Leon Panetta and President Obama Work Together

1-26-2012 According to Panetta,"in my experience, this has been an unprecedented process, to have the President of the United States participate in discussions involving the development of a defense strategy, and to spend time with our service chiefs and spend time with our combatant commanders to get their views. It's truly unprecedented."

This guidance that we are releasing today, and which has been distributed now throughout the department -- it really does represent a historic shift to the future. And it recognizes that this country is at a strategic turning point, after a decade of war and after large increases in defense spending.

As the president mentioned, the U.S. military's mission in Iraq has now ended. We do have continued progress in Afghanistan. It's tough, and it remains challenging, but we are beginning to enable a transition to Afghan security responsibility. The NATO effort in Libya has concluded with the fall of Gadhafi. And targeted counterterrorism efforts have significantly weakened al-Qaida and decimated its leadership.

And now, as these events are occurring -- and the Congress has mandated, by law, that we achieve significant defense savings. So clearly, we are at a turning point.

But even as our large-scale military campaigns recede, the United States still faces complex and growing array of security challenges across the globe. And unlike past drawdowns when oftentimes the threats that the country was facing went away, the fact is that there remain a number of challenges that we have to confront, challenges that call for reshaping of America's defense priorities: focusing on the continuing threat of violent extremism, which is still there and still to be dealt with; proliferation of lethal weapons and materials; the destabilizing behavior of nations like Iran and North Korea; the rise of new powers across Asia; and the dramatic changes that we've seen unfold in the Middle East.

All of this comes at a time when America confronts a very serious deficit and debt problem here at home, a problem which is itself a national security risk that is squeezing both the defense and domestic budgets. Even as we face these considerable pressures, including the requirement of the Budget Control Act to reduce defense spending by what we have now as the number of $487 billion over 10 years, I do not believe -- and I've said this before -- that we have to choose between our national security and fiscal responsibility. The Department of Defense will play its part in helping the nation put our fiscal house in order.

The president has made clear, and I've made clear, that the savings that we've been mandated to achieve must be driven by strategy and must be driven by rigorous analysis, not by numbers alone.

Consequently, over the last few months, we've conducted an intensive review to try to guide defense priorities and spending over the coming decade, all of this in light of the strategic guidance that we received in discussions with the president and the recommendations of this department's both senior military and civilian leadership. Both of them provided those kinds of recommendations. This process has enabled us to assess risk, to set priorities and to make some very hard choices.

Let me be clear again. The department would need to make a strategic shift regardless of the nation's fiscal situation. We are at that point in history. That's the reality of the world we live in. Fiscal crisis has forced us to face the strategic shift that's taking place now.

U.S. Super PACS and You

1-19-12 According to the Pew research Foundation: As campaign advertisements funded by Super PACs dominate the airwaves in the lead-up to the South Carolina primaries this Saturday, 54% of registered voters say they have heard about the 2010 Supreme Court decision that allows corporations and individuals to spend as much money as they want on political advertising as long as it is not coordinated with candidate campaigns.

Fully 65% of those who are aware of the new rules on independent expenditures say they are having a negative effect on the 2012 presidential campaign. And among those who have heard a lot about these new campaign finance rules, 78% say the effect has been negative. However, that is not all bad because the ads tell you what the real deal is, that is if they are telling the real truth in the first place. The real deal is that as an individual, you really need to check the facts by readiing online newspapers and finding out who the writer is and what is their reputation with the truth. Yes, that also means you will have to do some research, but you will be surprised when you find out the real facts.You owe it to yourself to make the inquirys and your family and the next generation so you can make a real decision based on the facts.

There is no substantial partisan divide in awareness and opinions of the new campaign spending rules. Roughly half of Republicans, Democrats and independents alike have heard about the court decision allowing unlimited independent expenditures. And among those who have heard about it, comparably wide majorities in each group say it is having a negative effect on the campaign this year.

Men are more likely than women to say they have heard at least a little about the Supreme Court decision and its effects, and awareness is also higher among college graduates. There is little difference in awareness across age or region of the country. Among those who have heard about the decision, majorities of all groups see the impact on the 2012 presidential campaign as negative.

The analysis in this report is based on telephone interviews conducted January 11-16, 2012 among a national sample of 1,502 adults, 18 years of age or older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (902 respondents were interviewed on a landline telephone, and 600 were interviewed on a cell phone, including 293 who had no landline telephone). The survey was conducted by interviewers at Princeton Data Source under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates International. A combination of landline and cell phone random digit dial samples were used; both samples were provided by Survey Sampling International. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. Respondents in the landline sample were selected by randomly asking for the youngest adult male or female who is now at home. Interviews in the cell sample were conducted with the person who answered the phone, if that person was an adult 18 years of age or older.

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL Ban Ki Moon Condems Violence in Southern Syria, Urges Investigation

12-26-11 The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General condemns the violence against peaceful demonstrators in the southern Syrian city of Dera’a, which resulted in several killed and many more injured today and yesterday. There should be a transparent investigation into the killings, and those responsible must be held accountable. The Secretary-General reiterates his call on the Syrian authorities to refrain from violence and to abide by their international commitments regarding human rights, including the right to peaceful assembly. He reminds the Syrian Government of its obligation to protect civilians and of its responsibility to address the legitimate aspirations of its people through a purposefuldialogue and reforms.

While the current president of the country has tried to make positive steps toward enabling his people, obstructionists continue to create bedlam and vilence around the entire country but more bloodshed continues in Hom.

Arab leaders and 50 observers are seeing the violence first hand as they arrive, it escalates in the vast Hom region.

Ban Ki Moon Five Years of Success

12-19-11 We have had a lot of successes in the past five years I have been in office.This has been an extraordinary and remarkable year. The Arab Awakening or Arab Spring has transformed the geopolitical landscape. We spoke out - early and forcefully, calling on leaders to hear the voices of their people. And we acted, decisively, in concert with the international community.

We played an essential role in the liberation of Libya. We stand ready to continue to help Tunisia and Egypt at their request. The agreement mediated by our UN envoy in Yemen sets the stage for an end to fighting - and the creation of a new government of national unity.

We welcomed our 193rd Member State - the Republic of South Sudan. The birth of this new nation followed a successful referendum in January this year, made possible by UN peacekeeping and diplomacy that included, four years ago, our deployment in Darfur of peacekeepers. And in Myanmar we see a promising new opening - we will persist through our good offices and other efforts.

Elsewhere, events continue to test our resolve. In Syria, more than 5,000 people are dead. This cannot go on. In the name of humanity, it is time for the international community to act.

In Afghanistan, we face continued insecurity. Last week's conference in Bonn re-affirmed the international community's commitment to our partnership through 2014 and beyond.

With the help of the Quartet, we must continue to push for peace between Israel and Palestine.In the Horn of Africa, people still face famine.

From the beginning of my time as Secretary-General, I have sought to advance a practical, action-oriented vision of the UN as the voice of the voiceless, and the defender of the defenceless.

That is why, together with the President of the General Assembly I went to Somalia last week - the first visit of a Secretary-General in 18 years. And of course, the first time ever in the history of the UN that the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly travelled together to Somalia. And it is why I visited the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, where we are helping to feed and shelter half a million Somali people.

From Somalia to Sudan, Yemen to Afghanistan, Haiti to the Philippines - millions need our help.

Today in Geneva, we asked for $7.7 billion to assist 51 million people in 16 countries next year.

Economic times are hard. But we cannot balance budgets with the lives of the world's poorest and most vulnerable.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends, 2011 also delivered warnings about our common future.

The disaster at Fukushima revived concerns about nuclear safety, and the UN mobilized a global response.

We saw record floods in Pakistan, Thailand, Colombia and El Salvador - a vivid reminder of the increasing incidence of extreme weather.

I came to office speaking of climate change as the defining challenge of our era. I was determined to raise it to the top of the global agenda. Five years later, we have made significant progress - from Bali to Copenhagen to Canc?n and, now, Durban.

At Durban, we defied the sceptics. We showed clearly that UN multilateral negotiations can deliver: consensus on a clear target and timeline for reaching a legally binding agreement involving all countries; a re-commitment to the Kyoto Protocol and the institutions that have produced major reductions in green house gases; advances on technology and financing, including the Green Climate Fund.

Looking ahead, we will build on this Durban spirit of cooperation to advance on climate change financing and, in particular, our new initiative on Sustainable Energy for All.

There is a broader lesson.Whether the issue is climate change - peace, security and human rights - or humanitarian relief - the United Nations has never been so needed.

I believe we are at an inflection point in history. All is changing. The old rules are breaking down.

