Sunday

Endeavour Arrives at Ca. AFB (me too)

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (US!!!)

Homecoming in California!
The NASA Crew touched down at 4:25 p.m (EST)... Of course, my trip was much less Lengthy... (haha)


NASA:Tony Landis


Caption: Space shuttle Endeavour taxis at Edwards Air Force Base; arrival Nov. 30, 2008; concluding the STS-126 mission... This image captures Endeavour's drag chute as it deployed as the shuttle touched down the base's Runway 4.

VIDEO Update: Outside the Base Someone posts double sonic boom from Reentering Endeavour Shuttle!

Endeavour's landing delay, due to weather, was carefully monitored at a variety of landing options. #1 preferred: Kennedy (shuttle's home base) #2: Here in California (Edwards AFB); and #3: White Sands Space Harbor (New Mexico.)
About a week before every launch, more than 40 NASA and contractor employees fly out to the alternate landing sites... read more.

Video a Perfect Touchdown: HERE

Actually, arrival images are still in camera; and may post something later (depending) :| ...Then departure to Grandmother's!

Found an interesting video:
The adaptation to weightless environment for STS-126 Mission Specialist Don Pettit; as he incorporates aspects of fuel technology...
For something as simple as a cup of coffee...
(Video Credit: NASA)


The crews at the ISS continue to develop more and more that will help improve effects of adaptability for future colonization...
It seems logical that the human body is also restructuring as well...

We've come a long way...
Scientist & Astronaut -03...
"Coping with return to Earth Gravity"


Image: NASA's -Ingals







On Travel (US) -Márta's Song (deep forest)

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)






Auto-posted: 11/29/08...

By the time you receive this...
I'll be on a flight to my Grandmother's house! And then onward to visit my home in California, USA! I can't wait! :) And from what I understand, it's a 'spring-autumn' in the forest at Grandma's.

Ps: Scheduled a few posts, but should be near computer Monday...
As always... Think good thoughts.


Credits:
Artistique Film: Deep Forest (Eric Mouquet and Michel Sanchez) France
Vocals: Márta Sebestyén from Hungary.
Song: An old "Csángó" folk song.
(Music from all parts of the world, together.)
Image above: Russian forest...



Saturday

We're Guardians of Peace Signs & Candles

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

Candles and prayer change the consciousness of the world, but we must protect them from darkness...
We owe them a future...





The innocence of the world...

Quick Saturday eve. post... I'm preparing for travel to (US).
More later...

IMAGE: Ahmedabad Schoolchildren hold candles during a vigil held in memory of Mumbai victims 11/28/08. (Photographer: Amit Dave) VIDEO: Peace for Children of the world.



Friday

Chandrayaan Update: Mission Progress

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

भारतीय अन्तरिक्ष अनुसंधान संगठन
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV-XL)

Image: Source

Lovely Video: VIEW.




UPDATE: Chandrayaan 1 - India Moon Mission (day 6) #
Today the spacecraft is receiving energy directly from the Sun, and infrared radiation given off by the Moon; as Chandrayaan is currently expected to heat to external temperatures of 100 °C, as cooling systems aim to maintain the spacecraft's interior at around 40 °C...more.

India's Chandrayaan's data will use a technology that is completely new to past missions. VIDEO (pre-launch) View: here.

First Moon Images: Tiranga Probe from Chandrayan followed by former President Dr. Abdul Kalam Azad's speech... (From Zee News)

MORE: The two-year mission seeks high-resolution imaging of the moon's surface, especially the permanently shadowed polar regions, according to the Indian Space Research Organization. It will also search for evidence of water or ice and attempt to identify the chemical breakdown of certain lunar rocks, the group said. more. (Which may help toward energy)

Those fortunate to piggy-back on Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft: Carrying 11 pay loads (2 NASA (American) 4 European (Swedish, Bulgarian, German, British), and 5 Indian)...

India: For Progress, Harmony, and Prosperity...

More Links...
Sunita Williams STS-117 crew on space shuttle Atlantis: #
Sunita is NASA's Indian-American astronaut in (2007). more.

Delhi to get India's first heliport
With the 2010 Commonwealth Games fast approaching, hectic activities are on to construct India’s first fully-automated heliport in West Delhi.



