 | "There's Justice In The Universe" |
| Posted 8/27/2007 5:15 PM CDT 03:12 Law Firm: Hire Only Immigrants, Not Americans http://tinyurl.com/29lrqy 04:50 PERM Fake Job Ads defraud Americans to secure green cards http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCbFEgFajGU&mode=related&search= Lou Dobbs: Law Firm teaches how to avoid hiring Americanshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx--jNQYNgAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsp2V3ifZjM Foreign Workers Fill 28 Million U.S. Jobs… plus, 3,525,000 American jobs have been outsourced to foreign countries over the last seven years…. big business and immigration lawyers are conspiring to fill American jobs here at home with foreign workers…. importing workers from other countries is driving down American wages and destroying the American dream. The war on the middle class continues. http://americanworker.org/ http://reformus.org/ Americans Need Not Apply: Some have said that businesses need to harvest the brainpower from abroad because qualified Americans don't exist and that H-1B visas are the only way to keep the USA competitive in the global economy. The truth is that there are fully qualified American job candidates who are trained right alongside foreign graduate students studying here. To say that qualified candidates don't exist in the USA contradicts the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. In this case, the "Help Wanted" sign now reads, "Americans Need Not Apply." http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/06/dont_waste_us_b.html http://www.numbersusa.com/interests/hightech.html Laredo Border Patrol Chief Tells It Like It Really Is: A Border Patrol chief at one of the nation's most dangerous Southwest border crossings says the agency's mission doesn't include apprehending illegal aliens or seizing narcotics — perplexing front-line agents and angering a congressional critic of illegal immigration. "I've said it before and I'll say it again," Carlos X. Carrillo, Border Patrol chief of Laredo, told guests at a town-hall meeting Thursday. "The Border Patrol's job is not to stop illegal immigrants. The Border Patrol's job is not to stop narcotics. The Border Patrol's mission is not to stop criminals.” http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070826/NATION/108260044/1001 |
| Posted 8/23/2007 1:20 PM CDT Bush Selling America’s Sovereignty Via SPP: President Bush met with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon, to discuss the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) agreement between the U.S. Canada and Mexico. The Center for Immigration Studies states that: "Such trade pacts carry huge implications for national sovereignty. While a "free trade agreement" (FTA) does not have the legally binding power of a treaty, which would require two-thirds approval of the U.S. Senate, an FTA does indeed subject participating nations to certain legal obligations to one another. NOTE: No one should be under any illusions that the Security and Prosperity Partnership will curb illegal immigration. SPP will result in vastly increased legal migration, and increases in legal immigration are always accompanied by increases in illegal immigration. For the full article -- Click here. SPP Protest - Union Leader Stops Provocateurs: Three Canadian police officers were flat out busted trying to incite a riot! They were caught on film and the power of the Internet and YouTube has led to an admission by the Canadian authorities. While the authorities are claiming these officers were under cover, to provide extra security, that does not explain why these officers were holding large rocks and trying to mingle with parts of the crowd that did not welcome them.http://www.thestar.com/News/article/248608?repost=yeshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St1-WTc1kow http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/august2007/240807Quebec.htm A lack of transparency and openness about what occurs at the meetings has led skeptics from both sides of the political aisle to question the SPP's goals and possible outcomes. There exists a congressional resolution, H.CON.RES.40, that says: (1) the United States not to engage in the construction of a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Superhighway System; (2) the United States not to allow the Security and Prosperity Partnership to implement regulations that would create a North American Union with Mexico and Canada; and (3) the President to oppose these acts or any other proposals that threaten U.S. sovereignty. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HC00040:@@@L&summ2=m& FAX (for free) your senators and urge them to introduce a resolution similar to H. Con. Res. 40, a House resolution which rejects the idea of a North American union with Mexico and Canada: www.numbersusa.com/actionbuffet. For more information: http://www.numbersusa.com/hottopic/nationalsovereignty.html http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200708/NAT20070815b.html http://electmikecrane.com/2007/march/nafta_super_highway.php Bush Denies SPP / NAFTA / North American Union: He says it’s comical that anyone could say so. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsm1JoC_Nfg&mode=related&search= Fact: The North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, bound the United States, Canada, and Mexico into a trilateral "free trade" relationship among the three nations of the North American continent. Trade enthusiasts hailed NAFTA as holding great promise to elevate the economies of the three nations. Today, "NAFTA Plus," or the so-called Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), is gaining more and more attention because it would move well beyond NAFTA and trade per se. [ My Comment: You know Bush is lying when you can see his lips moving. I remember Bush Sr. clearly refering to the development of the NAU in various guises. Clinton was cagier in his phrasing, but he was also keen on pushing our international economic interests. The NAU may 'somehow' seem like a good concept to some; however, I have little faith in the human nature of those in power that would administer such an endeavor.] Toward A North American Union?: The history of this development is written up fairly well in this article: http://tinyurl.com/358y9s Selling Texans On ‘Electronic Billboards’ aka ‘Highway Spam’: The next phase of the battle over “highway spam” is going to be fought at the local level. The proposed regulations regarding digital outdoor advertising along the highways will allow such signs in home-rule cities and the surrounding territories under city control. [ My Comment: At least we’ll be able to ‘see’ which towns have the more avaricious city officials. Corporate America’s “outdoor advertising” interests will pump ‘big-bucks’ into making sure that they get a secure foothold in Texan municipal jurisdictions / and then they’ll be back on TxDOT’s agenda again. By then, the econopolitics of the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) will have further embedded itself at all levels, including a more ‘conditioned response’ of Texans to accept ‘electronic billboards’. Note: If Texans accept this, then we’ll get what we deserve.] http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/08/21/0821signs.html http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/falkenberg/5023679.html http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/08/12/0812garcia_edit.html http://asiseeit.statesmanblogs.com/entry.aspx?q=cb795f37-6b29-4830-9a8a-998a012f23a9 Issue: Overpopulation In USA / “The Elephant In The Room” --- America is the third most populous nation in the world behind India and China and has the fastest growing population of any first-world country. We add roughly 3.3 million people per year…roughly 100 million each generation. We are marching toward a population of one billion. America’s population grew by 76 million during the first half of the 20th century and by 130 million during the second half. At that rate of “population growth acceleration”, America’s population will be 900+ million by the end of this century. http://www.thepopulationfix.com/thetalk.html NumbersUSA Uses Internet To Fight Overpopulation Causes/Effects: When a comprehensive immigration bill collapsed on the Senate floor, it was a victory for a group that had been lobbying Congress for a decade to reduce the number of immigrants — legal and illegal — in the United States. The group, Numbers USA, tracked every twist and turn of the bill. Its members flooded the Senate with more than a million faxes, sent through the organization’s Web site. It supplied arguments and information to senators opposing the bill. “It was a David-and-Goliath struggle,” said Roy H. Beck, the president of Numbers USA, who had been preparing for this moment since 1996, when he wrote a book titled “The Case Against Immigration.” “The bill had support from the opinion elite in this country,” Mr. Beck said. “But we built a grass-roots army, consumed with passion for a cause, and used the power of the Internet to go around the elites and defeat a disastrous amnesty bill.” http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/us/politics/15immig.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin Roy Beck – The “Al Gore Of USA Population Forecast”: NumbersUSA leader, Roy Beck, addresses the immigration problem in terms of overpopulation that are easily understandable. The solution is not ‘anti-immigration’ sentiment, but an understanding how immigration trends have changed. Watch: https://www.numbersusa.com/video/ NOTE: “NumbersUSA.org” is an organization that is concerned with many issues that are related to immigration. Learn more about how immigration impacts the following: America's Jobless American Workers Amnesties Attrition Through Enforcement Birthright Citizenship Black Americans Environment Farmland High-Tech Worker Visas Illegal Immigration In-State Tuition Public Opinion Unions Urban Sprawl Smart Business Practices Our Earth is now home to over 6.6 billion people: (1). This year, 73 million people will be added to the planet (2), and by the year 2050, the United Nations projects that the world's population will be between 7.8 and 10.5 billion (3). Ninety-nine percent of that growth will occur in developing countries (4) where two in three people lack access to clean drinking water (5). If we are to tackle global challenges like global warming, poverty, and population growth, the United States must rise to the challenge and show leadership by investing in sustainable development solutions -- solutions that prioritize global health initiatives, including family planning. Slowing population growth and addressing the over consumption and inequitable distribution of natural resources, is key to long-term environmental protection. http://www.sierraclub.org/population/ Secure Borders FIRST Act Introduced: Immigration enforcement has failed primarily because Administrations for the last 20 years have not enforced sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants. Illegal immigration will never be brought under control as long as the easy availability of jobs remains such a strong magnet. Rep. Lamar Smith introduced the Secure Borders FIRST Act (H.R. 2954). The legislation mandates operational control of all our borders and ensures better enforcement of current U.S. immigration laws. The bill also reforms the H-2A Visa program to allow for a market-based number of temporary agricultural workers each year. The legislation does ‘not’ provide amnesty, or the legalization of aliens illegally residing in the United States. One main point of the bill is to end the job magnet by making it more difficult for illegal immigrants to obtain jobs that should go to American workers. The bill creates an employment eligibility verification system that will reduce the attraction of the magnet. The legislation enlists the Social Securityillegalaliencrimes borderlife Administration and the Internal Revenue Service to help end the employment of illegal immigrants. It also prevents businesses from claiming tax deductions for illegal workers…. http://lamarsmith.house.gov/News.asp?FormMode=Detail&ID=947 Illegal Alien Crimes Underreported?: Many immigrant crimes are not reported, and in greater proportion than the crimes that the U.S.