Mover Mike

The authors of this ground-breaking research go on to explain how and why the brokerage Refco failed. It explains the most likely or at least offers a highly plausible explanation as to the fallout and continuing danger [another closely guarded secret of officialdom] the Refco collapse still poses to the financial system.

Judge Robert Drain issued the freeze order on Dec. 15 in a closed-door proceeding with lawyers from Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy, the big New York law firm that's representing Refco's many creditors. In a rare move, all the court filings in the action have been sealed by the court and are not available to the public. The judge also has agreed to hold all future hearings in the case out of the public eye.

The secrecy surrounding the action is unusual for a civil proceeding. In court papers, lawyers from Milbank Tweed contend the secrecy is needed to prevent "irreparable harm'' to the creditors and third parties. (emphasis added)

Refco Fails To Deliver Michael Garcia Matthew Goldstein Mover Mike

Update:

I was having a helluva time writing an article for this week's GTB Blogburst. Over the weekend, I started three articles and each one fizzled out for lack of inspiration. For instance, I started one on President Bush's new fence bill - the one that has no funding - and it was hard for me to work up any outrage, since I wasn't surprised at such an empty gesture. In fact, I was expecting nothing less from this President, and that's a sorry indictment of how faithless he's become. The President's abrogation of this issue has boiled my blood for years, and is one of the main reasons why I am no longer a Republican, but now a furious and rebellious Independent. As I mulled over what to say about Bush's latest nothingness, I realized that anything I had say about his treason on this issue, I've already said before - and then some.

So I started another article about the effect of the immigration issue on elections; or rather, the effect it should have, but isn't. Because here we are at election time again, having to hold our noses to go elect more of the same do-nothing politicians. Yeah, the same types who have successfully ignored the will of the people for so many years. Out of a nation of 300 million people, you'd think we could field a few really top notch candidates for leadership at any level. But noooo...

The point is that I remain uninspired and severely jaded. Call it writer's block, or call it a crisis of faith, but... I. GOT. NUTHIN'.

So, in a late hour attempt to find some really good material to offer our faithful Blogburst readers, I sent out a request to our affiliates for their favorite links this week, which I could compile for everyone's convenience. Thus, this week's Blogburst is a little bit of a Trick or Treat - some chilling, and some funny. Which is apropos, considering that our nation's immigration policy is a monstrous nightmare for mainstream Americans.

The Nightmare on Main Street Edition of the GTB Blogburst

So Bush signed a law to create a border fence. Here is an image of the fence as designed by a joint committee of Mexicans and Liberals, and approved by Bush... "Report an illegal to the Feds and watch the Feds sit on their hands!"

Minuteman 2.0.: The Minuteman project was a publicity stunt; we now need to take it to the next level and have citizen patrols guarding the border.

"Needed: Border Billboards": As soon as sniper posts are erected along our borders, we'll need some billboards erected that read something like this...

The Carpentersville Saga: Carpentersville Illinois is pursuing a Hazelton style ordinance, but as these two videos show, not if the pro crime Hispanics and their supporters have anything to say about it!

"The US Border Patrol and Border Police are Out Gunned, Out Manned and Facing an Enemy with Technological Superiority Over Them!": You knew illegals were coming into the USA daily, but did you know that down in Mexico they are literally being brought up to the border by the train load? The report has the pictures to prove it!

Trains from Central America and Mexico en route to the U.S. border

Wild Thing sent some more jarring photos of our uninvited and unwelcome and undocumented "guests"- and no, these are not crazy Halloween costumes:

If you think illegal immigration is nothing more than "good hard-working people, with good intentions" sneaking in here for a little harmless Trick-or-Treat, then these posts from some of the strongest contributors to Guard the Borders will convince you of the ghoulish truth.

Many thanks to Third World County, Mr. Ogre, Freedom Folks, PC Free Zone, and the Independent Conservative.

This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It was started by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we're going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration facing our country, join our Blogburst! Just send an email with your blog name and url to admin at guardtheborders dot com.

The narrative explains, with the aid of graphics, stock settlement mechanisms on the large exchanges. It clearly illustrates how some broker-dealers and their biggest clients - hedge funds and their financial backers can, and do “game” [commit FRAUD] the Depository Trust Clearing Corporation [DTCC]. The DTCC is supposed to act as a back office for Wall Street firms – electronically settling inter-dealer equity transactions.

It explains how a significant portion of the NYSE and NASDAQ’s combined daily trade of roughly 2.5 billion shares – does not settle properly. This means the alleged seller of stock takes the buyer’s money, but never delivers the shares they supposedly sold. Instead, they [or their broker dealer] send a “stock IOU” creating a Failure To Deliver, or FTD, to the buyer’s agent/broker.

Capitol Reef National Park was my first taste of the red rocks of Utah, the Kaobab zone if I recall.

The Waterpocket Fold defines Capitol Reef National Park. A nearly 100-mile long warp in the Earth's crust, the Waterpocket Fold is a classic monocline: a regional fold with one very steep side in an area of otherwise nearly horizontal layers.

It seemed that all of a sudden the reds literally exploded around us. Unearthly monoliths, pillars, and massive domes towered overhead. I felt as if I had left the planet. Giant plateaus, tilted strata, twisted canyons, unbelievable color, and lush dashes of green wherever water flowed. Junipers, cottonwoods, willows, and dashes of wildflowers created streams of life which flowed throughout the park. For my entire life I had never imaged that such a landscape existed on the entire planet, let alone in my own country!

