eduardo Frei Friday promised to further boost ties with China if he wins the Jan. 17 run-off election.
The former president told Xinhua that he is "proud" of being the first Chilean president engaging in direct contact with China when he was in office in 1994-2000.
"Now we have closer ties with China and in the future we have to march ahead much further," Frei said.
"We have had excellent ties with China," Frei said, adding that official statistics to be released soon will prove that "China is the main commercial partner of Chile."
He called for more efforts to enhance mutual investment and academic exchanges between both countries. There also exists a huge potential for the two developing nations to collaborate on environmental protection, he said.
The second round presidential election will be held on Jan. 17,pitting Frei against opposition candidate Sebastian Pinera, after the first round on Dec. 13 failed to produce an outright winner.
Pinera garnered 44 percent of the vote in the December poll, while Frei got 29.6 percent.
The new president is expected to take office on March 11 to replace President Michelle Bachelet.
Source
Perhaps nowhere.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Reid Apologizes for Remarks on Obama’s Color and ‘Dialect’
WASHINGTON — Senator Harry Reid, the Democratic majority leader, apologized on Saturday for once predicting that Barack Obama could become the country’s first black president because he was “light-skinned” and had “no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”
Read more...
What more can one say? How about "idiot"?
The Rev. Al Sharpton of New York offered his support for Mr. Reid after receiving a telephone call from him. He said that while Mr. Reid “did not select the best word choice in this instance,” the comments should not distract Congress or the White House.Now about any Republican who might say something like that....
Friday, January 8, 2010
Strong Belief In Islam An Insanity Defense
By BEN CASSELMANDefense attorneys for accused Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan are racing to collect evidence that could show their client is insane before a psychiatric evaluation is completed.
Associated PressThe Army on Wednesday evening told Maj. Hasan's defense lawyers that it had convened a so-called sanity board to evaluate whether Maj. Hasan is fit to stand trial. The three-person panel is expected to make a recommendation by the end of February, a timeline that has defense attorneys frustrated.
Maj. Hasan is accused of killing 12 fellow soldiers and one civilian in a Nov. 5 rampage at the Texas Army base. Prosecutors are expected to seek the death penalty.
Maj. Hasan's mental status is shaping up to be a central issue in the case. John P. Galligan, the retired Army colonel leading the defense team, has said he was considering pursuing an insanity defense, and the Army has appointed a prosecutor with experience in such cases.
Read more....
New GM Battery Only Cost 5 Times Too Much
GM battery may get Mich. moving on new path
Technology touted, but experts skeptical over electric cars’ cost
BY ROBERT SNELL AND ALISA PRIDDLE
The Detroit News [online edition]
Brownstown Township — The first lithium-ion battery pack rolled off the line Thursday at General Motors Co.’s new assembly plant here, a symbolic display that could be a step toward transforming Michigan’s battered manufacturing industry.
The battery pack is bound for a Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle, which debuts later this year. But the battery pack’s arrival coincided with a study released Thursday showing the cost targets behind the automakers’ electric vehicle plans are unlikely to be achieved, making it hard for consumers to recoup the extra cost of buying advanced vehicles. The cost is unlikely to drop to the $250 per kilowatt/hour threshold cited by many carmakers for the vehicles to be competitive in price, according to a study by Boston Consulting Group. That price target is not possible without a major breakthrough in battery technology, the study concluded, and no such breakthrough is on the horizon, said Xavier Mosquet, the Detroitbased leader of BCG’s automotive group.
As a result, the payback time for an all-electric vehicle in the United States is about 15 years, or 19 years for an extended-range electric vehicle such as the Volt, the study found.
“Consumers want a three years or less payback period for the extra cost of the batteries,” said Massimo Russo, a partner in the Boston office.
But, a broader acceptance of electric vehicles will drive down costs, and GM wants to expand the number of vehicles that will rely on the same battery technology.
“There’s more to come,” GM Chairman and CEO Ed Whitacre said.
The event Thursday drew U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and a host of politicians.
“We will recapture the lead we have lost and become the world leader in clean vehicles,” Chu said. “This is where the real work begins.
I know we will succeed.”
The plant employs about 25 people now, but about 100 people will work here once production ramps up. Whitacre said that figure could grow.
GM is receiving about $241 million in federal grants, including $106 million for the battery pack assembly factory, which will be the first such facility in the United States operated by a major automaker.Initially, batteries will be sent to GM’s battery lab in Warren for testing. This spring, GM will ship the batteries to the Detroit- Hamtramck assembly plant, where the Volt will be built.
“We’ve had tough times, but this battery represents we’re bouncing back better than ever,” said U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D Royal Oak.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
E.P.A. Asks for Stricter Rules for Pollutants Causing Smog
E.P.A. Asks for Stricter Rules for Pollutants Causing Smog
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency proposed a stricter new standard for smog-causing pollutants on Thursday that, if adopted, will impose large costs on industry and local governments but will also bring substantial health benefits to millions of Americans.
The proposed standard would replace one set by the Bush administration in March 2008, which has been challenged in court by environmental advocates as too weak to adequately protect human health and the environment.
