The Ends Meet; The Circle Is Complete

Awesome political news: Nader: Progressive-libertarian alliance ‘the most exciting new political dynamic’ in US Hell yeah! Excerpts in italics:

Prepare for the rise of libertarian progressives.

That was the message earlier in the week from trends analyst Gerald Celente, who predicted that the rapid acceleration of wealth into the coffers of the ultra-rich would drive a global youth resistance movement in 2011 and reformat long-held political boundaries.

Longtime American politics gadfly Ralph Nader, a man of many ideas almost diametrically opposed by most libertarian conservatives, said Wednesday that he sees a coming convergence of liberals, progressives and libertarian conservatives in the wake of a worsening financial crisis and dogged partisanship that's put the government into gridlock.

Speaking to Fox Business's libertarian host Judge Napolitano, Nader called these shifting alliances "the most exciting new political dynamic" in the US today.
And:
So how will this left-right alliance begin?

Nader suggested that it already has, thanks to the unity of Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the most conservative and most liberal members of their respective chambers. They've teamed up to propose cuts to the US defense budget, which has long been by far the largest sector of America's annual budget, and to push a more thorough audit of the Federal Reserve, the private central bank which controls America's currency.

And:

"The authentic tea partiers hail from the conservative libertarian wing of the Republican party that has been so disrespected and corporatized by the likes of Bush and Cheney," Nader said. "So here they come into town and they're going to go after a lot of things the Republican establishment is opposed to."

He added that a coming "liberal-conservative connection" will ultimately "draw that distinction between the corporatist and the genuine libertarian conservatives."

And:

"The key thing is when they go after all the bloated corporate welfare subsidies, handouts, give-aways, bailouts -- they're going to alienate all these corporate Republicans, but they don't care," he said. "The one's I'm talking about, in the House and Senate, they operate on principle. They don't care if they're overruled, if they don't get the monuments or the freebies. They operate on principle and they're going to make an alliance with the liberal progressives."

So.. When can you guys start work?

This could be an amazing development. I'm thrilled it's happening. Politicians standing on principle? This is the most hopeful, optimistic story we've had in 2011, and maybe all year. Maybe we can turn this catastrophe around, averting disaster at the last second. Not likely. More likely? We can prepare for this upcoming crash, navigate the simultaneous insanity(s) resulting from such a crash, successfully rebound from said insanity(s), and we can become a stronger nation, and a more perfect union. To paraphrase Clif over at halfpasthuman; Learning to fall can save our lives.

This can be achieved if our best thinkers from the far ends of our spectrum, come together, think objectively, synthesize their best thoughts, and genuinely plan for the welfare of all Americans. And these men and women can do so with equal parts passion and civility. We can achieve much when we work together, without infighting. We are capable; but will we, really? And are we too late?

Epic Flooding: Brazil Edition

Brazil Flood Disaster Kills Hundreds Excerpts:

Torrential rain this week has triggered deadly
flash flooding and landslides in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, leaving a death toll of at least 348 as of Thursday.
And:
The two hardest-hit cities were Teresopolis and Novo Friburgo, located in the highlands north and northeast of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Cloudbursts pelting already-saturated ground triggered walls of water that reportedly burst through homes as people slept. Whole families died and hundreds of homes were either swept away or buried beneath earth and rock.

Weather observations from the area show rainfall of 3 to 6 inches,
or 75 to 150 mm, beginning Tuesday. But Metsul, an online weather blog, indicated that rainfall may have reached 12 inches, or 300
mm, within a few hours at both Teresopolis and Novo Friburgo, during the disastrous height of the event.

Brazilian Gallery here: Australian update here: Bonus: Short term economic impact to Australia and its trading partners. Another possible explanation for the continuing and widespread weather weirdness here.

These really are the "interesting times" the cookie spoke of.

Polar Night Ends Early: File Under; What The What?

Original thread from Godlike. Original translation from article at Rsoe. Ominous. Any bets? 2012? Planet X? Global Warming? The arrival of the Antichrist? Excerpts:

Beyond the Arctic Circle, can find the time needed for day and night
depending on latitude up to half a year, the sunrise
something very special - even more so when the always
joyfully anticipated event is just around two days early is taking
place..

According to the KNR Radio Greenland, the sun was in West Greenland Ilulissat on Tuesday (11.1.) at exactly 12:56:57 Clock. Normally the sun goes there until 13 January for the first time after the polar night again. Inhabitants of the third-largest city with 4,500 inhabitants of Greenland, made because of the early sun appeared worried.

