Life in OUR America, Volume 2, The Livyjr Files Options

[Livyjr]

"G-8 leaders remain split on global warming - Blair, Bush unable to narrow differences; African debt relief also on agenda"

July 6: The leaders of the Group of Eight nations arrived in a Scottish resort town for their annual summit.

Updated: 4:47 a.m. ET July 7, 2005

GLENEAGLES, Scotland - British Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Bush said Thursday they were unable to narrow differences between the United States and other major industrial countries over how to tackle global warming.

“There is no point in going back over the Kyoto debate,” Blair said at Bush’s side after a breakfast meeting between the two leaders.

Blair had sought to do just that at this year’s Group of Eight nations economic summit.

“Now is the time to get beyond the Kyoto protocol and develop a strategy forward,” Bush said.

The president says the Kyoto treaty, aside from being bad for the U.S. economy, is seriously flawed because it does not include developing countries such as China and India.

"Last Shuttle Flight Made Clouds Over Antarctica"

Michael Schirber, Staff Writer, SPACE.com

Wed Jul 6, 3:05 PM ET

High altitude clouds were detected over Antarctica shortly after the fateful launch of the space shuttle Columbia.

The fact that some of these clouds are born out of shuttle exhaust may require a rethinking of their role as a diagnostic for global climate change.

Researchers using satellite and ground-based instruments tracked the exhaust plume from Columbia's liftoff from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 16, 2003.

The plume was roughly 650 miles long and two miles wide.

"Our analysis shows that the Columbia's exhaust plume approached the South Pole three days after launch," said Michael Stevens from the Naval Research Laboratory.

As with all shuttle launches, about 97 percent of this exhaust turns into water - a by-product of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel.

The resulting 400 tons of extra water in the atmosphere has an observable effect on cloud formation.

Other rocket launches inject water into the atmosphere, but none so much as the shuttle launch vehicles.

Because of low temperatures and the high concentrations of water from Columbia's exhaust, Stevens and his colleagues observed a significant increase in polar mesospheric clouds over Antarctica in the days following the launch.

Polar mesospheric clouds - also called noctilucent clouds - form in the summer over the poles at altitudes of about 52 miles (84 kilometers), making them the highest clouds in the Earth's atmosphere.

They have been monitored in recent years because they are thought to be sensitive to the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere.

"Because the brightness, occurrence, and range of the clouds have been increasing, some scientists have suggested that they are indicators of global climate change," said Xinzhao Chu from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

"That role needs to be reconsidered, however, because of the potential influence of water vapor in shuttle plumes."

Shuttle missions have been on hold since 2003, after Columbia and its crew were lost during reentry.

The return to flight is scheduled for July 13 of this year.

A paper describing these results appears in the July 6 issue of Geophysical Research Letters.

[jeffmoskin]

I was thinking about this, this morning, what exactly did happen over there with this international incident of George W. Bush riding down this Scottish cop as he did.

There has been no proof that George W. Bush was guilty of riding down that Scottish cop. Reliable sources have come forth to state the it was the Scottish cop who JUMPED in the path of der Bush's bike, thereby causing the accident and POTENTIALLY causing great physical and/or psychological harm to the Great Emperor.

As Dan Quayle would have said, "I reject the allegation, and I demand to confront the alligator."

[Livyjr]

There has been no proof that George W. Bush was guilty of riding down that Scottish cop.

Reliable sources have come forth to state the it was the Scottish cop who JUMPED in the path of der Bush's bike, thereby causing the accident and POTENTIALLY causing great physical and/or psychological harm to the Great Emperor.

Well, there goes that guy's law enforcement career, then!

He would have been better off in the end if he had played a goat for George W. Bush, so that George W. Bush could show Chirac and Putin how he ropes goats off a bike down there on the ranch in Crawford, Texas!

[Livyjr]

"Last Shuttle Flight Made Clouds Over Antarctica"

Michael Schirber, Staff Writer, SPACE.com

Wed Jul 6, 3:05 PM ET

The resulting 400 tons of extra water in the atmosphere has an observable effect on cloud formation.

Uh, let's see here, kids, ah, little Johnny, how about answering me this, then; if you take 400 tons of water, which is, let's see here, say, 800,000 pounds of water, and you somehow contrive to get all that water up into the upper earth atmosphere, what is going to be the fate of that water?

[sounds of pencil scribbling on a piece of paper, as a calculater whirls and clicks through a series of polynomial eqautions]

"Well,", says little Johnny, "if that water was not originally from there, and you somehow throw it up there, well, water being water, it's coming back down, uh, let's see, how about right about now?"

"Florida declares emergency as Hurricane Dennis nears"

1 hour, 13 minutes ago

MIAMI (AFP) - Florida governor Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency, warning that Hurricane Dennis could cause a "major disaster" in the southeastern US state that was pummeled by four such storms last year.

At the same time, authorities ordered the evacuation of all non-residents in the Florida Keys, which forecasters say could be hit by the increasingly powerful hurricane this weekend.

Governor Bush, a brother of the US president, called for the evacuation of high-risk areas, saying there was "an immediate danger to the lives and property of the residents of those communities."

"I hereby find that Hurricane Dennis threatens the state of Florida with a major disaster."

"I therefore declare that a state of emergency exists in the state of Florida," he said in a statement.

The declaration clears the way for mandatory evacuations, the deployment of personnel and resources, and the opening of emergency shelters.

The governor pointed out that the threatened communities in Florida "continue their efforts to recover from the 2004 hurricane season, leaving them more vulnerable to harm."

The four hurricanes that slammed Florida last year caused billions of dollars in damages.

Dennis packed sustained winds of up to 175 kilometers (110 miles) per hour Thursday, and the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said it was likely to continue gathering strength and become a "major hurricane."

At 1800 GMT Thursday, the center of the storm was located 105 kilometers (65 miles) northeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and forecasters expected it to pummel Jamaica and Cuba before heading toward the Florida Keys and the US coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

Local authorities in the Florida Keys, a chain of southeastern US islands linked to the mainland by a series of bridges and a single road, ordered the evacuation of all non-residents, as well as recreational vehicles, and shut down campgrounds and state parks.

[Livyjr]

Uh, let's see here, kids, ah, little Johnny, how about answering me this, then; if you take 400 tons of water, which is, let's see here, say, 800,000 pounds of water, and you somehow contrive to get all that water up into the upper earth atmosphere, what is going to be the fate of that water?

[sounds of pencil scribbling on a piece of paper, as a calculater whirls and clicks through a series of polynomial equations]

"Well,", says little Johnny, "if that water was not originally from there, and you somehow throw it up there, well, water being water, it's coming back down, uh, let's see, how about right about now?"

"Florida declares emergency as Hurricane Dennis nears"

MIAMI (AFP) - Florida governor Jeb Bush declared a state of emergency, warning that Hurricane Dennis could cause a "major disaster" in the southeastern US state that was pummeled by four such storms last year.

At the same time, authorities ordered the evacuation of all non-residents in the Florida Keys, which forecasters say could be hit by the increasingly powerful hurricane this weekend.

"I hereby find that Hurricane Dennis threatens the state of Florida with a major disaster."

"I therefore declare that a state of emergency exists in the state of Florida," he said in a statement.

Boy, those Bush boys got it coming, and going, it seems ....

"Uzbekistan reconsiders hosting U.S air base - Foreign Ministry says base was intended only for post-Sept. 11 efforts"

Updated: 3:01 p.m. ET July 7, 2005

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan - Uzbekistan indicated Thursday that it was reconsidering the future of a U.S. air base it hosts, threatening a key support base for the U.S.-led efforts in neighboring Afghanistan.