The Obama administration’s proposal sets a primary standard for ground-level ozone of no more than 0.06 to 0.07 parts per million, to be phased in over two decades. The new rule would replace the standard of 0.075 parts per million imposed by the Bush administration. The agency is also proposing a secondary standard that will vary with the seasons to protect plants and trees from repeated exposure.
Formula For Trouble
Plus this...
Plus this...
could be trouble. So, make sure only middle-aged guys with lots of insurance drive this car.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Democratic Party Senators Calling It Quits
By PETER WALLSTEN and NAFTALI BENDAVID
AFP/Getty Images
Sen. Christopher Dodd (center) at a news conference with Sen. Tom Harkin (left) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in December.
WASHINGTON—The retirements of two top Democratic senators underscore what many in the party had already conceded: The prognosis for Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections is looking bad.
In brief remarks Wednesday outside his home in East Haddon, Conn., Sen. Christopher Dodd confirmed he wouldn't seek re-election for a sixth term, bowing to political realities which see him trailing potential Republican opponents in a fall campaign.
Mr. Dodd said his decision wasn't based on any predictions about the November elections, although the senator also acknowledged he is in "the toughest political shape" of his career.
Read more....
President Says U.S. Missed Key Bomb Clues
By JONATHAN WEISMAN, SIOBHAN GORMAN and EVAN PEREZIt is good of the President to take time to be "engaged."
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama, in his harshest remarks yet on the terrorism threat facing the nation, said U.S. intelligence agencies knew that al Qaeda in Yemen was targeting the United States, but "failed to connect those dots" to thwart a Christmas Day bombing attempt.
The remarks capped a day in which the president, facing heat from Republicans over what they paint as a lackluster initial response, summoned his full cabinet to meetings on counterterrorism in an effort to show his administration's engagement on the issue.
Read more....
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Ford Vs. Government Motors
Intelligent Investing Panel
Ford Vs. Government Motors
Alexandra Zendrian, 01.05.10, 06:00 AM EST
GM has come out swinging from its government-induced bankruptcy, but Ford's strength in 2009 makes it a contender in 2010.Things are looking up for the American automakers this year. General Motors is restructuring itself and is winding down its Saab brand. But though there seems to be more confidence in GM now than there was last year, Ford is giving GM a run for its money. These two companies could both be victorious, or one could leave the other badly bruised in the battle for top car company in 2010.
General Motors probably wants to forget 2009--the year that it was forced into bankruptcy. It ended the year on a higher note; GM's 2009 third quarter revenue was $28 billion, up $4.9 billion from its second quarter revenue.
Read more....
Monday, January 4, 2010
Those Munitions Were Here A Minute Ago
Embassies shut after 'Yemen lost track of arms trucks'
It is not clear when the embassies in Sanaa will reopenThe closure of three embassies in Yemen followed local security forces losing track of six trucks full of arms and explosives, say reports from Yemen.
France announced its mission in the capital Sanaa was shut on Monday, a day after the US and UK closed theirs.
Read more....
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Natural Gas A Renewable Resource
As to the latter belief, that is obviously in error as reported here:
U.S. Natural Gas Resource Estimates
Below are three estimates of natural gas reserves in the United States. The first, compiled by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), estimates that there are 1,747.47 Tcf of technically recoverable natural gas in the United States. This includes undiscovered, unproved, and unconventional natural gas. As seen from the table, proved reserves make up a very small proportion of the total recoverable natural gas resources in the U.S.
Natural Gas Technically Recoverable Resources Natural Gas Resource Category
(Trillion Cubic Feet)As of January 1, 2007 Nonassociated Gas
Undiscovered 373.20 Onshore 113.61 Offshore 259.59 Inferred Reserves 220.14 Onshore 171.05 Offshore 49.09 Unconventional Gas Recovery 644.92 Tight Gas 309.58 Shale Gas 267.26 Coalbed Methane 68.09 Associated-Dissolved Gas 128.69 Total Lower 48 Unproved 1366.96 Alaska 169.43 Total U.S. Unproved 1536.38 Proved Reserves 211.09 Total Natural Gas 1747.47 Source: Energy Information Administration - Annual Energy Outlook 2009
Of course, this gas will be restricted by the EPA because it releases CO2 into the atmosphere when burned. That would make all of that hot air hotter.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
President Obama Finally States The Obvious
Let's see who else President Obama can blame for his abysmal "leadership." First guess, Janet Napolitano will be asked to "step down."Obama Ties Failed Plane Attack to Al Qaeda
HONOLULU, Hawaii — President Obama declared for the first time on Saturday that a branch of Al Qaeda based in Yemen sponsored the attempted Christmas Day bombing of an American passenger jet, and he vowed that those behind the failed attack “will be held to account.”
In his first radio and Internet address of the new year, Mr. Obama also rebutted attacks by former Vice President Dick Cheney and other Republicans who since the incident have accused him of not recognizing that the struggle against terrorists is a war. Mr. Obama said he was well aware that “our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.”
Read more....
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year 2010
Happy New Year!