-born commit. Many victims of immigrant criminals fear reporting crimes to the police because their victimizers are of the same nationality, and thus are more likely to retaliate in ways that would dissuade the victim from calling police. Other aspects of this underreporting involve the seeming reluctance of US news media to report on crimes committed by illegals because they don’t want to appear biased (or fuel bias)….such is not the case in the rape and murder of Dani Countryman, a 15 year old American girl from Texas, who was murdered in an apartment in Milwaukee, Oregon on July 28 by 2 illegals. http://www.cis.org/articles/2001/crime/underestimated.html http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=444798#444798 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVoWxUfC9Lo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tReIZ73BrqY Illegal Aliens Welding Critical Bridges: The owner of Tarrasco Steel, a company that supplied workers on the Biloxi Bay Bridge, was arrested and charged with hiring illegal immigrants on projects in three states. Some had improper welding certification. Tarrasco Steel was hired as a subcontractor for rebar installation services to major bridge projects… The federal government considers those bridges as critical infrastructure, and they were part of routine inspections of facilities that if damaged could pose a threat to national security and public safety. "There is a serious public safety concern when illegal aliens, who are not authorized to work in the country legally, and who do not possess valid welding certifications, are employed in the construction of bridges in our communities," said Special Agent Michael A. Holt. On inspections of several construction sites, the majority of Tarrasco Steel employees were using bogus Social Security numbers, and 77 immigrants were arrested…. http://www.sunherald.com/201/story/112962.html Border Town Store Owner Talks About Life On The Border: John Waters owns a convenience store in a southern US border town and while standing at his store he explained how illegal immigration has destroyed his city, property and eliminated his ability to sleep. If you haven’t heard the sacrifices Americans on the front lines are forced to live with, then this is an excellent opportunity for you to learn how America’s open border policies place our own citizens at risk… all nationalities are crossing the border. [ My Comment: My wife, daughter, and I lived on our ranch north of La Joya, Texas until the repeated safety problems created by illegal immigration and drug smuggling forced us to move. People living north of San Antonio have no realistic idea what life along the border is like.] Click on PLAY button: http://www.phxnews.com/fullstory.php?article=50467 Border Fence Fiasco: The U.S. Border Patrol is asking for volunteers among its agents to help build fences on the U.S.-Mexico border, even as President Bush is withdrawing half the National Guard troops he sent there last year to build fences. A memo circulated last week to Border Patrol sector chiefs said fence-building efforts on the Southwest border were going to fall short of Mr. Bush's goal of finishing 70 miles in fiscal 2007, which ends Sept. 30. Note: Just 13 of the 854 miles of double- layered fencing authorized and promised us along our southern border has been built--only it's a single-layered fence! [ My Comment: Unless we force our so-called leaders to build the fence, they’re going to stall and stall….Call or write / use www.congress.org for easy access/information. I simply told them,” Build the border fence NOW!”] http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070814/NATION/108140076/1001 http://capwiz.com/caps/issues/alert/?alertid=10206861 More Immigrants Mean Fewer Jobs For Blacks: Barbara Jordan told Congress in 1995: “Unless there is another compelling interest, such as in the entry of nuclear families and refugees, it is not in the national interest to admit unskilled workers…" Today, immigration has cut the wages of American men without a high school degree by $1,800 a year…. businesses are actually substituting immigrants for young American workers, especially for young black men. In fact, immigration is the reason for one-third of the drop in employment among black men… immigrants simply are seen by many as preferable to native-born black Americans. That's true whether we're talking about Irish and Italians from the early 20th century or Mexicans and Chinese today…. http://www.numbersusa.com/news?ID=8580 ~Every hour sees the black man elbowed out of employment by some newly arrived emigrant, whose hunger and whose color are thought to give him a better title to the place.~ Frederick Douglas 1853 |
| Posted 8/18/2007 5:16 PM CDT What Replaces Transfats May Not Be So Good Either: “Mono-unsaturated fats” (canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil) are actually good for you & “poly-unsaturated fats” (corn, soybean, and sunflower oil) are at least somewhat healthy [Indeed, “unhydrogenated unsaturated fats” help lower a person’s bad LDL cholesterol and raise the good ]….they contain less hydrogen than the ‘saturated fats’ (coconut oil, palm oil, butter) and ‘transfats’ (vegetable oils made more solid by adding hydrogen to their chemical structure / hydrogenated oils). Rem: Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, and Butter are no better than Transfats. http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/070610/18fat.htm Food In McDonald’s Wrapper Tastes Better: Anything made by McDonald's tastes better, preschoolers said in a study that powerfully demonstrates how advertising can trick the taste buds of young children. Even carrots, milk and apple juice tasted better to the kids when they were wrapped in the familiar packaging of the Golden Arches. The study had youngsters sample identical McDonald's foods in name-brand and unmarked wrappers. The ‘unmarked’ foods always lost the taste test. "You see -- a McDonald's label & kids start salivating," said Diane Levin, a childhood development specialist (not attached to the study) who campaigns against advertising to kids. http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/08/06/mcdonalds.preschoolers.ap/index.html Stressed? Eat Veggies!: Chronic stress and junk food make a particularly fattening mix. A study showed that—in mice, at least—stress and a high-calorie diet increased the amount of an appetite-stimulating chemical in abdominal fat and promoted the growth of new fat cells…. So, reduce either emotional stress and/or consumption of fat & sugar. Note: Prohibiting the advertising of junk food to children, shifting farm subsidies away from cheap calorie food sources, and changing our nonexercise environment would all help. http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/070708/16obesity.b.htm ‘All Natural’ Labeling Fraud?: Factory food manufacturers have figured out that slapping an "all natural" claim onto their processed, chemically-altered food products results in increased sales. Consumers, it seems, are trying to shop for healthier foods, and they're easily fooled by "all natural" claims, even though the vast majority of food products sporting such claims are anything but natural. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate claims of "all natural." They might claim to, but in reality, they don't….So, learn how to judiciously read the label! http://www.newstarget.com/021936.html http://www.newstarget.com/021929.html “Pharma” Crops Pose Hazard: Today, the U.S.D.A. allows drug and biotechnology companies to engineer corn and other food crops into drug and chemical factories. The developers of these crops hope to reduce the cost of producing drugs and industrial chemicals, but there are hidden costs. Pharmaceutical ("pharma") and industrial crops were never meant to be eaten by the general public. If they accidentally wind up in our food supply—a virtual certainty given current industry practices and lax government oversight— they will pose serious health and environmental risks for years to come. Sign petition: http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/genetic_engineering/pharma-petition-to-usda.html Bayer German Biotech Expanding: Driven by the profit motive, the Bayer company has been reeking havoc around the world & trying to keep it quiet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97-AlnUuFag http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS3mhjt7TrY&mode=related&search= http://www.cbgnetwork.org/4.html Armed For The Bedbug Battle?: When traveling, check the mattress (including seams) for blackish fecal stains that indicate bedbug activity, especially if you notice bites in the morning. Another clue: Entomologists say bedbugs tend to make a series of linear bites. Treatment… don't try this alone. You'll want to call in a pro, who will very likely bring insecticides more powerful than those available to the general public. Don't begin sleeping on the sofa—you'll probably just spread the problem. And don't vacate the house. You may need to serve as the bait that will attract the bugs from their hiding places to the poison. They can live for more than a year without food and may go into a dormant state if you leave. http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/articles/070708/16bedbug.b.htm Ethanol From Sorghum?: Texas A&M University is looking at alternatives to using corn supplies to produce ethanol. The cellulose material of high-yielding, drought-tolerant sorghum has great potential as a source of biofuel. It grows 10 feet tall and produces 15-20 dry tons of biomass per acre. Along with other biomass material, it could be converted to fuel & considering Texas contributes 26% of domestic oil and 29% of natural gas to U.S. supplies, the Lone Star State could once again become a major contributor of fuel. http://www.texas-ec.org/publications/documents/tcp0807.pdf (page #4) Texas’ White Gold: One of Texas’ important contributions to the Civil War effort was the production of “salt” aka “white gold”…and used to cure meat, without which armies cannot subsist. It was also used as a disinfectant (e.g., Napoleon lost many soldiers to otherwise simple wounds because his army had run out of salt). Note: Salt was one of the world’s most precious commodities until modern salt mining projects began to provide it in abundance. It was literally worth its weight in gold during the Middle Ages. It was used as money. http://www.texas-ec.org/publications/documents/tcp0807.pdf (page #31) Another Sneak Attack On Organic Standards!: The USDA plans to officially rank ‘organic hops’ as "commercially unavailable." This will allow beer-makers to use chemically grown hops in their beers labeled as "organic", instead of supporting family farmers who are currently growing organic hops. Please take a moment to sign this new petition to Anheuser-Busch, thanking them for pledging to use organic hops and requesting they tell the USDA to remove conventional hops from the National List of approved organic ingredients, thereby requiring all organic beer makers to use organic hops. http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/oca/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12324 Carcinogenic “Propylene Oxide” Used To ‘Pasteurize’ Foods: The carcinogen Propylene oxide is commonly used to kill insects and bacteria in foods like raisins, spices, almonds, and cocoa. Propylene oxide is a highly toxic flammable chemical compound. It was once used as a racing fuel, but that usage is now prohibited for safety reasons. It is also used in thermobaric weapons. It is an epoxide. It is marketed as a safer alternative to ‘methyl bromide’, the old standby in chemical reduction of insects and pathogens