The move, which throws into doubt the American military presence in the Central Asian nation, follows an increasing chill in relations between Washington and the authoritarian Uzbek leader Islam Karimov.

The Foreign Ministry said the air base at Karshi-Khanabad, which U.S. forces use to support operations and supply humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, was only intended for combat operations in Afghanistan during the overthrow of the Taliban regime after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"Any other prospects for a U.S. military presence in Uzbekistan were not considered by the Uzbek side," the ministry said in a statement.

U.S. offered no compensation, Uzbeks say

Uzbekistan also claimed that the United States hadn't paid takeoff and landing fees for all flights to and from the base, and had offered virtually no compensation for additional costs incurred by the Uzbek authorities for guarding the base, new infrastructure, ecological damage and inconvenience to the local population.

"In the view of the Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan, these considerations should be central to examining the prospects of the future presence of the U.S. military force at the Khanabad air base," the statement concluded.

On Tuesday, a regional alliance led by China and Russia and including Uzbekistan called for the United States and its coalition allies in Afghanistan to set a date for withdrawing from several states in Central Asia, reflecting growing unease at America's military presence in the region.

U.S.-led military forces have been deployed at air bases in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to back up the anti-terrorist campaign in neighboring Afghanistan.

According to the U.S. military, Uzbekistan hosts at least 800 U.S. troops, while 1,200 U.S.-led troops are in Kyrgyzstan.

Some 200 French air force personnel are based in Tajikistan.

No deadline set in Washington

In Washington, several U.S. officials rejected the calls for a deadline.

On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan John Ordway said coalition operations in Afghanistan "are ongoing and will be for some time to come."

"Unfortunately, there are a number of challenges remaining in Afghanistan, and the military contingents there remain essential in the struggle to provide that security and stability," Ordway told reporters in the Kazakh commercial capital Almaty.

Uzbekistan's ties with the United States and other Western nations have sharply deteriorated since it came under international condemnation for the harsh suppression of a May uprising in the eastern city of Andijan.

Uzbek authorities say 176 people died and deny that government troops fired on unarmed civilians but rights activists say as many as 750 may have been killed.

Karimov put restrictions on the U.S. air base — located in southern Uzbekistan about 112 miles from the Afghan border — after Washington joined calls by other Western nations for an international probe into the Andijan massacre.

[Livyjr]

Boy, those Bush boys got it coming, and going, it seems ....

"Uzbekistan reconsiders hosting U.S air base - Foreign Ministry says base was intended only for post-Sept. 11 efforts"
 
Updated: 3:01 p.m. ET July 7, 2005

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan - Uzbekistan indicated Thursday that it was reconsidering the future of a U.S. air base it hosts, threatening a key support base for the U.S.-led efforts in neighboring Afghanistan.

The move, which throws into doubt the American military presence in the Central Asian nation, follows an increasing chill in relations between Washington and the authoritarian Uzbek leader Islam Karimov.

On Tuesday, a regional alliance led by China and Russia and including Uzbekistan called for the United States and its coalition allies in Afghanistan to set a date for withdrawing from several states in Central Asia, reflecting growing unease at America's military presence in the region.

U.S.-led military forces have been deployed at air bases in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to back up the anti-terrorist campaign in neighboring Afghanistan.

And speaking of George W. Bush not knowing whether he is afoot or horse back ....

"Iraq calls for ‘new page' in relations with Tehran - Bold plans for greater military cooperation discussed between old foes"

Iranian President, Mohammad Khatami, right, talks with Iraqi Defense Minister, Saadoun al-Duleimi, during their official meeting in Tehran on Thursday.

Updated: 11:46 a.m. ET July 7, 2005

TEHRAN, Iran - Iraq’s defense minister said Thursday that ousted leader Saddam Hussein was the aggressor in the 1980-88 war against Iran, as the two former enemies announced plans for closer cooperation between their militaries.

Iraqi Defense Minister Saadoun al-Duleimi’s visit to Iran marked a new effort to build ties between Iraq and mainly Shiite Muslim Iran after a Shiite-dominated government came to power in Baghdad this year.

“We’ve come here to open a new page in our relations against the painful page of the past,” al-Duleimi told reporters at a press conference with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Shamkhani.

Shamkhani said Iran and Iraq would form joint committees to work out cooperation on cleaning minefields and “modernizing Iraq’s army.”

“No one can prevent this cooperation,” Shamkhani insisted, without elaborating on the extent of the cooperation.

The United States — Iran’s No. 1 enemy — is helping build Iraq’s military and security forces and would likely oppose any Iranian intervention.

But the warm talk reflected the sympathies toward Tehran from the new Baghdad government, where several parties long tied to Iran hold sway.

Old aggression blamed on Saddam

Al-Duleimi on Thursday promised that Iraq would no longer be a threat to its neighbors and he acknowledged that Saddam’s regime was responsible for starting the bloody 1980-88 war against Iran, in which one million people died.

He pointed to the “painful past that led to the victimization of many people from both nations by Saddam.”

“Our Iranian brothers have overcome the pains caused by Saddam, but our nation is still suffering from the unfair decisions by Saddam,” he said.

Saddam, who was captured in December 2003, is facing a wide range of charges including killing his opponents, gassing Kurds, invading Kuwait in 1990 and suppressing Kurdish and Shiite uprisings against his rule in 1991.

Iran has said it was preparing to file a lawsuit against Saddam for invading Iran.

Asked about $1 billion in war damages demanded by Iran for the 1980-88 war, al-Duleimi said, “We have come to our brothers in Iran and have demanded help.”

He didn’t elaborate, but other Iraqi officials have reportedly called on Iran to waive the demand.

Warming relations result of new government

The comments from al-Duleimi — a Sunni Muslim, picked for the defense post in part in a bid to bring Iraq’s minority Sunnis behind the new government — were a sharp contrast to those of his predecessor.

Last year, former Iraqi Defense Minister Hazem Shaalan called Iran his country’s “first enemy,” accusing it of supporting Iraqi insurgents and allowing them to freely cross the border.

Tehran says it is trying to control the border, but at nearly 1,000 miles long, the frontier is hard to police.

On Wednesday, the first day of al-Duleimi’s visit, Shamkhani demanded the Iraqi government push for the removal of American forces on its soil, saying their presence serves Israel’s interest.

“Iran demands that the Iraqi government make a decision on this case,” Shamkhani said.

“The government and people of Iraq should not allow foreign forces to consolidate their control in the area with the aim of providing security for Israel.”

[Livyjr]

"Flood of questions after dam's failure - Power, houses and highways are casualties as Pataki declares state of emergency" 
 
By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer
First published: Monday, July 4, 2005

FORT ANN -- As day broke over the aftermath of the catastrophic dam breach that sent millions of gallons of water gushing through residential neighborhoods here, officials began to cobble together what caused the massive collapse of the 2-month-old dam that, incredibly, killed no one.

By day's end Sunday, dozens of officials, including Gov. George Pataki's chief of staff, had come to survey the devastation in this Washington County community about 60 miles northeast of Albany.

But there was no word on what caused the earthen, cement and steel bulwark to wash away, taking homes and roads with it.

At least four homes were destroyed -- one by fire and three snatched from their foundations by the rushing water, said Town Attorney John Aspland Jr.

A 3-mile stretch of state Route 149, a major tourist connection to Vermont, remained impassable, washed out in three places where it crosses the normally tranquil creeks that drain the lake, he said.

Packing what little she had, Oriol echoed what many couldn't get past Sunday as the extent of the damage became painfully obvious:

"I didn't think the new dam would burst so soon."

The dam was completed in May, after a roughly $1.5 million safety rehabilitation done over the winter at the direction of the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

But Bob Pettersen, president of the Lake Hadlock Association, said many residents believed the old dam was sturdy and resisted building a new one.