I was reminded of Hanksville when I read

An early October flood that wiped out a century-old diversion dam has left farmers with no water for crops and threatens to end their way of life.

Capitol Reef Utah Hanksville/a> Mover Mike

Update:

From the Imperial Valley Press online

DOGWOOD ROAD GIRL HAUNTING
This story has been passed on for years, but the origin is shrouded in mystery. The legend is that if you drive down the southern area of this road after midnight, you will see a girl walking alongside the road. Stop to give her a ride, and she will take a seat, remain silent and eventually disappear. Pass her by, and she is rumored to jump on your hood and attempt to make you crash. The ghost is said to be the unrested soul of a young woman who died in a tragic accident along Dogwood Road.

A cursory examination of the performance of the 30 stocks since Mid March of 2006 shows no correlation with the Altman Z Score, with the exception of GE. You may recall The Dividend Guy in Stock Analysis - My Approach with GE, singled out GE as a company that has a great record of dividend increases. He plugged in the financial data of GE using the Stock Selection Guide originated by the National Assn. of Investment Clubs and came out with this recommendatio relative to the price range:

GE is a SELL in the $51.83 to $63.52 range
MAYBE in the $40.15 to $51.83 range and
BUY in the $28.46 to $40.15 range. The share price of GE was $35.57. He says

At the end of the day, I was comfortable with my analysis and decided to buy GE. Time will tell if this was a good move or not, but at least I will be getting a steadily increasing dividend.

As a result of GE's restatement of its financial information in its amended 2004 Form 10-K dated May 6, 2005, readers should no longer rely on our previously filed financial statements and other financial information for the years and for each of the quarters in the years 2004, 2003, 2002 and 2001. Readers should also no longer rely on our previously announced results for the first quarter of 2005. (emphasis added)

FMNN ALTMAN'S Z-SCORE GE The Dividend Guy NAIC Mover Mike

What better way to finish the exhibition season than against the squad that has increased its moral fiber while lowering its talent pool?

Sacramento Kings Trail Blazers Portland NBA Mover Mike

Consider the large fiscal deficits we run and the large trade deficits that tend to pile dollars up over seas. China alone now holds over $1 Trillion of USD denominated assets pprimarily Treasuries. Today New York Federal Reserve President Timothy Geithner said:

The full effect on the international financial system of vast foreign ownership of U.S. government debt was not fully understood.

Hat Tip to Bill Murphy at Le Metropole!

New York Federal Reserve President Timothy+Geithner USD China Mover Mike

First, the Gold Bugs Index (HUI) looks like its consolidation is over. A point and figure chart of HUI going back to 2002 shows trading sideways under 150 then a breakout to 250 then trading sideways and then a breakout to 400. HUI has traded sideways since May with major support at 280. Three times HUI has tested the 280 level, three times it bounced off that level. (see chart) Just recently, HUI broke out above 308 and looks like it wants to go higher. (see chart)

Second, Gold, is challenging $600 once again (see Jesse)and a breakout over that level would cross the bearish trendline coming from the high of $712 and would give us an initial goal of $666. I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but breaking that level puts $800 back on the radar screen.

So now how do we play this scenario?

1. Buy gold coins with the risk that we are wrong and gold breaks $560. The current price of a 1 oz. American Eagle is $620.
2. Buy GLD the ETF that is a stock substitute for the commodity. Current price is about $59 1/2. I would put a stop at $55.
3. Use a gold mutual fund. I use First Eagle SoGen Gold Fund (SGGDX). The advantage of stocks in gold mining companies versus to the ETF GLD is the leverage, the ability to outperform gold.
4. Speculate in a junior gold mining stock. I still use Golden Star (GSS). Use any that you like. Not only will you get leverage, but since many have underperformed GLD and HUI, there will be a catch up. For example, GSS is down 10% for the year HUI is up 3.8% for the year and GLD is up 7.76% for the year. At some point they will all be up the same amount. If GLD goes to +20%, then GSS will go to +20%, but from a -10% level.

Why should you believe me? You shouldn't! I am not be accountable to you and will not tell you when to reverse the trade. Go do your own homework, exercise risk control and if you want to have Gold as part of a diversified portfolio, pick the means that best fits your risk strategy or tolerance.

Gold Gold Bugs Index HUI SGGDX GSS GLD Mover Mike

Update:

One of the most decorated French geophysicists has converted from a believer in manmade catastrophic global warming to a climate skeptic. This latest defector from the global warming camp caps a year in which numerous scientific studies have bolstered the claims of climate skeptics.

Claude Allegre, a member of both the French and U.S. Academy of Sciences, wrote: the “cause of climate change remains unknown” and pointed out that Kilimanjaro is not losing snow due to global warming, but to local land use and precipitation changes. Allegre also pointed out that studies show that Antarctic snowfall rate has been stable over the past 30 years and the continent is actually gaining ice.

Earlier this year, a group of prominent scientists came forward to question the so-called “consensus” that the Earth faces a “climate emergency.”