"Here in the place the sun comes up until 13 January. There will not be the right one or the other," quoted the Greenlandic radio KNR Holger Sivertsen, a 74-year-old local, in a report on his website.

We will have some follow up on what this was, as the early end to Polar Night is not normal. This, coupled with the weird astrological news, continuing animal mass deaths, and even the Tampa airport, leads me to believe there is a genuine threat from above. There are varying hypothesis of what is happening, but I think this one sounds close..

Happy first two weeks of 2011!

This Week In Korea Conflict.

South Korea and Japan discuss first-ever military agreements

Pentagon Chief Huddles With Allies About NKorea

U.S. Recruits Japan As Global Military Partner

North Korea Threatens America with Long-Range Missiles

North Korea calls for unconditional talks with South Korea

North Korea's military: a bad hand played well

So, things are pretty much the same: Gigantic powderkeg, no real spark -- yet.

WikiLeaks Etc.. Rupert's Rough Week

WikiLeaks has ‘insurance files’ on News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch, Assange claims Oh Snap! Pronouncement from Julian Assange regarding the Insurance File and at least one of it's subjects is The Rupert Murdoch Media Empire Experience Excerpts from first link:

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said in a recent interview that he is holding back "insurance files" which could embarrass Rupert Murdoch and his international media empire at News Corporation.

The secrets website was also holding of over 500 US State Department cables about one broadcasting organization in particular, he added.

Assange made the disclosure while speaking to New Statesman, saying the files "will be released" if something happens to him or his organization.

"There are 504 US embassy cables on one broadcasting organisation and there are cables on Murdoch and News Corp.," he said.
And:
Appearing on the BBC, Assange's lawyer defended the move. "They need to protect themselves," Mark Stephens said. "This is what they believe to be a thermo-nuclear device effectively in the electronic age."

Do tell.. The other major Murdoch shenanigans this week include the possible demise of myspace, Murdoch's 580 million dollar investment/ albatross. Poor Rupert, I guess he'll have to take comfort in his other billions.. Unless, of course, those cables are what Julian Assange says they are: True Insurance.

In that case, in the future, if the whole WikiLeaks deal goes down twisted, "Poor Rupert" might actually be more appropriate..

Webbots: Yeah; About That Flooding..

Latest from Clif High at halfpasthuman. As Clif is very quick to point out, this could be about any flooding occurring anywhere in the world. But wow, Australia certainly sounds like it fits.. I hope the people of Brisbane stay safe from what approaches.. Excerpts in italics, and my emphasis in bold and color:

Our data sets over the past year have had lots of instance of descriptors for the kinds of flooding activity that is now overwhelming the humans and animals and plants in Australia. The damage has already reached serious and impacting levels. The nasty part of the forecasts from both 2009, and 2010*** relative to [floods in places that NEVER flood], is that we had also seen references within those same data sets for [dams failing]...and also curiously, for a [dam saved]. This last set included specifics going to [at the last minute], and [through (close/detailed) attention].
*** Note: The further back events appear, and continue to appear, without manifestation, the bigger their impact. There are some events that first appeared at least as early as 2005, and when the time comes, they will be felt..

While looking through the most recent immediacy data, i came across several [dam] references that *could be* forecasting future happenings within the chaos of the Australian floods. Noting that our geographic references are right down there in the in-accuracy levels of numbers and are usually discarded as untrustworthy, and further noting that there are several regions of the planet that are experiencing [freakish flooding] at the moment, i still feel compelled to state that the current data sets have a set going to a [dam (nearly) collapses], and a set that is a [dam 'scooting' off its base].
Now.. Pay attention..
Without regard to one or more dams, the data shows in the detail sets that the [dam scooting off its base] is [discovered (prior to the movement)] by [sharp eyes]. So i figured to help out with what descriptors we have available at this point. These details include the [right side] of the dam when facing it from below, and that set also is internally cross linked to [bubbling up]. Within the [bubbling up] set are supporting linguistics for [trees (specifically fruit trees though that can also mean trees of a commercial nature)] that are [snapped/damaged]. These [trees] are either the [cause] of the [bubbling up] due to [root penetration under the dam] or are [pointers to the place of the bubbling up], again, we cannot tell from the data set due to the ambiguity of language. In our referential integrity checks on the data, the timing clues suggest that as of this point of time (early morning, on January 11, 2011 here in Pacific time zone, north america), the [bubbling up], that is the sign of or a contributing factor to the [dam scooting off its base], is in the [initial stages]. Further descriptors include a curious group going to the idea that the [water (bubbling under) the dam] will [become as fog (obscuring)]. Further details include sets for [yielding] and [solid (structure) on weakened base].