U.N. Importance of Women Being Politically Active

11-19-11 U.N. Importance of Women Being Political in the World, The Third Committee Approves Text Stressing Critical Importance of Women's Political Participation in all Contexts – Peace, Conflict, and political transition.

Other Drafts Approved on Indigenous Peoples; Electoral Assistance; Social Integration; Global Cooperation; Strengthening UN Action; Internally Displaced

Stressing the critical importance of women’s political participation in all contexts, including in times of peace, conflict and in all stages of political transition, the United Nations General Assembly would call upon all States to eliminate laws, regulations and practices that prevent or restrict women’s participation in the political process by a draft text approved by the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today without a vote.

The draft text — one of seven approved by consensus as the Committee closed in on its last week of scheduled work — would also have the Assembly call on States to accelerate the achievement of equality between men and women and, in all situations, including in situations of political transition, to promote and protect women's human rights.

Stressing that women embodied an enormous, but untapped potential in their political systems, the representative of the United States, which tabled the draft text, said it applied broadly to women everywhere, but paid particular attention this year to States in transition in light of recent historical developments.

To that end, the Assembly would further call on such States to take effective steps to ensure the participation of women on equal terms with men in all phases of political reform, from decisions on whether to call for reforms in existing institutions to decisions regarding transitional Governments, to the formulation of Government policy, to the means of electing new democratic Governments.

While enjoying unanimous support, the text’s references to “States in situations in political transition” elicited numerous expressions of regret from State delegations, several of which voiced alarm that negotiations on the text had been mishandled. Of the seven speakers taking the floor on those points, nearly all stressed that the term “political transition” lacked a common, agreed understanding, with some suggesting its inclusion undermined the text’s larger objectives.

Voicing strong support for the draft, Liberia’s representative said her country’s experience was a testament to how critical women’s participation was for conflict prevention and resolution, as well as post-conflict peacebuilding. The resolution not only reflected the mandate of United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), but also the diversity of recommendations from Member States, she said. At the same time, it sent a strong signal of support to women around the world.

By a draft text on the rights of indigenous peoples, presented by Bolivia, the Assembly would the request the Secretary-General to convene, in coordination with the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, within existing resources, a high-level event during the eleventh session of the Forum in May 2012 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It would also stress that the event’s result could serve as an input for the preparation of its 2014 high-level plenary meeting, to be known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.

Jerry Sandusky - Pedophile

11-9-11 Furthermore the entire student body may well lose their feeling of pride in the college as a whole because of what these leaders have done when they ignored the vulnerabilities of troubled children who were sexually abused by a well known coach. These same leaders did not call the police when they found out what happened to the children, rather they gathered round the wagons and protected a pedophile.

Any person in a leadership role at Penn state who had knowledge of Jerry Sanduskys’ activities should resign and also be prosecuted as a coconspirator. Coach Joe Paterno has decided to resign from the college after this coaching season (he knew of Jerry Sanduskys activities since 2002 and never called the police to protect these young boys).

Everyone at that school is at risk of losing something after Sanduskys activities have come to light. When you lose the respect of former alumni who many times bring in large influxes of money to build a school up, you have then lost untold amounts of financial support from your professional community. That is a really loud bell ringing in the ears from the rooftops and belltower of your institution.

President Obama

10--21-11 I'm writing to tell you that all US troops will return home from Iraq by the end of December. After nearly nine years, the American war in Iraq will end. Our servicemen and women will be with their families for the holidays.

The war in Iraq came with tremendous cost. More than a million Americans served in Iraq, and nearly 4,500 gave their lives in service to the rest of us. Today, as always, we honor these patriots.

When I came into office, I pledged to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end. As Commander in Chief, I ended our combat mission last year and pledged to keep our commitment to remove all our troops by the end of 2011. To date, we’ve removed more than 100,000 troops from Iraq.

This is a significant moment in our history. For more information, including video, please visit WhiteHouse.gov/BringingTroopsHome.

The end of the war in Iraq reflects a larger trend. The wars of the past decade are drawing to a close.

As we have removed troops from Iraq, we have refocused our fight against al Qaeda and secured major victories in taking out its leadership–including Osama bin Laden. And we’ve begun a transition in Afghanistan.

On the first day of my Administration, roughly 180,000 troops were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. By the end of this year that number will be cut in half, and we’ll continue to draw it down.