in stored products. It’s use in treating almonds raised here and sold as ‘raw’ is particularly disturbing to people wanting raw almonds labeled as ‘organic’…because almonds coming into the USA from other countries won’t be ‘pasteurized’ & those raised here will be… there’ll be no labeling to distinguish between the two. http://www.michaelbreckenridge.com/2007/05/pasteurization-for-raw-california-almonds-stirs-controversy/ http://tinyurl.com/38qqxt http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/PR/propylene_oxide.html Organic Builds Soil Better Than No-Till: A new study by the federal Agricultural Research Service has demonstrated that organic farming builds soil organic matter better than conventional no-till farming, challenging the belief that no-till is the best farming option for soil health and carbon sequestration. Organic farming traditionally employs minimal tillage to control weeds and incorporate manure, while conventional ‘no-till farming’ avoids tillage altogether and often relies upon applications of herbicides to control weeds. http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul07/soil0707.htm http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/feed/feed-august-2007.html USA Factory Farm Pollution: Food and Water Watch has developed a new interactive map showing the location of animal factories by county in the United States. Animal factories are now found all over the country. These operations barely resemble traditional farms where healthy animals are allowed to roam on pasture. Instead, they keep thousands of animals closely confined in unsanitary conditions in order to maximize output. These systems pollute the surrounding environment and adversely affect human and animal health. http://www.factoryfarmmap.org/ http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/take-action http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/take-action/join-our-email-lists-1 10 Everyday Pollution Solutions: 1) Use cast iron pans instead of nonstick; 2) Buy organic, or eat vegetables and fruit from the "Cleanest 12" list; 3) Buy products with natural fibers, like cotton and wool, that are naturally fire resistant; etcetera. Click on site for specifics: http://www.ewg.org/solutions ~ The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.~ Elbert Hubbard |
| Posted 8/14/2007 6:23 PM CDT ‘Billboard Bullies’ Dishonor Lady Bird’s Legacy: Lady Bird fought to pass what became a starter-version of the federal Highway Beautification Act in 1965, hoping to strengthen it in later years, only to be thwarted by a powerful outdoor advertising lobby that worked to water down the law to the point that ‘some’ would argue it favors billboards over natural landscapes. Now, here comes the latest blow -- Item 6a(4) on the Texas state transportation commission's upcoming agenda: a lot of technical jargon indicating it will consider further weakening Texas' version of the “federal beautification act”. The commission will consider whether to allow digital billboards on Interstate and federal-aid highways. If you haven't seen one, these electronic monstrosities, powered by light-emitting diode (LED) technology, are the newest frontier in the $5 billion outdoor advertising industry. With a new image every four to 10 seconds, they promise to light up our highways with computer-controlled images as crystal clear as giant plasma TV screens. [ My Comment: Electronic billboards constitute “highway spam” that is unsightly.] http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/falkenberg/5023679.html Ugly Fight Over Texas Roadside Scenery To Come: In the session concluded in May, a bill that would have banned any more billboards on Texas 71 met death by amendment in the Texas Legislature. Introduced by state Sen. Kirk Watson, D- Austin, who modified the bill to assuage concerns by his colleagues, the bill died in the House when state Rep. Pat Haggerty, R-El Paso, objected that the billboard ban amounted to a "taking." The U.S. Constitution prohibits government from confiscating property without due process. Haggerty argued that the ban would deprive property owners of the full use of their land. Former state Rep. Terral Smith of Austin, who lobbies for Scenic Texas and other clients, replied quite logically that property rights, like other rights, are not absolute: "You don't determine property rights — you may divide them between people but no one is here to say we have absolute property rights or personal rights or anything else, you are here to decide contests between people when rights clash." [My Comment: When I clicked in “Pat Haggerty billboards” on Google, the first thing I tripped across was an ad advertising electronic billboards under the posting “Trans Texas Corridor”. I think we know who he’s indebted to.] To see: http://www.billboard-ads.com/?gclid=CIWR0s-d8Y0CFRjBWAodpknXLg ] http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/08/12/0812garcia_edit.html Note: Pat Haggerty’s website is: http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist78/haggerty.htm The Coming Blight Of Electronic Billboards?: Besides the “safety factor” (anything that takes your attention from the roadway for 2 seconds is a distraction) and the “power consumption factor” of electronic (LED diode) billboards, the fact remains that this ‘avarice & desire’ to commercialize our visual environment is an age old problem. Lady Bird Johnson taught us that beauty is not a luxury, and that the landscape has an intrinsic value that cannot and should not be ignored or debased. Her true legacy is not just the landmark Highway Beautification Act, the Wildflower Center, or the countless acts of conservation undertaken in her name, it is the movement she inspired. On Aug. 23, the TxDOT commission will consider allowing LED electronic screens on the very highways Lady Bird tried to protect. Now, it’s up to you to… 1) Contact your state senators and representatives to urge them to express their opposition to the TXDOT commissioners on this possible change. http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/?lvl=L 2) Write letters to the TXDOT Commissioners: For talking points: http://www.causs.org/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=52&topic_id=3054&mesg_id=3054&page= ATTN: Ric Williamson, Chair --- ATTN: Hope Andrade, Commissioner --- ATTN: Ted Houghton, Commissioner --- ATTN: Ned S. Holmes, Commissioner --- ATTN: Fred Underwood, Commissioner --- AT: Texas Department of Transportation 125 East 11th Street Austin , Texas 78701 Note: The Commissioners do NOT receive emails My letters to my senator, representative, commissioners, and the governor were short and to the point: “Please do NOT allow electronic billboards on Texas highways. I despise spam of any kind. These things are not only unsightly, but they're a distraction from focusing one's attention on driving.” http://www.scenic.org/billboards/ladybird http://www.dukecityfix.com/index.php?itemid=3029 http://www.causs.org/ http://www.scenictexas.org/default455b.html?Mode=DirectoryDisplay%26id=1%26DirectoryUseAbsoluteOnSearch=True http://www.scenic.org/billboards/safety/ http://youtube.com/watch?v=WTEK9yr8zR4 Keep Horses In The Stable And Not On The Table: More than 100,000 horses were brutally slaughtered in the United States last year at three foreign-owned slaughterhouses for human consumption in Europe and Asia. Tens of thousands more were exported for slaughter in Canada and Mexico. Once again, Congress has voiced its opposition to horse slaughter. The U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment that will temporarily bring horse slaughter to a halt while Congress considers the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (AHSPA), a permanent ban on this abhorrent trade. The measure must now go to the U.S. Senate for consideration. The amendment is almost identical to one that passed overwhelmingly in the U.S. Congress two years ago, with the addition of language to prevent the U.S. Department of Agriculture from circumventing the will of Congress - as it did in 2005 when the slaughter continued. http://willienelsonpri.com/peace/314/us-house-of-representatives-votes-to-stop-horse-slaughter-again.html Also Read: http://pstern.statesmanblogs.com/entry.aspx?q=de521c5f-f406-4cda-88ba-998a00f00231 http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2007/08/congress-news.html Additional Actions: https://community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2007_horse_slaughter3 http://www.hsus.org/ Is Bush The Most Aggressively Religious President In American History?: Has President George W. Bush become dangerously steeped in ideas of Armageddon, the Apocalypse, an imminent war with Satanic forces in the Middle East, and an urgency to construct an American theocracy to fulfill God's end-of-days plan? Historians and investigative journalists following the "end-time Christian" movement have grown alarmed at the impact it may be having on Bush's Middle East policies, including the current war in Iraq, the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian crisis, the strife in Lebanon and the administration's repeated attempts to find a cause for war against Iran. http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/062907J.shtml Cheney -The Hypocritical “Fly Fisherman”: Remember those TV spots depicting Cheney as a lover of the great outdoors with him fly fishing in Montana? Well, read about the real fellow by clicking on this (it’s more in line with the reality of his shotgun image): http://www.earthjustice.org/our_work/buck_in_brief/cheney-and-the-klamath-fish-kill.html Tipsy Ann Coulter? Declares Iraq War Not Unpopular?: I normally don’t waste time listening to the likes of Ann Coulter… Dang! I wasted 6 minutes. But you’ve got to see this to believe some of the absurdities. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddcZfccPgPw Taliban Systematically Murders Afghan Schoolgirls: In their concerted campaign of terror against schools, snipers have shot dozens of young girls on their way to school, kidnappers have beheaded teachers, and militants have burned many tents that serve as makeshift classrooms…. THE WEEK [ My Comment: This highlights the extremely primitive & archaic quality of Islamic fundamentalism. To them, girls being educated is blasphemy and is a threat to their perceived manhood. It’s this rigid intolerance that shall be their undoing.] [ Also: Remember the large statues of Buda that the Taliban blew up in Afghanistan? Well, it occurs to me that if the Buddhists are indeed right about reincarnation, then (in the end) these murderers of little girls may well end up wearing dresses….] http://tinyurl.com/2mbvs8 6-year-old Recruited As Suicide Bomber: Shocked American and Afghan troops are affirming the story of a 6-year-old boy who says he was recruited by the Taliban for a suicide bomb attack against U.S. soldiers. Juma Gil, raised by an older sister in Afghanistan's southern Ghazni province, said Taliban fighters last month cornered him and forced him to wear a vest they said would spray out flowers when he touched a button… The fighters told him to "throw your body" at the American soldiers when he saw them. "When they first put the vest on my body I didn't know what to think, but then I felt the bomb," Juma said through an interpreter at the joint U.S.-Afghan base in Ghazni… "After I worked out it was a bomb, I went to the Afghan soldiers for help." http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56399 Muslim Support For Suicide Bombing Waning: Most of the world’s Muslims reject suicide bombings and violence against civilians. The poll…shows, not surprisingly, Palestinians were the most enthusiastic supporters of suicide bombings: 70% of them responded that such attacks are “sometimes” or “often” justified. The countries showing the least amount of support? Egypt 8% and Pakistan 9%. The survey also suggested that, in many countries, enthusiasm for suicide attacks has fallen sharply since 2002. At that time, 74% of Lebanese, 43% of Jordanians, and 26% of Indonesians agreed that at least some suicide bombings could be justified; today, those statistics stand at 34%, 23%, and 10%, respectively…. also discovered was waning support for Osama Bin Laden in many of the same countries. The most precipitous decline was in Jordan, where just 20% of respondents voiced confidence in the Al Qaeda leader, down from 56% in 2002. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/24/AR2007072401517.html Iraqis’ Opinion About Life ‘Before & After’ Sadam: Having spent nine years in the Soviet gulag, Natan Sharansky knows a thing or two about living under tyranny. Writing in the Washington Post recently, Sharansky offered a more realistic before-and-after assessment of Iraq. “The truth,” writes Sharansky, “is that in totalitarian regimes, there are no human rights. Period. The media do not criticize the government. Parliaments do not check executive power. Courts do not uphold due process. And human rights groups don’t file reports . . . life under totalitarianism is slavery with no possibility of escape.” There is no doubting that life in Iraq for the average Iraqi is extraordinarily tough right now. But what do the Iraqis themselves think about life in Iraq now as compared to life under Saddam Hussein? Sharansky points to a recent poll: “by nearly 2 to 1 . . . the Iraqis said they preferred life under their new government to life under the old tyranny.” http://www.crosswalk.com/news/commentary/11549958/ Squirrels Spying On Iran? Reportedly, some 14 squirrels were recently arrested by Iranian authorities for espionage, as the critters were apparently found to have various amounts of spy gear from foreign agencies on (or, in) their bodies. Some reports even mention that the animals were sporting embedded GPS sensors, but due to the high level of secrecy surrounding the capture, things are still a bit foggy. Nevertheless, Iran has apparently claimed that the "rodents were being used by Western powers in an attempt to undermine the Islamic Republic". http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/21/gps-equipped-spy-squirrels-arrested-by-iranians/ A ‘Plan B’ For Iraq?: The Iraqi city of Basra was swept by rumors that desperate British forces had unleashed a breed of giant, man-eating badgers called Al-Girta to eat the population. Sattar Jabbar, a farmer, said,” I saw it at night attacking animals. It even ate a cow.” THE WEEK [ My Comment: Maybe it was La Chupacabra gone Arabic.] ~Religious institutions that use government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine all our civil rights. Moreover, state support of an established religion tends to make the clergy unresponsive to their own people, and leads to corruption within religion itself. Erecting the 'wall of separation between church and state,' therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society.~ Thomas Jefferson |
| Posted 8/12/2007 4:05 PM CDT ‘Fairness Doctrine’ aka ‘Gag Talk Radio’?: The ‘Fairness Doctrine’, which required stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to use the public airwaves to allow equal time for opposing viewpoints, was begun in 1949. There was no talk-radio (as we know it today) until the Ronald Reagan Administration repealed the Fairness Doctrine after the FCC decided there were enough media outlets that the doctrine wasn't needed for diversity. Under the Fairness Doctrine, if you appeared on a radio program and expressed strong views on a topic, someone of a different point of view could appear at the station and time would have to be made available. In fact, if there were six different points of view, time would need to be made available to all of them. [My Comment: Right now, the pro-amnesty folks are pro-Fairness Doctrine. It’s seemingly not really a partisan issue at the moment.] http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/071407/gue_071407024.shtml http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCommentary.asp?Page=/Commentary/archive/200706/COM20070626b.html Congress Still Whining About Talk Radio: A bunch of Democrats and even some Republicans are still whining about the defeat of the illegal immigration law that Congress and the President were trying to push down our throats…Lott suggested bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, which would force broadcasters to provide more political balance on the nation's airwaves. Mike Shanin, a self-described conservative radio talk show host, said, “It’s absurd. There's no doubt that liberals have been left behind in the world of talk radio and that it makes perfect economic sense: Look, these are businesses, just like newspapers are businesses. If liberal talk worked, it would be on. It's been tried." http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003781287_webtalkradio09.html http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1867&dept_id=124331&newsid=18594063&PAG=461&rfi=9 Pro-Amnesty Forces Seek Politically Correct America VIA Archaic “Fairness Doctrine”: There is a move afoot to resurrect the Fairness Doctrine and impose it on conservative broadcasters. If it is successful, liberal politicians will debilitate Christian radio and virtually shut down sources unfriendly to their agenda…. the so-called Fairness Doctrine came into being as a regulation of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1949. It required broadcasters to "afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views of public importance." After a number of controversial skirmishes, however, the FCC later withdrew the regulation. In a 1974 unanimous decision by the Supreme Court, chief justice Warren Burger wrote: "Government-enforced right of access inescapably dampens the vigor and limits the variety of public debate." http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1184585439177&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Opposing Views On Reimplementing Fairness Doctrine: In recent weeks, Democrats, including John Kerry… have called for the Fairness Doctrine to be reinstated… Kerry stated: "I think the Fairness Doctrine ought to be there, and I also think the Equal Time doctrine ought to come back. ... [conservatives have] been able to squeeze down and squeeze out opinion of opposing views. And I think it's been a very important transition in the imbalance of our public dialogue." But opposition says, "If liberals had their way, this ‘unfair’ doctrine would give the heavy hand of government control over talk radio. ...We must preserve Americans' first amendment rights…Today, in an age of high-speed Internet, broadband technology and satellite radio, when we have incredible opportunities for people to get access to information, bringing back the ‘so-called’ Fairness Doctrine is a bad idea, and it's certainly not fair". (Listen to Audio) http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200707/CUL20070712a.html Revive the Fairness Doctrine?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBsbvP0-410&mode=related&search=KERRY FOR FAIRNESS DOCTRINE; CORRECT 'IMBALANCE' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pwU0FygLlY Response To: KERRY FOR FAIRNESS DOCTRINE;CORRECT 'IMBALANCE'http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-aTGXZIedk&mode=related&search=Gov. Romney On The Fairness Doctrinehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3TM53CSsvU‘Fairness Doctrine’ Abused By Both Parties In Past: While Democrats in Congress claim they are only seeking balance, accuracy and truth with renewed calls for the reintroduction of the Fairness Doctrine, history shows government enforcement of the broadcast rule was selective, heavy-handed and used purposely to squelch political opposition – by both Democrats and Republicans. President Richard Nixon, facing a hostile press, began a systematic campaign of harassment of radio and TV stations considered unfriendly to his administration. But Nixon hardly invented the idea of using the Fairness Doctrine to stifle debate and criticism of government policies. Bill Ruder, an assistant secretary of commerce in President John F. Kennedy's administration, candidly recalled “the way the doctrine was used in the early 1960s….” http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56582 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Rallies Against Fairness Doctrine: NAB sent a letter to every U.S. Senate office, urging lawmakers to oppose reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine. "Free speech must be just that – free from government influence, interference and censorship," the letter read. Prior to its abolishment in 1987, an FCC policy known as the "Fairness Doctrine" required television and radio broadcasters to present all contrasting points of view in any coverage of a controversial issue of public importance. In the FCC's 1985 Fairness Report, the Commission asserted that the doctrine no longer produced its desired effect and instead caused a "chilling effect" on news coverage that might be in violation of the First Amendment. Despite the phenomenal growth of diverse viewpoints in broadcasting, cable television, satellite TV and radio and the Internet, some lawmakers have recently called for the Fairness Doctrine's reinstatement. http://www.nab.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search&template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=9768 Defeat Of Immigration Bill Shows Changing Venues: What was different about the immigration issue was our ability to come together without having to interrupt our lives. Online resources (such as NumbersUSA) gave us information we needed to make informed decisions. They gave us news of insider information about tactics being used by the pro-amnesty senators. The Heritage Foundation told us what amnesty would cost the tax-payer. NBER told us that illegal immigration was destroying the African-American community by giving their jobs to illegals who would work for less pay. They also gave us the ability to communicate ideas on how to defeat the amnesty bill. They created online petitions, emails, and faxes to send to Congress. Even the Fairness Doctrine can’t change that. http://thenewpundit.com/2007/07/what-everyone-missed-in-immigration.html “Fairness Doctrine” Restricts Freedom: A Quote: “I love living in America. I am so grateful for the freedoms we have which people in so many other areas of the world are not able to enjoy. The very first amendment to our national constitution was put in place in order to protect one of those freedoms -- the freedom of speech. Unfortunately, that First Amendment is being threatened by some politicians in Washington through their goal of enacting what they call the "Fairness Doctrine." This proposed legislation is an attempt by some in Congress to regulate political discussion, which is a very clear infringement on our freedom of speech. I have to believe that were the party in power able to gather the votes needed to pass the bill, that our Supreme Court would eventually find the law unconstitutional and overturn it. Even so, it frightens me that we have lawmakers who feel they are wiser than us, and need to determine what we are allowed to listen to and discuss. What freedom do they plan to attack next?” http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?a=301785&z=23 Rush Limbaugh As A Martyr?: Since liberals still largely have Hollywood, academia, The New York Times (etc.), PBS, NPR, and a network news division or more, they’ll survive. Isn’t it telling that the only way the left can respond to the popularity of talk radio is to try and ‘regulate’ them out of existence? They sure have some funny ideas about the First Amendment – apparently it protects profanity and smut on TV but it doesn’t apply to the broadcast of conservative views. http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NzEyMGFlMGYwMTMyYzdmOGE4N2YwNDBmMmFhNTcyNWM= True Fairness Is The Correct Doctrine: Leaving aside the idea that government has no business deciding what anyone should or should not watch or listen to, how is it fair that most mainstream media, the major newspapers and Hollywood are decidedly liberal? The news media and print media are supposed to be neutral, but aren't. Where is liberal outrage about this? TV shows like "Boston Legal," "ER," and "Law and Order" insert anti-Bush, anti-war statements into what is supposed to be entertainment, but, again, I know of no liberal who complains that this isn't fair. http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/fair-one-people-1797342-liberal-object FCC Chairman Opposes Reinstitution of Fairness Doctrine: The Federal Communications Commission has no intention of reinstating the Fairness Doctrine imposing a requirement of balanced coverage of issues on public airwaves, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said…. Congressman Pence welcomed Martin‘s position but said Congress should still pass his legislation so that no future administration or FCC chairman could revive the doctrine without an act of Congress. http://www.onelocalnews.com/duntonsprings/stories/index.php?action=fullnews&id=137886 http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2007/07/26/fcc-chairman-opposes-reinstitution-fairness-doctrine ~If you want understanding try giving some.~ Malcolm Forbes |
