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Post by pegasus on Sept 8, 2011 21:51:50 GMT -7
Southern California hit by major power failure. A major power outage knocked out electricity to up to 5 million people in California, Arizona and Mexico, bringing San Diego and Tijuana to a standstill and leaving people sweltering in the late-summer heat in the surrounding desert. The brunt was felt by the city of San Diego; 1.4 million customers served by San Diego Gas & Electric Co. were without electricity. Arizona utilities reported about 56,000 without power. SDG&E officials said there was a problem with a transmission line from Arizona to Southern California that caused both major connections to the region to go out. The Arizona Public Service said one of its employees was carrying out a procedure at a substation northeast of Yuma that caused the problem. The utility said the resulting power failure should have been isolated to the Yuma area. An investigation into why it was not is under way, the utility said. How many times are we going to have these blackouts before we start correcting the basic problem - the power grid is antiquated and needs to be upgraded.
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Post by pegasus on Sept 8, 2011 22:28:24 GMT -7
Benefits programs face bipartisan efforts to cut them. GOP, DEmocrats no longer fighting over whether to tackle programs, but how to do it. Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill expressed a willingness to wring savings from the long-untouchable programs during the first meeting of the special committee that is charged with recommending $1.5 trillion in deficit reductions over the decade. Then President Obama, in his address to a joint session of Congress on spurring job creation, reiterated his call for a plan reducing long-term debt with both changes in entitlement programs and taxes from the wealthy. The parties’ repositioning on the New Deal and Great Society pillars is leaving both sides on shaky ground, uncertain of where to stand. In return for the Republicans’ agreement to raise taxes after 2012 for the wealthy, Mr. Obama indicated that his party would support slowly increasing the eligibility age for Medicare to 67 from 65 and changing the formula for cost-of-living increases in Social Security to a less generous one that some economists consider more accurate. More than half of Americans, 56%, would be less likely to vote for a presidential candidate who favored phasing out Social Security so that workers could invest their payroll taxes in the stock market, according to a nationwide poll in June by The Wall Street Journal and NBC News. That included 64% of Democrats and 57% of independents, whose swing votes decide elections, and even a 45% plurality of Republicans. Only one-third of Republicans would be more likely to vote for someone (i.e. Perry) wh espoused ending Social Security. Many in both parties are convinced that no significant debt-reduction bargain is likely before the 2012 elections. Unless Republicans accept higher taxes on the wealthy, and they swear they will not, Democrats will not support reductions in future entitlement benefits. At the first meeting of the House-Senate committee on deficit reduction, which is to make recommendations by Nov. 23 for a quick up-or-down vote in Congress, several Republicans said that entitlements were the main cause of annual deficits and should be the panel’s focus. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, a House Democratic leader on the panel, said that he was for “smart and compassionate budget cuts” and “ending military adventurism,” but that Congress must not shred Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
A look at what the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says. The CBO estimates the deficit for fiscal year 2011 -- which ends Sept. 30 -- will total $1.28 trillion, about $10 billion less than last year’s shortfall. Last month, it released its analysis of the economic impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 or what’s better known as the stimulus for the 2nd quarter of the year. That report said that although the effects of the stimulus are waning, the economic situation of the country would’ve been worse without it. Even as it loses steam, the CBO still estimates the stimulus will raise real GDP in 2012 by 0.3 to 0.8% and create 0.4 to 1.1 million jobs. Last year the CBO released a report, "THe Poliicies for Increasing Economic Growth and Employment in 2010 and 2011." It focused on policy options that might help the economy in the short-term. Some of these have been enacted already. 1. Extending the payroll tax cut for employees for one more year. 2. Reducing Employers' Payroll Taxes. Some firms would look to lower employment costs by reducing their prices and (hopefully) selling more goods which would spur production and in turn cause an increase in goods or services. Secondly, some firms would pass the tax savings directly onto employees through higher wages or bonuses which might prompt those employees to spend more. Third, some firms would just keep the tax savings as profit which would raise their stock prices and thus raise household wealth for their shareholders, who might spend some of that in the broader economy. Higher profits for companies also improves cash flow, meaning companies could invest in more capital. 3. Extending Unemployment Insurance. Households receiving unemployment benefits tend to spend those checks quickly, making this option timely and cost-effective at spurring economic activity and employment. 4. Infrastructure projects. Although they usually involve a lot of start-up lag time, it would still be effective.
Now we can all sit back and see what happens. Will the two parties be able to put aside political difference to work for the common good or will we be subjected to another embarassing public grouhaha before the whole world?
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Post by pegasus on Sept 9, 2011 8:01:50 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 252nd day of 2011 with 113 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 10:39 a.m., it's a overcast , temp 66.7ºF [Feels like 66.7ºF], winds NW @ 3 mph, humidity 93%, pressure 29.91 in and rising, dew point 65ºF. Forecast is for showers early then thunderstorms in the afternoon, high temp of 72ºF and winds ENE @ 5-10 mph, &0% chance of rain, I thought that things were supposed to dry out today!! Today in History: 1926--the National Broadcasting Co. (NBC) was founded as a subsidiary of the Radio Corp. of America (RCA). 1948--the People's Democratic Republicof Korea (North Korea) was created. 1957--Pres. Eisenhower signed into law the first civil rights bill since Reconstruction. 1971--prisoners seized control of Attica Correctional Facitility, NY beginning a 4-day siege that claimed 43 lives. 1976--Communist Chinese leader Mao Tse-tung died in Beijing at age 82. 1993--the PLO agreed to Israel's right to exist and Israel agreed to recognize the PLO as representative of the Palestinian people. 2003--the Boston Roman Catholic Archdiocese agreed to pay $85 million to 552 people to settle clergy sex abuse cases. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. UPDATE: Northeast floodwaters recede, toxins, sewage left behind. "We face a public health emergency because sewage treatment plants are underwater and no longer working," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett said as flooding from Lee's drenching rains inundated central and eastern Pennsylvania. "Flood water is toxic and polluted. If you don't have to be in it, keep out," he added. "We're worried about people even getting near the water." The damage was concentrated along the Susquehanna in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. and dozens of miles up the river in Binghamton, N.Y., as well as other communities along the river. I certainly don't envy anyone caught up in this disaster. Now the Northeast ahs joined the rest of the country in overwhelming weather events. 2. Obama puxhes Congress to end 'circus' and act now.President urged Congress to "stop the political circus" and approve a $450 million plan to help the economy by cutting payroll taxes, raising taxes on the wealthy and rewarding companies that hire new workers. The American Jobs Act would cut payroll taxes in half for working Americans and most small businesses, boost spending on public works, like roads, by $105 billion. It would make last year's cut in the individual Social Security tax rate, from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent, permanent. Pres. Obama said he hopes to pay for it by closing corporate tax "loopholes" and by raising taxes on wealthier Americans. OK, now the ball is in the Republican-controlled House's court. Will they or won't they act? Stay tuned. 