Another sign that that the alarm over "global warming" has been over rated or over stated is the paper from Geophyical Research Letters “Recent Cooling of the Upper Ocean” by J.M. Lyman, J.K. Willis, and G. C. Johnson. In the paper the scientists report that 20% of the total upper ocean heat that had built up over the years from 1955 to 2003 has been lost in just two years from 2003 to 2005. Raising more questions about "global warming".

Battros has done excellent research and his site deserves to be read widely. You can subscribe to his Premium Membership for 1 Year for $41.95.

Global Warming Earth Changes TV Mitch Battros Mover Mike

MAP 1.5 2006/10/23 21:36:46 45.366 -122.033 10.5 5 km ( 3 mi) WNW of Mount Hood Village, OR

Winds 111-130 mph (96-113 kt or 178-209 km/hr). Storm surge generally 9-12 ft above normal. Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Damage to shrubbery and trees with foliage blown off trees and large trees blown down. Mobile homes and poorly constructed signs are destroyed. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by battering from floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 ft above mean sea level may be flooded inland 8 miles (13 km) or more. Evacuation of low-lying residences with several blocks of the shoreline may be required.

Update:

Michelle Malkin NYT Terrorist Finance Tracking Program Mover Mike

Update:

By Toni at Bear Creek Ledger

Those pro-illegal aliens should be paying attention to what's happening with the drug cartels south of the border. This is what we in the US have to look forward to if there isn't something done to control our southern borders.

We also have Venezuela's Chavez giving legal ID's to members of Hezbollah and Hamas but he is also assisting their efforts to become proficient in Spanish to help these terrorists to infiltrate the US.

Here's a story that is definitely not been publicized on the front page but should be since these drug cartels are controlling many areas of our southern border. I am getting to the point of believing the US should be placing active duty troops on our southern border to protect us. There is an assault and invasion occurring today that has been ignored and local law enforcement doesn't have a prayer against these drug cartels. And don't tell me about "posse comitatus"! These troops would be attacking foreign invaders.

From the Modern Tribalist is a story from ContraCostaTimes:

For all the beefed-up enforcement along the border, the militialike group of drug cartel enforcers known as the Zetas appears stronger than ever, a result of better training, successful recruiting in Central America and continued desertions from the Mexican military, U.S. intelligence officials say.

The Zetas have again become entrenched in Nuevo Laredo, and they practically control the movement of people through an intricate web of spies, checkpoints and skillful use of technology, provoking an extraordinary cross-border human exodus, U.S. and Mexican authorities say.

Last year, U.S. and Mexican authorities reported that the number of Zetas was falling rapidly, the result of both government pressure and ongoing warfare with rival cartels. But the shadowy group of elite former military officers, soldiers and others has now grown to more than 500 nationwide, with hundreds more in a support network throughout the country, U.S. officials said. Some of those networks are deepening their ties to Texas cities, including Houston and Dallas, with the help of Texas gang members.

A shootout late Friday between Zetas and members of the Mexican military - reportedly acting on tips from the Sinaloa cartel - involved grenades and bazookas in a residential neighborhood of Nuevo Laredo, U.S. authorities said. The firefight killed four people suspected of drug trafficking - believed to be Zetas - and injured at least four others, authorities said.

The report could not be independently confirmed.

The Zetas, enforcers of the gulf cartel, are battling rival members of the Sinaloa cartel for drug distribution routes, including the Interstate 35 corridor into Texas.

U.S. authorities said the gulf cartel has established training camps in the states of Tamaulipas - its base of operations - and Nuevo Leon, both of which border Texas, and in the central state of Michoacan. The organization is recruiting former Guatemalan special forces military personnel known as Kaibiles and members of the notorious cross border gangs known as Maras, including the violent Mara Salvatruchas with ties to El Salvador.

"The resiliency and determination of these criminals are beyond anything I have seen in my years in U.S. law enforcement," said one U.S. intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "They're tough, and they won't break easily. They pose a serious threat to Mexico and to security along the border."

Be sure to read the rest of the article to fully realize the threat we are facing.

Beheadings are becoming the new tactical choice of these terrorists/drug cartels and the US is allowing this to be imported with impunity to the US. For those who are planning travel to Mexico you better be sure of where you're going because Mexico is not a safe country for travel.

Mexico City — To send a chilling message to their underworld rivals, Mexican drug cartels are adopting a method of intimidation made notorious by Middle Eastern terrorist groups.

Already this year, at least 26 people have been decapitated in Mexico, with heads stuck on fences, dumped in trash piles and — most recently — tossed onto a nightclub dance floor.

Although beheading goes back centuries as a form of execution, it has become the latest tactical escalation of a turf war that gets nastier all the time, with hit men looking for new ways to instill fear.

"Before, they tortured the hell out of people, but they didn't throw their heads out in public," said James Kuykendall, a retired U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent.

Why this form of murder and mutilation is being used now is anyone's guess.

Beheadings have had a high international profile in recent years, as the tool of radical Islamist groups that release videos of hostages being executed.

In Mexico, as crime bosses fall and turf shifts, the pattern of killing is changing.

This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It was started by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we're going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration facing our country, join our Blogburst! Just send an email with your blog name and url to admin at guardtheborders dot com.

Update:

All have missed and did little damage before. Pray that Cabo will be saved again.

Cabo San Lucas Tropical Storm PAUL Hurricane Mexico Mover Mike

Update:

I can tell you one thing, those young men

the amateur warrior plucked from a life of nondescript normalcy and asked to save the free world from genocidal fascism

Whatever the reason, they did what they were ordered to do at great peril. When they got home, they deserved more from their country than to be treated as heroes. They earned respect. Instead they were used to raise money for the war effort and then discarded.

Flags of Our Fathers Iwo Jima Movie Review Mover Mike

According to Navy.mil a "Strike group" may consist of

* a carrier – The carrier provides a wide range of options to the U.S. government from simply showing the flag to attacks on airborne, afloat and ashore targets. Because carriers operate in international waters, its aircraft do not need to secure landing rights on foreign soil. These ships also engage in sustained operations in support of other forces.

* a guided missile cruiser – multi-mission surface combatant. Equipped with Tomahawks for long-range strike capability.

* two guided missile destroyers – multi-mission suface combatants, used primarily for anti-air warfare (AAW)

* an attack submarine – in a direct support role seeking out and destroying hostile surface ships and submarines

* a combined ammunition, oiler, and supply ship – provides logistic support enabling the Navy's forward presence; on station, ready to respond

Update: USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) is a Wasp class amphibious assault ship and looks like a carrier. According to Wikipedia,

are designed to land forces on hostile shores, and they are the largest vessels of this type in service anywhere in the world. To the untrained eye they may resemble an aircraft carrier. However, despite the fact that they normally carry a small number of AV-8B Harrier II aircraft, and have a secondary role supporting this type in larger numbers, their primary role is not operating fixed wing aircraft. They have a large air wing of helicopters which are dedicated to ferrying troops and equipment ashore from the ships. They also possess a well deck for launching smaller landing craft, up to 2 hovercraft LCAC or landing craft LCU.

Iwo Jima is currently serving as the flagship for the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), which includes the USS Nashville (LPD 13), USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41), USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), USS Cole (DDG 67), and USS Albuquerque (SSN 706). Additionally, the Iwo Jima ESG includes the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), as well as various supporting elements from Assault Craft Unit 4, Beachmaster Unit 2, and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26.

Update:

On Oct. 7, aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1 stationed aboard USS Enterprise (CVN 65) participated in their second heaviest day of close air support in the skies over Afghanistan since they began operations in there early September. Enterprise with its embarked air wing is currently located in the Northern Arabian Sea.

I received my first issue of my free one year subscription to Rolling Stone magazine. Featured on the cover and inside is a story entitled The Worst Congress Ever by Matt Taibbi. It is an interesting article, totally biased against the Republicans (Read here my thoughts on the article). The article names the 10 worst Congressmen. Nine of ten are Republicans.

I went to Technorati and searched for other mentions of the article by searching for "Rolling Stone".(Read about others posting about "Congress") I found a Live Journal article by mparent7777 entitled Bush's Absolute Power Grab. Mparent quotes an article by Carla Binion who quotes Robert Dreyfuss who covers national security for Rolling Stone. Dreyfuss quotes political science professor John Mueller to buttress his view that the war on terrorism is bogus.

I read an article that Mueller wrote for Foreign Affairs, The Iraq Syndrome, and am intrigued by several things especially Mueller's comments about support for various wars and how that support flags over time. (Read here my thoughts on the article)

Who is John Mueller I wonder, so off to Google I go to get a bio and writings of Mueller asking myself if Mueller is biased?

John Mueller holds the Woody Hayes Chair of National Security Studies, Mershon Center, and is professor of Political Science, at Ohio State University where he teaches courses in international relations. He has written extensively and has not served in any administration that I can see. One book he has written appeals to me and I order it on Amazon.com: "Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery." by John E. Mueller

Public support for the war in Iraq has followed the same course as it did for the wars in Korea and Vietnam: broad enthusiasm at the outset with erosion of support as casualties mount. The experience of those past wars suggests that there is nothing President Bush can do to reverse this deterioration -- or to stave off an "Iraq syndrome" that could inhibit U.S. foreign policy for decades to come.

Mueller points out that some argue that Americans back quick winning and the minute you start to lose, support vanishes. Would winning get back support? Mueller argues that more than 80% of those who strongly oppose the war will not change to supporting the war.

Gary Jacobson, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego, has documented that the partisan divide over the war in Iraq is considerably greater than for any military action over the last half century and that the partisan split on presidential approval ratings, despite a major narrowing after the attacks of September 11, 2001, is greater than for any president over that period -- greater than for Clinton, Reagan, or Nixon.

Consequences of this erosion include a reluctance to challenge North Korea directly and a direspectful attitude from Iran that makes any U.S. unilateral action improbable. It would seem to me that the only hope of confronting beligerent states now or in the future lies in multilateral action, and there I do not see Russia, China and the U.S. ever being on the same side.

John Mueller The Iraq Syndrome U.S. foreign policy Mover Mike

"On Topic" With Doug Krile - Rolling Stone on Congress
mparent7777) at LiVEJOURNAL - Bush's Absolute Power Grab
ConsortiumNews.com - Bush's Absolute Power Grab
The Cynical Optimist - Monarchical Bush
Wired by England by Weird - Inside the Worst Congress Ever
dje2004) at LiVEJOURNAL - Worst. Congress. Ever.
Danny Wedding's Notes - Time to Go! Inside the Worst Congress Ever
The Carpetbagger Report - 'So bad that it makes you wonder if democracy is a failed experiment'
Richie at MySpace.com - Where Does Character Count...10/20
BiblioSquirrel - Important

Just like today's resurfacing of my brake rotors, so too do we need to stick Congress on the lathe of democracy and smooth away the warped partisans who do harm to our braking system of reasoned debate before laws are passed.

And a new scandal among Dems: Another Democratic Scandal by Crazy Politico's Rantings

Rolling Stone Matt Taibbi Congress Mover Mike

Update:

Taibbi writes

...Congress ...has hijacked the national treasury, frantically ceded power to the executive, and sold off the federal government in a private auction. It all happened before our very eyes. In case you missed it, here's how they did it — in five easy steps:

It is no big scoop that the majority party in Congress has always found ways of giving the shaft to the minority. But there is a marked difference in the size and the length of the shaft the Republicans have given the Democrats in the past six years.

Then there are bills "open to amendment" In 1977, when Democrats held a majority 85% of bills brought to the floor were open to amendment. In 1994, under Democrats that figure declined to 30%. The nasty Republican Cabal have reduced the percentage to almost zero. One out of 111 bills were "open". It started with the Dems.

Step Two: WORK AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE — AND SCREW UP WHAT LITTLE YOU DO

In the Sixties and Seventies, Congress met an average of 162 days a year. In the Eighties and Nineties, the average went down to 139 days. This year, the second session of the 109th Congress will set the all-time record for fewest days worked by a U.S. Congress: ninety-three. That means that House members will collect their $165,000 paychecks for only three months of actual work. (emphasis added)

Step Three: LET THE PRESIDENT DO WHATEVER HE WANTS

Regarding oversight which is the job of Congress:

From the McCarthy era in the 1950s through the Republican takeover of Congress in 1995, no Democratic committee chairman issued a subpoena without either minority consent or a committee vote. In the Clinton years, Republicans chucked that long-standing arrangement and issued more than 1,000 subpoenas to investigate alleged administration and Democratic misconduct, reviewing more than 2 million pages of government documents.

Guess how many subpoenas have been issued to the White House since George Bush took office? Zero --

Step Four: SPEND, SPEND, SPEND

There is a simple reason that members of Congress don't waste their time providing any oversight of the executive branch: There's nothing in it for them. "What they've all figured out is that there's no political payoff in oversight," says Wheeler, the former congressional staffer. "But there's a big payoff in pork.

Step Five: LINE YOUR OWN POCKETS

Here Taibbi takes after GOP ex-congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham and Ohio's Congressman Bob Ney and Abramoff. There's no mention of Sen. Henry Reid (Democrat Minority Leader) who just made $1.1 Million on property he said he sold three years earlier. For once Taibbi puts his finger on the real issue:

The greed and laziness of the 109th Congress has reached such epic proportions that it has finally started to piss off the public.

Rolling Stone Matt Taibbi Congress Mover Mike

Update:

I don't honestly know if smaller class sizes are the answer to better education. (You may recall my post about California's State Superintendent saying there are no studies that he is aware of that prove class size is a determining factor in better educating students.) Something is wrong with our Portland Public Schools (PPS) education system. I don't know if the problem is local or national. However, we should get some answers before we spend another $33 Million a year.

How do I know something is wrong? In this pro-levy piece from PPS, they are proud of the progress students have made in the last three years in Math and Reading in Grades 3, 5, 8 and 10. And there is definite improvement. However, what strikes me is that in Grade 3, student achievement, however that's defined, is 80% in both Math and Reading. In Grade 5, student achievement is still close to 80% in both Math and Reading. By Grade 8, student achievement has slipped to 60%, and by Grade 10, student achievement has fallen below 50%.

I asked one administrator at Ockley Green what is happening. He said the two reasons that come to mind are the tests are much tougher in Grade 8 and 10, and by Grade 8 and 10, students may have moved from school to school disrupting their education and dropping their scores. The first reason sounds bogus to me. Of course the tests are harder. Algebra is harder than basic math and Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy is harder that Dick and Jane. As for the second excuse, by the time I hit Madison High I had attended six grade schools, yet still graduated with a 3.4 GPA and was accepted at Willamette University.

Think of it, less than 50% of the students in Grade 10 meet student proficiency levels in Math and Reading. Is there any job you know where it is acceptable to be late 50% of the time; or only cook 50% of the customers hamburgers?

Do we need more money or is it something else? Is it parent involvement? And, if so, how do you get parents more involved? Are our methods of teaching outdated? Are our teachers burnt out? I don't know the answer. We are going to elect a Governor soon. Both have been involved in education. We need to say to all candidates, the path we are on is not working. What else have you got?

Local Option Levy Measure 26-84 Portland Portland Public Schools Oregon Education Mover Mike

Mover Mike: Please quote me the source where Bush said his decision to go into Iraq was based on faulty intelligence. December 14, 2005, President Bush: "It is true that much of the intelligence turned out to be wrong," Bush said during his fourth and final speech before Thursday's vote for Iraq's parliament. "As president I am responsible for the decision to go into Iraq. And I'm also responsible for fixing what went wrong by reforming our intelligence capabilities. And we're doing just that."

Mover Mike: He didn't know his decision to go into Iraq was based on faulty intelligence, thus there is no question he took his decision seriously. You seem to believe based on some testimony that he demanded intelligence that fit his plan and rejected evidence to the contrary.

You quote as faulty evidence "that Iraq had sought uranium from Africa before the war". This has to do with Plame-Wilson and we know now, contrary to the MSM that it was Wilson that lied.

One of the most stunning revelations contained in the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA is that virtually everything Joseph Wilson has said about his trip to Niger, and the report that Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger, is a lie.

Now it appears Drumheller's claim was untrue, according to the findings of a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence investigation. Rather than undercutting the Bush administration's rationale for invading Iraq, (Naji Sabri, the then Iraqi foreign minister)'s account shows how well-founded the intelligence on Saddam's weapons program appeared to be.

I don't find that the Condoleezza Rice quote answers the question. The CBC and CBS links seem to be broken. One FINAL comment. You seem to rely on sources like CBS, CNN, NYT and Commondreans(sic).org. Look at the columnists of the May, 2003 entry:

I appreciate your visits and your comments have been enlightening, just not convincing!

President Bush Joseph Wilson Tyler Drumheller Mover Mike

Does the series of quakes after the initial 6.6 and seven minutes later 5.8 Quakes signal some new geologic event? Could we be looking at some new expansion of the Hawaiian Islands?

MAP 1.7 2006/10/15 22:09:44 19.953 -155.589 1.8 12 km ( 7 mi) SE of Waimea, HI
MAP 2.4 2006/10/15 22:00:24 20.047 -156.105 14.0 28 km ( 17 mi) WNW of Puako, HI

MAP 5.8 2006/10/15 17:14:12 20.129 -155.983 18.9 20 km ( 12 mi) SW of Hawi, HI
MAP 6.6 2006/10/15 17:07:49 19.878 -155.935 38.9 10 km ( 6 mi) SW of Puako, HI
MAP 1.9 2006/10/15 12:26:14 19.336 -155.219 5.9 13 km ( 8 mi) S of Volcano, HI

SFGate.com has an excellent graphic of the geology:

Hawaiian Earthquakes Gamma-Ray Burst Mover Mike

Update:

Do You Want To Be My Partner?

Kulongoski vs Saxton

Sanctions Voted on N Korea

Oregon Quake

Does David Frum Speak For The President?

Grain stockpiles at lowest for 25 years

Storm Large is Bounced!)

Sen. Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader

Another Record Trade Deficit

"VR" and Kulongoski

Today's paper said the last book he read is Imperial Grunts: The American Military on the Ground by Robert D. Kaplan. I have not read this Kaplan book, so I ordered it after looking at reviews. While Kaplan believes the US is the Roman Empire of the 21st century, he does admire the U.S. troops. As a Marine, Gov K, probably identifies with grunts and may even feel like his life has been lived as a warrior. He seems like a guy with whom I would be comfortable having dinner or a beer, if I drank.

I did not like what I read in The Oregonian, today, about Ron Saxton. Aside from walking a narrow legal line of claiming two addresses, one for Lincoln High for his son and the other one in Mt. Tabor for his run for the school board, "he portrays himself as a negotiator more interested in agreement than in legal combat."

Why is that important? The Oregonian says he established close ties

...with the head of the Portland Association of Teachers, Richard Garrett. The two cut the deals to finalize a contract that had been at an impasse with district negotiators; critics noted that it was left to future boards to demand caps on health care benefits. (Emphasis added)

He played a major role in the 1998 hiring of Ben Canada as Portland's superintendent. "...and, ever mindful of open conflict, he wanted the board to present a united front in public.

Canada was a public relations disaster for the district,

Gov. Ted KulongoskiRon Saxton Oregon Governor's Race Mover Mike

# it espressly rules out military action
# if North Korea continues pursuing nuclear weapons, the U.S. would return to the council and seek further measures
# China's U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya said after the vote that the provision allowing the boarding of ships to inspect cargo was still unacceptable to Beijing.

U.N. Security Council North Korea Mover Mike

David Frum, former speech writer of President George W Bush, has written a response to North Korea and essentially the Democrats:

It is, alas, an iron law of modern diplomacy that the failure of any diplomatic process only proves the need for more of the process that has just failed. Thus those who have long supported negotiating with North Korea are now calling for the Bush administration to begin direct talks with the Kim Jong-il regime. Sorry, but all this would accomplish would be to reward an actual proliferator in order to preserve the illusion that the world still has a meaningful nonproliferation regime.

[...]

America has three key strategic goals in the wake of the North Korean nuclear test. The first is to enhance the security of those American allies most directly threatened by North Korean nuclear weapons: Japan and South Korea.

The second is to exact a price from North Korea for its nuclear program severe enough to frighten Iran and any other rogue regimes considering following the North Korean path.

The last is to punish China. North Korea could not have completed its bomb if China, which provides the country an immense amount of food and energy aid, had strongly opposed it.

David Frum NY Times Op-Ed North Korea Nuclear Proliferation Mover Mike

The world’s stockpiles of wheat are at their lowest level in more than a quarter century, according to the US Department of Agriculture, which on Thursday slashed its forecasts for global wheat and corn production.

[...]

“The concern now is what happens next year. If we have poor conditions for growing wheat again, supplies could get very tight and we might see some demand rationing,” said Dan Cekander, grains analyst at Fimat.

Drought Wheat Corn Ethanol Mover Mike

Update:

Heavy wet snow is expected in Buffalo, NY tonight:

HEAVY SNOW IN THE BUFFALO METRO AREA THIS EARLY IS UNPRECEDENTED.

Storm Large, saying she and Magni have been bounced from the tour and will not be appearing in PDX with Supernova.

Typical Storm says,

"They SAY it's financial,... but I know what REALLY went down ... I clearly haven't slept with enough people. I thought I got all of em' but a few were kinda squirrely and escaped my lusty grip. DANG IT !!"

Shall we go?

Storm Large Supernova Mover Mike

The Sen. Reid land deal raises all sorts of questions and red flags. In case you've been out of touch here's the story from ABC: (Hat Tip: Barking Moonbat)

The deal began in 1998 when Reid bought undeveloped residential property on Las Vegas' booming outskirts for about $400,000. (Reid bought the land after Del Webb and Perma-Bilt Del Webb and Perma-Bilt purchased environmentally sensitive lands in the Lake Tahoe area, transferred them to the government and then got in exchange several pieces of valuable Las Vegas land. Land that just happened to be next to Reids and took in the corner, all of which was rezoned for a shopping center.) Reid bought one lot outright, and a second parcel jointly with Brown. Review Journal.com describes the property:

Reid reported that he sold a piece of property and a 47 percent interest in an adjoining piece of land in January 2004...

Clark County records indicate that the property was 4.73 acres on Patrick Lane just west of Fort Apache Road, south of Spring Valley. Records show the buyer was Patrick Lane LLC, whose manager was listed as Jay Brown, an attorney and longtime Reid friend and associate.

In 2001, Reid sold the land for the same price to a limited liability corporation created by Brown. The senator didn't disclose the sale on his annual public ethics report or tell Congress he had any stake in Brown's company. He continued to report to Congress that he personally owned the land.

After getting local officials to rezone the property for a shopping center, Brown's company sold the land in 2004 to other developers and Reid took $1.1 million of the proceeds, nearly tripling the senator's investment. Reid reported it to Congress as a personal land sale.

The complex dealings allowed Reid to transfer ownership, legal liability and some tax consequences to Brown's company without public knowledge, but still collect a seven-figure payoff nearly three years later.

Reid says he bought the property for $400,000. What are the details of the lot purchase?

He bought a second lot jointly with Jay Brown. How was that second lot purchased?

Reid sold the property in 2001 to Brown. Reid never informed Congress of the sale, yet, he continued to pay property taxes on the property. Why would he continue to pay property taxes? Did he pay them to the government agency or to Brown's company?

Who was the seller benefitting from a government land swap?

Who approved the land swap?

Was Reid or Reid's committee involved with the approval?

The seller claims he never talked to Reid. Could we see the phone records and email records to determine if he is telling the truth?

Who are the local officials that approved a zone change and what is their relationship to Reid?

Reid claimed $1.1 Million on the sale. Did Reid report the property sale as income on his tax return?

The complex dealings allow Reid to avoid legal liability and some tax consequences. How significant were the legal liabilities and tax consequences?

Reid said there are no documents proving Reid's stake in the company because it was an informal understanding between friends. If I paid $400,000 or more for property and transferred that property to a friend, I would want some paper documenting the transaction. Maybe Reid didn't put up any money.

The Nevada Democrat's deal was engineered by Jay Brown, a longtime friend and former casino lawyer whose name surfaced in a major political bribery trial this summer and in other prior organized crime investigations.

Real Clear Politics asks, "Where is the Media?

politicalpartypoop.com has a .jpg of the deed of sale. Looks pretty official. Again why if you sold it would you pay the property taxes?

Lastly, it appears that Reid benefitted from insider information buying his lot after the exchange of property with Del Webb and the governmment.

Sen. Harry Reid Las Vegas Jay Brown Del Webb Perma-Bilt Patrick Lane LLC Mover Mike

Update:

The U.S. trade deficit widened to a record $69.86 billion in August, inflated by high oil prices and American demand for imports. The deficit with China rose to a record. Exports rebounded from July's fall, rising 2.3% on strong sales of aircraft, foods and consumer goods.

For seven months, our trade deficit is $453 Billion versus $398.3 Billion in the first seven months of 2005, a 13.7% increase. We are running an annualized trade deficit of $776 Billion!

Trade Deficit Finance USD Mover Mike

Earthquake Oregon Mover Mike

2000 - Olivia was a tropical storm that formed off the southwest coast of mainland Mexico, and generally tracked west-northwestward and remained over open water.

1995 - A new tropical storm is spinning just off Mexico's northern Yucatan Peninsula, making this one of the busiest tropical storm seasons in history. The storm's current path would take it into Louisiana.
Forecasters named the system Tropical Storm Olivia

1982 - Storm name:OLIVIA Maximum wind speed:144 mph, (125 knots)

1978 - Hurricane Olivia was a continuation of Atlantic Hurricane Greta. The depression emerged from Central America and quickly restrengthened into Tropical Storm Olivia. The storm erratically changed course and headed straight north as a hurricane. Olivia made landfall near the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and dissipated on September 23.

1975 - Hurricane Olivia was the strongest landfall of the season. A tropical storm formed on October 22 south of Mexico. It moved northwestward initially, followed by a northeast turn. Olivia then intensified steadily. It reached Category 3 intensity and a peak of 115 mph winds just before landfall. On October 25, Olivia smashed ashore close to Mazatlan. Olivia was the strongest landfall since 1959.

1971 - Atlantic Hurricane Irene (September 1971) became Northeast Pacific Tropical Storm Olivia.

1967 - Storm name:OLIVIA Maximum wind speed:87 mph, (75 knots)

They Call the Wind Maria Olivia!

Away out here they got a name
For rain and wind and fire
The rain is Tess, the fire Joe,
And they call the wind Maria

Maria blows the stars around
And sends the clouds a’flyin’
Maria makes the mountains sound
Like folks were up there dying

(Allen Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe)

I don't want this reply to "VR" to be buried, so I am posting it here as a stand alone post.

VR, you make it very hard to have a rational discussion, because you nit pick a word or phrase rather than look at the picture I’m trying to paint. Every color doesn’t have to be the perfect color choice to see the scene.

I recognize Gov K’s efforts to be supportive of Oregon Troops and it is laudable that he attends every funeral.

I question his commitment to those who have been sent to Iraq.

“Kulongoski has changed his thinking on Iraq... In March 2003,... Kulongoski said he was "very supportive of the president's effort to try to resolve this conflict in the Middle East with Iraq," including the use of force to oust Saddam Hussein.

A little more than a year (2004) later, however, Kulongoski began calling for an exit strategy and a clear timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops.

Now I didn’t compare this “war” in Iraq with Valley Forge, Gettysburg and The Battle of the Bulge. I alluded to the heroic efforts of our troops. Much could have been lost in all those battles if our men had failed. They didn’t fail. We always ask too much of our men and they always respond. There has never been “quit” in our troops. If anything, because they don’t quit, they have been abused at times. You speak of Vietnam, my generation’s war. We never lost that war on the battlefield. We lost it here at home, on the streets, and in the liberal newspapers and the politician’s offices. Politicians that ordered our troops to “war”, and then tied a hand behind our backs, allowing the enemy to operate from protected sanctuaries. We don’t ask too much of our troops. We don’t ask enough of our politicians!

I do not want my politicians fighting to get me home. I want my politicians fighting to keep me from being sent. But if sent, I want my politician fighting to give me everything possible, with no rules, to kill the bastards. Then when the job is done, bring me home with honor and tell me “We are sorry that we had to ask so much of you!”

Governor Ted Kulongoski Oregon Mover Mike

Tropical Depression SIXTEEN-E Cabo San Lucas Mover Mike

Update:

Presently, winds at 30,000 feet over Chicago are southwest around 40 m.p.h. with the 100 m.p.h.-plus core of the jet stream situated along the U.S./Canada border. By Wednesday, the jet stream flow will shift north-south with a core of 150 m.p.h.-plus winds just to the west through the Dakotas and western Iowa. An Arctic-source high pressure air mass will be steered directly south through Canada into the western Great Lakes and Midwest. By Thursday, there's a good chance snow will blanket northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan, while the Chicago area is hit with record cold (highs in the 30s Thursday) and snow flurries.

Update:

Never before in 121 years of weather records dating back to 1885 has as much snow fallen as EARLY in a new snow season as it did Thursday. That was true not only in Chicago, but in DeKalb and Rockford as well. Across the lake, Grand Rapids, Michigan, the 1.4" of snow which had accumulated by midday was the heaviest so early in the season. On only 6 occasions in all the years since official snow measurements began in Chicago back in 1885, has snow fallen (including "traces" of snow—i.e. less than 0.1") as early or earlier, underscoring the uniqueness of Thursday's snow event.

MAP 4.2 2006/10/09 01:35:28 41.294 129.134 0.0 NORTH KOREA

MAP 4.2 2006/10/09 01:35:28 41.311 129.114 0.0 NORTH KOREA

North Korea Mover Mike

Update:

The test alters the balance of power in northeast Asia and touches off grave new concerns about the proliferation of refined nuclear material or devices to other rogue states or terrorist groups. North Korea, a secretive communist state which strictly limits all contact with the outside world, already generates tens of millions of dollars a year through its thriving underground sales of missiles and other sophisticated weaponry to nations including Iran and Syria."

North Korea’s nuclear test was equivalent to 550 tons of TNT, a state-run South Korean geological institute said. That is relatively small compared to the bomb the United States dropped on Hiroshima, which was equivalent to 12,500 tons of TNT.

Do You Want To Be My Partner?

Kulongoski: "the U.S. is asking too much of its troops."

Vote AGAINST Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

We Win!

Two New Sources of Opinions

Followup to Predictions for 2006

Democrats Tell Rosie O’Donnell...

Guard the Borders Blogburst

'Very Light Jets' Certified by FAA

Our boys and girls are over there being wounded and killed for a cause the politicians thought was right. So far 70 Oregonians have been killed in the War on Terror. Did Kulongoski think we would just go in, throw out Sadaam, waltz back home and not endure casualties?

Our boys and girls deserve to have the best equipment and overwhelming force to do the job. If Kulongoski started calling for an exit strategy a little more than a year after going into Iraq, he is undermining our troops. He obviously let our troops down by not giving much thought to the aftermath of going in? Where's his staying power? If I want to undermine the troops