"Had they left it alone, it wouldn't have occurred."

"People knew the dam needed work."

"The ironic part, and it's very sad, is that the dam was replaced so that this exact event would not occur," Pettersen said.

The dam, which many said had been around in some form since the 1800s, was redesigned to meet DEC guidelines for a so-called 500-year flood.

The land and the dam are owned by the town of Fort Ann, said Aspland, but the construction was funded through a state grant and a smaller tax district made up of homeowners who live on and near the lake.

"My understanding was that DEC was heavily involved," Pettersen said.

"It's my understanding they inspected the dam."

"There's enough blame on this one to go around."

"Nobody wanted this to happen."

DEC spokeswoman Maureen Wren said she couldn't comment on specifics of the investigation into Saturday's breach.

But she confirmed that the entire rehab project had been done under DEC oversight.

Aspland said that part of the dam's upgrade included the installation of two 50-foot fuse plugs, which are sections of the dam made of roller compacted concrete and engineered earthwork designed to fail first and control the flood to prevent a catastrophic collapse.

The fuse plugs appeared to be the section of the dam that gave way, Aspland said.

Pettersen said he knew of at least one resident who claims to have noticed the water level down as much as three inches Friday night, but Aspland said the town never received any report of it.

Kubricky Construction Corp. of Glens Falls won the bid to build the dam, Aspland said.

New Hampshire-based HTE Engineering was the project engineer.

Pettersen, a civil engineer by trade, said he believed the failure was caused by a construction or design flaw, not subsequent damage from recent storms.

Whether homeowners' insurance will cover their losses remains one of the most daunting questions.

So is who is responsible for the calamity.

"That's something that needs to be addressed in the long term," said James Tuffey, director of the state Emergency Management Office.

Well, in the grand scheme of things, here in OUR America, and the world as well, this two-month old dam failure up there in Washington County in the corrupt State of New York is probably quite small potatoes, but nonetheless, it is a real NEW YORK story, kind of a modern "Damon Runyon Presents" kind of story, and so I include it, for whatever it is worth to the candid world, which may not be much at all, but as for me, a resident of the State of New York, and a licensed professional engineer in that state who has been blacklisted by the state for blowing the whistle too many times on this same DEC that is involved with this dam, well, as for me, I have to wonder ....

And one of the things I wonder at is why the state had an engineering firm from outside of New York State handling the engineering on this project!

For an engineering firm from outside of New York State to do engineering work inside of New York State, where engineers involved in projects such as this must be licensed by the State of New York itself, the New York Department of Education would have had to been involved, to give this New Hampshire engineering company a waiver to practice in New York State, and how that all happened is something that I personally would like to see investigated in connection with this matter, but likely won't, because a major hush-up will be put in place on this fiasco, in all likelihood, and that will be that!

The reason that engineers licensed in the state are supposed to be involved in projects like this is a presumption that local licensed professional engineers are more likely to be familiar with the place that they are from, than are engineers from two states over, who cannot be expected to be familiar with conditions in upstate New York, where this dam break occurred, two months after a new dam was ordered installed by the State of New York, itself, with taxpayer funds being expended on the project, which would necessitate input from New York State licensed professional engineers on all phases of this project, so as to protect and safeguard life, health and property in the State of New York!

"Aftermath of torrent remains grim - Gov. Pataki tours site of dam break as questions about the cause continue"

By DENNIS YUSKO, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union
First published: Thursday, July 7, 2005

FORT ANN -- Four days after flood waters from Hadlock Pond burst through a dam and deluged homes, bridges and roads, authorities continued to assess the devastation Wednesday and tried to relieve a growing feeling of isolation among residents.

Flying in by helicopter, Gov. George Pataki inspected the havoc from Saturday's dam break before landing at the state emergency command center located at a local church, where he discussed the flooding's impact with state and local officials.

Neither the governor nor local officials could say why the 220-acre man-made pond suddenly smashed through a large section of the dam, which was rebuilt about two months ago.

The governor did not address a report that quoted a local official and the state Department of Environmental Conservation that the dam had been built on a fault line or a geologically sensitive spot.

After his tour by air, Pataki met privately with state and county leaders before viewing pictures of flooded homes.

He credited local emergency crews for preventing injuries and death related to the accident.

"Is there anything you need that you haven't got?" Pataki asked William Cook, Washington County's director of public safety.

"We're in pretty good shape," Cook replied.

But residents and firefighters who witnessed hundreds of millions of gallons of water surge onto the shoreline told a different story.

The walls of water ripped homes from their foundations and forced the evacuation of dozens of residents.

Several homeowners still cannot return to their homes, firefighters said.

The dam breach caused power outages for hundreds and fractured a large water main.

While electricity has returned for many, nearly 300 homes and businesses in the village of Fort Ann still cannot use tap water, said Dave Gould, chief of the West Fort Ann Volunteer Fire Department.

Large segments of Route 149 have been damaged and shut to most traffic, causing workers to detour about 125,000 vehicles a day, Gould said.

About six businesses along the road, including a diner, an ice cream parlor and a truck stop, just reopened, but are severely affected by the lack of traffic.

The torrent wiped out four bridges, re-routed streams and swept away topsoil, boats, fish and anything else that was in the large pond, said Mitch Beck, the fire department's assistant chief.

"It's pure devastation."

"People have lost everything that's near and dear to them."

"It's so unfair," said Kate Whittaker, of Buttermilk Falls Road, located less than a mile from the dam.

She and her husband, John Whittaker, have set up a fund for donations for families directly affected by Saturday's events.

Money is needed for the cleanup because a lot of homeowners didn't have flood insurance, John Whittaker said.

Whittaker, a member of the fire department, said there's "a lot of speculation and hearsay" about the cause of the dam failure.

The state oversaw the rebuilding of the roughly $1.5 million dam.

"It was kind of coincidence, a brand new dam and it kind of breaks loose when the old dam was doing fine," he said.

Surrounding residents used Hadlock Pond, which is big enough to resemble a lake, for recreation.

It is now largely dried out and cratered.

The State Emergency Management Office is coordinating state agencies and performing preliminary damage assessments at the site.

Dispatched so far are personnel from the State Police, state Department of Health, state Department of Environmental Conservation and the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

The state also set up two 5,500-gallon water tanks at the Fort Ann school while a boil-water order remains in effect for village residents.

Like all villagers, Eva Mattison, the president of the Fort Ann Board of Education, gets her water from the school while she waits for service to return to her home.

Pataki declared a state of emergency for the area Sunday, opening the way for federal aid.

Federal Highway Administration officials inspected Route 149 on Tuesday and estimated the damage to the road and culverts to be at $1.5 million, said Tom Madison, acting commissioner of the state Department of Transportation.

The federal government could reimburse the state for 80 percent of the $1.5 million if the damage is deemed a man-made disaster by the federal agency, Madison said.

The total monetary cost from the dam break is still being tallied.

"We're going to help them get back on their feet," Pataki said at a press conference, though he did not commit any new state funds to reviving the area Wednesday.

Cook said he wasn't expecting Pataki to bring money.

"My immediate concern and need is to get the roads open, and get life back to normal."

"These people have been through a terrible tragedy," Cook said.

[Livyjr]

We are wedded to the modern City model.

BTW, can you imagine the consequences of 300 millions people using 19th century sanitation?

And speaking of flooding, the "modern City model" and 19th century sanitation, all in one sentence .......