3. Cops on alert over possible 9/11 'active plot'. Just days before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. counterterrorism officials were chasing a credible but unconfirmed al-Qaida threat to use a car bomb on bridges or tunnels in New York City or Washington. An Obama administration official said that the threat "so far" was a 5 to 6 on a scale of 10. Officials emphasized that there was a great deal of uncertainty about the threat and said they were acknowledging it out of an abundance of caution. It wouldn't suprise me if this is true, but cn they succeed is the question. I'm sure there have been many plots over the past 10 years but wer all foiled for one reason or another. I'm betting that this will be another "false" alarm. 4. US vows to veto Palestinian bid at UN. The United States said explicitly for the first time it would veto a Palestinian bid for full U.N. membership, drawing an immediate rebuff from the Palestinians who vowed to press ahead. Palestinian leaders seek full membership for a state in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, a step that requires a vote in the Security Council. It's not completely clear what the Palestinians will do when the UN General Assembly opens in 10 days. They could seek lower status as a 'non-member state" that would require only a majority vote by the General Assembly. I'm puzzled about something. How can the Palestinians receive a membership when they don't have a unified government? Hamas is in control in Gaza and Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah in the West Bank. Thought for Today: "A heretic is a man who sees with his own eyes. " — Gotthold Lessing, German dramatist & critic (1729-1781). Today's flower: Lagerstroemia 'Acoma'
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Post by pegasus on Sept 10, 2011 7:53:03 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 253rd day of 2011 with 112 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 9:47 a.m., it's a fair , temp 66ºF [Feels like 66ºF], winds calm, humidity 78%, pressure 30.01 in and rising, dew point 59ºF. Forecast is for a mix of clouds and sun , high temp of 73ºF and winds NNE @ 5-10 mph, 10% chance of rain, At last, no rain!! Today in History: 1813--Oliver Perry sent the message: "We have met the enemy, and they are ours," after a US naval force defeated the Britisih on Lake Erie in the War of 1812. 1846--Elias hOwe of Spencer, Mass., received a patent for the sewing machine. 1919--New York City welcomed home Gen. John J. Persing and 25,000 soldiers who had served in Europe in World War I. 1946--American-born Mildred Gillars, the Nazi wartime broadcaster konwn as "Axis Sally," was indiccted for treason. 1955-- Gunsmoke premiered on CBS-TV. 1963--20 black students entered public schools in Birmingham, Tuskegee and Mobile, Ala. after a standoff between federall autohrities and Gov. George Wallace. 1988--Steffi Gras of West Germany won the tennis Grand Slam (all 4 major tournaments in the year) by taking the US Open women's singles title. 2000--the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats closed after 7,486 performances over nearly 18 years--the longest-running show in Broadway history. 2000--NBC's The West Wing won a record 9 Emmy awards. 2002--Switzerland became the 190th member of the UN. 2003--Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, age 46, was stabbed in a Stockholm department store, dying the next day. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. Egyptians attack Israel embassy, envoy flees. Two killed, 100s injured in overnight protest in Egypt's capital. It was the second big eruption of violence at the embassy since five Egyptian border guards were killed last month during an Israeli operation against cross-border raiders who Israel said were Palestinians. That incident prompted Egypt briefly to threaten to withdraw its envoy. Prime MInister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Egyptian authorities for helping rescue six Israeli employees trapped inside the embassy during the attack but said the incident itself was a "severe injury to the fabric of peace with Israel." Israel is finding itself increasingly at odds with formerly sympathetic states in the region. It is already embroiled in a feud with Turkey, formerly the closest of its few Muslim allies, over its treatment of the Palestinians. I'm getting very tired of Israeli's refusal to negotiate with Palestinians and building settlements on land Palestinians look upon as theirs. And they are losing the diplomatic effort also. Their "eye for an eye" policy is failing and just making former allies turn against them. 2. Scores killed, Hundreds feared dead as ferry capsizes off Tanzania. An overcrowded ship, the ferry M.V. Spice Islanders, carrying at least 600 people sank in deep seas off mainland Tanzania, leaving at least 107 people dead and some hundreds more believed missing or dead. Zanzibar, also know as Unguja, and Pemba are the two main islands of the Zanzibar archipelago, a popular tourist spot with pristine white Indian Ocean beaches. Passenters wo regularly take ferries between the two islands said the vessels are in poor shape and are often overloaded with passengers and cargo. "They normally pack us in like sardines in a can. And for that I really fear this could be a very big disaster," said resident Mwnakhamis Juma. The government in Zanzibar said last month it planned to invest in bigger, more reliable vessels to ferry passengers between the two islands. Well, it looks like they waited too long and the feared disaster has occurred. Now will they do anything about it? 3. 2 in potential a terror plot American? Officials say the intelligence source was vague in describing the two or three men said to be coming here for this plot. Two of them might be Americans who flew from Dubai. One might have come through Europe. All three might have been smuggled into Pakistan, so their travel records wouldn't reflect having been there before they headed here. The source offered only partial names, none of them complete. The names were said to be non-Western names that "are common in the Middle East," an intelligence official said. The U.S. believes operatives from the tribal areas of Pakistan may already have entered the U.S. as part of a plot to stage a car or truck bomb attack, but it has no information about what flights they might have taken, where they entered the country, when they might have entered or what names they might have been flying under, Isikoff reported. A senior counterterrorism official said that, while the report needs to be taken seriously, there is a feeling among some in law enforcement that it may not be "as big a deal" as some have been suggesting. Who, what, where and when - no one seems to know. Hopefully, it's all a tempest in a teapot and somewhere someone is having a good laugh at scaring the US. 4. America remembers the day of terror. A moment of silence at Ground Zero. Hard hats emblazoned with "Never Forget" stickers in Cleveland. A full-throated reprise of the song "New York, New York" on Broadway. Nationwide, rituals of remembrance took place and Americans weighed Sept. 11's meaning for them as final preparations were being made Friday for the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Ground Zero: 100s of construction workers stopped work to bow their heads, sounding air horns in unison and cranes bowing simultaneously. The normmaly frantic pace of construction became quiet for a moment of silence. Sing it loud: Celebrities — along with sailors, nuns, drag queens, ballerinas and a Spider-Man — gathered in Times Square to belt out "New York, New YOrk,' the John Kander/Fred Ebb song made famous by Frank Sinatra. NYPD Officer Daniel Rodriguez also sang an operatic "GOd Bless America." The event was put on to support the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance's I Will Campaign, which asks people to observe the anniversary by performing good deeds, supporting charitable causes, volunteering and engaging in acts of compassion. Sense of loss, grace in Shanksville, Pa. People from all over the country came to pay their respects to the passengers and crew of United Flight 93, which crashed into a desolate field nearly 10 years ago. Family members of those who died on Flight 93 shed tears Friday, but they also celebrated the spirit of the crash site's guestbook — a rare feeling that people from vastly different walks of life had come together. Three horn blasts. In Cleveland, the 200-strong construction crew at the Medical Mart complex showed up to work wearing red, white and blue bandannas. Each worker had also slapped a "Never Forget" sticker on their hard hat. AT 8:45 a.m. after three horn blasts they suspended work for a moment of silence. Thought for Today: "If there is no knowledge, there is no understanding; if there is no understanding, there is no knowledge." — The Talmud. Today's flower: Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva'
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Post by pegasus on Sept 10, 2011 20:21:36 GMT -7
Cliff Roberton, Oscar-winning actor ( Charly [1968], PT-109, Spider-Man series), died at age 88 of natural causes in Stony Brook, NY as the young JFK.