As we welcome home our newest veterans, we’ll enlist their talents in meeting our greatest challenges as a nation—restoring our economic strength at home. Because after a decade of war, the nation that we need to build is our own.

Today the United States moves forward, from a position of strength.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

FHFA Complaints Were Filed Against the Following Financial Institutions

9-2-2011,911, According to the The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), as conservator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises), today filed lawsuits against 17 financial institutions, certain of their officers and various unaffiliated lead underwriters. The suits allege violations of federal securities laws and common law in the sale of residential private-label mortgage-backed securities (PLS) to the Enterprises. Maybe Americans wil get back some of our money from the bigger crooks afterall.We are not safe from bank fraudsters because even Bank of America was one of the big violators of our trust.

These complaints were filed in federal or state court in New York or the federal court in Connecticut. The complaints seek damages and civil penalties under the Securities Act of 1933, similar in content to the complaint FHFA filed against UBS Americas, Inc. on July 27, 2011. In addition, each complaint seeks compensatory damages for negligent misrepresentation.

Certain complaints also allege state securities law violations or common law fraud. How can Americans feel safe about our environment when our own banks are committing fraud against us on a regular basis. It is no wonder we don't trust big institutions or sometimes government when they have taken so long to get the real robbers of the Amerian people. These people deserve to be in jail. Yes, I said in jail. They have compromised Americas financial security for the entire country and possibly caused the recession we are currently experiencing.

Complaints have been filed against the following lead defendants, in alphabetical order:

1. Ally Financial Inc. f/k/a GMAC, LLC

2. Bank of America Corporation

3. Barclays Bank PLC

4. Citigroup, Inc.

5. Countrywide Financial Corporation

6. Credit Suisse Holdings (USA), Inc.

7. Deutsche Bank AG

8. First Horizon National Corporation

9. General Electric Company

10. Goldman Sachs & Co.

11. HSBC North America Holdings, Inc.

12. JPMorgan Chase & Co.

13. Merrill Lynch & Co. / First Franklin Financial Corp.

14. Morgan Stanley

15. Nomura Holding America Inc.

16. The Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC

17. Société Générale

911-Help Somalias Hunger, 25,000 Children are Dead from Hunger

8-18-2011, 911,According to Governor Martin O'Malley of Maryland.Every day, we continue to see horrific images and countless stories of the pain and suffering in Somalia. But they aren’t just stories. In just the past three months alone, 29,000 children under the age of five have died from starvation.

The Somali drought and famine have forced mothers with scarce resources to choose which child will live, fathers to leave their sick children to die on the streets and babies to enter a world with no hope for survival.

But we can all help.

As Jill Biden and Bill Frist explain in an op-ed, “As governments and international organizations do their part, the rest of us can do ours. Just a few dollars can literally save a life."

I’ve already donated through USAID and I hope you’ll consider sending whatever aid you can. The situation is dire.

In our state, we believe that there is no such thing as a spare Marylander, American or human being. Everyone can make a difference, and each of us must try.

I hope you’ll join me and send whatever aid you can to help these people in great need.

As the Talmud says, “If you save one life, it's as if you have saved the world.”

Child Porn Criminals Arrested

8-3-2011 WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today the unsealing of three indictments and one complaint charging a total of 72 individuals for their participation in an international criminal network dedicated to the sexual abuse of children and the creation and dissemination of graphic images and videos of child sexual abuse throughout the world. Attorney General Holder and Secretary Napolitano announced the charges with Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Director of U.S. Immigration of Customs Enforcement (ICE) John Morton and U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley of the Western District of Louisiana.

Operation Delego, an ongoing investigation that was launched in December 2009, targeted the 72 charged defendants and more than 500 additional individuals around the world for their participation in Dreamboard – a private, members-only, online bulletin board that was created and operated to promote pedophilia and encourage the sexual abuse of very young children, in an environment designed to avoid law enforcement detection. To date, 52 of the 72 charged defendants have been arrested in the United States and abroad. Members traded graphic images and videos of adults molesting children 12 years-old and under, often violently, and collectively created a massive private library of images of child sexual abuse. The international group prized and encouraged the creation of new images and videos of child sexual abuse – numerous Dreamboard members sexually abused children, produced images and videos of the abuse, and shared the images and videos with other members of Dreamboard. Operation Delego represents the largest prosecution to date in the United States of individuals who participated in an online bulletin board conceived and operated for the sole purpose of promoting child sexual abuse, disseminating child pornography and evading law enforcement.