"After flooding, sewer upgrade suggested - Schenectady council urges veto of bill on diesel trucks near homes"

By MIKE GOODWIN, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union
First published: Wednesday, July 6, 2005

SCHENECTADY -- The commissioner of general services acknowledged the city's antiquated sewer system couldn't keep up with Friday's deluge, telling members of the City Council that a multimillion-dollar reconstruction of the system might be in order.

Commissioner Carl Olsen detailed streets that flooded -- including Broadway and Nott, Unadilla, East Front and Lower Crane streets -- to the council's public safety committee.

Olsen could offer no estimate for how much a large overhaul of the sewer system would cost other than to say millions of dollars.

He suggested the city consider a 15- to 20-year reconstruction plan that would allow the city to spread out the payments.

"It's going to cost an ungodly amount of money to address these issues," Olsen told council members.

Friday's storm dropped more than 4 inches of rain on the city in less than three hours.

Runoff quickly overwhelmed the sewer system, sending storm water pouring into the sanitary sewers.

In addition to street flooding that left some homes inundated with water, the added water in the sanitary sewer system overwhelmed the wastewater treatment plant and caused some water to spill into the Mohawk River.

Meanwhile, the City Council urged Mayor Brian U. Stratton to veto flawed legislation that was passed last week by lawmakers and seems to forbid diesel trucks from being kept outside city homes.

The vaguely worded legislation will be reconsidered before next week's council meeting.

Lawmakers had intended to prevent tractor-trailers from idling in driveways, a matter they took up at the urging of council member Denise Brucker.

But several tractor-trailer operators said the city doesn't need to pass legislation outlawing the parking of semi-truck cabs outside homes, noting that federal law forbids them idling for more than 10 minutes.

[jeffmoskin]

(jeffmoskin @ Jul 4 2005, 05:44 PM)
We are wedded to the modern City model.

BTW, can you imagine the consequences of 300 millions people using 19th century sanitation?

Here in our fair city of Los Angeles, in Kah-lee FAWN-yah, we have the Hyperion Waste Treatment Facility, located in El Segundo, right by the Pacific Ocean. They process a whole lot of you-know-what in that place. The population of greater LA must be about 4 million.

Hyperion separates out all the particulates, the toxic and non toxic. Some solids are recycled, some are buried in special land fills.

The water released into the ocean is good enough to drink. I've been thinking of bottling it under the label, "Eau Contraire."

This post has been edited by jeffmoskin: Jul 7 2005, 06:21 PM

[Livyjr]

Here in our fair city of Los Angeles, in Kah-lee FAWN-yah, we have the Hyperion Waste Treatment Facility, located in El Segundo, right by the Pacific Ocean.

They process a whole lot of you-know-what in that place.

The population of greater LA must be about 4 million.

Hyperion separates out all the particulates, the toxic and non toxic.

Some solids are recycled, some are buried in special land fills.

The water released into the ocean is good enough to drink.

I've been thinking of bottling it under the label, "Eau Contraire."

Not to knock my up-state New York "breathren", jeffmoskin, but I think a big difference between California and New York is with respect to the people who populate both places, and their level of industriousness and intelligence, and maybe of more importance, what they will tolerate from what are alleged to be "leaders" in the packs and swarms of incompetents that are put up for election, at least back here, on a yearly basis.

For there to be a city the size of Los Angeles, there must be planning, and that is something that LA has going back to the early-1900's, at the minimum, because believe it or not, one of the United States Supreme Court cases that caused me a lot of the problems that I had to face as a public health engineer back here in the corrupt County of Rensselaer in the corrupt State of New York came from Los Angeles, and it was not accepted as "law of the land" back here because it was deemed to have been the work of liberals, and no liberal law was going to come into Rensselaer County, by God, and so it didn't, and so, sanitation-wise, we are back somewhere in the 1700's or 1800's, and people don't seem to mind it all that much, and so it stays that way!

So, in many ways, jeffmoskin, you might truthfully say that LA is an experiment in alternative ideas as to how human beings could live if they weren't ignorant as old rotted tree stumps, and governed by corrupt fools, as a result.

How many brand-new two-month old dams designed and overseen by the "state" have you had fail out there for no apparent reason, lately?

[Livyjr]

So, in many ways, jeffmoskin, you might truthfully say that LA is an experiment in alternative ideas as to how human beings could live if they weren't ignorant as old rotted tree stumps, and governed by corrupt fools, as a result.

How many brand-new two-month old dams designed and overseen by the "state" have you had fail out there for no apparent reason, lately?

"Flood victims cope on holiday - Officials still trying to assess extent of damage from dam break and determine its cause"

By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union
First published: Tuesday, July 5, 2005

FORT ANN -- For a woman who'd spent most of the last 48 hours unsure whether her summer home near Hadlock Pond had been smashed to pieces, to say Lisa Oriol was relieved to be able to fire up her grill with her family on the Fourth of July is an understatement.

The deluge unleashed when the brand-new Hadlock Pond dam crumbled Saturday surged toward her one-story home a quarter-mile southwest of what was Hadlock Pond, leaving a menacing, silty footprint just feet from Oriol's back door.

"The worst part was not knowing," said Oriol, who returned to her Hadlock Pond Road home late Sunday after spending a night in an American Red Cross Shelter with her family.

"I'm thanking God."

Others in the neighborhoods just south of the failed dam did not fair as well.

Some were still unable to return to their homes late Monday, even though power had been restored to most of the area, with some exceptions, officials said.

A boil-water advisory remained in effect for the village of Fort Ann.

Town and state engineers also continued to investigate what caused the concrete and earth dam, which had just been completed in May, to give way and dump most of the 220-acre man-made lake on unsuspecting downstream residents.

Answers remained elusive.

Meanwhile, officials tried to grapple with the true scope of the damage.

In addition to the four homes confirmed destroyed by water and fire, nearly a dozen others sustained moderate to severe damage, said Town Attorney John Aspland Jr.

Others were unlivable because power, water or other utilities were severed by the water and mud.

It still wasn't clear late Monday exactly how many people had been affected by the disaster.

Only seven people stayed in the Red Cross' North Queensbury shelter Sunday night, down from 15 the night before.

By Monday evening, none had requested shelter, said Eileen Reardon, executive director of the Adirondack Saratoga Chapter.

Aspland said the town was having trouble contacting the owners of three of the destroyed homes because they, like about half of the homes around the lake, are not year-round residences.

He said many of the victims who are local are staying with family and friends.

Hadlock Pond Road and Copeland Pond Road were reopened, as were parts of Route 149.

But areas near the three destroyed sections of Route 149 remained closed, he said.

Both the Red Cross and Washington County are offering services today at the Fort Ann Rescue Squad for anyone affected by the flood.

Tankers with drinking water are stationed at the West Fort Ann United Methodist Church at Copeland Pond Road and Route 149 and at the Fort Ann Super Stop on Route 149, Aspland said.

"I am going to be grilling," said Oriol, who made a special point to thank the Red Cross and other volunteers for their generosity.

"They just embraced us, and they were so loving and kind."

[Livyjr]

And speaking of EMPIRES, and armies and corrupt, rapacious politicians ........

"Who's in the Army Now? - Why we can't send more troops to Iraq."

By Fred Kaplan

Posted Thursday, June 30, 2005, at 3:21 PM PT

Soldiers and civilians might feel differently if the war in Iraq were truly a war of national survival or a titanic struggle of civilizations. During World War II, after all, millions were perfunctorily trained before shipping out to Europe or the Pacific, and they stayed there for years until the fighting was over. But the stakes of the present war are far less momentous.

The fact is, the U.S. Army has substantially shrunk since the Cold War ended 15 years ago—to the point where it simply cannot fulfill the Bush administration's global dreams.

Whatever the answers, there is a potentially calamitous mismatch between the Bush administration's avowed intentions and its tangible means.

