Friday, October 01, 2010

That storm was the length of the continent. It is still gigantic.

The water vapor was pulled from the entire length of the Caribbean Sea and the tropical rainforests of Central America.

The east coast managed to dodge a Category Four Storm with damage to the Outer Banks without a single death.  But, a Tropical Storm carrying incredible amounts of water from the Equator turned into a killer storm.

The Climate Crisis.  It definately is.

Storm Kills Five, Drenches East Coast (click here)
by Korva Coleman
The Tropical Storm formerly known as Nicole slid from Florida up toward New England, soaking states that already had too much water and cutting the drought of others.  The National Weather Service is warning of flash flooding and strong winds as far north as Maine.  Police in North Carolina say four people, including two children, died when their car overturned into a ditch filled with water. A fifth person died when his truck swerved off a road into a river....


One of the many landslides on Castleton main road in St Mary caused by Tropical Storm Nicole. - Rudolph Brown/Photographer
Published: Friday
October 1, 2010
 
..."However, there are indications there have been significant damage to cash crops, including - but not limited to - lettuce, tomato, yam and cantaloupe," the ministry said. "We anticipate there could be some supply concerns with these crops in the short term, based on the devastation."...


What was really bizarre was a blog entry at the Wilmington newspaper, "Star News."  Wilmington, North Carolina recieved nearly 24 inches of rain.  I think it was 22.5 to be exact.  And what does this jerk has to say about a storm that didn't bring high winds but only huge amounts of water erosion, loss of crops and property damage, five deaths and a complete North Carolina town underwater.

This is what he had to say:

October 1st, 2010 08:53am



Rush Limbaugh has a point about overdone weather coverage — sometimes  (click here)


by Si Cantwell


How much weather reporting is too much?
 
A little after 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Rush Limbaugh was talking about the local media in south Florida, where he lives and works.
I believe he was speaking mostly of television. He said forecasters were talking nonstop in apocalyptic terms about the dangers posed by Tropical Storm Nicole. Limbaugh said it turned out to be just a typical day of thunderstorms. He found it kind of pleasant to sit and listen to the rain drumming on the windows....

Drumming on the windows.  How out of touch and insensitive can people be?

A rather emotional farewell. I hope Rahm is succesful in his Mayoral election. He'll do a great job. He is definately CHICAGO.

The question before us is whom is the replacement? 

I know who I don't want it to be.  There has been speculation about the New York Mayor Bloomberg.

NO !

There is something that really bothers me about Michael Bloomberg.  I know they love him in NYC.  But, what else is new?  Wall Street would love the tenth richest millionaire in the USA as Mayor.

Michael Bloomberg is known to have 'lobbied' Goldman Sachs as Mayor for donations for this and that for the city or whatever.  Nothing radical or illegal about that.

However.

It is more than curious as to how he managed to come away from the Global Economic Crash of the Century without a scratch.

...In March 2009, Forbes reported (click here) Michael Bloomberg's wealth at $16 billion, a gain of $4.5 billion since the previous year, which makes him one of the most successful billionaires in the United States during the recession, and a person enjoying the world's biggest increase in wealth in 2009....

No one finds that curious?

Well, I do.  A Mayor, of which I am assuming his holdings are in 'trust' while he is in office, escalates his worth during the worst financial collapse of the 21st Century.

He is welcome to his mony, but, his close affiliation with the company where the Former US Treasury Paulson resides is more than interesting.  I don't trust his motives.  He is Wall Street, not Main Street and we don't need that influence in the Executive Branch any more than it is today.

Pakistan has a lot of security issues. I don't know why they have to take trucks through there. Airlift supplies.

This was a given.  The trucks stand still long enough something was going to happen.  This isn't the first time.  Three strikes and your out, General.  Someone better get the facts straight and soon.  I would hope.

Three personnel of the Frontier Corps were killed in an attack by two Nato helicopters on a security post in Kurram Agency.—Dawn photo 






...The two helicopters intruded into the Kurram Agency from Afghanistan’s Paktia province before dawn and when security personnel deployed at the Mandato Kandaou post, 15 kilometres west of Parachinar, fired warning shots the helicopters fired missiles.
Sources said that the Nato helicopters had intruded up to 5km across the border.
The incident heightened tension in the region and the government immediately suspended supplies to foreign troops in Afghanistan via Torkham.
An official of the Khyber Agency administration told Dawn that the Frontier Corps had stopped loaded trucks and oil tankers from entering Afghanistan.
According to ISPR, two helicopters from Afghanistan appeared to have crossed the border into Pakistan at Mandato Kandaou in the Ali Mangola area of Upper Kurram Agency and engaged through cannon fire an outpost of the Frontier Corps located 200 metres inside Pakistan and manned by six soldiers.
Troops at the post retaliated with rifle fire to indicate that the helicopters were crossing into Pakistan’s territory. Instead of heeding the warning, the helicopters fired two missiles, destroying the post.
The ISPR statement said this was the third incident of its kind in a week.
Hours later, two Nato helicopters entered Kurram Agency again and fired at least seven rockets which landed near the Akhtar Ghundai post in Matta Sangar area, southwest of Parachinar.
No casualty was reported. Soon after the attack, local authorities closed the Borki point for cross-border movement.
After a similar incident on Sept 27, contact was made at the highest military level and the incident was regretted by the US....