Thursday

My Thoughts & Prayers are With India

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

We stand with you...
मुक्ति I've changed this post, because there just aren't any words that can express the sorrow.
Only prayer...



Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (US)

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

"Happy Thanksgiving to you all"
Found this from ACE:

Rick Astley appears on a foster children's float... I think
Very homesick...(coming to US soon)




Wednesday

After Trouble Spots, Best Days Lie Ahead

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)













This was us in 1937!
A hard-working nation who continued to strive, and is often reminded of our humble beginnings... We took pride in helping others to evolve.

Maybe the best time for inspiration is found in its striving...
A time when inspired freedoms furthered medical developments, reduced world disease, while aiding world hunger... All in the moment of striving.

Today, not wanting more but knowing that you are capable of it all, while seeking a balance; is what a super-power is really about... When all things must shift from today, nothing compares with the hands you meet along the way.

We're not flawless, and we've made mistakes; but I feel that our best days are ahead of us... What was seen as magic is still American spirit...

Today's Links...
instapundit quotes: THOMAS SOWELL ON "JOLTING" THE ECONOMY:

"Amid all the political and media hysteria, national output has declined by less than one-half of one percent. In fact, it may not have declined even that much– or at all– when the statistics are revised later, as they very often are.

We are not talking about the Great Depression, when output dropped by one-third and unemployment soared to 25 percent.

What we are talking about is a golden political opportunity for politicians to use the current financial crisis to fundamentally change an economy that has been successful for more than two centuries. read more.

So Putie need not circle with his battle cruisers



Earth Forever

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)









Tuesday

Backfire$, Walls, & Spigot Wars

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

Studies (97 to 02) predict over-view of a rather dreadful replay of history... And depending upon which part of the globe, age, or time-line; one of the (5) scenarios below leaves a ghoulish sense of dread.


First I will begin by acknowledging...
Op-Ed Contributor From Russia With Loathing NYT
Russia’s post-cold war humiliation is real. But as the human rights activist Elena Bonner, widow of the great scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, told me recently: "Nobody humiliated Russia. Russia humiliated itself."



Putin’s Imperial Designs Are Reminiscent of Stalin’s: more.

According to a recent poll by a Russian television network, the symbol of renewal of present-day Russia turns out to be none other than Josef Stalin, by a substantial margin... Stalin left behind two colorful Vladimirs - the singer Vladimir Vysotsky and the revolutionary Vladimir Lenin - and a host of other perennial Russian heroes like Ivan the Terrible and Alexander Pushkin. SOURCE: China.notspecial

#1) Agricultural History: Stalin's Five Year Plan...megaessay
Joseph Stalin, leader of Russia (1928-1953), created a Five-Year Plan that included methods and goals which were detrimental to Russian agriculture in 1928. Stalin wanted to transform individual farms into large collective farms because he saw that the government was losing money to private traders. This required that the majority of farmers would have to work and live together on large state-run farms. Through these farms Stalin hoped to increase agricultural productivity, to create grain reserves for Russia, and to free many peasants for industrial work in the cities.

In order to begin collectivization Stalin had about 5 million wealthier peasants, or kulaks, deported and/or killed and their equipment and livestock sent to collective farms. Many of the remaining peasants were forced into collective farms to work where they faced disease, starvation, and death. The effects of Stalin's collectivization resulted in mass disruption of agricultural productivity and incalculable human losses. I will stop here: or keep reading...
-Resurgent Russia makes waves in Latin America -News.

#2) Stalin Wanted a Much Larger World Claim...
This was all part of Stalin's grand design to conquer Europe (and, eventually, the entire world). He helped Hitler re-arm the German military, expecting him to attack Western Europe, thus acting as "the icebreaker of the revolution"; signed the 1939 non-aggression pact, which was supposed to allay Hitler's fears of being attacked by Stalin, while also creating a common border where there was none before; waited for Hitler to invade Poland first, so that Hitler would be forever known as the villain who started the war; then, he was to strike at Hitler from behind, defeat him, and "liberate" all of Europe (i.e. Further his regime throughout, or perhaps even annex it).