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Post by pegasus on Sept 11, 2011 12:22:39 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 254th day of 2011 with 111 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 1:55 p.m., it's mostly cloudy , temp 74ºF [Feels like 74ºF], winds SSE @ 4 mph, humidity 59%, pressure 29.95 in and falling, dew point 61ºF, chance of rain 10%. Forecast is for mostly cloudy with scattered showers , high temp of 76ºF and winds S @ 5-10 mph, 40% chance of rain, Just what we need, more rain NOT!! Today in History: 1789--Alexander Hamilton was appointed the 1st Secretary of the Treasury. 1814--the US Navy scored a decisive victory over the British in the Battle of Lake Champlain during the War of 1812 1850--Jenny Lind, the "Swedish Nightingale," gave her first concert in the US in New York City. 1941--Charles Lindbergh sparked charges of anti-Semitism with a speech in which he blamed "the British, the Jewish and the Roosevelt administration" for trying to draw the US into the war. 1962--The Beatles recorded their 1st single, "Love Me Do" & "P.S. I Love You". 1971--Kikita Khrushchev, former Soviet leader, died at age 77. 1973--Chilean Pres. Salvador Allende died in a violent military coup. 1985--Pete Rose got his 4,192nd hit, breaking Ty Cobb's record. 1997--Scots voted to crate their own Parliament after 290 years of union with England. 2001--hijackers crashed two airliners into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, NYC, causing them to collapse. Another hijacked plane hit the Pentagon and a 4th crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pa. 2007--China agreed to prohibit the use of lead paint on toys exported to the US Today's Headlines of Interest: Remembering 9/11: 'You wil always be my hero'. Nation pauses to gireve on 10th anniversary of attacks. Weeping relatives of the victims streamed into a newly opened memorial and placed pictures and flowers beside names etched in bronze. The New York ceremony, which ended with the playing of taps in the early afternoon, was the centerpiece of a day of remembrance across the country. It was a chance to reflect on a decade that changed American life, including two wars and the overhaul of everyday security at airports and in big cities. Pres. Obama, standing behind bulletproof glass and before the white oak trees of the memorial, read the Bible passage after a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. (1246 GMT), when the first jetliner slammed into the north tower 10 years ago. Family members began reading the names of 2,983 victims — 2,977 killed in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001, and six killed in the first terror attack on the trade center, a truck bomb in 1993. "You will always be my hero," Patricia Smith, 12, said of her mother. Nicholas Gorki remembered his father, "who I never met because I was in my mother's belly. I love you, Father. You gave me the gift of life, and I wish you could be here to enjoy it with me." At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta observed a moment of silence at 9:37 a.m., marking the time a jet struck the center of the nation's military. He paid tribute to 6,200 members of the U.S. military who have died in the Iraq and Afghan wars. In Shanksville, Pa., a choir sang at the Flight 93 National Memorial, and a crowd of 5,000 listened to a reading of the names of 40 passengers and crew killed aboard the plane a decade ago. The president and his wife traveled to the Pennsylvania town after their visit to New York and placed a wreath at the memorial. World pauses to remeber 9/11. From Sydney, Australia to Paris, France, formal ceremonies pay tribute to those who perished from more than 90 countries. A mother in Malaysia greeted her dead son. People in Manila left roses for the victim who helped give them homes. And mourners in Tokyo stood before a piece of steel from ground zero, remembering the 23 bank employees who never made it out alive. And in a reminder that threats remain, Swedish police arrested four people on suspicion of preparing a terror attack as autorities in Washington, DC and New York City beefed up security in response to intelligence about a possible car bomb attack. For some people, the pain never stops. In Malaysia, Pathmawathy Navaratnam woke up Sunday in her suburban Kuala Lumpur home and did what she's done every day for the past decade: wish her son Vijayashanker Paramsothy "Good morning." The 23-year-old financial analyst was killed in the attacks on New York. In Manila, dozens of former shanty dwellers offered roses, balloons and prayers for another 9/11 victim, American citizen Marie Rose Abad. The neighborhood used to be a shantytown that reeked of garbage. But in 2004, Abad's Filipino-American husband Rudy built 50 brightly colored homes, fulfilling his late wife's wish to help impoverished Filipinos. They named the village after her. In Japan, families gathered in Tokyo to pay their respects to the 23 Fuji Bank employees who never made it out of their World Trade Center office. A dozen of the workers who died were Japanese. One by one, family members laid flowers in front of an enclosed glass case containing a small section of steel retrieved from Ground Zero. Sydney resident Rae Tompsett, 81, said she's never felt angry over the murder of her son Stephen Tompsett, 39, a computer engineer who was on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center's north tower when it was hit by a hijacked plane. The retired school teacher and her husband Jack, age 92, were among more than 1,000 people who packed Sydney's Roman Catholic cathedral St. Marys for a special multi-faith service. WE WILL REMEMBER.
