Feds Consider Blasting More Levees As Water Continues To Rise.
The breach of southeastern Missouri's Birds Point levee was heralded by some Illinois towns along the Ohio River as a needed relief from record flooding, and the man who ordered that action says he may do the same with other Mississippi River spillways as flood prospects mount."
More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/04/mississippi-river-floods-2011_n_857342.html?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl12%7Csec3_lnk2%7C212178
PS. Three levees have been opened now.
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My heart and prayers go out to those who have dirty, muddy water rushing through their houses, if their homes are even still there!
After rebuilding from a fire, my house had only been finished for 6 months, when it went through a 100 year flood in 1994. So I know what they are going through.
But is is going to be very hard for those who lost loved ones, as well as their homes. Maybe our prayers will comfort them.
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VIDEO: Alabama Tornado Disaster May 5, 2011 by Sean Michael
"There’s nothing lighthearted about severe weather and tornadoes. But when a historic disaster happens in our backyard, it can’t be ignored. And this topic DOES relate to camping. Those of us who camp are especially vulnerable to twisters. The last time I checked, no RV is equipped with a basement. If you plan to do any serious RV camping, sooner or later you will confront this issue."
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"Holed up in a compound in Pakistan, Osama bin Laden was scheming how to hit the United States hard again, according to newly uncovered documents that show al-Qaida plans for derailing an American train on the upcoming 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
The confiscated materials reveal the rail attack planning as of February 2010. One idea outlined in handwritten notes was to tamper with an unspecified U.S. rail track so that a train would fall off the track at a valley or a bridge. Counterterrorism officials said they believe the plot was only in the initial planning stages, and there is no recent intelligence about any active plan for such an attack."
More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/06/bin-laden-raid-train_n_858315.html
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Bad Nick Said: Pissant Pakistan
"Pakistan is criticizing the United States for what it calls an "unauthorized unilateral action" into their country; the raid by Navy SEALS that that killed Osama bin Laden. The Pakistani government is upset that American authorities did not tell them in advance of the raid on bin Laden’s compound in a town that houses some of their own top military officials.The American government said that the mission was kept a secret because of security issues, which is a nice way of saying “We didn’t trust you bastards not to tip off bin Laden before we got there.”
Who give’s a rat fart what Pakistan thinks? There is no way they didn’t know that the world’s most wanted fugitive was hiding inside the walled compound where he was killed in the raid. I mean, it isn’t like he was hanging out in a cave in the hinterlands, as was long believed. He was right there in the middle of a freaking town! Again, a town known as a center for the country’s military elite. Intelligence reports indicate that he has been there for years.
American officials have said for years that they believed that at least some upper echelon Pakistani government officials knew bin Laden’s whereabouts. And the country’s security forces have long been suspected of being in bed with the very militants we are fighting in Afghanistan.
All of this while the United States has been subsidizing Pakistan with billions of dollars a year in foreign aid. Yep, your tax dollars at work. Tax money we could be spending right here at home to support welfare mothers and greedy oil companies. (Well, we know they’re not going to give any of it back to us, right?)
Sometimes I’m not sure who our real enemies are.
But I’m pretty sure of who our friends aren’t! And Pakistan is not our friend. It’s a pissant little country in a region that is the armpit of the world. We should pull all of our people and dollars out of the place and let them go back to herding camels. " From: http://badnickblog.com/2011/05/pissant-pakistan/
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A Kid's Life in Pakistan
"Haai! Maaee naem iz Krishn'aa. That's Punjabi for, "Hi! My name is Krishna."
Punjabi is the language we speak here in Pakistan. I am an 11 year old girl, and I live with my four sisters, one brother, and my mother and father. Would you like to know what it is like to live here in Pakistan? Well, first of all I think you should know where Pakistan is located in the world. It is a small country in southern Asia.
The temperature here can get really HOT! In central Pakistan the summers can get up to 120°F. That is HOT!
Also we only get 10 inches of rain a year! That is not enough for farmers (including my father) to grow crops. There are many dams built to save up the water.