| Posted 8/9/2007 5:03 PM CDT Comet Struck Canada???: And perhaps caused the die-off of North American culture and many large animals near the end of the last ice age, about 13,000 years ago. A geochemist at the University of California at Santa Barbara is studying a thin 12,900-year-old geologic layer across North America that holds the legacy of a major extraterrestrial impact roughly half the size of the one that killed the dinosaurs. After reviewing evidence of the blast—magnetic dust, trapped extraterrestrial gas, glasslike carbon full of tiny diamonds from the heat, and a layer of iridium from outer space— geologists concluded that the North American fireball was a whopper. Specifically, they suggest that a three-mile-wide comet moving at 135,000 miles an hour blew up over Canada with the force of a million nuclear bombs. Mammoths didn’t stand a chance…if the fires and the shock wave didn’t get them, there was a nuclear winter that blocked out the sun and made eating difficult. http://discovermagazine.com/2007/aug/the-great-american-extinction Ancient Floods Created English Channel: A cataclysmic flood cleaved Britain from France hundreds of thousands of years ago in a violent act of nature that carved out the white cliffs of Dover and set the course of history for a new island. High-resolution sonar images of the English channel collected over more than 20 years have revealed a deep scar in the seabed that was ripped from the limestone bedrock by a torrent of water 400,000 years ago. At the time, glaciers pushed down from the north pole to the tip of north London and England's southern coast was reachable from France by a broad land bridge. The images show a deep sub-marine channel that today reaches down to 90m, with scour marks and landforms shaped by the overwhelming rush of water….a second massive flood completed the job of separating Britain from France around 180,000 years ago. Another vast glacial lake formed from more northerly rivers off the East coast of Britain, and was temporarily contained to the south by an earth ridge that spanned from north of Ipswich across to the Hague. Ultimately, this too failed, releasing a second wall of water into the Dover straits, widening the channel to more than 15km in some regions. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/story/0,,2129369,00.html Crystal “Cave of the Giants” In Naica, Chihuahua: In what has proved to be the discovery of the largest known crystals on earth, work is underway to document and preserve this historic find... Click on links below to see: http://www.canyonsworldwide.com/crystals/mainframe3.html http://www.esharethis.com/content.asp?CatID=55&ContentID=30 Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO), astrophysicists are getting an unprecedented three-dimensional view of the sun. The twin satellites are now beaming back their first pictures of explosive events on the solar surface. Slightly separated from each other, the two can image events on the sun’s surface simultaneously, allowing depth perception. Before STEREO, astrophysicists had no way of tracing the front of a solar storm as it traveled from the sun to Earth, so they had to guess when a storm would hit. STEREO’s detailed in-depth view will give them a forecast accurate to within a couple of hours. http://discovermagazine.com/2007/may/coming-through-in-stereo The Earth Hums: No matter how closely you listen, you will not hear the Earth hum—but humming it is. Far below the range of human hearing, waves of energy are coursing through the crust, causing the ground beneath your feet to rise and fall about three-millionths of an inch every few minutes… likely causes of the hum: ocean waves colliding over continental shelves, volcanoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, avalanches—if it’s a powerful enough event, it will have an ‘infrasonic’ signature. Infrasound would therefore seem to be a possible explanation for the folk wisdom that animals have a sixth sense attuned to impending natural disasters. http://discovermagazine.com/2007/aug/earth-speaks-in-an-inaudible-voice 3 Steps To A Healthy Lawn: The best article I’ve ever seen relating to lawn care for Central Texas lawns appeared in the Statesman on June 30th. To read, click on link below. [ My Comment: I’d like to add that if you’ll use a mulching lawn mower, you’ll eliminate the need to fertilize your yard within a few years & have a great looking newly cut yard each time you finish mowing. And if you do fertilize, I’d recommend that you go very light on the nitrogen and heavier on the phosphorous and potassium to encourage root growth and drought resistance. As for weed control, frequent mowing takes care of almost all weeds within one growing season / the few that it doesn’t can easily be tended to with a little ‘elbow grease’ (pulling when the soil is moist will make it very effective). And remember, raise that mower blade height to 3 inches / you’re not on a golf course.] http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/gardening/06/30/0630garden.html Nuclear Power Scores Sneaky Victory: A one-sentence provision buried in the Senate’s recently passed energy bill, inserted without debate at the urging of the nuclear power industry, could make builders of new nuclear plants eligible for tens of billions of dollars in government loan guarantees. The biggest champion of the loan guarantees is Senator Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico, the ranking Republican on the Senate Energy Committee and one of the nuclear industry’s strongest supporters in Congress….. Nuclear power is the most expensive and complicated way anyone's ever figured out to boil water. So, we could be shoveling $50 billion to a dirty, dangerous industry that hasn't figured out how to be cost-competitive after more than 50 years AND taxpayers are likely to be left on the hook when the nuke folks weasel their of paying back the loans later. [My Comment: Obama’s Nuke Friends Will Push For Liquid Coal Next.] http://tinyurl.com/2wur47 http://sierra.convio.net/site/MessageViewer?em_id=27621.0&dlv_id=28241 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjDmyToTYBE Rural Communities Revived By Renewable Energy In Britain: Renewable energy projects in Britain not only help in the fight against climate change but also bring people together, revitalize local economies, and alleviate poverty….more than 500 community energy projects are happening in the UK, far more than researchers expected to find. There is a huge demand for this. Whenever money is made available it is snapped up immediately. The vast majority of projects, which are rural, provide new income for farmers. Some have been set up and run by communities, with shared ownership of the technology, like the cooperatively owned 750-kilowatt wind turbine at Bro Dyfi in Wales. The researchers found good projects are often driven forward by strong local enthusiasts. http://www.motherjones.com/blue_marble_blog/archives/2007/07/4937_rural_communiti.html Vines Swamp Southern Forests: A new study in the southeastern U.S. suggests that increased vine growth is changing bottomland hardwood forests. Researchers charting the growth of grapevines, trumpet vines, poison ivy, and Virginia creeper in two South Carolina forests found as much as a 10-fold increase in just two decades. As the vines increase, the density of small trees decreases, probably because most vines use adhesive roots or tendrils to climb trees. The reasons for the shift aren't yet understood, but rising CO2 levels may be to blame — since other studies suggest that vines such as poison ivy benefit more than trees from higher CO2 levels. . . http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/lianas.htm N. Korea Exports Laborers: As many as 70,000 North Koreans are currently working in various countries… labor export is becoming an important source of income for the government in Pyongyang. Today, North Korean workers are found not only in Russia, Malaysia and Qatar but in Dubai, Mongolia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, Libya, Saudi Arabia and possibly also some African countries. Many are dispatched through labor agencies based in China, and most of their salaries end up in the coffers in Pyongyang… it is believed by North Korea-watchers to be bringing in millions of US dollars annually. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/IG25Dg01.html British Company Supplies Tobacco For N. Korea’s Counterfeit Cigarettes?: British American Tobacco, the world's second largest cigarette company, has secretly been operating a factory in North Korea for the past four years. The company opened the plant in a joint venture with a state owned corporation shortly before the regime was denounced by George Bush as a member of the "axis of evil", and despite widespread concern over the country's human rights record. BAT has never mentioned the factory in its annual accounts, and it is thought that many shareholders are unaware of its links with the country. [My Comment: One of N. Korea’s major illicit sources of income is counterfeit cigarettes that it exports to other oriental countries. Now I think I know where they get their tobacco from.] http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,16518,1593914,00.html Ghetto Science Anti-smoking Practical Demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ4n7g31RlE YouTube Antismoking Clips: Anti-Smoking TV Ad from New Zealand-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiuxMiwvhZY&mode=related&search= Anti-Smoking Campaign in France-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukIXdjJiiE4&mode=related&search=U.K.’s Stop Smoking Ad-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHOaJSXr9HI&NR=1Banned Smoking Ad: “Smoking Kills”-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYIoA_kXLxY&NR=1~Science is the knowledge of consequences, and dependence of one fact upon another. ~ Thomas Hobbes |