They can print or borrow money to float the national debt.

They can't clone or borrow soldiers to float an imperial army.

"Iraq to World: Keep Diplomats in Baghdad"

By MARIAM FAM, Associated Press Writer

23 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq urged the world's nations Friday to refuse to be "subjected to blackmail" and keep their diplomatic missions in the country despite a claim by an al-Qaida wing that it killed Egypt's top envoy last weekend.

Al-Qaida in Iraq claimed in a Web posting that it had killed the Egyptian diplomat, Ihab al-Sherif, and warned it would go after "as many ambassadors as we can" to punish countries that support Iraq's U.S.-backed leadership.

Saad Mohammed Ridha, the head of Iraq's diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press that Egypt's foreign ministry informed him late Thursday that the mission would close temporarily and the staff was recalled.

An Egyptian official in Cairo also said Egypt would temporarily close its mission in Iraq and has recalled its staff — although there was no sign Friday that any of the Egyptians were leaving.

Iraqi government spokesman Laith Kubba said he hadn't been informed that Egypt intended to recall its diplomats, but urged other countries not to be intimidated.

"If the rest of the diplomatic missions from Europe and the neighboring countries give in, this means that all the capitals of the world will be subjected to blackmail," Kubba said Friday.

The announcement from Iraq's most feared terror group appeared on an al-Qaida-linked Web site and featured a brief video showing al-Sherif, wearing a polo shirt.

The video did not show his death, but the statement promised more details later.

Al-Qaida in Iraq, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, normally releases videos of its victims' deaths.

The Iraqi foreign ministry offered condolences for the "assassination" and an Egyptian diplomat who spoke to Egyptian reporters in Cairo said the government was sure al-Sherif was dead "from our own means."

He spoke on condition of anonymity and did not elaborate.

News of the killing marked a dramatic escalation in a campaign to discourage Arab and Muslim governments from sending ambassadors and strengthening ties with Iraq, as Washington wants.

Last month, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari announced that Egypt would be the first Arab country to upgrade its diplomatic representation by appointing a full-fledged ambassador.

In Cairo, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak insisted his country will continue to support Iraq.

"This terrorist act will not deter Egypt from its firm position in support of Iraq and its people," the statement said.

Al-Sherif "lost his life at the hands of terrorism that trades in Islam but knows no nation and no religion."

Al-Sherif, 51, was seized Saturday in Baghdad.

Three days later, gunmen fired on senior envoys from Pakistan and Bahrain, two Muslim nations with close ties to the United States, in apparent kidnap attempts.

In its latest statement, al-Qaida said it did not announce al-Sherif's kidnapping until after the subsequent attacks "to be able to capture as many ambassadors as we can."

Iraqi officials, meanwhile, sought to assure foreign governments that their diplomats would be safe.

Officials said al-Sherif, a former deputy ambassador to Israel, was grabbed in a dangerous neighborhood while traveling without armed escorts.

Egypt's U.N. ambassador asked the U.N. Security Council on Thursday to urgently address the issue of protecting diplomats in Iraq.

Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz said the council should address the issue "in a manner which would secure the lives of those diplomats, not only of Egypt but of other countries who have been subject to such brutal attacks in the past few days."

[Livyjr]

And from chaos in Iraq to chaos in the heavens, or the earth's atmosphere, any way!

Tropical Storm Cindy is headed north, and is supposed to be getting here in a few hours, and so, the flood watch is back in place, once again, which a lot of times is just like Chicken Little, or Jeb Bush, maybe crying out that the sky is falling!

Once these northward moving storms come up the Ohio valley and get into the mountains of northern Pennsylvania, it can be anybody's guess what they will do, or where they will go, and so it is with Cindy!

Right where I am, there can be well over a foot of difference in snow falls from the same storm in a twenty-mile radius, and so too with these heavy rain storms, as well, where four or more inches can fall in one place, and just down the road, not an inch will fall, and so ......

We shall see ....

"Dennis Strengthens, Kills Five in Haiti"

By STEVENSON JACOBS, Associated Press Writer

30 minutes ago

MORANT BAY, Jamaica - Hurricane Dennis swept away a bridge and peeled tin roofs off homes in Haiti, killing at least five people as it strengthened to a Category 4 storm and headed straight for Cuba.

Forecasters said it could reach the U.S. Gulf Coast by Sunday.

The Hurricane Center in Miami said the eye was swirling over water about 230 miles southeast of Havana, Cuba, and about 285 miles southeast of Key West, Fla.

It was moving to the northwest at about 12 miles an hour.

The hurricane's winds neared 135 mph as it sideswiped Jamaica on Thursday.

Forecasters predicted the storm could hit the United States anywhere from Florida to Louisiana by Sunday or Monday, raising fears that oil production in the Gulf of Mexico would be disrupted by the fourth storm in as many weeks.

Thunderstorms swept over the Dominican Republic, southern Haiti and northeast Jamaica.

The Cayman Islands, Cuba and the lower Florida Keys were under hurricane warnings, including the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay holding some 520 terror suspects.

Hurricane Center forecasters warned the Sierra Maestra Mountains in southeastern Cuba could get 15 inches of rain, while Jamaica's coffee-producing Blue Mountains could see 10 inches.

Hurricane force winds reached 50 miles from eye and tropical storm force winds another 140 miles.

In the southwestern Haitian town of Grand Goave, an Associated Press Television News reporter saw at least four people killed when a wood and metal bridge collapsed.

Witnesses said the river came suddenly rushing over the bridge.

Elsewhere on the dangerously deforested island, wind gusts uprooted a palm tree and sent it into a mud hut, killing a fifth person in the southern town of Les Cayes, the Red Cross said.

Many homes and roads in the south were flooded, some by as much as three feet of water.

The Florida Keys were under a hurricane warning Thursday and ordered tourists to evacuate, and the southern Florida peninsula was on tropical storm watch, expecting severe conditions within 36 hours.

In Jamaica, Prime Minister Percival Patterson urged people in low-lying areas to evacuate.

"Let us all work together in unity so that we will be spared the worst," Patterson said in a national radio broadcast.

Despite his appeal, only about 1,000 people were in shelters late afternoon.

The hurricane center warned the eye could pass over central Cuba sometime Friday afternoon.

In the communist-run island, where the military-style government has been praised by the United Nations for its extensive hurricane preparedness plans, more than 100,000 people had been evacuated in the island's southeast, civil defense officials said on state television.

There were no immediate plans to evacuate detainees or troops from the U.S. detention center's Camp Delta at Guantanamo Bay, located on Cuba's extreme southeast end about 150 yards from the ocean, Gen. Jay Hood said.

Troops put heavy steel shutters on sea-facing cell windows as heavy surf sent splashes of salt spray over the razor wire fence.

Officials said Camp Delta was built to withstand winds up to 90 mph.

Oil prices rose sharply Wednesday on concerns about the Caribbean weather, but closed down 55 cents Thursday, at $60.73 a barrel, as terrorist blasts in London led investors to abandon riskier investments.

Dennis came right behind Tropical Storm Cindy, which made landfall late Tuesday in Louisiana and hindered oil production and refining.

On Thursday, remnants of Cindy dumped heavy rain on parts of the Carolinas, prompting flash flood and tornado watches.

The hurricane center's lead forecaster, Martin Nelson, said it was the first time the Atlantic hurricane season had four named storms this early since record-keeping began in 1851.

The season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30.

Last year, three catastrophic hurricanes — Frances, Ivan and Jeanne — tore through the Caribbean with a collective ferocity not seen in years, causing hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage.

end quotes

But fear not, folks, for this kind of news is probably false!

