Luke_Wilbur

Henry Hager and Jenna Bush exchange vows at the altar Saturday, May 10, 2008, during their wedding ceremony at Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas. Presiding over the ceremony is the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell of Houston's Windsor Village United Methodist Church. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

I thought I would put up some photos of the Jenna Bush Wedding. Saturday, May 10, 2008 - Jenna Bush poses prior to her wedding to Henry Hager at Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas. White House photo by Shealah Craighead President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush pose with daughters Jenna and Barbara Saturday, May 10, 2008, at Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas, prior to the wedding of Jenna and Henry Hager. White House photo by Shealah Craighead

I actually think that the U.S. media is getting better. I think the writers strike pushed people to look beyond the traditional news and entertainment channels. We can now share opinions and watch stories from across the globe. The Internet revolution has allowed people to access information that never had the opportunity. The fact that people take the time to share information is a great benefit to world culture. Governments are having a more difficult time suppressing information and the truth usually rises to the top.

Old economic models are literally being smashed to bits by new Internet business models. I believe the companies that survive the this current turmoil will have adapted to a global business strategy. I hope that the United States is the source of the new movement towards green manufacturing.

Hillary Clinton is not a loser. This is the most spirited Democratic contest that I have ever seen. Senator Clinton believes it is not over till its over. I admire her fighting spirit. But, I do not believe in a wait to see what dirt we can find on Obama strategy. I think former Clinton aide, Congressman Emanuel stated what is happening to the Democratic Party best. But, there is the argument that in 1980, Reagan chose bitter rival George H.W. Bush as his running mate and led the Republicans to a landslide after a primary race every bit as brutal as this year's Democratic brawl.

Looks like the Clinton campaign wiped my blog from her web site. Figures....

I spoke with a gentleman by the name of Phil at 202.332-4010. I asked him to confirm that The Rev. Dean Snyder following quote. Phil stated that he did not know word for word the statement made, but did say that Rev. Dean Snyder gave a simular sermon to the congregation. I left a message for Rev. Snyder to give me a call. I wonder if Senator Clinton is planning to find a new church.

I cannot wait until this election season is over. Now that I have a baby it is very difficult to focus on the negative campaigning. I do hope that the world will be a better place when my boy grows up to survive in it on his own. I hope that green innovation, socio-equality and religious tolerance will be completely embraced by our wonderfully diverse country and the rest of the globe. We should think now of what are the ramifications of what we do to the generations that follow.

I think we are going to have to focus more on just our hemisphere. It has all the resources we need and is easier to maintain.

I read that ConocoPhillips chairman, Jim Mulva, said the deal should be announced in the "next month or two", under which Conoco would be working with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), the UK's Financial Times (FT) reported on Tuesday. You will see in the near future a shifting of wealth from the United States and Europe to OPEC nations. These nations allow very little business investment as a whole to America. But, they are able to freely invest in America. Currently foreign investors are only permitted to own a maximum of 49% of a UAE company. In certain areas of the financial sector, such as insurance, the limit on foreign ownership is as low as 25%. Hussain Al Nowais, Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development board member, said current UAE laws needed to be changed to meet the increasing numbers foreigners intending to invest here, UAE daily Emirates Business 24/7 reported on Tuesday. "There were proposals to push the rate of foreign ownership up from the current 49% to 51%, 60% and 70%, but some sectors might need a higher rate," he said, quoted the newspaper. Full foreign ownership is allowed in the UAE, but it is restricted to free zones such as Dubai Media City (DMC), Dubai Internet City (DIC) and the Jebel Ali Free Zone. The UAE Minister of Economy Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri said there was nothing to be feared from foreign investment. "As long as this investment [by foreign investors] is useful for the country, why should foreigners not own these projects, especially if these business projects involve a huge amounts of capital, and big companies and countries compete for them," the newspaper quoted him as saying. "We have a lot of raw materials, especially in the petrochemical sector, which we export to China and Japan. Then we buy them back after manufacturing at a huge cost. If we set up industries for these materials in Abu Dhabi, we would make huge profits," Al Nuwais said, quoted the newspaper. All this looks good, but protectionism is currently in place. These nations are looking for economic independence from the United States and Europe. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain have pledged to maintain the currency pegs to the dollar until the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) achieves monetary union as early as 2010. The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (CCASG; Arabic: مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية‎), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; مجلس التعاون الخليجي) is a trade bloc involving the six Arab states of the Persian Gulf with many economic and social objectives. Created on May 25, 1981, the Council comprises the Persian Gulf states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The unified economic agreement between the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council was signed on November 11, 1981 in Riyadh. These countries are often referred to as Gulf Cooperative Countries. http://www.gcc-sg.org/eng/

While much of the economic activity is generated by the Asian funds, it is five Gulf Persian states--Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia—that account for nearly half of the world sovereign wealth funds assets. Within the past several months these nations have purchased major assets.