Clif's latest run began just before the new year(scroll down to Another HPH SOTTC), so flooding language within this *immediacy data* run is to be expected, and if you're following the growing destruction, the flooding language is already present, and it's pretty intense.. Excerpt from the "Another HPH SOTTC" article in italics:

"I'm in the state of Queensland, which is basically the top right corner of Australia. The state capital is Brisbane, on the coast in the lower right corner of the state. I'm in Toowoomba, about 90 miles west, inland, from Brisbane. Toowoomba is on top of a range, around 1500' ASL. It has no river, and is the last place on earth I ever expected to see a flood.

But yesterday we had an unprecedentedly heavy downpour for a couple of hours, and our couple of tiny creeks, which I normally literally step over, became 'inland tsunamis', sweeping away cars, people & houses, with death toll about 9 & rising. Locals who've lived here all their lives said they'd never seen anything like it. (Fortunately, I'm still unaffected.) (Bot snippets: " Along with the [flooding] that will impact [unusual places] {ed note: areas not known to flood, ever}" "Other parts of the planet are also not to be immune from [rains beyond understanding], or [excessive rain loads]")
..
The "[destroyed dams]" is more topical than I would've thought. I discovered the water authority here is having to carefully manage Brisbane's main dam, Wivenhoe, right now. It holds 7 Sydney harbourfulls & yesterday was receiving 2 more harbourfulls a day inflow, and was up to 200% of capacity. If it flows over the top of the wall it risks destroying itself (and washing Brisbane right off the map), so they have the dilemma of having to release enough thru the sluice gates to protect the dam, but what they are releasing is only adding to the worst flood for 118 years now rising in Brisbane.

As you can see, some portions of October's report are being fulfilled right now, both from past and present runs. Double-quick, catastrophic, cataclysmic flooding that by no means is over, and so not finished destroying all in its path. 75 percent of Queensland is a disaster zone NOW. Even if Wivenhoe holds, Queensland will not ever be the same; not in our lifetimes, at least..

And the rest of the world watches, helplessly, as the water comes, and continues.

Ashley Turton, Former Hill staffer, found dead in car

Even with the active news period we've been in since the New Year, I'm surprised this story isn't more visible. The whole situation smells like a Ludlum plot, yet the big kids don't seem to be running with it(This is bing's search page-No Ashley Turton videos, so I'm guessing not too many video stories..), only newspapers and the Internet. Excerpts:

A veteran congressional aide who worked most recently as a lobbyist and was married to a senior White House legislative affairs official was found dead in her car Monday behind the couple’s Capitol Hill home following a low-speed car crash and subsequent fire.

Ashley Turton, whose husband, Dan, is the White House’s deputy director of legislative affairs for the U.S. House, died in the early-morning incident in the garage behind 800 A Street SE, friends, her employer and congressional leadership aides said. City fire and police units responded to the vicinity of the home at about 5 a.m. Monday, according to fire department spokesman Pete Piringer.
..
Police have not officially identified the victim, but the White House, congressional leadership aides and Progress Energy Inc., the company where she worked, all confirmed that Ashley Turton died in the car fire.

Ashley Turton worked as an aide to former Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) and then as chief of staff to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.). She later became a lobbyist for Progress Energy, a North Carolina-based utility company.

Dan Turton spent about 10 years as an aide to Gephardt before working for a few years as a lobbyist and then joining the House Rules Committee staff of Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.). He took the White House job when President Barack Obama came into office in 2009.
..
Authorities have not determined the exact cause of the crash or why the car, a 2008 BMW X5 sport utility vehicle, caught fire in a low-speed crash.

“The leading theory is accidental, [that] the car crashed through the garage doors and…was found on fire in the garage area,” Piringer said, adding that the incident is under joint investigation by the fire and police departments. “There were some unusual circumstances – just the way the car was, low-speed, significant fire, things like that….For the most part, the fire was confined to the area of origin.”

Neighbors say Ashley Turton was heading to airport for an early flight.
And:
Progress Energy on Monday announced a merger with Duke Energy that would create the country’s largest utility company, Hughes said. Turton would have played a key role on Capitol Hill discussing the merger,

“She certainly would have had a role in notifying legislative staff,” Hughes said. “She was a regular liaison with staff members.”