It is in all likelihood something cooked up by "enviro-mentalist TAY-RISTS" for no other purpose than to politically embarass George W. Bush, and his brother Jebbie, and George Pataki, of course, and the Republican Party, as well, because the "enviro-mentalists" want us all to have to live in caves ......

There is no "environmental re-energization" going on as a result of the activities of mankind, well, because we're just too puny to do anything like that, and so, the hurricane business is just an invention of the "enviro-mentalists"!

So, if you think the wind is tearing your house apart, or if you think your house is under flood waters, other than those caused by incompetence and negligence on the part of the State of New York, and its "P.(olitical) E.(ngineer)'s", well, take comfort in the words of George W. Bush and the Republican Party LAWYERS that it just is a figment of your imagination whipped up by these "enviro-mentalists" to embarass George W. Bush!

[Livyjr]

"Dennis Strengthens, Kills Five in Haiti"

By STEVENSON JACOBS, Associated Press Writer

MORANT BAY, Jamaica - Hurricane Dennis swept away a bridge and peeled tin roofs off homes in Haiti, killing at least five people as it strengthened to a Category 4 storm and headed straight for Cuba.

Forecasters said it could reach the U.S. Gulf Coast by Sunday.

end quotes

But fear not, folks, for this kind of news is probably false!

It is in all likelihood something cooked up by "enviro-mentalist TAY-RISTS" for no other purpose than to politically embarass George W. Bush, and his brother Jebbie, and George Pataki, of course, and the Republican Party, as well, because the "enviro-mentalists" want us all to have to live in caves ......

There is no "environmental re-energization" going on as a result of the activities of mankind, well, because we're just too puny to do anything like that, and so, the hurricane business is just an invention of the "enviro-mentalists"!

So, if you think the wind is tearing your house apart, or if you think your house is under flood waters, other than those caused by incompetence and negligence on the part of the State of New York, and its "P.(olitical) E.(ngineer)'s", well, take comfort in the words of George W. Bush and the Republican Party LAWYERS that it just is a figment of your imagination whipped up by these "enviro-mentalists" to embarass George W. Bush!

"Dennis touches Cuba, hits Guantanamo base"

By ANITA SNOW, Associated Press
Last updated: 5:16 p.m., Friday, July 8, 2005

HAVANA -- Hurricane Dennis stalked Cuba's southern coast before cutting across the Caribbean's largest island, packing 145 mph winds capable of catastrophic damage that sent thousands fleeing the Florida Keys and raised fears of more disruption to U.S. oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Winds and heaving surf tossed a guard tower into the sea and roared over a razor-wire fence at the U.S. detention camp for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, on the island's eastern end.

Forecasters predicted the storm will intensify and hit the United States anywhere from Florida to Louisiana by Sunday or Monday, the fourth storm in as many weeks to disrupt oil production.

An evacuation order was in effect in the Florida Keys, where officials feared Dennis would skirt or hit the island chain on its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Tornadoes could develop there, the U.S. Hurricane Center said Friday afternoon.

A Category 4 storm with winds that grew to 150 mph Friday before weakening slightly to 145 mph, Dennis killed five people in Haiti.

It stranded tens of thousands there and in Jamaica, collapsing bridges, triggering landslides, inundating homes and blocking roads with downed power lines and trees.

The eye made landfall on central Cuba's southern coast a second time shortly before 2 p.m. Friday near Cienfuegos, Cuba, about 125 miles southeast of Havana, the Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Overnight, Dennis crossed a sparsely populated Cuban cape at Cabo Cruz jutting out far west.

More than 600,000 people left their homes to stay at government shelters or with family and friends, Cuban civil defense officials said.

Hurricane-force winds extended 50 miles, with tropical storm force winds stretching another 160 miles.

Dennis was moving northwest at nearly 17 mph.

The first hurricane of the season sideswiped Haiti's southwestern peninsula and Jamaica's south and east coasts Thursday and dumped rain on the Dominican Republic.

In Jamaica, a rescue helicopter was to airlift food and emergency supplies to hundreds of stranded islanders in at least seven eastern towns cut off by knee-deep floodwaters, said Nadene Newsome, spokeswoman for the country's emergency management office.

"Flooding has affected every parish of the island and it will increase as long as the rain continues throughout the day" Friday, she said.

The Florida Keys were under a hurricane warning and the rest of the peninsula on tropical storm watch.

On Friday, the Cayman Islands downgraded its hurricane warning to a tropical storm watch, spared a direct hit by the storm's overnight turn to the west.

Also spared overnight was the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay on Cuba's extreme southeast end, holding about 520 terror suspects.

Heaving surf tore away a lifeguard tower at Windmill Beach and storm force winds reaching 40 mph, destroyed a bus shelter.

Power lines and tree branches were knocked down and there was minor flooding.

"Actually, everybody fared real well," Navy Cmdr. Anne Reese said.

On Thursday, troops watched from a cliff as the churning Atlantic Ocean threw up massive waves of salt spray that towered over the razor wire fence surrounding the camp.

Troops fixed metal shutters over the steel mesh windows of some prison cells overlooking the sea at Camp Delta, just 150 yards from the ocean.

Hurricane Center forecasters warned Cuba's southeast Sierra Maestra Mountains could get up to 15 inches of rain, with about 10 inches falling on Jamaica's coffee-producing Blue Mountains.

In Haiti, an Associated Press Television Reporter saw at least four people die when a bridge collapsed in the town of Grand Goave, and a government statement said it was feared the toll could go higher.

Elsewhere on the island, wind gusts uprooted a palm tree and flung it into a mud hut, killing a fifth person in the southern town of Les Cayes, the Red Cross said.

Floodwaters rose to waist level in an abandoned church in Les Cayes and nearly reached a table where 63-year-old Eloge Larame lay ill.

His family of five stood on chairs, their feet submerged in the water.

Wind gusts ripped tin roofs from homes and whipped sheets of rain that flooded roads.

In Cuba's southern city of Cienfuegos, residents rushed Friday to board up windows with plywood, metal sheeting -- even cardboard.

"Every time hurricanes pass through, we suffer because we are at the southernmost point," said Antonio Leonardo.

"With a hurricane as strong as this one, there's a lot of fear of losing one's home."

Residents fled the city on bicycle and on foot, some carrying pet dogs.

Long lines formed at gas stations and at government ration centers distributing bread.

Cuba evacuated more than 100,000 people from the southeast on Thursday, civil defense officials said.

Hundreds of tourists were taken to hotels in Havana and northern Varadero beach resort.

Thousands of students at government boarding schools were sent home, and livestock moved to higher ground.

The largest and most populous Caribbean island with 11.2 million people, Cuba suffers few hurricane casualties because the government evacuates people en masse, sometimes forcefully.

Dennis came right behind Tropical Storm Cindy, which made landfall late Tuesday in Louisiana and hindered oil production and refining.

------

Associated Press writers Stevenson Jacobs in Morant Bay, Jamaica, Leonardo Aldridge in Les Cayes, Haiti, Ben Fox at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba, and Vanessa Arrington in Cienfuegos, Cuba, contributed to this report.

[Livyjr]

Well, it's kind of "sodden" up here where I am, but outside of that, it's actually not been too bad at all, for me, anyway, but that is as much of a function of where I am, as anything, or so my experience over the last fifty years or so tells me, since I have been on this same spot of land since 1949, and some pretty fierce weather has come through the area in that time, including the eye of a hurricane, back in the early-1950's!

Because of the topography, which affects wind patterns, and hence, weather patterns, there seems to be a "circulation" set up when these tropical air masses come north that puts a kind of "eye" above me, and so, I am protected, which is one reason that I stay right where I am, especially in these changing times, where places to the south of me now get worse winter weather than I do, more of the time!