This operation is an example of the good work that DHS, through its principal investigative arm, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) does every year in cooperation with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to protect children,” said Secretary Napolitano. “We take our responsibility to protect our children seriously, and this case is a prime example of how cooperation can bring real results.”

The members of this criminal network shared a demented dream to create the preeminent online community for the promotion of child sexual exploitation but for the children they victimized, this was nothing short of a nightmare,” said Attorney General Holder. “This operation marks another important step forward in our work to protect children across - and beyond - this country. Our nation’s fight to protect the rights, interests, and safety of children goes on, and it will continue to be a top priority of this Justice Department.”

As alleged in court documents, Dreamboard was a self-described global ‘community’ of pedophiles dedicated to the relentless victimization and exploitation of children 12 and under,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “Using sophisticated methods to evade detection by law enforcement, Dreamboard members allegedly used the power and anonymity of the Internet to motivate each other to commit their horrific acts of sexual abuse of minors and trading in child pornography. The charges unsealed today show the department’s continued commitment to a strategy of targeting the most sophisticated child exploitation networks, at home and abroad. No matter how savvy online predators think they are, we will find them, dismantle their networks, and bring them to justice.”

These indictments capture the activity of a major, global child pornography and exploitation enterprise whose primary objective was to sexually abuse vulnerable children,” said U.S. Attorney Finley. “I hope that these charges send a clear message that we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law those who participate in this type of activity. We will continue to aggressively pursue these criminals to ensure that there is no place to hide – not in the United States, not anywhere around the globe.”

“The dismantling of Dreamboard is another stark warning to would-be child predators who think they can trade in child pornography and commit heinous acts against innocent children while hiding behind pseudonyms and other technological tricks,” said ICE Director John Morton. “As these criminals try new techniques to digitally erase their trail, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations along with our U.S. and international law enforcement partners continue to upgrade our strategies and technology to track down the depraved individuals who bring suffering to children.”

Foreign Currency Scheme

Court issues restraining order freezing Gomez’s assets and preserving books and records.

6-30-2011 Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today announced the filing of charges against two air traffic controllers, Louis J. Giddens, Jr. of Fayetteville, Ga., and Anthony W. Dutton of Peachtree City, Ga., as well as commodity trader Michael Gomez of Valrico, Fla., for operating a fraudulent off-exchange foreign currency (forex) scheme in which they solicited and accepted approximately $1.4 million from the general public.

The complaint was filed under seal on June 23, 2011, and on June 24, 2011, Judge William S. Duffey, Jr., of the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Georgia, entered a restraining order freezing Gomez’s assets and prohibiting the destruction of books and records.

The CFTC complaint charges that, from at least January to October 2010, Giddens and Dutton operated commodity pools Currency Management Group, LLC and Pinnacle Capital Partners, LLC, respectively, and fraudulently solicited and accepted funds to trade forex primarily from individuals throughout Georgia and Florida. Giddens and Dutton then allegedly transferred some, but not all, of the solicited funds to another entity they owned and operated called Pinnacle Trade Group, LLC (Pinnacle Trade) for the purpose of trading forex. Once transferred to Pinnacle Trade, the funds allegedly were sent either directly to a forex trading account or to a bank account in the name of Elyon, LLC, a company owned and operated by Gomez, so that Gomez could trade the investors’ funds. However, allegedly only a portion of customer money was traded in forex, with the remaining funds misappropriated by Gomez and Dutton.

The complaint further alleges that Giddens and Dutton induced investment in their respective pools by misrepresenting to pool participants in direct face-to-face meetings, in telephone conversations, and through written promissory notes that they would provide a guaranteed monthly return of either five or ten percent on investments from trading forex. Giddens and Dutton also allegedly prepared false online account statements for the pool participants showing the profitability of their investments when, in fact, the investments were not profitable.

In the continuing litigation against the defendants, the CFTC seeks restitution to defrauded customers, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, a civil monetary penalty, permanent trading and registration bans and a permanent injunction against further violations of the federal commodities law.

Jobs for Delaware

6-10-2011 Governor Markell talks about his announcement today that Bloom Energy, based in California, has chosen Delaware for a new, high-tech manufacturing hub to build fuel cells at the former Chrysler site in Newark. The plans are subject to a final agreement with Delmarva Power, passage of enabling legislation and regulatory approval.