Hitler somehow got wind of this, and, out of desperation, attacked the USSR first; but he really had no chance of winning anyway, so -- despite the huge initial advantage -- he still lost (but as a result, Stalin only managed to get half of Europe rather than all of it, and his hopes of world-wide conquest were pretty much dead). More at: ACE.
BOOK: "The Chief Culprit" -by Viktor Suvorov

#3) Spigot Strategy...
Even before the Georgia mini-war, Russia was playing for keeps in the region. Starting in the 1990s, Russia often got its way by manipulating its oil and natural gas pipelines, which, despite the West's efforts, still dominate Caspian output. Russian pipelines ship more than 85% of the 6.3 million barrels of oil exported daily from the former Soviet Union. In its struggles with the republics, Russia has turned its spigots off and on repeatedly. In 1993, for instance, Moscow shut off Turkmenistan's gas exports to the West, forcing the Turkmen to sell at a lower price to Ukraine...
SOURCE: Strategicstudiesinstitute PDF (2002)

#4) Regional Security... A Date for the Twins...

A) pt 1. ; B) pt 2. ; C) read; D) read.; E) more.;
A)- pt 1.) The results were surprising not only for the Qatar's secret services, but also for their Western colleagues. It appeared that at the end of November, 2003, the embassy was visited by the above-mentioned "Russian", who met al-Zawahiri in the summer of 1998 in Kandahar.

#5) Markets trading and currency devaluation schemes...
A regime's curiously diligent efforts since 2000, to remove US from the Financial Markets with both trading and currency devaluation schemes...
Ooops! "weaken the dollar coalition" caused Economy back-fire!

Russia allows ruble to weaken International Herald Tribune
"The central bank will allow the rouble to devalue in small steps, combining this with a gradual increase in interest rates. It will time the moves to surprise the market; and may also take advantage of any temporary dollar weakness or increased demand for roubles, for example to meet tax payments, to make the moves against the dollar...

"Sentiment is moving against Russia," said James Fenkner, managing partner at Red Star Asset Management in Moscow. "If oil has any kind of bounce, the market will look kindly on Russia. If oil (prices) begin to slip, there will be a great unwind." more.
Russia Organizing New Global Order Story.

Challenges in Latin America: Russians in Caracas, Misrule in Managua
Russian Analyst Predicts Decline and Breakup of USA: #
"He even suggested that "we could claim Alaska - it was only granted on lease, after all." read. FACT: On March 30, 1867, the United States purchased Alaska. More facts here. View -Cancelled Check.

Russia quake vibrations picked up in SoCal
United Press International - 14 hours ago; 24 (UPI) -- Computerized earthquake sensors in California mistakenly registered shock waves from a quake in Russia as local temblors, seismologists said. Nuclear weapons test?

Russia test fires ballistic missile WORLD NEWS tvnz.co.nz
Russia test-fired a new-generation inter-continental ballistic missile, the RS- 24, for the third time in two years, Russian news agencies reported.




HRH Alwaleed: 'Full Confidence' (Q&A)

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

The newest bailout includes more than the guarantee and the capital injection. It enables Citigroup to treat the guaranteed assets as being relatively safe, thereby improving its apparent capital position. more.

Questions and Answers: Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud
"Citi's putting assets into a special investment vehicle should not be taken as a sign of worry, he said. Pandit believes many of these assets will improve," more.



"The financial boom of the first half of this decade will be remembered as a time when innovation overwhelmed the capacity of both regulators and financial institutions to assess risk." (From iht.com)

"Citigroup has always been under Fed regulation... The need for repeated bailouts there shows both that the regulation was ineffective and that even after the crisis began, the government underestimated its severity."

The strive to purchase insurance, only to learn that the losses were overwhelming; as AIG executives responsible for writing the swaps told investors they would never suffer any losses...And now this finds us with the need to give time, to instill confidence... As I believe that this will definitely turn around...


The government has come up with a clever arsenal of tools to help financial institutions, said Jim Hardesty of Hardesty Capital Management. What is needed most is a consistent approach.

Today's Links
The Citigroup bailout came at a cost: #
NEW YORK: Citigroup will halt dividend payments for the next three years and agree to restrictions on executive compensation under terms of the U.S. government rescue of the struggling bank, it was revealed Monday.