The whole climate and ecology where I am has been altered in these last twenty years or so, and now, it is changing, and not to our betterment, and that is my opinion on the matter as a trained and licensed environmental engineer/public health engineer!

Los Angeles, out where jeffmoskin writes in from, might be able to stand a population up into the millions, but not up here in the north-east where I am, for a host of sound reasons, such as the climate and the temperature extremes, and the terrain, and the soil, and the surface water ......

But we are now "faith-based" up here, too, with respect to our "science", and our "engineering", and so, we simply disregard so much of reality as would disagree with an evangelical/fundamentalist view that the earth was created in seven days, and in perfection to boot, which means that every acre of land a developer has in his possession can and will be subdivided into four smaller lots, and no questions need to be asked by the engineers, because, of course, God wants it this way, or he would not have given us zoning schedules for our swampland up here that allows for four houses to the acre!

And we engineers are supposed to support the thesis that man is the master of the earth, and so, we are to have faith in those who will do the transforming of the earth, that because they own the bulldozers, that God and Jesus are firmly on their side, and so, all that they do for God's children who will buy subdivision lots from them is good as well.

And with all of that said, and then done, well, of course, there is no need of engineers up here in George Pataki's EMPIRE of New York, and so, I should look at the bright side, I guess, which is .....

Hhhmmmmm!

Let's see, the bright side ....

No engineers, no engineering reviews, just sell it and let the public be damned ....

Hhhhmmm, look for the bright side .....

Well, there's ....

Hah!

How about I am glad that I live somewhere where I won't have to tread water, or so I hope?

[Livyjr]

And since we are on the subject of treading water, let's see what is up with Ms. Hillary ......

"Young GOP Eager to Face Hillary Clinton"

By CHRISTINA ALMEIDA, Associated Press Writer

53 minutes ago

LAS VEGAS - Young Republicans have one thing to say to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton about a possible 2008 presidential bid: Bring it on.

Members attending the group's biennial convention said it's not too early to talk about how to keep a Republican in the White House, and they believe Clinton could help them win again if she were on the Democratic ticket.

"I think it's very likely the senator from New York will run," said Rick Veenstra, 27, chairman of the Illinois Young Republicans.

"She'll bring a lot of people to the polls."

The name Clinton before a number of Republicans is akin to waving a red flag."

Convention guests attended several panels and training seminars on Thursday, including one on how to mobilize young voters by "keeping it positive not partisan."

They were told the only demographic President Bush lost to Sen. John Kerry in 2004 was those ages 18 to 29.

"This party cannot afford to allow that segment of the population to be Democrat," said Frank Fahrenkopf, former Republican National Committee chairman and Thursday's keynote speaker.

"This is where the Young Republicans can be of particular value."

Clinton won't even talk about the presidential race, saying she is focused on her 2006 re-election campaign in New York.

But many here said they would welcome Clinton's entrance in the race because she is a polarizing figure.

"It would be absolutely great for us," said Michele Mester, a 26-year-old member of the Greater Cleveland Young Republicans.

"She's like a PR nightmare."

Several of the 600 Young Republicans gathered for the five-day convention mentioned New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain as potential presidential contenders.

Others suggested Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee.

Ashanti Gholar, president of Young Democrats of Nevada, said it was too early for all this speculation though.

"2008 is very far away," Gholar said, "especially in politics."
___

On the Net:

http://www.youngrepublicans.com

http://www.yrnc2005.com

[Livyjr]

"Young GOP Eager to Face Hillary Clinton"

By CHRISTINA ALMEIDA, Associated Press Writer

LAS VEGAS - Young Republicans have one thing to say to Sen.  Hillary Rodham Clinton about a possible 2008 presidential bid: Bring it on.
 
Convention guests attended several panels and training seminars on Thursday, including one on how to mobilize young voters by "keeping it positive not partisan."

They were told the only demographic President Bush lost to Sen. John Kerry in 2004 was those ages 18 to 29.

"This party cannot afford to allow that segment of the population to be Democrat," said Frank Fahrenkopf, former Republican National Committee chairman and Thursday's keynote speaker.

"This party cannot afford to allow that segment of the population to be Democrat," said Frank Fahrenkopf, former Republican National Committee chairman and Thursday's keynote speaker?

I wonder why not?

"Taliban vows to kill 'captured' American in days - Spokesman gives no proof SEAL is held hostage; U.S. search persists"

Updated: 6:56 a.m. ET July 8, 2005

KABUL, Afghanistan - The U.S. military searched for an eleventh day on Friday for a U.S. commando missing in eastern Afghanistan, while the Taliban said their guerrillas were interrogating the man and would kill him within days.

The U.S. military has said it has no information to suggest the Navy SEAL commando, part of a four-man team that went missing during a clash with militants in mountainous Kunar province on June 28, has been captured.

And Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi has given no evidence to back his claim that the guerrillas are holding him.

Speaking to Reuters from an undisclosed location on Friday, Hakimi said he was unable to provide the name or a description of the commando because of difficulties contacting guerrillas holding him.

However, he insisted: “The soldier is with us."

"He is alive, but we will kill him in the coming couple of days."

"We are interrogating him and that is why we have kept him alive."

"The interrogation is about American military tactics and their operations.”

He repeated that a video of the man would be provided to media organizations.

He said the Taliban Web site -- http://www.alemarah.com -- on which the guerrillas intended to post pictures of the commando, had been blocked by the Americans.

U.S. military spokeswoman Lieutenant Cindy Moore said troops were searching for the missing commando.

She said she did not know how long it would continue.

2 SEALS 'killed in action'

The U.S. military has said two members of the missing commando team were found dead on Monday, and had been “killed in action”, while another had been rescued.

A U.S. helicopter sent to aid the team was shot down the same day they went missing, killing all 16 troops aboard, the heaviest losses for U.S. forces in a single combat operation since they overthrew the Taliban in late 2001.

If what Hakimi is saying is true, it would be a major embarrassment for the United States, which is already suffering its bloodiest year in Afghanistan since invading in 2001.

The Taliban has never before captured, or claimed to have captured, a U.S. soldier.

Navy SEALs are trained to operate behind enemy lines and the rescued commando evaded militants for five days.

The military says the search, involving more than 300 U.S. troops backed by aircraft and Afghan forces, has been hampered by rugged, wooded terrain and cloudy weather.

[Livyjr]

"This party cannot afford to allow that segment of the population to be Democrat," said Frank Fahrenkopf, former Republican National Committee chairman and Thursday's keynote speaker?

I wonder why not?

"Taliban vows to kill 'captured' American in days - Spokesman gives no proof SEAL is held hostage; U.S. search persists"

Updated: 6:56 a.m. ET July 8, 2005

KABUL, Afghanistan - The U.S. military searched for an eleventh day on Friday for a U.S. commando missing in eastern Afghanistan, while the Taliban said their guerrillas were interrogating the man and would kill him within days.

If what Hakimi is saying is true, it would be a major embarrassment for the United States, which is already suffering its bloodiest year in Afghanistan since invading in 2001.

The Taliban has never before captured, or claimed to have captured, a U.S. soldier.

Navy SEALs are trained to operate behind enemy lines and the rescued commando evaded militants for five days.

"Iraq links London attacks to insurgency"

By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press
Last updated: 11:06 a.m., Friday, July 8, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Islamic extremists have been using Iraq as a planning center for attacks around the world since losing Afghanistan as their base in 2001, the government's chief spokesman said Friday.

Speaking about Thursday's blasts in London that killed more than 50 people, Laith Kubba said "we don't know exactly who carried out these acts but it is clear that these networks used to be in Afghanistan and now they work in Iraq."