“The outcome could be up to 1,500 new jobs – getting people to work right here in Delaware supplying the company and building the Energy Servers that can power homes and businesses around the country,” said Governor Jack Markell. “It’s always been true that Delaware works best when it works together, and that was true in how Bloom came to choose Delaware.”

Bloom Energy is helping to power some of the world’s largest companies. Google, FedEx, Coca-Cola, WalMart. They’re choosing Bloom because its fuel cell technologies provide these companies reliable and efficient energy that is cleaner than fossil fuels, always available, and whose capacity can grow with their business.

“While there are still several steps before anything can happen,” said the Governor. “Bloom’s choice of Delaware as the place to launch up to 1,500 new jobs between them and their suppliers is an important sign that Delaware, is moving forward.”

TEPCO

TEPCO Announces That All 6 units of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station have been shut down.

3-31-2011Shuts down all reactors-Unit 1

- Explosive sound and white smoke were confirmed after the big quake occurred at 3:36 pm Mar 12th. It was assumed to be hydrogen explosion.

- At approximately 2:30 am on March 23rd, seawater injection to the nuclear reactor through the feed water system was initiated.

- At approximately 10:50 am on March 24th, white fog-like steam arising from the roof part of the reactor building was observed.

- At approximately 11:30 am on March 24th, lights in the main control room was restored.

- We had been injecting seawater into the reactor, but from 3:37 pm on March 25th, we started injecting freshwater.

- At 8:20 am on March 29th, we switched injection of fresh water from using fire engine to temporary electrical pump.

From now on, if the measured figure fluctuates and goes above and below 500 micro Sv/h, we deem that as the continuous same event and will not regard that as a new specific incidents stipulated in article 15, clause 1 of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear Emergency Preparedness (Abnormal increase in radiation dose measured at site boundary) has occurred. In the interim, if we measure a manifestly abnormal figure and it is evident that the event is not the continuous same event, we will determine and notify.

- The national government has instructed evacuation for those local residents within 20km radius of the periphery and evacuation to inside for those residents from 20km to 30km radius of the periphery, because it is possible that radioactive materials are discharged.

- At around 10:37 am March 21st, water spraying to common spent fuel pool and finished at 3:30 pm (conducted by TEPCO).

- At around 3:37 pm, March 24th, electricity supply to common spent fuel pool has started from external power source. At around 6:05 pm, fuel pool cooling pump was started to cool the pool.

- We found no signs of abnormal situation for the casks by visual observation during the patrol activity. A detailed inspection is under preparation.

- At Units 5 and 6, in order to prevent hydrogen gas from accumulating within the buildings, we have made three holes on the roof of the reactor building for each unit.

- In total 12 fire engines are lent for the water spraying to the spent fuel pools and water injection to the nuclear reactors by various regional fire departments* as well as Tokyo Fire Department. Also, instruction regarding the setting and operation of large scale decontamination system was provided by Niigata City Fire Headquarter and Hamamatsu City Fire Headquarter.

- By March 22nd, Units 1 through 6 were started to be energized from the external power source.

- At 3:30PM, March 27th, we found that there was water in the trenches of Units 1 to 3. The radioactive emission at the surface of the water was 0.4mSv/h for Unit 1 and over 1,000mSv/h for Unit 2. As for Unit 3, we couldn't have access to the surface because of debris. We will continue to monitor water in the trenches.

- On March 28th, a puddle of water was found at a centralizedc environmental facility process main building. As a result of a radioactivity analysis, on March 29th, we detected approximately 1.2 x 10Bq/cm3 in a full dose at a radiation controlled area and 2.2 x 10Bq/cm3 in a full dose at a non-controlled area.

- At 12:03 pm, March 29th, when taking off the flange of the pipe of the seawater piping of the Residual Heat Removal System, 3 workers from our subcontractor were soaked with water in the pipe. After wiping the water off, we confirmed that there was no radioactive contamination to their bodies.

- We will continue to take all measures to ensure the safety and to continue monitoring the surrounding environment around the Power Station.