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Post by pegasus on Sept 12, 2011 12:33:35 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 255th day of 2011 with 110 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 2:01 p.m., it's mostly cloudy , temp 77.3ºF [Feels like 79ºF], winds SSE @ 3.6 mph, humidity 60%, pressure 29.92 in and falling, dew point 62ºF, chance of rain 20%. Forecast is for mostly cloudy with scattered showers , high temp around 80ºF and winds SW @ 5-10 mph, 30% chance of rain, JWell, I guess summer is still hanging on. Today in History: 1609--English explorer Henry Hudson sailed into the river that now bears his name. 1938--Adolf Hitler demanded self-determination for the Sudetan Germans in Czechoslovakia. 1944--US Army troops entered Germany for the first time near Trier. 1954-- Lassie made its TV debut on CBS. 1959-- Bonanza premiered on NBC. 1977--South African black student leader Steven Biko died while in police custody, triggering an international outcry. 2000--Dutch lawmakers gave same sex couples the right to marry and adopt children. 2005--Federal Emergency Management Agency director Michael Brown resigned three days after being relieved on onsite command of the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. 2006--in his native Germany, Pope Benedict XVI quoted an obscure medieval text that characterized some of Mohammad's teachings as "evil and inhuman" touching off rage across Islam. 2008--a commuter train engineer ran a red light whle texting and struck a freight train head-on in Los Angeles, killing himself and 24 others. Today's Headlines of Interest: 1. Obama: Jobs plan is insurance against a double-dip recession. President says wil send Congress $447 billion American Jobs Act, tells lawmakers to quicly pass it, saying it's insurance against the economy falling back into recession. The final product should include ideas from both parties, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said. "It is my hope that we will be able to work together to put in place the best ideas of both parties and help put Americans back to work," Boehner said in a prepared statement. Obama proposes to extend the Social Security tax cut for a year and make it bigger, reducing the taxes paid by workers to 3.1 percent for 2012. He's also now proposing to extend the payroll tax cut to businesses on the first $5 million of their payroll. About 98% of companies have payrolls below the $5 million threshold, according to the White House. Obama left the responsibility for paying for the $447 billion plan to a special bipartisan House-Senate panel created to reducing deficits by at least $1.2 trillion over the coming decade. The jobs plan also calls for $130 billion in aid to state and local governments, providing either a welcome infusion of cash for those struggling with budget gaps, government layoffs and crumbling roads or merely a temporary patch for budget holes that are likely to remain long after the federal money runs out. Obama's plan has to clear a politically divided Congress, which could scuttle it entirely or enact bits and pieces of it. As envisioned by Obama, state and local governments would receive $50 billion for transportation projects, $35 billion for school, police and fire department payrolls, $30 billion to modernize public schools and community colleges, and $15 billion to refurbish vacant and foreclosed homes or businesses. David Adkins, executive director of the Council of State Governments said the prospects for receiving the money appear "very, very slim" given the focus on reducing government spending among Republicans in Congress. He said state government leaders are more interested in long-term stable federal funding for transportation projects and education programs. Well, we can only hope that the Republicans and Dmocrats can get together and produce something that both sides can agree to and stop all the political wrangling that does no one any good. 2. Stocks flirt with day's lows in early afernoon. Traders fear Greece could default on debts; European policymakers divided. Stocks fell today on fears that Greece could be edging closer to defaulting on its debt. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 100 points, or 0.9 percent, to 10,891 at 12:15 p.m. It had been down as many as 135 points shortly after the opening bell. Tech stocks fared better than the overall market and the Nasdaq fell less than point to 2,462. Investors fear that rating agencies may cut the credit ratings of French banks because of their holdings of Greek bonds. Such a downgrade could bring more instability to Europe's belaguered financial system. Oh for the days before the euro when each country's financial system was based on its own economic prospects only. 3. Report: Taliban to be brought in from the cold. US has approved a plan to allow movement to open a political office in Qatar by the end of 2011, the UK's Times says, to enable formal peace talks to begin. The Taliban has fears that its representatives mirght be arrested instead because the office "will not be an embassy or a consulate, but a residence where they can be treated as a political party." Which is what they are. Afghanistan is the country with the embassy. A Taliban spokesman on Monday told NBC News that "we wouldn't set up any office outside Afghanistan." What a blessing it would be if peace talks actually took place, but while the Taliban continues its suicide bombings. Somehow I doubt that. NFL Opening Week: 1. Philadelphia Eagles: Vick still taking too many chances. The Eagles won but Michael Vick needs to compleer more passes and take fewer risks. 2. Dallas Cowboys: 'We lost this game because of me," Romo says. His 4th quarter mishaps will erase how well he played in the first three quarters. And he's right. 4. Indianapolis Colts: If they stay this bad, they could get STandford's QB Andrew Luck with the 1st pick in the NFL draft. Luck is regarded by many as the best pro prospect to enter the draft since, well, Peyton Manning. Thought for Today: "A friend to all is a friend to none." -- Aristotle, Classical Greek philosopher Today's flower: Lobelia cardinalis or cardinal flower
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Post by pegasus on Sept 13, 2011 7:24:55 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 256th day of 2011 with 109 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 9:19 a.m., it's partly cloudy , temp 68.8ºF [Feels like 68ºF], winds ESE @ 5.4 mph, humidity 82%, pressure 29.80 in and falling, dew point 63ºF, chance of rain 50%. Forecast is for a mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. High temp around 80ºF and winds SW @ 10-20 mph, 30% chance of rain, Tonight - Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms i.imwx.com/web/common/wxicons/45/gray/47.gif [/img]in the evening. Low around 55ºF, winds W @ 10-15 mph, chance of rain 50%.. Today in History: 1778--the Congress of the Confederation authorized the first national election and declared New York City the temporary national capital. 1948--Republican Margaret Chase Smith of Maine was elected to the US Senate, the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress. 1971--in upstate New York, the Attica Correctional Facility prisoner 4-day rebellion ended as police and guards stormed the Parisian - the siege claimed 43 lives. 1990-- Law & Order premiered on NBC. 1993--Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat shook hands at the White House after signing an accord granting limited Palestinian autonomy. 1999--a bomb blamed on Chechen rebels devastated an 8-story apartment building in Moscow, killing at least 124 people. 