The spokesman said that insurgents in Iraq and those who carried out the London attacks "are from the same network."

"There are different groups in the world, but they all follow the same school."

Kubba was referring to hardline Muslim extremists who label people that don't agree with them as infidels.

"We don't know exactly who enters Iraq then leaves to carry out attacks with explosives around the world," he told The Associated Press.

Iraq's government has accused Syria of allowing insurgents to cross its porous border into Iraq -- a claim Damascus denies, saying it cannot fully control its portion of the frontier.

Meanwhile, President Jalal Talabani condemned the London attacks because "these vile crimes reflect the moral bankruptcy of those who conducted them in the name of humanity."

"Terrorism has become an international plague that does not discriminate between races, people or religions," Talabani said in a letter to British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Insurgent attacks in Iraq have killed thousands since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003.

Britain has been the United States' closest ally in Iraq and has hundreds of troops in southern regions.

[Livyjr]

"Young GOP Eager to Face Hillary Clinton"

By CHRISTINA ALMEIDA, Associated Press Writer

They were told the only demographic President Bush lost to Sen. John Kerry in 2004 was those ages 18 to 29.

"This party cannot afford to allow that segment of the population to be Democrat," said Frank Fahrenkopf, former Republican National Committee chairman and Thursday's keynote speaker.

And this following has come to me from the Veteran's Hotline out there, and reading it over, I thought that it should be posted in here, for whatever it is worth, and so ....

BALITANG BETERANO

By Col. (Ret.US) Frank B. Quesada, Former Senate Committee Secretary, Veterans and Military Pensions, Associate, PMA ‘44

SERIOUS UNDERESTIMATE OF U.S TROOP DEATHS IN IRAQ

Latest Count From Hospitals

Reliable report from the "Op"

Iraqi Freedom Deaths," (June 22, 2005, PST) 1st edition, stated as follows:

(A) In-country deaths = 1,731.

(B) Deaths occurring after medic-evacuation from Iraq = 7,292.

©Total deaths (OIF) =9,023

(D) Wounded = 26,419.

Military News Sources

According to Willie Otis, of the Military News and Information Center, American War Library, established in 1988:

"The news we are hearing is not the same news made here."

"However, we all understand that the news media‘s obsession for missing kids and movie stars are more important than we are."

Report of Baltimore Independent Media

The same news was confirmed by the Baltimore Independent Media Center stating that nearly 9,000 U.S troops are dead.

It called for an independent call for information.

These figures add up which appears credible based of factual count.

Pres. Bush’s Speech

Pres. Bush’s speech (July 3/2005[Tuesday]) and the headline would be George W. Bush says that the sacrifice of more than "1,700 American lives to the invasion of Iraq" was "worth it." (Please note the number he quoted as 1,700 American lives.)

He either does not get the correct figure, or has been kept out of the truth by his own men.

Grieving mothers and families of those who came back in body bags know more than 1,700 were KIAs.

John Brummett in his column in Las Vegas Review Journal, has this to say: "The best president could do under the circumstances was down play his style, repeat his falsehoods and belabor his the obvious, as if were wise and tough."

David Broder columnist for the Washington Post, wrote to wit: "Congress, the administration. servicemen and their famiies, and the general public could judge what is happening."

Questions Are Raised

Has the Bush Administration drastically under-estimated the U.S. military death count by redefining "death?"

In Congress, Rep. Buyer was reported to be making a new definition of the word "veteran."

American taxpayers are beginning to see through all these postures.

According to the article, "the Dept.of Defense (DoD) lists currently being very quietly circulated indicate almost 9,000 (U.S. military) deaths exceeded the 'official death' count of 13,831."

How can this be?

It is largely because the U.S Military Personnel in German hospitals have not been previously counted?

Hospital Death Record

"On January 1, 2005 there already 6,200 deaths in German hospitals reported."

According to Brian Harring, "There is excellent reason to believe the DoD is deliberately not reporting the dead in Iraq."

"I have received copies of the evacuation manifest from the Military Air Transports (MATS) that showed far more bodies shipped than are reported officially."

"And the educated rumor is that actual death toll is in excess of 7,000."

Deserters and Escapees

"Given the acknowledged number of those seriously wounded, this elevated death toll, at least, 5,500 American military personnel, most in Ireland but more escaped to Canada and to other Euro-countries, none of whom are inclined to complain about Iraq War with vengeful American authorities." (See: TBR News, 18 Feb.2005, for full coverage on mass desertions.)

Killed and Wounded

Also not publicly reported some 160,000 U.S. military personnel shipped out to Iraq, 26,000 either deserted, were killed or over 16,000 seriously wounded currently very quietly circulated.

And almost 9,000 dead counted.

Suicides, Forced Hospitalization

"There were reported out of the 24,000 a large number of suicides, forced hospitalization for going on drug usage, murder of Iraq civilians and fellow soldiers, rapes, and court martials."

Casualty List

Harring said, "I have a copy of the DoD casualty list, and I am alphabeting it with the reported dates of death – intending for their loves ones, and for them to inform their respective congressmen, their local newspapers, and us, as their concerned ally as soon as possible."

Harring adds, "The government gets away with it, with this huge lies because they falsely claim, that only soldiers actually killed in Iraq are actually reported."

So irresponsible and nauseating.

Strict Concealment

You ought to realize that that Pres. Bush personally ordered that no pictures, coffined and flag-draped dead under any circumstances.

He claims that this is to comfort the bereaved relatives designed.

Albeit, to keep the huge number of arriving bodies secret.

"Any civilian or military personnel, taking pictures will be prosecuted immediately."

If the Bush administration could not be transparent with its citizen-taxpayers – therefore, does not deserve the trust and confidence of the American people.

His party is surely in for a big surprise in the next election."

Least does the GOP realize that its policy of abuse, fuels the people to hate the abuser?

The more it is concealed –like garbage, the more it will stink later.

What is putrid – is as filthy as lies.

The latest information on the wounded: "Landstuhl Regional Hospital Center in Germany, is a 150 bed hospital where there were 24,000 wounded military patients from Iraq since the start of Iraq War."

Pentagon’s Secrecy

It was said, Pentagon refused to publish the accurate list of any wounded,

Why Lie to the American taxpayers?

The question before the American people is – why are there such falsehoods and untruths?

Doubt is the consequence of unfaithlessness.

If these reports are authentic and true what is the reason for concealment?

People do not hide the truth. - only lies.

So - what is the Bush administration afraid of?

"La cosa marso" - if making progress, what is there to conceal?

Why the "oily" alibi?

end quotes

This information is not verified, which is why this post is circulating around the Veteran's Hotline out there in OUR America.

Veterans, or some anyway, do not like being lied to by what we believe is OUR government, and combat veterans just have this ability to see through lies, because our lives depended on exactly that, and once there, you are not susceptible to going backwards, as seems to be a requirement in this present version of America that George W. Bush and his REPUBLICANS are serving us on a spoon, these days, where lies are the only truth there is anymore!

The request made of me was to read it, consider what is contained therein, and to then post it for information, or discussion, as I thought appropriate, and so ....

[jeffmoskin]

For there to be a city the size of Los Angeles, there must be planning...

I have just picked myself up from the floor. Seriously, Livyjr, I am too too old to be subjected to this kind of humor. My bones are too brittle. I don't take falls well.

When you look up "Urban Sprawl" in the dictionary, there is a picture of Los Angeles.

Planning.

I don't think so.

We lucked out because, as the city expanded, they kept building sewers, dumping raw sewage into the ocean of course. But all the lines liked up to the El Segundo pipeline, near Hyperion, so it was ultimately possible to build a waste treatment facility there.

Which they did.