Republican Governor Scott Walker

2-20-2011 In true Republican rebellious actions, the governor Scott Walker rattles cages and norms for residents. In the guise of making people pay for their financial expenses, he charges the unions to end collective bargaining. Collective bargaining has been a boon to many public service people in the past to get them to a better position/job in life now. In the streets of Wisconsin protestors have been walking the streets of the capital for more than five days amidst loud disagreement with the governors financial adgenda.

According to his web site during his campaign for governor: “I know right now there are businesses ready to put people back to work, but they’re concerned our state is headed in the wrong direction, and they’re worried about what government might do next.  Tonight, we begin the process of recovery as we commit to working together to help employers maintain and grow jobs, rather than make it more expensive for employers and families to make ends meet.”

Right now he is doing what people didn't expect, that is, try to take away their collective bargaining chips to lower salaries, and sweep jobs out of the door in a hurry to balance their financial budget.

What many people do not realize is that when governors talk about making government more accountable, that means upgrading technology, translates into less jobs for real people whom they then put into the unemployment lines. The public employees face the possibility of less hours for less pay, possibly more furlough days and fiancial ruin.

Yet, the governor again from his web site said: “I want every worker, every family, and every business, big or small, to know that they have an ally in the governor’s office.” So whose ally is he really talking about?

Unless Governor Scott Walker tackles job creations specifically, and entices more jobs or companies in a particular sector, he may win cutting expenses in a money war but lose the skirmish for the long run.

Ultimately, a state needs more jobs to fulfill a more sustainable financial economy no matter what state you run. If you cut too many expenses you would deter companies from opening business’ in your part of the country because there won’t be enough entities or enticements to financially sustain your cities. Then you lose the bargaining powers so necessary to creating a more sustainable city.

Renewal Energy Program

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2011 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced interim rule changes to three renewable energy programs that are intended to create jobs in rural areas and increase the production and use of renewable energy. The programs affected include the Biorefinery Assistance Program, the Repowering Assistance Program and the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels. The programs, authorized in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) are administered by USDA Rural Development.

"These changes contribute to the Obama Administration's effort to revitalize our rural economy and meet our energy challenges," Vilsack said. "It's part of our effort to 'win the future.' USDA's renewable energy programs provide new sources of farm income, increase domestic energy production and develop a domestic renewable energy industry which will create jobs and reduce America's dependence on imported oil."

The rule changes allow non-rural locations to be eligible for funding and remove prior citizenship requirements for borrowers. Complete details of the new rules for the Repowering Assistance Program and the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels are published on page 7916 of the February 11, 2011 Federal Register, http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-2480.htm.

CFTC Charges Anthony Eugene Linton of Tucson, Ariz.

1-24-2011 Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today announced that it obtained an emergency federal court order freezing the assets of defendant Anthony Eugene Linton of Tucson, Ariz., dba The Private Trading Pool. The court’s order also prohibits the destruction of books and records and grants the CFTC immediate access to such documents.

The order stems from a CFTC enforcement action filed on January 11, 2011, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, charging Linton with fraud and misappropriation of customer funds in connection with a Ponzi scheme involving off-exchange foreign currency (forex) trading.

Specifically, the CFTC complaint alleges that, from at least October 2007 to the present, Linton fraudulently solicited and accepted at least $650,000 from at least 19 customers for the purpose of trading off-exchange forex contracts. The complaint charges that Linton falsely represented to customers that they would receive a 100 percent annual return on their investments in The Private Trading Pool (PTP) and that the software trading system he developed allowed customers to “profit every time” from his forex trades.

Linton further allegedly misrepresented that there were “no risks whatsoever” associated with trading forex through PTP, that customer funds were accessible “within 24 hours” of a requested redemption and that customers could receive “their profits” by check monthly. However, what little forex trading Linton did using customer funds resulted in consistent net losses, and, in the aggregate, he lost more than 90 percent of the funds traded, according to the complaint.

The complaint also charges Linton with misappropriating customer funds to make personal mortgage, car and credit card payments. Linton allegedly used some customer funds to buy and sell items on Ebay and converted large sums of customer funds into cash and stashed it in a safe in his home. Linton allegedly paid earlier PTP customers purported profits with more recent customers’ funds, as is typical of a Ponzi scheme.

Crime Bosses Arrested En Masse

1-21-2011According to the FBI, As part of the national takedown, 91 members and associates of seven organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra (LCN), including the New England LCN family, all five New York-based families, and the New Jersey-based Decavalcante family have been charged with federal crimes in 16 Indictments returned in four judicial districts—the Southern District of New York, the Eastern District of New York, the District of New Jersey, and the Eastern District of Rhode Island. Another 36 defendants also have been charged for their roles in alleged associated criminal activity.