CIA chief takes tough line on drone hits Friday, 01 Oct, 2010 (click here)

...Mr Panetta’s meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani were described by sources as extremely tense.
US Senator John Kerry also called the prime minister in the evening.
The two-day visit by the chief of the US Central Intelligence Agency comes against the backdrop of an unprecedented increase in drone strikes in Waziristan, repeated aerial incursions into the tribal areas by US-led International Security Assistance Force and revelation of a terror plot being hatched in the region to attack European cities.
Mr Panetta last visited Islamabad soon after an attempt by one Faisal Shahzad to carry out a terrorist attack and was able to persuade his interlocutors to launch an operation in North Waziristan, but at the timing of their choice.
The current spike in drone attacks — almost two dozen in September, one of which reportedly took out leading Al Qaeda operative Sheikh Fateh Al Masri on Sept 25 — is being linked to the plot to attack European cities.
According to sources, Mr Panetta snappily demanded full cooperation in neutralising the Europe terror plot, more intelligence sharing and greater ‘operational space’ within Pakistan to avert future threats....


There have been regular issues with supply trucks.  It isn't new.  This isn't some kind of Pakistan escalation to USA opposition.  Sorry, I don't buy it.



Taliban Torch 50 Trucks in NATO Supply Convoy  (click here)

Attack calls into question Pakistan supply route

By Jane Yager,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 9, 2010 8:20 AM CDT 
Newser) – In a bold attack on the allied military supply chain in Afghanistan, Taliban gunmen last night torched a convoy of 50 NATO supply trucks in Pakistan, killing at least seven people. The gunmen ambushed the convoy on the outskirts of Islamabad, killed drivers and security guards, then set the vehicles on fire. While western supply convoys are often attacked near the Afghanistan border, yesterday's ambush was the first in the vicinity of the Pakistani capital....


The attack on NATO supply trucks is taking on a theme, so to speak!  It seems like a cultural statement.  Definately.

Afghans burn NATO trucks in response to killing of 3 civilians  (click here)


Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, April 26, 2010 

KABUL -- Afghan protesters torched NATO supply vehicles in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, hours after allegations emerged that U.S. and Afghan troops had killed three civilians, including two brothers, in their home.
The demonstration occurred in Logar province after a nighttime joint patrol of U.S. Special Operations forces and Afghan soldiers fatally shot three people and arrested two others. NATO officials said the men were insurgents who had displayed "hostile intent." One of those captured was a low-level Taliban commander who planned suicide bombings, they said...






Arsonists.  Hell of a protest.

160 NATO supply trucks torched in Pakistan

Incident is biggest assault yet on a vital military supply line to Afghanistan 

Dec 7, 2008

Militants blasted their way into two transport terminals in Pakistan on Sunday and torched more than 160 vehicles destined for U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan, in the biggest assault yet on a vital military supply line, officials said.
The U.S. military said its losses in the raid near the northwestern city of Peshawar would have only a "minimal" impact on its operations against resurgent Taliban-led militants in Afghanistan.
However, the attack's boldness will fuel concern that Taliban militants are tightening their hold around Peshawar and could choke the supply route through the famed Khyber Pass.
Up to 75 percent of supplies for Western forces in landlocked Afghanistan pass through Pakistan after being unloaded from ships at the Arabian sea port of Karachi. NATO is already seeking an alternative route through Central Asia...


For all the suffering the people experience in that country, one would think stealing the stuff would be the preferred protest.  That might be mistaken for desperation rather than hate though.


NATO oil tankers destroyed by militants in Pakistan (click here)

Islamabad, Aug 30 (IANS)
 At least four NATO supply oil tankers were completely destroyed by militants Sunday near Torkham in northwest of Pakistan.
Militants attacked NATO tankers supply caravan with rockets turning four of them into ashes in Khyber Agency tribal area near Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Xinhua said, citing local media reports. No casualties were reported in the attack.
Attacks on NATO supply truck have been accelerated this year where almost a hundred of trucks and oil tankers carrying supplies to 140,000 US-led NATO troops fighting insurgency in Afghanistan were frequently attacked and destroyed in southern Balochistan and troubled northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
In June, 60 NATO supply trucks were burnt to ashes and eight local drivers were killed in an attack near Islamabad. In April four policemen were killed as 12 NATO trucks were burnt in eastern Punjab province.
Some 70 percent of NATO supplies and 40 percent of its fuel are being shipped through trucks into the landlocked Afghanistan from the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi.