Tuesday, May 13, 2014

The USA has a sovereign interest in Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean.

It also has interests in icefields within the sovereign borders of the country itself.

"The Impact of Global Warming on Glacier Mass Balance in the North Cascades, Washington (State, USA) and the Juneau Icefields, Alaska, USA., by Mauri S. Pelto and Maynard M. Miller, Foundation of Glacier and Environmental Research; World Resource Review, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 91-105. 2001.

...Conclusion
Glaciers in both the North Cascades of Washington and southeast Alaska have had similar mass balance histories. In particular substantial negative mass balances from 1976-1998. The negative mass balances have led to retreat of all 47 alpine glaciers observed in the North Cascades and the total loss of three glaciers. The negative mass balances are not limited to this region as indicated by the nearly ubiquitous retreat of small alpine glaciers in many ranges around the world.

The USA has made investment and has responsibilities.

Maynard M. Miller was a professor at the University of Idaho and was the founder of the Foundation of Glacier and Environmental Research. He brought young scientists from all over the world to Juneau every year, even into his retirement years. He was still leading expeditions to the glaciers within these icefields at the age of 81 years old in 2004. At that point he was contemplating retirement and handing over the leadership to the younger scientists involved.

Republican Senator Rubio states he wants a cost-benefit analysis of any actions by the USA government.

We are back to what Senator Rubio believes. He believes in mitigation. Okay. Then how is he going to mitigate the climate when the glaciers fail and there is no more thermostat to Earth's climate. It isn't enough to throw around words. Senator Rubio has to state how exactly how he is going to mitigate the climate and what guarantees his methods are going to work.

How is he going to mitigate acidic oceans? How is he going to end drought? What mitigation is he going to use to be sure our farmers are producing vital amounts of food for the nation? Those are just a few. I would also like to know if he is aware of the sixth extinction. Does he believe in survival or is he satisfied with death of species? 

We are a sovereign nation responsible for the well being of our citizens. We do not have control of other countries in imposing standards to reduce the dangers of Greenhouse Gases. This is no different than the fact other countries could not control the actions of the USA in regard to the Kyoto Protocol. 

As the USA reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases other countries will take it's place at the top of the climate abusers. I think we have already been surpassed by China by a small margin. Why is Senator Rubio pointing to other countries as an excuse to dismiss the priority of doing all the USA can do to protect our citizens and our lands as well as our sovereign rights in oceans? Why is he pointing to other countries, many Third World, when they are not capable of protecting American citizens?

Does Senator Rubio accept the fact, the abuses of the USA with the decades of emissions of greenhouse gases, has caused huge environmental damage to other countries? In realizing the global consequences of USA greenhouse gas emissions over decades of abuse and knowing other countries are unable to rise about the environmental problems resulting from USA abuses how does he justify the 'blaming' of those countries?

Kelly Ayote admits here are problems with IT acquistion within the federal government.

The Senate Republicans want to audit the military. The topic of the military health care system came up. The military wants to put the military health information online. That was partly to move records from the military to the VA. The lack of fluidity between the two departments slows down the VA process.

Senator Ayotte stated she is very worried about the military project of placing health records online. She said IT acquisition is not good within the federal system.

Did I hear that right? Yep, she stated the IT system acquisition is not good within the federal government.

So, when Republicans bring that up it is okay. But, when President Obama states the IT acquisition it is not okay and an excuse why health care dot gov had a poor start up.

Ron Johnson wants to use 'the military budget audit' as a management tool. Seriously. 

Now, there are aspects of the military, specifically within administration, that can be audited. 

However.

I know a helicopter pilot that was retired from the military. He received a telephone call and was asked if he would act as a consultant to the military and bring back a helicopter that was sitting in Central America. Being a great guy he said, "Sure." He knew the lay of the land and how to fly this huge machine so it was no problem.

He flew in and found the helicopter and was doing a pre-flight inspection when it was obvious there was no fuel. To say his mission was inhibited was all too obvious. He got in contact with the DOD and told them of his predicament. They asked if he knew where he could get fuel. He said, "Sure. I know of a company willing to deliver it out here." 

Now, realize this is Central America and there are all kinds of barriers to completion of this mission. Primarily everyone along the way has to be paid off before the helicopter is powered up and flown back. 

So, the DOD wired $25,000 to his Visa Card and the mission was a success. 

Now, if Mr. Johnson expects audits of the DOD to make sense as a management tool, he'll be declaring war every day of the week.

Oh, by the way. That wire transfer did great things for his credit score.

The day to day operations of the USA military is not predictable. They need their flexibility to carry out effective operations. The audits might be interesting in PROGRAMS for development of military weapons systems, but, one has to know what they are looking at in regard to the technology and development. An accountant isn't going to be able to do that. 

Every time the USA legislates more and more control over the operations of the US military, the private sector has to respond to that control. In other words when the military is your customer and they are requiring specific standards the private contractor has to expand it's company to meet that standard. In the case of research and development there would have to be a consultant to the audit department to explain all the spending and why. Then one wonders why the military contracts are so expensive. 

Contracts are contracts and it is important the research and development is pertinent to the USA military mission. But, to micromanage the USA military is not possible.

The Republicans are funny. They hate regulation, but, they love to control the military. Audits are not going to work, except, in specific areas of the military. They need to get over it.

Why do you guys do this? This is completely stupid.

The spying. The insecurity. The corruption. Amazing.