The wildlife here is amazing! In the south, there is the Indus River. In the murky waters of the river, the crocodiles dwell. Scary huh? Also, many animals live on the banks of the river. These animals are boars, deer and porcupines. In central Pakistan, there are jackals, hyenas, and a bunch of different wild cats. (My brother claims he's seen a panther, but I don't believe him.) There are a bundle of Marco Polo sheep near where we live. There are also Urial sheep, Markhor and Ibex goats, Himalayan bears, and snow leopards. Many animals are killed. I once saw my neighbor shoot one of his sheep. I couldn't bear it! Because of poaching, there are wildlife sanctuaries to protect the animals. I love animals, and I think it is a great idea.
Now I will tell you about our clothes. The men wear baggy pants that get narrow at the ankles. They are called salwar. They also wear long shirts that hang down to their knees, called kameez. Woman wear scarves on their heads called dupattas. In the big cities, we would wear western style clothes.
About 90% of our people are Muslim, including me. Muslims are people who practice the Islam religion. We all follow our holy book called the Koran and believe in one God called Allah.
Our houses only have one floor. Our roofs are very flat. Inside there is no running water and no electricity. We get our heat from a fire. There are no windows. My sisters, brother, my parents, and my grandparents all live in one house. Most Pakistanis live that way.
This might sound strange to you, but less than half of the kids between the ages of five and nine go to school. If they do go to school, the boys and the girls are taught separately. This is one of the customs of the Koran. Many of the adults cannot read or write. My parents can't, and I don't know very many people who can.
After we finish our chores, we go to the beach. I always ride the camel. Camels give rides on the beach. They are decorated with very festive blankets and beads. Also, we play games like hopscotch, marbles, and also team games like cricket, soccer, and volleyball. One of my favorite pastimes is making kites and then flying them. Otherwise we do not have many toys.
Would you like to know about the food? Well, because of the Koran, there are a lot of things that we cannot eat. We can't eat anything from a pig. Any meat that we do eat has to be butchered and prepared by a specially trained butcher. My favorite food is a lot of meat, with a very thick sauce made of garlic, chili, and ginger. It's delicious! We also eat a lot of vegetables like eggplant, cauliflower, and peas. Our bread is very flat. It is called Nan. For drinks we have water and strong tea.
I would like to tell you about some of my favorite places. I love to go sailing on Keenjhar, our lake. My father likes to go fishing on it too. I go for picnics at Jallo park, which has a lake, zoo, and a picnic area.
Just in case you ever come to Pakistan, you can use this to feel more comfortable. Bye! "
From: http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0212302/pakistan.html
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Bank of Mexico buys 100 tons of gold in two months By Rhiannon Hoyle
May 4, 2011, 12:22 p.m. EDT. LONDON (MarketWatch) -- "Mexico's central bank purchased almost 100 metric tons of gold in February and March, another signal that emerging markets are likely to steadily raise their gold reserve holdings, industry participants say. According to the data, the central bank of Mexico bought 93.3 tons of bullion over the two-month period, vastly increasing its total reserves, which stood at just 6.9 tons in January.
"Prior to this, they held very little metal, so it is a decent size change," Spall said. "People are going to view this as bullish, and will now be closely watching other countries in the region, and elsewhere, for further changes."
"Mexico seems to be following the trend established by several other central banks recently and is moving toward restoring a prior balance between gold and currency reserves," said George Milling-Stanley, Managing Director of Government Affairs at the WGC.
The Bank of Mexico traditionally holds most of its reserves in U.S. dollar-denominated investments.
The main source of reserves is oil revenue, as the bank changes dollars for state oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos. The bank also uses put options to buy up to $600 million a month from commercial banks when the peso is appreciating against the U.S. dollar.
The peso is currently trading at its strongest level against the dollar since early October 2008, closing Tuesday at MXN11.5620 after dipping below MXN11.50 in recent sessions.
Foreign reserves were a record $125.8 billion as of April 29.
May IMF data also show continued buying by Russia and Thailand, of 18.8 tons and 9.3 tons respectively."