I'm sure this has caught the interest of more than a few investigative reporters, and there will be more light shed on this really curious incident, just not immediately, and in the near term, not on any of the cable networks. Which leads me to wonder: Why? As far as news stories go, it's potentially very sensational, yet no television coverage.

Curious.

Group of birds found dead in Mid Missouri

Ruh-Roh. Poorly written article about birds dropping dead .. This time, in mid-Missouri. Excerpts, with smartass comments in italics:

A startling discovery in Cole County Sunday has some residents wondering, 'what’s going on?' (Really? I think just about everyone paying attention to this unfolding of events is a little beyond "What's going on?")

A number of birds were found dead much like they have been found in other parts of the country and world. But it might not be as uncommon as you might think. (I'm freaked out, yet strangely re-assured..)

In recent weeks large numbers of birds have fallen out of the sky without explanation. (Whoa.. Slow down: I'm overwhelmed with information.. So specific, even..)

The deaths hadn’t hit mid-Missouri, until now. (Dun Dun..
DUH!)
Although we’re not talking about thousands of birds like in
Arkansas. (All right; everyone stay calm..)
..
A KRCG viewer Jennifer Timbers called when she found about 30 dead Starlings in the middle of Rockridge Rd. near Frog Hollow in Cole County.

"No fireworks, we don’t have a hail storm, which I heard that was one of the original theories of this,” Timbers said. “But no, the weather was just an average winter evening." (Jennifer Timbers knows things.)
And:
Of course the deaths of these animals have sparked conspiracy theories, but scientists say the deaths in Arkansas were most likely due to fireworks. (Fireworks? Easily the most ridiculous of all conspiracy theories, a.k.a., "The Official Story.")
However, we still have a mystery on our hands as to why the birds died in mid Missouri. (Screw those pansy 5000 dead blackbirds in pansy ass Ar. Kan. Saw. 30 birds died in Missouri! Won't somebody think of the
children?)

I agree. Too glib. I'll revert back to "Doomtastic" tomorrow..

The Coin Flip.

The shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others today was tragic, and I'll let others fill in the blanks, assign the blame, and decide how to proceed. I'd like to focus on Judge John Roll, his last minute, unplanned visit to Giffords' constituent meeting, and his death due to this seemingly innocent decision.

Federal Judge John Roll went to Mass, as he did every Saturday, and on his way home decided to stop and say ‘hi’ to Giffords, his friend, Dupnik
said.“He was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Dupnik said. He called Roll a brilliant judge and a fine person.

So Judge Roll gets up Saturday morning, goes to mass, and on his way home, decides to stop by to see Giffords. His appearance was unscheduled and unplanned. And now he's dead.
Let's change the equation:
Judge Roll gets up Saturday morning, goes to mass, and on his way home, decides to stop for brunch or coffee, and is late to the meeting or doesn't see Giffords at all.
Judge Roll gets up Saturday morning, goes to mass, and goes home.
Judge Roll gets up Saturday morning, but doesn't leave his home.

In each of these scenarios, he remains alive. Each choice made or not made in one's life has the power to alter the direction and quality of all future existence. This might seem like an overstatement because of all the little choices made every moment that have no consequence other than what was expected. For example, if I expect to close a window and accomplish that task successfully, no extra thought is given, and that activity is and would continue to be considered safe. What if, though, the window is warped, and by trying to push it down, I put my hand through the glass and sustain a serious of life ending injury? This seemingly innocent and safe activity has become a nexus point at which my life's direction has been altered, maybe drastically, maybe permanently, maybe terminally. Each action can have drastic re-actions even though they don't have to, even if we aren't willing to admit as such.

Our lives could actually be determined by the flip of a coin. But that's only part of the equation. The other involves every other choice chosen throughout your life that leads you to the point you are at this present moment. Think about all the "big" decisions you've made, all the major crossroads leading to the present, and where you might be if you'd chosen differently. Now, think about all the other choices you've made, the "little" decisions you gave no thought to, and think about where they might have led, had, say, other events been "tails" rather than "heads." Like, for instance, deciding, on your way home from mass just to say thank you in person as opposed to calling or sending an email.

Of course this is all conjecture. Maybe free will is illusion. When your time is up, you die, no matter the circumstance or decisions leading up to your last moment. Me personally? I have no idea, but I love the gift of my mind, and the ability consider other hypotheses, where they might have lead, as well as where I'm going on my current trajectory. It's all so much more interesting than American Idol ever could be..