2001--Secretary of State Colin Powell named Osama bin Laden as the prime suspect in the 9/11 attacks on the US; limited commercial flights resumed for the first time in two days. 2010--Rafael Nadal of Spain won his first US Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, beating Novak Djokovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. Today's Headlines of Interest: Japan's death industry reaps grim profits. Corpse hotel lets bereaved families check on their dead while awaiting spot at crematorium. Death is a rare booming market in stagnant Japan and this new venture is just one example of how businessmen are trying to tap it. In 2010, according to government records, 1.2 million people passed away, giving the country and annual death rate of 0.95 percent versus 0.84 percent in the United States, which is also the global average. Annual deaths are expected to peak at 1.66 million in 2040 as the bulk of the nation's baby boomer generation expires. By then, Japan's population will have shrunk by around 20 million people, an unprecedented die off for a nation neither at war or blighted by famine. Building new urban crematoriums to deal with the surge in bodies is near to impossible because nobody wants the furnaces in their back yard, explains Teramura. That not-in-my-backyard crowd is forcing cities to make do with the facilities they have, even as the body count mounts. The average wait is more than four days, driving up demand for half-way morgues or corpse hotels (at $157 a day). A hope this is not a glance at the world's future!! Iran president: US hikers to be freed 'in a couple of days'. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says alleged spies will be released on 'humanitarian' grounds. He made the remark about Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal in a one-on-one interview with Ann Curry that was broadcast on NBC's TODAY on today. Citing defense lawyer Masoud Shafiei, the Associated Press later reported that Iran had set bail of $500,000 for the two men. He said the court would free Bauer and Fattal after the money was paid. So is this Iran's new way of getting foreign dollars. On the Horn of Africa we have Somali pirates and in the Middle East Iranian blackmailers? Census: US poverty rose as incomes fell in 2010. The number of Americans who have fallen into poverty rose to 15.1%, the 3rd consecutive increase in the poverty rate and puts it at a 27-year high. There were 46.2 million people in poverty up from 43.6 million in 2009 for the 4th consecutive annual increase and the largest number in the 52 years for which poverty estimates have been published. The bureau also said the real median income dropped for the 3rd year in a row in 2010. So much for trickle down economy from the Bush tax cuts. The millionaires and above need to start paying more in taxes, just return to the Clinton year rates. Or we WILL become a 3rd-world country of the very rich and the very poor. 7 dead, 162 injured in Argentina as bus triggers double train crash. Buenos Aires police believe the bus driver went around barriers in an attempt to cross the tracks in a rush-hour crash. Officials warned that the death toll could rise. The bus was hit by an oncoming train as it tried to cross the tracks and was crushed into the nearby platform. That train flew off its tracks and hit another traveling in the opposite direction. The bus was reduced to a fraction of its width as it became wedged against the station platform. Children are among the injured since the accident occurred at the time many parents use public transportation to take their children to school. Buenos Aires' passenger rail system moves at street level through most neighborhoods of the capital and surrounding provinces, trying the patience of drivers who often can be seen ignoring the lights, bells and barriers that signal an approaching train. And the potential for collisions increases at rush-hour, especially next to stations with trains passing and barriers dropping every few minutes. How many times have you done the same thing. But I never tried it in the middle of a city. Today's flower: Lespedeza thunbergii 'Gibraltar'
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Post by pegasus on Sept 13, 2011 16:32:43 GMT -7
Amtrak rolls toward recrd ridership. Trains — they’re not just for retirees and railroad buffs anymore. Thanks to changes in technolog and demographics--not to mention the hassle of air travel--the nation's railroads are ddrawing a whole new crowd. Especially Amtrak, which is on track to report its hightest ridership in history. It announced today that it carried almost 27.8 million passengers during the first 11 months of the fiscal year, ending Sept. 30th, up 5.2$ from last year. Amtrak officials are optimistic that the year-end ridership total will top 30 million for the first time. People are cottoning on to trains and saying, 'Gee, this is so much easier and so much better than flying,'" said Will Phillipson, co-founder of SilverRail Technologies. Joseph Schwieterman, a professor and transportation expert at DePaul University added, "The economic recovery and rising fuel prices laid the groundwork, but rail is increasingly part of a lifestyle choice." People are opt in for more technology and out of other forms of transportation. "Rail is very tech-friendly," said Schwieterman. "People are bringing the DVD player, BlacBerry and two other devices. Younger people in particualr want to be digitally connected at all times. Amtrak is doing very well in corridors that serve universitieis and urban lifestyles." In areas with good transit options, forgoing a car is an increasingly attractive option. For some people, “it’s more about what devices you own and what Twitter feeds you follow,” he said, “rather than the kind of wheels you own.”
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Post by pegasus on Sept 14, 2011 6:31:57 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 257th day of 2011 with 108 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 9:19 a.m., it's partly cloudy , temp 68.8ºF [Feels like 68ºF], winds ESE @ 5.4 mph, humidity 82%, pressure 29.80 in and falling, dew point 63ºF, chance of rain 50%. Forecast is for a mix of clouds and sun with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. High temp around 80ºF and winds SW @ 10-20 mph, 30% chance of rain, Tonight - Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms i.imwx.com/web/common/wxicons/45/gray/47.gif [/img]in the evening. Low around 55ºF, winds W @ 10-15 mph, chance of rain 50%.. Today in History: 1779--Col. Daniel Brodhead completed the Alleghany River expedition comprising an assault on the Seneca indians in Pennsylvania. 1812--Napoleon Bonaparte's Grande Armée entered Moscow. 1847--Gen Winfield Scott entered Mexico City and raised the US flag over the Hall of Montezuma, ending the Mexican War. 1862--Union and Confederate forces clashed at the Battle of South Mountain, Md. 1901--Pres. McKinley died after being shot by a deranged anarchist at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY. Vice Pres. Theodore Roosevelt became president. 1959--a Soviet rocket crashed into the moon, the first man-made objec to reach the moon's surface. 1968--Detroit Tigers pitcher Denny McLain won his 30th game of the season, the first 30-game winner since 1938. 1974--"I Shot the Sheriff" by Eric Clapton (written by Bob Marley) hit No. 1 on the music charts 1975--Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized by Pope Paul VI, becoing the first American-born Catholic saint. 1999--millions flee from Hurricane Floyd from the Bahamas to New England Today's Headlines of Interest: US Scrambles to avert Palestinian vote at UNAs the Palestinian quest for statehood gained support from Turkey and othre countries, the Obama administration sought an 11th hour compromise thtqt would avoid a confrontation at the UN next week. Nabil el-Araby, secretary general of the Arab League, said after meeting with the Palestinians that “it is obvious that the Palestinian Authority and the Arab countries are leaning towards going to the General Assembly,” where a successful vote could elevate the status of the Palestinian Authority from nonvoting “observer entity” to “observer state,” a status equal to that of the Holy See. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey ratcheted up pressure on the US and Israel by telling Arab League ministers that recognition of a Palestinian state was “not a choice but an obligation.” The support for the Palestinians from the Turkish prime minister was not a surprise, but the commanding tone of his endorsement — coupled with Turkey’s souring relations with Israel, once a close ally — underscored the growing sympathy for Palestinian aspirations for sovereignty and statehood. And they can include me as a sympathizer. Israel and the Obama are on the wrong side of history. Negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians has gotten nothing and it's time to try something else. The Palestinian people deserve to have their own homeland just like in 1948 Israel did. But it has been 63 years and no final settlement. US Embassy and NATO headquarters attacked in Kabul. Heavily armed insurgents wearing suicide vests struck at two of the most prominent symbols of the American diplomatic and military presence in Kabul, demonstrating the Taliban’s ability to infiltrate even the most heavily fortified districts of the capital. NATO and Afghan troops responded with barrages of bullets. At least 7 people were killed and 19 wounded by the insurgents. It ended this morning after 19 hours with nine insurgents killed said the Kabul Provincial police chief, Gen. Mohammed Ayoub Salangi. Kabul is widely viewed as relatively safe because of the international presence and large numbers of Afghan security and intelligence forces there. Tuesday’s attack was but the latest to chip away at that tenuous sense of security. In August, militants killed eight people at a British cultural center. In June, nine suicide bombers attacked the Intercontinental Hotel. And do you really think that we will eventually come out ahead here. Do none of our military leaders and presidential advisors ever read the history of this country. Over many centuries, many civilizations have tried to incorporate Afghanistan and have failed. The last before our invovement was Russia (who we helped the Afghans to get rid of). Boy do our military and government have short memories! We went into Afghanistan to attack al-Qaida. Ww have now killed bin Laden and many of their leaders. Let's get out of Afghanistan and let them decide what thery are going to become. It's none of our business as long as they don't start harboring international terrorists again. World News Capsules: 1. US military team visits Libya to assess risks of reopening US Embassy. Four American military personnel are in the Libyan capital to determine what security measures are necessary to reopen the United States embassy, a Pentagon spokesman said. 2. UN accuses Yemen of using deadly force in protests. The report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights urged immediate international action to alleviate a humanitarian crisis and to prevent Yemen from falling into further chaos. 3. Arab League asked to act on Syria. A petition submitted to the Arab League demanded that it suspend Syria as a member until that nation halts its crackdown on demonstrators who are demanding democratic change. 4. From Europe, mounting pressure over Greece's debt. With diplomatic and market pressure rising, leaders of France, Germany and Greece are set to talk today. 5. Asian maarkets dip further after Moody's downgrades French banks. Moody's lowered its ratings for Société Générale and Crédit Agricole, highlighting the escalating worries about the European banking system and renewing jitters in the global financial markets. US News Capsules: 1. Abuse of Xanax leads a clinic to halt supply. Citing concern over overdoses, doctors at Seven Counties Services in Louisville, Ky have stopped writing prescriptions for the anti-anxiety drug Xanax. 2. North Carolina voters to decide on same-sex marriage. North Carolina has taken a big step toward losing its status as the last state in the Southeast without a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Sports: 1. Rivera notches save No. 600 in Seattle as Yankees win. Mariano Rivera earned the 600th save of his career, finishing off a well-pitched 3-2 victory over Seattle by the Yankees that included a strong start by A.J. Burnett. 2. In milestone victory for Wakefield, Red Sox ease a collective panic. Tim Wakefield earned his 200th career win in an 18-6 pounding of Toronto that ended Boston's five-game skid and provided some more breathing room in the wild-card race. Today's flower: Vitex agnus-castus or chastetree
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Post by pegasus on Sept 14, 2011 23:37:48 GMT -7
Art News: Still unearthing discoveries in de Kooning's brush strokes. In organizing the first Willem de Kooning retrospective in three decades, curators went on an art history treasure hunt. John Elderfield, the Museum of Modern Art's chief curator emeritus of painting and sculpture, has immersed himself in the work of Willem de Kooning. The first thing visitors will see at the entrance to the Museum of Modern Art’s sprawling Willem de Kooning retrospective, which opens on Sunday, is a wall of photographs that chronicle six stages in the creation of the legendary painting “Woman I” (1950-52). John Elderfield, MoMA’s chief curator emeritus of painting and sculpture, said he chose these images as a starting point because they illustrate “that de Kooning was an artist about process.” For the last six years Mr. Elderfield has immersed himself in the work of de Kooning, who helped define the shape of postwar American art. The artist, who died in 1997, was especially known for his large and luscious canvases of riotous brush strokes and curving forms, and for his preoccupation with the female figure, a subject he returned to in different guises throughout his career.
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Post by pegasus on Sept 15, 2011 8:43:46 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 258th day of 2011 with 107 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 8:42 a.m., it's raining , temp 51ºF [Feels like 41ºF], winds NNW @ 5 mph, humidity 92%, pressure 30.02 in and steady, dew point 49ºF, chance of rain 70%. Today - occasional rain tapering to a few showers late . High temp 56ºF and winds NNW @ 10-20 mph, humidity 77%, 70% chance of rain, Tonight - Partly cloudy . Low around 44ºF, winds NW @ 10-15 mph, humidity 73%, chance of rain 20%. Today in History: 1776--British forces occupied New York City during the Revolutionary War. 1821--Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Micaragua and El Salvador became independent from Spain. 1917--Russia was proclaimed a republic by Alexander Kerersky. 1935--the Nuremberg Laws deprived German Jews of their citizenship and made the swastika the official symbol of Nazi Germany. 1940--the Royal Air Force inflicted heavy losses on the Luftwaffe as the tide turned in the Battle of Britain. 1950--UN forces landed at Inchon in the south and began their drive toward Seoul. 1963--four black girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday services at a Baptist church in Birmingham, Ala. 2001--Pres. Bush identified Osama bin Laden as the prime suspect in the 9/11 attacks and told America to prepare for a long difficult war against terrorism. 2004--NHL owners agreed to lock out the players causing the 2004 season to be cancelled. 2005--Pres. Bush acknowledged his government had failed to resond adequately to Hurrican Katrina. *2008--Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy protection - the largest in US history. *I think people should remember this - Obama became president during a financial crisis not of his making and never had that "100 days honeymoon" period that most presidents get upon first taking office. Today's Headlines of Interest: Light snow helps battle Minn. wildfire. 