 
May 13, 2014

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (click here) was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of accepting bribes, the first Israeli premier to face possible jail time. 

Olmert, the latest in a line of convicted Israeli politicians, received an additional suspended sentence of two years, according to a transcript of the ruling e-mailed by the Courts Administration. He is scheduled to report to prison on Sept. 1, unless his conviction is overturned on appeal, Israel Radio said. 

“We’re talking about an exceptional, extreme and unjust penalty,” Amir Dan, a spokesman for Olmert, said on Israel Radio. “We will appeal to the Supreme Court in the hope that the true picture will be portrayed there."... 

Get back behind the line and get out of Palestine!

...If Ariel Sharon (click here) had a single fear, it was that his integrity or that of his family would ever be questioned. If he suspected a colleague of dishonesty, he quickly cautioned him or dismissed him. And so when Sharon and his son were accused of corruption, the media described him as a 'criminal family," I know that he was deeply hurt, although he spoke about it very little. My friends only comment on the innumerable headlines like "Sharon suspected of corruption was, "There is nothing in it." I thus had no reason to discuss the matter further....

Last Updated: Tuesday, 15 June, 2004, 15:09 GMT 16:09 UK
...What impact will the closing of the Greek Island case have on Mid-East peace negotiations? (click here)
 
The decision may clear the way for the main opposition Labour party to enter a new broad-based coalition government in order to help steer Mr Sharon's controversial Gaza pullout plan through parliament. 

Mr Sharon lost his majority in the Israeli parliament last week after the departure of four ministers from far right-wing parties who had been fiercely opposed to his disengagement plan. 

The presence of Labour in government might help revive direct talks with the Palestinians....


The Pistorius defense is not a moving target.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014
 
PRETORIA: Oscar Pistorius (click here) has an anxiety disorder brought on by an unstable childhood and the “traumatic assault” of having his lower legs amputated as a baby, a psychologist told the court hearing the South African track star’s murder trial on Monday.Pistorius was born without fibulas in his lower legs, leading to amputation at the age of 11 months.

Testifying for the defence about his mental state, forensic psychiatrist Merryl Vorster said that because the surgery was at such a young age, it would have been impossible to reason with the baby, making the pyschological scars much deeper.

“He was too young to understand why,” Vorster told the court. “His mother could not have comforted him because he was pre-language phase. It would been perceived as traumatic assault.”

Pistorius is on trial for murder after shooting and killing his girlfriend, 29-year-old law graduate and model, Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year....

Frustrating, yes; moving target, no.

Reeva's life was important and the prosecution has a case. They know who killed her and he has a history with guns.


There needs to be a paper trail to a long term mental health problem. I have no doubt Mr. Pistorius has a great deal of anxiety with his trial. He may finally realize he was out of control in the way he was conducting his life. He may finally be coming to terms with his celebrity status and the entitlement he believed that provided to him. Sure there is going to be anxiety. He has life looking at him directly in the face.

The prosecution has to uphold the dignity of Reeva and her life. They are obligated to find out his exact mental health status and then consult with experts. The case is not lost and the defense is doing what they are obligated by ethics to do. The defense is giving Mr. Pistorius the best chance he has to effect any verdict and sentence. 

What is interesting about this defense strategy is the effects of his life on his mental health are usually brought out in the sentencing phase in the USA. The case stands on it's own. There is a difference here and the prosecution might even have an objection to the path the defense is taking. It depends on the law there.

Mr. Rove is another Republican dolt and his election results prove it.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) (click here) is a term used to describe people who have had an external force to the head that in some way injures the brain. It can therefore vary from a minor blow to the head with transient dizziness or light headedness to a life changing brain injury due to major trauma. 

Because TBI covers such a wide range of injuries, its effects, symptoms, and prognoses vary. Each year, minor incidents of TBI happen to more than one million people in the United States. These minor injuries frequently result in the treatment and release from hospital emergency departments. Another 230,000 people are hospitalized each year with TBIs. Of these people, 99,000 will show a lasting disability....
  • Headache
  • Slurred speech
  • Restlessness
  • Vomiting
  • Increased drowsiness
  • Change in pupils
  • Confusion about the time or date
  • Memory loss
The effects of a TBI vary in scope from full recovery to severe disability. 

Secretary Clinton would have been hospitalize ANYWAY. 

I think the 'billable' code for Secretary Clinton's "Transient Visual Disturbance" is 2012 ICD-9-CM Diagnosis Code 368.9(click here). I am sure the physicians involved have received their fees. These things happen.

Description Synonyms

Disorder of vision
Vision disorder
Visual disturbance

    The accusations have validity.

    ..."These girls (click here) will go nowhere, until our brethren in Maiduguri, Abuja, Enugu and Lagos are all released from captivity. So it hurts this much, yet you kept our brethren in detention for over five years; our women have been kept in cells without marriage for all these years; some of our members, about 20 of them were given poison to drink and they died silently in the cells. No one is talking about them.

    "Let the world know that we are ready for whatever troops that are being deployed to fight us; we don't fear American troops. Let even King Pharaoh himself be sent down here, we will deal with him squarely," Shekau said....

    One human life is not more important than another. The incarceration rate is low and there are no reports of torture. Prisoners aren't dying because of an active process in the prisons. The prisons are over crowded and impoverished. It is the conditions of the prisons themselves that cause the deaths.

    Heather Murdock 
    February 10, 2014 1:17 PM