Citigroup had to make the concessions in return for the U.S. government's direct investment of about $20 billion in the bank and an agreement to back about $306 billion in loans and securities. read more.

China Life Is Interested in AIG Asia Assets: #
China Life Insurance, the world's biggest life insurer by market value, is interested in buying Asian assets of American International Group, a senior China Life executive briefed on the situation said on Monday.

"We want to buy parts of AIG's business, especially those in areas of Asia such as Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea," the manager told Reuters.

Spokesmen at Beijing-based China Life and AIG both declined to comment.



Monday

Monday Financial News...

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)
Chinese share prices closed down 3.67 percent as investors sold off real estate stocks after an anticipated interest rate cut failed to materialize over the weekend.
Shanghai stock price board AFP/Getty



Speculation was rife last week that Beijing would cut interest rates again to stimulate the economy, but the move did not happen, leading investors to dump bank and property shares...

A year into a recession... Average recession is about 10 months... The longest mid 70's and 80's.. It's not over yet, but we are near to the market bottom. Forecloses feed into existing homes, but stability in house prices is on its way.

VIDEO Link: here.
Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab, discusses how long investors should expect the current economic downturn to last. Interview with MarketWatch's Stacey Delo..

Redstate shows the Here's the term sheet that appeared on the FDIC’s web site in the wee hours this morning. More: here

Market ups & downs: Media dramatizes each turn, Like this: VIDEO
(If Market moves, it was Obama's cabinet pick - If down, Media faults Bush.)

Panic continues to drive this.... And as we have witnessed for the last year (concerning US economy) I do not think it was helpful for the Media to hold campaign strategy on a weakening economy; as they did in the Presidential election...

Calm is advised, because we will see a turnaround... And then, there are some Leaders who are doing just that...

UAE stands firm on peg to rising dollar: #
FRANKFURT: United Arab Emirates (UAE) Central bank governor Sultan Nasser al-Suweidi said the region has no intention of unpegging its currency from the US dollar despite the latter's appreciation in value recently. Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of a banking congress in Frankfurt, he said: "We were criticized for staying with the dollar when it was weak, so I don't think we should be criticized for staying with the dollar when it is strong."

He said the bank would "stay with the peg."

Commenting on the declining value of the property market in the region, he said banks would have to take extra provisions to cover the fall in value.
"In the economic downturn all sectors of the economy slow down by a certain degree and we have to take proper provisions at banks, and that is what we intend to do," he said.more.

US agrees bail-out for Citigroup: story

Earlier from Financial Times :
Citi’s embattled chief executive, Vikram Pandit, held a conference call with the bank’s worldwide management team on Friday to insist that its “universal bank” model worked. He said he had no intention of selling the bank’s Smith Barney brokerage and financial advisory business and tried to make the case that Citi’s ability to generate $100bn in annual revenues and its plan to cut expenses to $52bn in 2009 would eventually help win over investors.

UBS said in its most recent quarterly report of its deal with the Swiss National Bank: “With this transaction, UBS caps its potential losses, de-risks and reduces its balance sheet and is no longer exposed to the funding risk of the assets.” more.




Sunday

Shebab by land -Shebeb by Sea (face-off)

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

"Every Somali has great respect for the holy kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We have nothing against them but unfortunately what happened was just business for us and I hope the Saudis will understand," the pirate said.
Let's hope saving face will not set-forth an ecological disaster...

Earlier: Saud against ransom, & Piracy:
"Like terrorism, it is an evil that has to be eradicated," Prince Saud told reporters in Oslo after talks with his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Stoere.
"Negotiations and payment of ransom only encourage the piracy and are not a solution to the piracy issue," he added. Source.



Prince Saud reiterated that his country was ready to take part in an international naval force to combat piracy. Norway has also said it would be willing to participate but not until new frigates enter service "in 2009 or 2010." Stoere said.

The navies of India, Russia, France, Britain and Germany have all battled pirate vessels in the past 12 days alone. Military action is "the only solution," Jens Martin Jensen, interim chief executive officer of Frontline Ltd.'s management unit, the world's biggest owner of supertankers, said in a telephone interview. He called for navies to be given a clearer mandate ``of what they can do and what they can't.'' more.

VIDEO: Opinions from region, but there is no justification for piracy!
(Arabic article below) Iraq4all details info. behind pirate Sponsor-ship.



In Harardhare, a town in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region close to where the ship is anchored, pirates are bringing in extra fighters to strengthen security... How to Deal With Pirates: essay

The disruption East/West commerice appear not to be random acts; but rather, the result of a wider Rogue influence?
Interesting Article from Iraq...

الدب الروسي والاخطبوط الامريكي..لعبة الحرس الثوري الايراني في البحر الاحمر

ايهاب سليم-صحفي مستقل-السويد-12/11/2008-تقرير-وكالة الاخبار العراقية:

ذكرت مصادر مطلعة في العاصمة الايرانية طهران,ان الحرس الثوري الايراني الارهابي نجح خلال الاشهر الماضية في تدريب مجموعة من الصومالين على القرصنة في البحر الابيض المتوسط من جنوب لبنان لتطبيقها عمليا في خليج عدن الذي يقع في المحيط الهندي بين اليمن والصومال والمتصل بالبحر الاحمر من جهة الشمال الغربي من خلال مضيق باب المندب,المصادر اضافت ان الحرس الثوري الايراني قسم المجموعة الصومالية الى قسمين,المجموعة الاولى اطلق عليها اسم (القراصنة) التي تتالف هي الاخرى من ثلاث اقسام كل قسم فيها يضم ثلاثون عنصرا,المجموعة الثانية اطلق عليها اسم (قراصنة الارتباط) التي تتالف من ست عناصر(ثلاثة صوماليين وثلاثة لبنانيين) عملهم ينحصر في نقل المعلومات الاستخبارية عن حركة السفن البحرية القادمة الى خليج عدن من ضباط الحرس الثوري الايراني الى المجموعة الاولى(القراصنة) وفقا للمصادر.

المصادر كشفت ان احد مهمات القراصنة عرقلة السفن المحملة بالنفط القادمة من المملكة العربية السعودية باتجاه المحيط الهندي بهدف ضرب اقتصاد المملكة اضافة الى استهداف السفن المحملة بالاسلحة والمواد الغذائية والجنسيات الامريكية والاوربية كمحاولة لتوجيه انظار امريكا والاتحاد الاوربي بعيدا عن الملف النووي الايراني على حد ذكر المصادر.

المصادر اضافت ان عملية استهدف سفينة الاسلحة الاوكرانية التي حدثت في شهر ايلول سبتمبر الماضي كانت من تخطيط الحرس الثوري الايراني بهدف نشوب صراع روسي-امريكي في خليج عدن وتحقيق توازن عسكري في البحر الاحمر لمواجهة السفن العسكرية الامريكية اذا ما استخدمت في توجيه ضربة عسكرية ضد ايران ولاسيما ان السفينة كانت تحمل الجنسيات من اوكرانيا وروسيا ولاتفيا ما دعى البحرية الروسية الى تحريك السفن العسكرية الى البحر الاحمر وفقا للمصادر.

..........................................................................
Today's Links...
Pirates wallow in cash with no bank trail
LONDON - Tens of millions of dollars extorted from ship owners by Somali pirates are immune from interception and seizure because they are pouring into the economy of a nation with no effective government or policing.International crime gangs normally ...Read More

BBC NEWS Special Reports Pirates 'working with Islamists'
Nov 19, 2008 ... It says two shipments in May were for Sheikh Hassan Abdulle Hersi, who is also known as Hassan Turki, an Islamist leader who is based in...

Somali piracy: Islamic militants 'attack' pirates over hijacked
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - Nov 21, 2008The Sirius Star is owned by a Saudi-controlled company. "The Islamists say they will attack the pirates for hijacking a Muslim ship," an unnamed local ...
When the Jolly Roger flies over Somalia Globe and Mail
Pirates only hurting themselves
Chicago Tribune



Unreasonable Gov. Intrusion gets "a pass"

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

"The fourth Amendment and the personal rights it secures have a long history at the very core stands the right of man to retreat into his own home and there be free from unreasonable government intrusion."
-U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart

American citizen's private records, readied for Media consumption...
This lenient Judicial ruling concerning multiple counts of Gov. Data Breach, should send a sharp warning to all Americans of the serious challenges we face, concerning privacy... As evidenced during the US Presidential Election.

ht: hotair: Joe the Plumber snoop gets a month’s suspension


The ACLU claims to be a National Leader in working to guarantee that individuals may determine how and when others can gain access to their personal information...But turns out that Joe was in the wrong group for American Civil Liberties support...
Joe has yet to receive contact concerning this huge Violation of privacy...
(Which, I might add, was obtained & freely distributed by US Media, and their candidate.)
Update: Here!

What are the rules for Gov. employee 'unauthorized' data-breach?
5/23/2007--Reported to Senate amended.
Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2007 -
Title I - Enhancing Punishment for Identity Theft and Other Violations of Data Privacy and Security
-Section 102 -
Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to five years for intentionally and willfully concealing a security breach involving sensitive personally identifiable information that causes economic damage to one or more persons. Defines "sensitive personally identifiable information" to include an individual's name in combination with his or her social security number, home address, date of birth, biometrics data, or financial account information.

GovTrack.us. S. 495--110th Congress (2007): Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2007, GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation) (accessed Nov 23, 2008)
(From: govtrack.us


And the Abuses Go On, and On….
Dot gov abuse... The Misuse of a Domain Intended for Government Bodies; used for Partisan Political Purposes. Ace
I think I liked the "legal way" of processing new laws, instead of just "breaking them" ...It seemed more.. you know, "Constitutional."



Friday

Paulson Speaks Out (Video 1 & 2)

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

"What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature."
-Voltaire: Nov. 21, 1694 - May 30, 1778
Video Part 1: here.
Video Part 2: here.
"Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game." -Voltaire

Born on this day in 1694; and left this earth in 1778...Voltaire was a defender of civil liberties, and the right to a fair trial. He was a member of the Loge des Neuf Soeurs (Lodge of the Nine Sisters) in Paris along with friend and fellow member Benjamin Franklin...

The wit & wisdom of Voltaire, completely tells the story of today..

Enter Quotes as apply... ;)
"Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do." 2008.

"He shines in the second rank, who is eclipsed in the first." 2008.

"Better is the enemy of good." 2008.

Image:François-Marie Arouet (Voltaire)



"Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe."

"Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us."

"It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong." 2008!

"It is lamentable, that to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind." 2008.

"He must be very ignorant for he answers every question he is asked."2008.

"History should be written as philosophy."2008.

"Is there anyone so wise as to learn by the experience of others?"1920!

"The public is a ferocious beast; one must either chain it or flee from it."
2008.

Kashkari explains once again to Dems... read.

Financial Links...
Best Move: Ignore the Stock Market Until February:
Kessler explains that current volatility is less about fundamentals than forced selling, in his article: read.

Too bad we don't have Mr. Al Shatti (Dubai) to coach the Dem Congress: #
Mr. Al Shatti, also chairman of Commercial Bank of Kuwait, told Zawya Dow Jones that the plan aims to "stop the panic and boost the liquidity of investment companies." And says, "We are making various changes to the whole business model. We want Dubai to be the first place to rebound when the recovery starts." read.

AIG's Tax Dispute With U.S. Has Twist of Irony:
The IRS concern: Such transactions mean the U.S. is effectively subsidizing the lending of foreign banks through the tax break that gets shared by the U.S. company and the foreign bank. more.



Thursday

Shocking Pirate Problem (Solved)

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

Time to evolve technology; or at least expand what we already have. Example below explains the nature of Magnetic fields; and I see this looped into Lazar electrical current; w/ beams above; to disable approach of invading pirates.

Image: Sirius Star Cargo

Nothing worse than an electrical fence to spoil your day...
Or better than a huge jolt, to keep pirates at bay...


VIDEO: How ships are currently equipped: Spec-ops officer

International Maritime Bureau counted the total Hijacking In African waters as 73; and that a total of 29 ships have been hijacked (so far, at this hour.) Of these hijacked vessels -- 11 remain in the hands of Pirates along with more than 200 Crew.. NATO gives the total of ships, currently held by Pirates, as 9...
Interesting site: Cargo Law.