| Posted 8/4/2007 1:55 PM CDT Humor And The Border Patrol:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0sY185oQvg&mode=related&search= Border Patrol In All Seriousness: U. S. Border Patrol promo video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwUbTZ6Z2sU&mode=related&search= Video Shocker: U.S. Border Patrol Agents Attackedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKMgPN_ZRPA&mode=related&search=No Confidence in Border Patrol Chiefhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBHZZ0Lba8IPrivatizing The Border Patrol Next? A private contracting company, DynCorp International of Virginia, is sending out press releases (basically advertising itself) hoping to be hired by Homeland Security in this border region. It is offering 'to train and deploy 1,000 private agents to the U.S.-Mexican border within 13 months, offering a quick surge of law enforcement officers to a region struggling to clamp down on illegal immigration.' Note that the company thinks we don't know that the 100,000 private contractors in Iraq, with at least half of them doing policing and fighting functions, have a horrible reputation. http://texascivilrightsreview.org/phpnuke/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1040 Bush Pulling Back National Guard From Border: PHOENIX -- Gov. Janet Napolitano wants to halt the withdrawal of National Guard troops from along the U.S.-Mexico border. "The drawdown of Operation Jump Start's strength level is ill-timed and should be halted and reexamined," the governor said in a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. The program, started last year, was designed to put 6,000 Guard soldiers along the border -- 2,400 of them in Arizona -- to make up for a shortage of Border Patrol officers. Napolitano said Operation Jump Start "has made real progress" in cutting the number of people sneaking into this country illegally. The governor said, though, the Border Patrol is still not up to the strength promised. And she wants the withdrawal of soldiers, which started July 1, stopped. http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/194812.php Border Fence: 843 miles of double-layer fencing was authorized last year, but since then, only 13 miles of fencing has been built. And NONE of those 13 miles are double-layer -- the very type of fence authorized by Congress and proven to work on the border! Not only is the Administration dragging their feet to build the fence, the little bit of fence they are building isn't what was promised to the American people! http://grassfire.org/ What Will The Fence Look Like?: The San Diego barricade is a series of at least two fences… The first is 10 feet high and made of welded metal panels. The second is 15 feet high and consists of steel mesh and a top that is angled inward to make it harder to climb over. In high-traffic areas, there’s an additional smaller chain-link fence. Between the two main fences is a 150-foot area where the U.S. Border Patrol uses trucks, surveillance cameras and floodlights to help prevent illegal immigration. The proposed extended fence would have similar features, making it highly unlikely that an 11-foot ladder would benefit immigrants. http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070723/NEWS/70723029/1001 Mexico’s Job-creation Problem: During President Vicente Fox's six years in office his goal was to create six million jobs across all sectors of the economy. Mr. Fox fell far short of that goal. Between 2000 and 2006, the period when he was in office, Mexico created only 1.4 million jobs. Though accurate figures are difficult to arrive at, the Government Accountability Office estimates that during each year of Mr. Fox's presidency between 400,000 and 700,000 illegal immigrants arrived in the U.S. from Mexico. The number of illegal immigrants from Mexico was roughly equal to the number of jobs Mr. Fox did not create. Read the rest / it’s an excellent article!!! http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118610985048187068.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Illegal Aliens Dominate FBI Wanted List: Much has been written about the issue of illegal immigration, especially in recent months as the U.S. Senate wrestled with the issue. Among the many reasons this issue is critical to our nation is the claim that, according to the Immigration Daily News, half of the individuals wanted by the FBI for murder are illegal aliens. Click to see pictures: http://bobmccarty.wordpress.com/2007/06/09/illegal-aliens-dominate-fbi-wanted-list/ Mexican Drug Dealers Doing The Jobs Americans Won’t?: U.S. agents say Mexico’s cartels are the main traffickers in almost all regions of the United States and increasingly active at every stage of the international business. It starts at production, buying coca leaf from farmers in Bolivia and Peru and turning it into cocaine, and extends all the way through to the retail market on U.S. streets. Mexican gangs have for long controlled cocaine sales in the U.S. Southwest but are now taking substantially more of the trade on the east coast, traditionally dominated by groups from Colombia and the Dominican Republic. “I’d say 90 percent of the cocaine that comes into New York City comes across the Southwest border (and) is tied to a Mexican organization in some way, either through transportation or a Mexican trafficking group owns part of the load,” said John Gilbride, a Drug Enforcement Administration special agent in New York. Mexicans have also replaced outlawed motorcycle gangs as the main dealers in methamphetamine, or crystal meth, the drug of choice in many rural areas and small towns across America. http://tomsflashbacks.wordpress.com/2007/07/17/mexican-drug-dealers-doing-the-jobs-americans-wont/ Obama Appeals To La Raza: Obama told La Raza that he earned their support for his presidential campaign by marching in last year's May 1 immigrant rallies and challenged them to learn whether others met that standard. "Find out how many senators appeared before an immigration rally last year. Who was talking the talk, and who walked the walk — because I walked. I didn't run away from the issue, and I didn't just talk about it in front of Latino audiences." The Illinois Democrat said the recent Senate immigration debate "was both ugly and racist in a way we haven't see since the struggle for civil rights." The immigration bill failed late last month… It would have combined more border-security spending and new workplace-enforcement rules with a guest-worker program for future workers and a path to citizenship for most illegal aliens. [ My Comment: Considering how illegal immigration hurts the black constituency, this shows just how important the Hispanic vote is. Only thing is, it’s not your average Hispanic citizen he’s wooing since many don’t support illegal immigration, etcetera.] http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070723/NATION/107230063/1001 YALE/New Haven VS American Workingman/Hazleton: Two Northeastern cities led by descendants of Italian immigrants, are just 200 miles from each other on a map. But they are worlds apart when it comes to dealing with illegal immigration. Hazleton Mayor has said that illegal immigration is "destroying" his working-class city of 30,000 and driving up crime…. pushed through an ordinance copied by towns and cities around the nation that would penalize landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and businesses that hire them. However, New Haven has embraced illegal aliens as an important part of New Haven's economic and social fabric. The city of 125,000 already prohibits police from asking about their immigration status. On Tuesday, DeStefano launched a program to provide illegals with ID cards that will enable them to open bank accounts and give them access to many city services. How did two Northeastern cities wind up on opposite sides of the issue? One main reason given is that New Haven, the home of Yale University, has a long and rich history of liberal politics, unlike Hazleton, a conservative city in the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, 95 miles from Philadelphia. New Haven "does have a tradition of championing the causes of outsiders," said Scott McLean, a New Haven political science professor. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/24/AR2007072401581.html Communities Using Homeland Security To Battle Illegals: To those who would crack down on illegal immigrants, it seems an obvious strategy --- have tens of thousands of local law-enforcement officers carry out federal immigration law by checking the status of people they stop or arrest. It turns out to be more complicated than that, but the number of communities endorsing the idea has been rising…. public frustration over high levels of illegal immigration and Congress's failure to agree on reforms is spurring the reaction…. Using an approach that takes race, ethnicity, or language into account is what landed Hazleton, Pa in court, following challenges by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other immigrant-rights groups. One way communities can reduce their legal risk is by entering into an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The agreement gives local police officers authority to enforce federal immigration law after they receive training in cultural sensitivity and in techniques to avoid racial profiling. Twenty-one state and local law-enforcement agencies have already struck such agreements with DHS, and about 75 others have submitted applications. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0717/p01s05-ussc.html?page=1 http://www.utne.com/webwatch/2007_310/news/12668-1.html Presidential Candidate Calls Illegal Aliens “Americans”: Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Chris Dodd of Connecticut were asked whether their health care plans would cover illegal immigrants. Both said yes. “In this country, no matter who you are, whether you’re a ditch-digger, you’re a teacher, you’re a CEO, you’re a waiter, you’re a maid, every American deserves the right to the best possible quality health care,” Richardson said. [ My Comment: This is NAU mentality.] http://youtube.com/watch?v=2FgcxbhtsyA After “Illegal” Immigration Bill Failure – What Next?: While the failure of the Bush-Kennedy immigration plan means that tens of millions of illegal aliens will not receive amnesty, it does not mean that the problem of mass illegal immigration will go away, and it does not mean that this nation is powerless to anything about this growing crisis. Without passing a single new law, there are many things the government can do to better enforce laws against illegal immigration and demonstrate to the American people that promises of future enforcement are not mere empty words. Specifically: Enforce employer sanctions; End document fraud and implement REAL ID; Implement an electronic employment verification system; Construct the border security fence; Fully fund the Border Patrol; Fully fund border security technology; Increase interior enforcement; Increase cooperation with local law enforcement; Fund increases in detention facilities; Increase deportations; and, Fully implement the entry/exit system. For a more detailed explanation of each point, click on: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=media_release7022007 ~The fence creates an actual border for our Border Patrol to guard as opposed to an imaginary line on a map.~ anonymous American citizen |
| Posted 7/29/2007 4:17 PM CDT China Drying Up: Is the U.S. Next? A new study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences has found that global warming is drying up China's waters and wetlands, reducing waterflows on two of China's largest rivers- the Yangtze and the Yellow. According to the study, over the past 40 years, wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, considered by many to be an indicator of the world's climate health, have shrunk by more than 10 percent and more than 17 percent of the lakes at the Yangtze River's origin have totally disappeared. http://www.sierraclub.org/cleanwater/ Water Shortage Looming Worldwide: The United Nations says two-thirds of the planet could soon suffer a shortage of this amazingly precious natural resource. In China, an estimated 500 million people go without access to clean water every day. In India, the crisis is even worse. Over half the cities in India are suffering from a shortage of potable water. They have essentially become nothing more than cesspools, causing tens of thousands of men, women and children to die every year. Even Australia, a country loaded with natural resources, is being hit hard by water shortages. So much so that a 10-year, $10 billion national spending bill was introduced this year in Sydney. http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/press.asp?rls_id=820&cat_id=6 60% of Our Waters At Stake!: Did you know that 60% of our nation’s rivers and streams could be stripped of federal protection? Industry groups (e.g., coal strip miners) are trying to undo long-established safeguards for our local waterways and wetlands, but we now have a chance to stop them. The Clean Water Restoration Act would restore the original intent of the Clean Water Act, the law that has protected our communities from pollution and cleaned up our nation’s water - water that our kids can play in, water that supports healthy fish and wildlife populations, water that is free from dangerous toxins. [ With an ever burgeoning population, measures such as this are imperative.] Take Action: http://action.earthjustice.org/campaign/house_alert USA Tap Water Contaminated by Chemicals: Public water supplies in 42 U.S. states are contaminated with 141 unregulated chemicals for which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has never established safety standards. Another 119 regulated chemicals—a total of 260 contaminants altogether—were found at nearly 40,000 utilities that supply water to 231 million people… the top 10 states with the most contaminants in their drinking water were California, Wisconsin, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Illinois—in that order… the biggest sources of contaminants were agriculture, industry and pollution from sprawl and urban runoff.http://www.ewg.org/sites/tapwater/https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=333 |