'Three days of a nice, solid rain would be nicer than that little shower'. Calmer winds, cooler temperatures and a few moments of sleet and light snow brought encouragement as firefighters continued efforts to contain a blaze that was in a "pause mode" — days after it moved at breakneck speeds, swallowing nearly 160 square miles of forest along the Minnesota-Canada border. The fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is one of the largest on record in the state with plumes of smoke drifting into Michigan, Wisconsin and northern Illinois. The smoke largely dissipated by yesterday because of the drop in heat and wind and less visible because of the overcast skies. The cold front brought some winter-like temperatures, which will help slow the fire's spread. A freeze warning is in effect for northeastern Minnesota. Well, at least the snowfall did some good, but IT'S TOO EARLY FOR SNOW!!! Seeing ripple in Jewish vote. Not since Jimmy Carter in 1980 has a Democrat running for president failed to win a lopsided majority of the Jewish vote. This had been true during times of peace or war, and even when there has been deep acrimony between the White House and the Israeli government. But with Pres. Obama locked in a tense relationship with Israel's leaders and criticized by many American Jews as being too tough on a close and favored ally, the GOP's upset in NY's special election may be a sign of things to come. “For a while now, I’ve been hearing from my constituents a lot of dissatisfaction with the statements on Israel that have been coming from the president and the administration,” said Representative Eliot L. Engel, Democrat of New York. “He’ll still get a majority of Jewish votes, but I would not be surprised to see that drop 10 to 20 points.” What are these people first? Israelis or Americans. US policy needs to be based on the facts of a situation and loyal Americans should support it whether they are Italian-American, Chinese-American, or Jewish-Americans. US foreign policy should not depend on the religious followings of a segment of the American public whether Southern Baptist, Roman Catholic, Islamic or Jewish. You are Americans first and Israel is not always right. It is time that Israel and its suporters realize that it is time for a real settlement of the Palestinian question was settled. Almost seven deades has gone by and Israel is now sitting on the wrong side of history. That country will never know peace until the Palestinians have their own country. Islamist' growing sway raises questions for Libya. Long repressed by Col. Muammar el-Qadhafi, Islamists are now emerging as the best-organized political faction in the country, with influence beyond their numbers. The most powerful military leader is Abdel Hakim Belhaj, the former leader of a hard-line group once believed to be aligned with al-Qaida. The growing influence of Islamists raises questions about the ultimate character of the government and society that will replace Qadhafi's autocracy. It is far from clear where Libya will end up on a spectrum of possibilities that range from the Turkish model of democratic pluralism to the muddle of Egypt to, in the worst case, the theocracy of Shiite Iran or Sunni models like the Taliban or even Al Qaeda. Many, like Aref Nayed, coordinator of the Transitional National Council’s stabilization team and a prominent religious scholar, say that the revolution had proved that Libyans would not accept anything but a democratic society, and that the Islamists would have to adapt to that. “There will be attempts by people to take over, but none of them will succeed because the young people will go out on the streets and bring them down,” Mr. Nayed said. I certainly hope he is right. The thought of Libya with its oil rvenues controlled by an al-Qaida-type government boggles the mind. World News Capsules: 1. Palestinians say a UN Gamble on statehood is worth the risks. It is far from clear what will come of the Palstinians bid to have the UN recognize their territory as a state, but the effort is engaging a deeply cynical public. 2. Clashes in Southern Yemen undersocre a nation's turmoil. Fierce clashes overnight between government forces and Islamist militants in southern Yemen killed 14 people, including 12 militants, Yemeni officials said. 3. Syria US envoy mourns activist. The US ambassador, Robert S. Ford, attended a gathering to mourn the killing of Ghayath Mattar, a human rights advocate, activists said Wednesday. 4. Cameron and Sarkizy in Tripoli to meet new Libyan leadersPrime Minister David Cameron arrived in Libya to join Pres. Nicolas Sarkozy of France in a joint visit to the country's rebel leaders. US News Capsules: 1. Immigration advocates split over Arizona Boycott. While some protestors remain steadfast in condemning Arizona for its immigration laws, others are encouraging visitors, hoping they will push for change. Many supporters are unsure what to do. 2. Report finds improved performance by hospitals. The leading accreditation board listed the medical centers most diligent in following protocolsto treat certain conditions, and the best-regarded hospital in America were mostly not on it. 3. BP shortcuts led to Gulf oil spill, report says. Investigators said the cause of the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig was a failure of the cement at the base of the 18,000-foot-deep well. 4. NASA unveils new rocket design. A colossal rocket would be the most powerful since the Saturn V that took Americans to the moon, but a setback could force NASA to bid for a Plan B. Sports: 1. NFL: Sorry, Jerry, but Romo doesn't look super. Said Jerry Jones: “This may draw a little criticism, but I thought Tony played one of the best games I’ve ever seen him play.” Not only does the Dallas QB Tony Romo keep making killer mistakes but does anyone, besides Jones, thnk he can navigate past Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Mike Vick and the rest of his NFC QB peers into the Super Bowl? 2. NBA: Agents in the way of labor resolution? Some players, pushed by their agents, are seeking decertification of the union. "If you've got a bunch of agents telling players not to trust Billy (Hunter, exec. director of the union), then you've got a break in solidarity," a player's agent said. Yes, decertification might be the path toward a more favorable agreement for the players in the long run, but would guarantee a long-haul lockout. For players, whose careers average 4 1/2 seasons, the loss of even months might mean money never recovered. The fact that such bickering is taking place within days of the scheduled start of training camp speaks volumes of how unsteady the players' strategy has been from the start. That's not to say the owners necessarily are any more resolute in their convictions, but merely that it is easier to hold together a group of 29 owners (the NBA owns the Hornets) than a union of 100s of players. Weel, it's just about time for training camp for the players to begin. Maybe they'll get down to some serious negotiations so as not to lose the season. And remember, this is one sport where a number of the owners ARE losing money. Today's Flower: Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Longwood Blue' or bluebeard
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Post by pegasus on Sept 15, 2011 11:08:32 GMT -7
] In a spirited showdown on Good Morning America today, ABC News Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser confronted Dr. Mehmet Oz on what he called "extremely irresponsible" statements made on The Dr. Oz Show Wednesday concerning arsenic in apple juice. The show's test results were not a surprise to Don Zink, the senior science advisor for the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. He said the FDA has known for many years that certain foods contain very small amounts of arsenic. "Arsenic in apple juice is nothing new to us," Zink said. "We have 20 years of data from testing apple juice for arsenic, and all the data say there's simply not a health concern." "It is the inorganic form of arsenic in the environment that is toxic and measuring total arsenic is not informative," said Aaron Barchowsky, a professor of environmental health at the University of Pittsburgh, who has studied the toxicity of arsenic in drinking water for 15 years. The FDA conducted its own tests of the apple juice investigated by The Dr. Oz Show. In some of the very same lots of juice tested for the show, the FDA reported finding very low levels of inorganic arsenic -- 6 parts per billion at most, even lower than the 10 parts per billion recommended by the EPA as a safe level for drinking water. And has anyone been harmed by this minute amount of arsenic? I bet if you tested most of the things we eat, you'd find similar results. I'm sure apples aren't the only thing absorbing arsenic from the soil. So are all of you going to panic and stop drinking apple juice which has not been accused of actually causing any specific person a problem? >:(Surely you all have heard the stories of someone being deliberately fed arsenic for months before suffering any harm. And that amount was measureable by your measuring spoon set, not a minute "x" no. of parts per billion. Use your common sense. Please. Frankly, I can't help agreeing with Dr. Besser of ABC that this is 'fearmongering'. Until you can show me where someone or ones have been harmed, it's all a bunch of nonsense.