Today's Links...

VIDEO: View Boosaaso (Pirate Boomtown) HERE!
Where rolls of cash flow onto bombed-out streets; residents unaware of the full Global picture! Meanwhile, in the streets of Mogadishu; children starve, while people kill one another for a handful of grain... read.

Pirate profits reach a record $50 million tax free. more.

VIDEO: 5/08 assessment. Six months later, multiply that by 10! #


Pirate sympathizers say they're 'Somali gone astray' & forced into a life of crime or starvation... But NO! They're Uzi & rocket wielding terrorists; paid for their successes by the warlord funded 'al-Qaeda associated' militant trade!

FACT: Since 2000, aid for Somali Civilians have been an average of 200 million per year; from international donors... Almost half are in the form of food shipments; that only combat troops can deliver!


[Image-enlarge] 217 mil (07)


Correction Update:
VIDEO: regarding PM Nur Hassan HUSSEIN: HERE
Just as was Kouchner; Nur was once an Aid Worker For Charity before he became Prime Minister... And very trustworthy! To stop evolution of weaponry & warlords expansion from completelydominating the region; I believe that the entire International community must help to restore a functional government in Somalia!



Wednesday

Architectural Merge of High-tech Age (Havelock)

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)














However well organized the foundations of life may be, life must always be full of risks." -Henry Havelock Ellis
NOTE: And now, it appears that man's 'fear of risk' is taking civilization to a new age! ... Seemingly painful; we are its Architects, and the merge of the Age of high-tech, is the most unique and formative opportunity in front of us... Evolve! Evolve!



Ellis Havelock Henry: (February 2, 1859... Death: 1939)
He helped to move the Psychology of man into the Modern AGE...
And as with most Prodigies, was ahead of his time...

A few Ellis Havelock Henry quotes:
"The greatest task before civilization at present is to make machines what they ought to be, the slaves, instead of the masters of men."

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on."

"To be a leader of men one must turn one's back on men."

"There has never been any country at every moment so virtuous and so wise that it has not sometimes needed to be saved from itself."

"The art of dancing stands at the source of all the arts that express themselves first in the human person. The art of building, or architecture, is the beginning of all the arts that lie outside the person; and in the end they unite".
Personal perspective: Ours is a new journey, of which Elevated Technologies, beyond the highest stretch of the imagination, will pull us out of our current paper-poetry; to further unite us all... As current systems cease to function; we will find less who cling to old; and eventually, the brave creativity of man, will shift to new... :)



Tuesday

Fighting Fires on the Front-lines (& ISS)

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

As 1,260 firefighters continue to battle fires on front lines; NASA's unmanned aircraft, ‘Ikhana’, analyzes & transmits overlay.
Image: ISS NASA

NASA Satellite Images of So. California Wildfires
11.17.08 - Images from NASA satellites give a wider perspective of the full extent and devastation of the wildfires raging in Southern California.


Applauding firefighters as "true action heroes," Arnie said:
"We have the most courageous, the toughest firefighters in the world."


A close look at brave crews fighting to contain the inferno!
(some language)


Fighting Wildfires Before They Start
Satellite maps and sophisticated... Watching Wildfires from Space.
Science@NASA article: NASA's Earth Probe.
Satellites Keep an Eye on Wildfires Around the World


Nations Around the World Mark 10th Anniversary of International Space Station
11.17.08 - Nations around the world will join together to mark a milestone in space exploration this week, celebrating the 10th birthday of a unique research laboratory, the International Space Station.

Today: a quick look at the crew, boarding the ISS:
Construction and Destruction...




Monday

California Fire-storms Continue...

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)












Image: Barbay res. Ca. -08
Areas within a couple of hours from my home (California) sadly, have been threatened by fire... I may have chosen the safest and least problematic residence, while abroad... Image above: private water access. -Fortunate choice, after two close fires in the last year!

And wow! Remarkable footage (below) of a good Samaritan, as he puts out spot fires in an evacuated zone... And as flames and cinders travel with the ferocity of the wind; he saves a home from destruction!
An exhausting endeavor... Worth the view!