Complete article at: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bank-of-mexico-buys-100-tons-of-gold-in-two-months-2011-05-04
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Month of May, Don't buy Chinese! BUY AMERICAN.
"Did you see that Diane Sawyer had a special report? They removed ALL items from a typical, middle class family's home that were not made in the USA .
There was hardly anything left besides the kitchen sink. Literally. During the special they are going to show truckloads of items - USA made - being brought in to replace everything and will be talking about how to find these items and the difference in price etc..
It was interesting that Diane said that if every American spent just $64 more than normal on USA made items this year, it would create something like 200,000 new jobs!
I WAS BUYING FOOD THE OTHER DAY AT WALMART and ON THE LABEL OF SOME PRODUCTS IT SAID 'FROM CHINA’
FOR EXAMPLE THE "OUR FAMILY" BRAND OF THE MANDARIN ORANGES SAYS RIGHT ON THE CAN 'FROM CHINA '
I WAS SHOCKED SO FOR A FEW MORE CENTS I BOUGHT THE LIBERTY GOLD BRAND OR THE DOLE SINCE IT'S FROM CALIF. Are we Americans as dumb as we appear --- or --- is it that we just do not think while the Chinese, knowingly and intentionally, export inferior and even toxic products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in American markets? 70% of Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese should be suspended.
Why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? DO IT YOURSELF, AMERICA!!
Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says 'Made in China ' or 'PRC' (and that now includes Hong Kong ), simply choose another product, or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products, and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without.
Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some American farmer. Easter is just an example. The point is do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own.
THINK ABOUT THIS: If 200 million Americans refuse to buy just $20 each of Chinese goods, that's a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved in our favor...fast!!
Most of the people who have been reading about this matter are planning on implementing this on May 1st and continue it until June 1st. That is only one month of trading losses, but it will hit the Chinese for 1/12th of the total, or 8%, of their American exports. Then they might have to ask themselves if the benefits of their arrogance and lawlessness were worth it.
Remember, MAY 1 TO JUNE 1st !!!!!! START NOW.
Send this to everybody you know. Let's show them that we are Americans and NOBODY can take us for granted.
If we can't live without cheap Chinese goods for one month out of our lives, WE DESERVE WHAT WE GET!
Pass it on, America...... BUY AMERICAN !!!!!
From: http://www.teapartytribune.com/2011/04/12/did-you-see-the-diane-sawyer-report-on-checking-out-where-the-products-we-buy-come-from/
Originally broadcast in April, but let's sock it to them anyway!
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Our Chinese Bondholders
"“A government that loses its sovereignty to its bondholders cannot guarantee prosperity or freedom,” Reince Priebus, Republican National Committee chairman told the City Club of Chicago. “An economy that is completely controlled by China cannot possibly compete with China.”That being the case, why have GOP House leaders already conceded to President Obama’s demand that they raise the legal debt limit of the United States?
The answer is simple: They don’t wish to displease our Chinese bondholders."
More at: http://www.teapartytribune.com/2011/04/21/our-chinese-bondholders/
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Yesterday:
Ray and I worked on the cargo trailer, while Jay went shopping with his mother. We covered the caulk in the metal AC area with some silver Eternabond to make sure that it would be completely leak proof.
Ray primed and painted the trim outside of that area on the front of the trailer, too.
Then he primed the drawer that Jay and I had made, and a couple more doors.
This is how the closet and shelf/drawer area looks so far, without the doors installed.
We have had to make lots of doors:
The trailer is slowly coming along on another lovely "NO AC" day.
2 comments:
The massive flooding also concerns me because I have to choose a route north to Indiana for next week. :( The trailer is looking pretty spiffy!
While there are certain items that aren't made in America any more, I try to find items made in some country other than China. USA first, the Americas second, North and Central America if possible. I tell everyone I know that I don't like buying Chinese made (and usually inferior) products, but it rolls off their backs. I particularly tell companies such as LLBean that I don't buy from them because everything they sell is made in China, and I'm old enough to remember when LLBean meant very high quality goods. I think it's hopeless because most people don't care as long as they can save a few cents.
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