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Post by pegasus on Sept 16, 2011 7:35:39 GMT -7
Good morning from Tuxy and me :)This is the 259th day of 2011 with 106 days left in the year. Today in NY's Finger Lakes at 10:09 a.m., it's scattered clouds , temp 55.4ºF [Feels like 55ºF], winds N @ 5 mph, humidity 83%, pressure 29.94 in and rising, dew point 42ºF, chance of rain 20%. Today - Mostly cloudy with isolated showers early, then partly sunny. High temp 62ºF and winds NW @ 5-10 mph, humidity 74%, 20% chance of rain, Tonight - Partly cloudy . Low around 38ºF, winds NW @ 5-10 mph, humidity 63%, chance of rain 20%. Today in History: 1810--Mexico began a successful revolt against Spain. 1893--hundreds of thousands of settlers took part in a land un in Oklahoma's "Cherokee Strip". 1908--General Motors was formed in Flint, MIch. by Wiliam Durant. 1919--the American Legion was incorporated by an act of Congress. 1940--Pres. Roosevelt signed into law the first peacetime military draft. 1966--the Metropolitan Opera opened inits new home at New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. 1974--Pres. Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam War deserters and draft evaders. 2002--UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced that Iraq had unconditionally accepted the return of UN weapons inspectors. 2007--a deadly shooting in Baghdad involving the US security firm Blackwater USA left 17 Iraqi civilians dead. 2008--the Bush administration announced an emergency $85 billion loan to rescue AIG, the world's largest insurance company. World News Capsules: 1. Bahrain boils under the lid of repressions. Bahrain has become the cornerstone of a counterrevolution to stanch change in the Middle East, but many fear the ciolence will beget more violence. 2. Steel tycoon with links to a Mubarak is sentenced. Ahmed Ezz, given a 10-year sentence for corruption, personified to many Egyptians the political and economic venality that enriched the well-connected few under former Pres. Hosni Mubarak. 3. China consolidates grip on rare earths. By closing or nationalizing dozens of the producers of rare earth metals, which are used in energy-efficient bulbs, China is crimping the global supply. Maybe it's time we start mining our own? 4. Metal hips failing fast, report says. A British registry found that all-metal artificial hips failed at a significantly higher rate than those made from other materials. US News Capsules: 1. Post-Grunge, Seattle rocks on. Twenty years after the release of Nirvana's "Nevermind," a new exhibition, a fifm and a tribute concert planned for the anniversary make it clear how different things are in Seattle. 2. Deportation program sows mistrust, US is told. A federal program aimed at deporting "the worst" illegal immigrants has eroded public trust by making conflicting statements about its purpose, a task force found. 3. Delta One desks are big moneymakers. The $2 billion trading loss that has rocked the Swiss banking giant UBS has also cast a spotlight on a relatively unknown but increasingly profitable corner of Wall Street - Delta One desks. Today's Headlines of Interest: Boehner says no new taxes. House Speaker John Boehner reaffirmed GOP opposition to any tax increases to solve the nation's deficit problem, signaling a swift return to the trench warfare that characterized the devt and spending debate of early summer. He said that the special committee seeking long-term debt reduction should achiever its mandated $1.5 trillion in savings only by cutting federal agency spending and shrinking entitlement programs. God, didn't they learn anything from that debacle. How in the world can you reduce the budget with only cutting programs? You have to find more revenue too. And polls have consistently shown that the large majority of voters feel this way. It is only the right wing of the GOP, the tea baggers, who feel differently and who gave them the right to dictate to the rest of us what to do? Republicans rewriting state election laws in ways that could hurt Democrats. Looking to capitalize on their historic gains last year, Republican lawmakers in several states are rewriting their election laws. They are cubing early voting, rolling back voting rights for ex-felons and passing stricter voter ID laws. Taken together, they could have a negative effect on Democrats election efforts if they keep young people and minorities away from the polls. Which is easier that trying to win them over with their stated positions on areas of interest to these groups. White House weighs limits of terror fight. The Obama administration's legal team is split over how much latitude the US has to kill Islamist militants in Yemen and Somalia, a question that could define the limits of the war agains al-Aqida and its allies. The debate centers on whether the US may take aim at only a handful of high-level leaders personally linked to plots to attack the US or whether it may also attack the 1000s of love-level terrorists focused on parochial concerns - the essentially ungoverned lands near the Gulf of Aden. Robert Chesney, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin who specializes in the laws of war, said the dispute reflected widespread disagreement about how to apply rules written for traditional wars to a conflict against a splintered network of terrorists — and fears that it could lead to an unending and unconstrained “global” war. “It’s a tangled mess because the law is unsettled,” Professor Chesney said. “Do the rules vary from location to location? Does the armed conflict exist only in the current combat zone, such as Afghanistan, or does it follow wherever participants may go? Who counts as a party to the conflict? There’s a lot at stake in these debates.” Counterterrorism officials have portrayed al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula — which was responsible for the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound airliner on Dec. 25, 2009 — as an affiliate of al- Qaida that may be more dangerous now than the remnants of the original group. Such officials have also expressed worry about the Shabab in Somalia, though that group is generally more focused on local issues and has not been accused of attacking the United States. Interesting debate. I'm inclined to say with we only attack those who have attacked us. We cannot continue to be the world's policeman and those groups who aren't focused on hurting us should be left to those who involved with them. I think anything else will lead us into more Iraqis. We have enough enemies of our own, so let's not add to the list. 5 Central Banks move to supply cash to Europe.The world's major central banks moved to assure that European banks would not run short of cash as troubled nations like Greece and Italy sought to stablilize their economies. The banks agreed to pump US dollars into the European banking system which lifted global stack markets, sharply increasing the value of shares in banks heavily exposed to debt from the struggling members of the euro zone. The European Central Bank said it would allow banks to borrow dollars for up to three months, instead of just for one week as before, giving them breathing room for the rest of the year. The E.C.B. said it was acting in cooperation with the Federal Reserve of the United States, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank. Well, as the article says, it gives Greece, Italy and others time to get thins in order. I hope it works. Sports: NCAA Football Mikhail Marinovich was groomed from infancy to be a football player, just like his half frother, Todd, but he chose Syracuse ($53 defensive end), not USC. The two teams meet Saturday. With little fanfare, the last of Marv Marinovich's sons is coming home. Unlike his half-brother, Todd (so-called Robo QB, USC 1989-90), Mikhail is not a star or Trojan. Mikhail left behind the USC tradition and the much-debated saga of his family, to attend Syracuse on the other side of the country. Now a senior and 3-year starter at defensive end, he will be taking on the Trojans in LA on Saturday night. Marv, Todd and the family are waiting to greet him like a returning hero. No stranger to suspense, LSU outduels Mississippi State, 19-8If NO. 3 LSU is going to muster another run to the national title game (will be in New Orleans), Tigers fans shouj.d purchase some antacid and buckle up for another frenetic season. Their Thursday night win played out in a familiar mosaic of sputtering offense, wasted timeouts and criticala penalties. But they were complemented by a punishing defensive line, a suffocating secondary and eye-popping sideline-to-sideline speed. “That defense plays extremely well,” Les Miles said. “If we do the right things with the ball on offense, we can win a lot of games.” Now they will head to another heated environment to face a largely untested West Virginia Mountaineers team in Morgantown, W. Va. If LSU's recent history is any indication, expect plenty of action, drama and suspense as the offense inches forward. Today's Flower: Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight' TGIF everyone.
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Post by pegasus on Sept 16, 2011 17:22:03 GMT -7
NASA satellit UARS nearing Earth 'could land anywhere'A five ton 20-year-old stallite has fallen out of orbit and is expected to crash somewhere on Earth on or around 24 September. NASA says the risk to life from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is just 1 in 3,200. Most of the satellite will break or burn up before reaching Earth. However, scientists have identified 26 separate pieces that could survive the fall and debris could rain across an area 360-310 miles wide. Scientists would be able to make more accurate predictions about where it might land until tw0 hours before it enters the Earth's atmosphere. The UARS was launched in 1991 by the Discovery space shuttle and was decommissioned in 2005. So be sure to listen for details on its re-entry on the 24th.
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