Though noble, this might not be so safe... Marines say that a house fire can get up to 1,200-1,800 degrees Fahrenheit... This grill can climb to 2,200 degrees & possibly 2,400 degrees on a hot day. (almost two times hotter!)

Speaking of Marines...
Troop's boots are on the ground, as soldiers and fire-fighters put out hundreds of fires in much of L.A/San Diego area...
Including Camp Pendleton (Marine Base!)
100% contained - FINAL!! ... Pendleton fire, didn't stand a chance!

In this Video: Fire of October 25, 2007



Sunday

G20 Summit: Cooperation to boost growth

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

Int'l Leaders representing 90% of the Global economy; met as the essential 'firsts' of several. (below) detailed consensus.

Image: Bubble is burst!


Most important will be, thoural investigations to determine the exact root cause of the melt-down...
Dana explains, "You can't know how to solve this, until you find the cause."
Not a peep from Media? Likely not invited (15th). Behavior at election?)


First Article by BBC: I've actually liked. Confronting global crisis:
Brown says, "Expansion!" | HU says, "Cooperation."


I think that solution lies amidst a return to a more strict 'gold standard'... USA, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands along with IMF, SPDR and ECB are of the largest gold holders...
Image: US Gold Group

In this retrospect, coordinated effort and World aid could be offered to those; in a way which rewards development & assertion... Merging to another "paper" would not solve the crisis; And would simply 'lessen Free enterprise options'

Proposals were shared by each leader; who met on an individual basis, as per arrival & departure-time... Community focus ranging from immediate to first and foremost; and sharing much about future correction.


I recommend viewing Dubai meeting (09.11.2008)
World Economic Forum Summit on the Global Agenda
-Closing Plenary Session



US Democrats blame Capitalism, but this does not appear to be an overall consensus.. Ten councils emerged to view the objectives which lead away from protectionism... Most likely because many have been in the thrones of certain policies which limit growth... Technological advances and Value creation; are an important part of a Free market system...
US Democrats also favor adaptation of restrictive policy; most of which is ill-timed; pushing economy into slow recovery. Stop these actions!

As stated at Bloomberg:
"Persistent inflation and budget deficits may prevent policy makers in the 15 nations that share the euro from moving as aggressively as their U.S. counterparts to cut interest rates and taxes. Meanwhile, Europe's labor laws will make it harder for companies to speed a recovery in profits by reducing payrolls."

Financial innovation, such as mass securitizations and the mass embrace of derivatives resulted in the development of what is now termed ‘the shadow banking system’."



Saturday

NASA Night Launch -STS-126 Mission 'Home Improvement'

-Posted by D. Worth (US) | for- M. Barbay (France)

The STS-126 crew waves on their way to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Florida ahead of a 15-day flight to the International Space Station (ISS).
Front row, Commander Christopher J. Ferguson (R) and Pilot Eric A. Boe (L), second row mission specialists Donald R. Pettit (L) and Stephen G. Bowen, third row, Robert S. (Shane) Kimbrough (L), Sandra H. Magnus (C) and Heidemarie M. Stefanyshyn-Piper (R).

Image: NASA: STS-126 (Kim Shiflett)

Endeavour's launch marked the 31st nighttime liftoff in NASA's 124-shuttle flight history and was made more spectacular by a nearly full moon, mission managers said. The sight seemed symbolic to some as the agency prepares to fly nine more shuttle missions after Endeavour's before retiring the fleet in 2010 and replacing it with capsule-based Orion spacecraft by 2015. Source

After 'Remarkable' Night Launch, Complex Shuttle Flight Ahead: more.
ISS Crew Views Launch: Video.

"As you saw today we arranged to have the moon out there, and that's so you can see the shuttle launching," Gerstenmaier said. "As it went past the moon, that's the perfect analogy of transition." more.

Image: NASA (Bill Ingalls)

Live Video Feed: View Full NASA Launch

5 hours ago: Space shuttle Endeavour soared off its seaside launch pad On an evening lift-off at Kennedy Space Center (Cape Canaveral, Florida) Fri.

"We wish STS-126 safe travel."


Image: NASA Blast off! (Troy Cryder)




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