| Posted 7/27/2007 12:13 AM CDT 14th Amendment Grants “Automatic Birthright Citizenship” (aka “Anchor Babies”) …via “Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment” ( ratified in1868 to protect the rights of native-born Black Americans, whose rights were being denied as recently-freed slaves)…. the United States currently grants automatic U.S. citizenship to almost all children born in the United States. Note: Some 380,000 children are born in the United States each year to illegal-alien mothers, according to U.S. Census data…they are called “anchor babies” because, as U.S. citizens, they become eligible to sponsor for legal immigration most of their relatives when they turn 21 years of age, thus becoming the U.S. "anchor" for an extended immigrant family. [ My Comment: We need to revisit the 14th Amendment (Section 1), the intent of which was to ‘make’ former slaves into U.S. citizens. We no longer have former slaves and, thus, it has outlived its usefulness. Indeed, it is complicating the issue of illegal immigration.] http://www.numbersusa.com/interests/birthrightcitizenship.htm http://asiseeit.austin360blogs.com/entry.aspx?q=22f471f3-0961-443d-b204-992a013ffc9b H.R. 1940—Ending Anchor Babies: H.R. 1940, The Birthright Citizenship Act of 2007 would end the process of granting automatic birthright citizenship to the babies born in the United States to illegal aliens…. because the interpretation of the ‘Citizenship Clause’ of the Constitution, though valid, is outdated and the Constitution ought to be amended. [ Does NOT impact those babies with at least ‘one parent’ who is here legally.] Those who wish to support this bill should contact their representatives to ask them to cosponsor H.R. 1940 … (via www.congress.org.) http://blackcommunity.blackvoices.aol.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=display&webtag=ti-tv&tid=874 http://www.14thamendment.us/index.html http://www.14thamendment.us/birthright_citizenship/original_intent.html List of cosponsors in Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR01940:@@@L&summ2=m& Birthright Citizenship Act of 2007 – …also amends the Immigration and Nationality Act so as to allow a person born in the United States to be a citizen if the person is born in the United States of parents, one of whom is: (1) a U.S. citizen or national; (2) a lawful permanent resident alien whose residence is in the United States; or (3) an alien performing active service in the armed forces. http://washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_1940.html http://www.numbersusa.com/interests/birthrightcitizenship.htm “Jus Soli” or “Birthright Citizenship” Change Had Been In The Immigration Bill: Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) had introduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill that included a provision that would limit citizenship to those whose mothers are United States citizens or legal permanent residents. However, Senator Reid's proposal was to amend only the Immigration and Nationality Act, not the Constitution. [My Comment: Since this was in the immigration bill, it should not be difficult to enact it in the future.] http://www.cis.org/articles/1993/back793.html Ron Paul On Anchor Babies: No other wealthy, western nations grant automatic citizenship to those who simply happen to be born within their borders to non-citizens. These nations recognize that citizenship involves more than the physical location of one’s birth; it also involves some measure of cultural connection and allegiance. In most cases this means the parents must be citizens of a nation in order for their newborn children to receive automatic citizenship. Make no mistake, Americans are happy to welcome immigrants who follow our immigration laws and seek a better life here. America is far more welcoming and tolerant of newcomers than virtually any nation on earth. But our modern welfare state creates perverse incentives for immigrants, incentives that cloud the issue of why people choose to come here. http://www.charlotteconservative.com/index.php/2007/06/ron-paul-on-anchor-babies/ European Nations Forego Birthright Citizenship: The United Kingdom, for example, formerly allowed “birthright citizenship”. In 1981, because of immigration pressures, they restricted it to now require that one parent be a legal resident. In France birthright citizenship has been changed — now children between the ages of 16 and 22 of illegal alien parents must actively seek French citizenship. It should be noted that on June 11, 2004 Irish voters voted in a national referendum to end automatic citizenship for any child born in Ireland regardless of the parents’ residence status. Ireland was the ‘last’ member of the European Union to allow pregnant foreigners to gain residence and welfare benefits as a result of birth in the country. http://blackcommunity.blackvoices.aol.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=display&webtag=ti-tv&tid=874 ‘Anchor Babies’ Used As Poster Children for Illegal Immigration: The media use young children, especially babies, as showpieces, arguing that if the government does not legalize, or grant amnesty to their parents, then these children will be left without mothers and fathers if their parents are deported. An example was a May 20, 2007, article in the Washington Post Style section using a color half-page photo that covered the entire upper fold of the front page with the picture of a young girl crying while being held in her mother’s arms. The photo ran with the headline “Poster Child.” [ My Comment: In the context of the above article - If these babies weren’t automatically made citizens, then they could ‘automatically’ be deported with their parents and no separation would occur.] http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/challenges.php?id=1037031#[/quote] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/19/AR2007051901212.html Anchor Babies Tie Illegal Immigrants To USA: ‘Anchor babies’ are children born in the United States to parents who are illegal immigrants. The babies are automatically American citizens and get all the rights and financial help as any other American child. Unlike their parents, anchor babies can get free healthcare, like Medicaid. Medicaid emergency alien deliveries are a big issue in this country. http://www.nbc-2.com/Investigates/articles/readinvestigativearticle.asp?articleid=4869&z=5&p= http://www.cairco.org/econ/econ.html http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/parkland.asp Dual Allegiance Of Mexican Immigrants: The Mexican government ‘recently’ provided dual nationality to its citizens who naturalize in the United States. No longer looked upon by their countrymen with contempt, those who emigrate (and sneak in) to the United States are seen by Mexico as advocates for its presumed territorial claims to the American Southwest. Mass immigration, while acting as an overpopulation safety valve for Mexico, simultaneously strengthens Mexico's political presence inside the United States. Mexican ‘dual nationality’ serves to retain the allegiance of its citizens who become United States citizens, and to discourage assimilation - in spite of the oath of allegiance they take to America. [ My Comment: This is in line with the premise for a North American Union.] http://blackcommunity.blackvoices.aol.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=display&webtag=ti-tv&tid=874 Not All Hispanics Favor Amnesty For Illegals: “Contrary to what may seem like the norm, many Hispanics are against illegal immigration. We are shuddering every time we see or read of another radical protest for illegal immigration. We all followed the rules and now we should be proponents for breaking the rules. We do not feel superior-we feel very lucky…that is what one feels when one earns anything: be it a degree, a paycheck, or the privilege of being an American citizen. It is not a right, or an entitlement….The Mexican government is unusually cruel to illegal immigrants who come to Mexico from Central America. Yet this same government is crying like a baby to us? And what's worse, our politicians are listening.” [ My Comment: My Hispanic in-laws are all against ‘amnesty’ for illegal aliens & support increased ‘enforcement’.] http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-75725sy0jul07,0,6720240.story?coll=dp-opinion-editorials Birthright Citizenship Act of 2007 (HR 1940) Has 57 Co-Sponsors: Time to push for some serious reform and that could start with the end of the abuse of the 14th amendment to the Constitution that is currently being used to allow children of illegal aliens to be born American citizens.... http://www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/002384.html http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR01940:@@@L&summ2=m& Need ideas for what to say when writing your congressmen on this issue?: http://tinyurl.com/yucvsk Then go to CONGRESS.ORG http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/ ~The making of an American begins at the point where he himself rejects all other ties, any other history, and himself adopts the vesture of his adopted land.~ James Baldwin P.S.--- Tell Lamar Smith To Get Onboard: On July 31, the Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a hearing to markup the Global Poverty Act (H.R. 1302), a bill requiring a strategy for development assistance which incorporates environmental sustainability. This act ensures that reducing global poverty is a major priority of U.S. foreign policy. Specifically the bill directs the Administration to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy integrating sustainable development principles to vastly reduce global poverty, those living on less than $1 per day, in developing countries. The major environmental challenges we are faced with today, including global warming, water scarcity, resource depletion, and population growth, are interrelated with economic development and poverty. The Global Poverty Act is a first step to lasting relief from poverty and a healthy future for people and the planet. http://www.populationeducation.org/docs/earthmatters/em2_unit1.pdf http://www.sierraclub.org/legislativetracker/110HR1302.asp http://www.thomas.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR01302:@@@P http://www.sierraclub.org/legislativetracker/110HR1302.asp |
Posted 7/23/2007 5:53 PM CDT
Barak Obama Cosponsoring Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Production Act: With Senators Jim Bunning (R-KY) and Senator Lugar (R-Ind.), Obama is catering to the big coal lobby and the nuclear power forces.