Mr. BHARARA praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this case. He thanked the NYPD for their assistance. Mr. BHARARA also noted that the investigation is continuing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys ELIE HONIG, JOHN ZACH, and PETER SKINNER are in charge of the prosecution. The case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime Unit.

The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and JANICE K. FEDARCYK, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), announced the arrests today of 26 leaders, members, and associates of the Gambino Organized Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra (the "Gambino Family"), including some of its most senior members. The defendants were arrested on charges including racketeering, murder, cocaine and marijuana trafficking, extortion, firearms offenses, assault, arson, loansharking, stolen property crimes, and illegal gambling. The arrests today are part of a coordinated, national organized crime takedown. The charges are contained in two Indictments, United States v. Joseph Corozzo, et al. and United States v. John Cipolla, et al.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA said: "Today's charges against 26 men alleged to be among the Gambino Crime Family's most powerful leaders, members, and associates, coupled with the recent convictions of Daniel Marino and 13 others, is another step towards our goal of cutting La Cosa Nostra off at its knees. According to the charges, the defendants stopped at nothing—including murder, extortion, and intimidation—to protect their criminal enterprise and multi-million-dollar profits. Together with our partners at the FBI and the NYPD, we will do everything within our power to rid this city of the scourge that is the mafia."

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge JANICE K. FEDARCYK said: "The arrests today are a culmination of many investigations spanning years that will continue as the New York Office of the FBI and our law enforcement partners remain vigilant to bringing all those involved in organized crime to justice. The long list of charges against the defendants shows that not only is organized crime still around, but it is just as violent as ever, inflicting damage in both our communities and economy." The defendants charged today and their alleged positions in the Gambino Family are as follows:

• JOSEPH COROZZO, a longtime member of the Gambino Family, is the consiglieri, which is one of the highest ranking positions in the family;

• BARTOLOMEO VERNACE, a longtime Gambino Family member who currently sits on a three-member ruling panel presiding over the Gambino Family’s affairs;

• ALPHONSE TRUCCHIO and LOUIS MASTRANGELO, captains in the Gambino Family, supervise crews of street-level members (individuals who have been formally initiated and are known as "soldiers") and associates (non-initiated individuals who committed crimes with and for the Gambino Family);

• TRUCCHIO’s crew includes: soldiers MICHAEL ROCCAFORTE and ANTHONY MOSCATIELLO, and associates FRANK BELLANTONI, CHRISTOPHER COLON, CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS, SALVATORE TORTORICI, MICHAEL RUSSO, ANTHINO RUSSO, FRANK ROCCAFORTE, JOHN BRANCACCIO, SALVATORE ACCARDI, KEITH CROCE, SEAN DUNN, and MICHAEL KUHTENIA;

• MASTRANGELO’s crew includes: soldier VINCENZO FROGIERO and associates TODD LABARCA and ROBERT BUCHOLZ;

• TRUCCHIO, MASTRANGELO, and their crew members operate under the authority and supervision of COROZZO and VERNACE.

The 21 defendants listed above are charged with racketeering offenses. Five additional defendants—JOHN CIPOLLA, FRANK BOEHME, ANTHONY MASCUZZIO, JONATHAN MASCUZZIO, and FRANCIS LACORTE—are charged with marijuana trafficking and/or interstate transportation of stolen property crimes.

Office Furniture Will Move Around at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and USB Securities

Let us play musical chairs while Rome/US burns and the multitudes lose their homes again.How many corrupt executives can we find who will be moving their office chairs to clean out their files lest we read what is in them? Numbers vary at this point because this is just the first quarter of the year.

Officials at the CFTC are on a roll requesting new monies to fund an incrase of personnel to ferret out more of these so called bad boys who would rob the US of progressive ways of doing business. More office chairs,computers and files wil be needed to catch the bad guys. During the last financial crisis there were many loop holes and sleazy financial practices found. John Q. Public needs to be protected so that at last everyone could be helped instead of scalped while they sleep. Maybe some of our officials can transfer some of that 14 Million dollars in fines from the Goldman Sachs penalty to their own department fund an increase of personnel to catch more of the bad boys of Wall Street.