[ My Comment: I see ‘liquid coal’ as a new corporate tool to waylay the development of renewable energy sources. As I see it, old “King Coal” is back & is wearing a robe labeled “liquefied coal” (synfuel)….. it can be burned without high levels of sulphur, mercury and other pollutants. However, there are many drawbacks, such as is that it releases extra amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere & one ton of coal only produces two barrels of fuel. Indeed, since it’s an expedient route to avoid long term investments in wind, solar, geothermal, water type renewable resources, it’ll effectively dramatically increase overall CO2 emissions. Seemingly useful as a fuel to generate electricity, it sounds ‘almost tempting’….then you look at who’s most strongly backing it….and see the “big buck” international proponents for nuclear energy getting behind it / ostensibly to use nuclear generated heat from nuclear power plants to help ‘liquefy’ the coal. Thus, I’d say that clean renewable energy is NOT an Obama priority.]
YOUTUBE Shows FOX Attacking Global Warming “The Wrong Way”: Displaying phenomenal ignorance, Fox network is showing their ‘wrong-headedness’ on the subject of ‘global warming’. Thankfully, a coalition of environmental, religious, and activist groups launched a campaign to expose their consistent pattern of spreading misinformation. A dramatic video released… documents Fox's intentional attempts to delude the public. As part of the campaign, the coalition is urging Home Depot - a company that says it cares about the environment - to stop advertising on Fox.
Watch the YOUTUBE clips:
http://foxattacks.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnt3FWToSWs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwlqDIVCy1M&mode=related&search=
Take Action:
http://tinyurl.com/265oz3
Big Oil Flexed, Coal Companies Pressured & The Senate Caved: On June 21, the Senate gave in to the corporate lobbyists and passed energy legislation (HR 6) that does little to address climate change or alleviate high energy prices. The bill fails to require electric companies to produce more renewable energy, doesn’t address climate change, and won’t repeal billions of dollars in oil company subsidies. What it DOES is it starts out with modest efficiency targets for some appliances and deteriorates rapidly by spending more than $1.5 billion to research how to stuff carbon dioxide underground, setting a controversial mandate to use 36 billion gallons of ethanol for motor fuel by 2022, and establishing a weak fuel economy standard.
Take Action:
http://action.citizen.org/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=12018
“A Crude Awakening”: Gasoline prices are based largely on the price of crude oil, but refining costs, distribution, and taxes also add to the tab. Some governments, such as Venezuela and Iran, pick up much of the bill through subsidies. But as the price of crude has risen, many countries have abandoned subsidies in favor of higher gas taxes. Indonesian motorists have perhaps been hit hardest: Gas prices there have increased a whopping 238 percent since 2000. NOTE: Global gasoline prices vary enormously, thanks to widely divergent subsidy and taxation policies. Just look at what it costs to fill the 13.2-gallon tank of a 2007 Honda Civic around the world: It’s pocket change in Venezuela, but more than $30 in the United States. If you think that’s pricey, try driving in Turkey, where a full tank will set you back nearly $100.http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3862
Oil Surging! Resource Countries Like Norway Flying!: Only a couple of smaller nations have lower unemployment than Norway's 1.7%. Only Saudi Arabia and Russia export more oil than Norway's 2.8 million barrels per day. Perhaps most important, no other nation is saving as much as Norway for the day when its primary resource, oil, runs out. Their primary vehicle: The huge Norwegian Government Petroleum Fund, now valued at $335 billion.
http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/press.asp?rls_id=846&cat_id=6
3 Triggers For Jumps In Oil Price: They are the potential for monster hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, spreading violence in the Persian Gulf, and a potential al Qaeda attack on U.S. oil facilities. If you're probably wondering why oil prices have been rising even without these catalysts, the reason is that the supply/demand picture for oil is tight and getting tighter… even if none of those big three things happen, we could still see $90-per-barrel oil this year. The latest OPEC report shows that Iraq's production is falling the fastest of any of the cartel. And Iraq isn't the only OPEC member with declining production. In June, Kuwait and Venezuela saw declines… Saudi Arabian production also fell. Meanwhile, oil production is declining in some non-OPEC countries, too… places like the U.K., Norway, and Mexico.
http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/press.asp?rls_id=854&cat_id=6&
Venezuelan Oil Troubles: With the largest petroleum reserves in the Western hemisphere, Venezuela is a basket case in the making with its oil industry deliberately turned upside down by firebrand dictator Hugo Chávez. Last month, Chávez seized control of four foreign-owned oil ventures. And last week, twin giants ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil announced they're pulling out of the country altogether. There was some hope that Total SA, Europe's third-largest oil company, would take over their operations. But on Saturday, the news was clear: They won't touch it with a ten-foot pole.
[ My Comment: More troubling is that Venezuelan and Iranian oil now have to be purchased in Euros. Strengthening the Euro and these 2 countries’ influence in Europe. Furthermore, my grandfather worked to help open the Venezuelan oil fields during the WWI era & he was confounded by the deeply superstitious nature of the common people there / which does not bode well for the demise of Chavez any time soon / and we all already understand the Iranian situation.]
http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/press.asp?rls_id=846&cat_id=6
The Ultimate Garbage Disposal: A power station that eats up dirty landfill and churns out clean electricity? One facility in Japan has been doing just that since 2003, using plasma—an electrically induced stream of hot, charged particles—to process up to 220 tons of municipal solid waste a day. Now a bigger and better $425 million plant is scheduled for completion by 2009 in Saint Lucie County, Florida. The operator, Atlanta-based Geoplasma, expects it to generate 160 megawatts of electricity—enough to power 36,000 homes—from a daily diet of trash…..
http://discovermagazine.com/2007/may/the-ultimate-garbage-disposal
Green Up The Energy Bill: The Energy Bill, passed by the Senate last month, made important progress toward addressing America’s oil and environmental security—but it needs to be stronger. While the Senate did increase fuel economy standards for the first time in more than 30 years, they unfortunately included unnecessary loopholes that could undermine the new 35 mile per gallon standard. The bill also lacked a renewable energy standard requiring utilities to produce a percentage of our electricity from clean, renewable sources like the wind and sun…. Please let your representative know that you want an Energy Bill that locks in strong fuel economy standards, guarantees more clean energy for consumers, and ensures that biofuels are part of the global warming solution, not part of the problem. Take Action:
http://ucsaction.org/campaign/07_10_07_house_energy_bill
Shopping for Energy Efficiency: Buying energy-efficient home appliances can go a long way toward reducing your household’s electricity costs and contribution to global warming. However, when faced with manufacturers’ claims about energy use and the jargon used on product labels, it can be hard to determine which model will best meet your needs. Here is what to watch—or watch out—for:
http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/
Another Reason Ethanol Isn’t Part Of The Answer: By making it possible for American farmers to sell their crops abroad for considerably less than it costs to grow them, the [US government] farm bill helps determine the price of corn in Mexico and the price of cotton in Nigeria and therefore whether farmers in those places will survive or be forced off the land, to migrate to the cities -- or to the United States. The flow of immigrants north from Mexico since NAFTA is inextricably linked to the flow of American corn in the opposite direction, a “flood of subsidized grain” that the Mexican government estimates has thrown two million Mexican farmers and other agricultural workers off the land since the mid-90s. (More recently, the ethanol boom has led to a spike in corn prices that has left that country reeling from soaring tortilla prices; linking its corn economy to ours has been an unalloyed disaster for Mexico’s eaters as well as its farmers.) You can’t fully comprehend the pressures driving immigration without comprehending what U.S. agricultural policy is doing to rural agriculture in Mexico.
http://blog.pmarca.com/2007/07/quote-of-the--1.html
My Opinion: Our world’s “growth economy” doctrine is petroleum based. Even our overpopulation growth is sustained by the availability of oil – fertilizers, tractors, transport, etcetera. As oil goes, so goes our lives. Substituting increased coal usage or tapping oil shale will not save us because both produce CO2 and yield man made pollution byproducts. And atomic energy is not part of the solution either because of insurmountable waste problems. The only rational approach is renewable energy sources (that doesn’t include using food to produce ethanol) and population control. This means that Bush, the Pope, and the Ayatollahs are part of the problem & not part of the solution.
~This is all bogus, because we won't have an economy if we destroy our environment.~ Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
p.s. -Restore Balance On Public Lands