America's 20-million-barrel-a-day oil habit costs our economy $1.4 billion a day, and $500 billion in 2006 alone. Every single hour, we spend $41 million on foreign oil. Recognizing that transportation accounts for 70 percent of U.S. oil consumption, Hillary Clinton states that she would increase fuel efficiency standards to 55 miles per gallon by 2030, but would help automakers retool their production facilities through $20 billion in "Green Vehicle Bonds." Barack Obama states he will double fuel economy standards within 18 years. His plan will provide retooling tax credits and loan guarantees for domestic auto plants and parts manufacturers, so that they can build new fuel-efficient cars rather than overseas companies. Obama will also invest in advanced vehicle technology such as advanced lightweight materials and new engines. John McCain stated that he will suspend the federal gas tax from Memorial Day to Labor day.

I was really impressed with the Hillary Clinton rally at the University of Pennsylvania. It was the first time I had heard her daughter Chelsea speak. She smiled and stated that although her father was the best President she has known, her mother would be a better President. Former President Bill Clinton spoke after Chelsea. I must state that I felt like I was attending a Baptist revival. He energized the crowd to go out an get people to vote for his wife. Even Hillary did well by speaking about Policy decisions. I was impressed. Good luck to both candidates tomorrow.

This is a pretty funny Enviro-Spoof Video. Do not take it seriously. View the video at funny OR DIE.

It's Spring planting time down on the farm in Virginia and Maryland. Area farm families are not only trying to cope with new record price of the diesel fuel needed to run their tractors - it’s $4.15 a gallon in Maryland and $4.04 in Virginia, where it surpassed the $4 threshold for the first time ever. They're also dealing with higher feed costs for their farm animals and herds and the rising cost of the fertilizer needed this time of year to increase their crop quality and promote farm yields. "From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, farmers in Virginia and Maryland are faced with higher fuel and fertilizer prices," said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs. "It is squeezing their margins and creating a vicious cycle in the town and the country. Not only is diesel the most widely used fuel to power farm equipment and implements. 94 percent of our goods are shipped to the market in diesel-powered vehicles. Ultimately, those costs are passed on to all consumers.Like all of us, area farmers are paying a record high of $3.39 a gallon for the gas in their cars. To their chagrin, they are also forking over even more for diesel fuel than gas – a difference of nearly 80 cents a gallon. The cost of diesel, which has the dubious distinction of becoming the first of the motor fuels to cross the dreaded $4-a-gallon threshold, continues to set new price records across the nation and the region. It is currently $4.11 from coast to coast, according to the Daily Fuel Gauge Report from AAA Mid-Atlantic. A gallon of diesel is a record $4.17 in the Washington metro area. Farmers in the region are also complaining about the price of fertilizer. They say it has doubled or tripled in costs since this time a year ago. "It couldn’t happen at a worse time for Maryland and Virginia farmers," said Townsend. "As they sow this year's crop they are still trying to recover financially from last year’s devastating drought that parched their cash crops: soybean and corn." The rapidly increasing cost of fuel and nitrogen fertilizer spawns higher farm production costs. "Like a sieve, it all passes through to higher transportation costs to the marketplace and then on in much higher prices for the eggs, milk, fruits, vegetables and food in the kitchens of consumers, who are also grappling with higher pump prices too," noted the spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. Although Virginia boasts 47,600 farms and Maryland has 12,400 farms across the state, most city dwellers haven’t a clue that the cost of fertilizer, a petroleum-based product, also soars as energy prices escalate, adds the auto club. As they plant their nursery and greenhouse crops, and tend to their daily chores, farmers are also reeling from the impact of soaring U.S. retail diesel prices. Like the increased cost of fertilizer, the record price of diesel fuel is a yoke around their shoulders because nearly two-thirds of all farm vehicles and equipment in the U.S and the area have diesel engines, a local agricultural expert tells AAA Mid-Atlantic. "This Spring planting season, area farmers are painfully aware of the fact that the price of crude oil is the main factor in the price of diesel fuel," said Brian Clark, a County Extension Agent at the University of Maryland. "Likewise, the historic spike in natural gas prices is triggering the sharp increase in the cost of nitrogen fertilizer. It accounts for 70 to 90 percent of the cost of producing nitrogen-based fertilizer."

My three day newborn baby is in intensive care. His glucose levels are low. His temperature is low. The doctor thinks that the combination might indicate an infection of some type. The doctor is requesting a spinal tap. I am very scared. My wife noticed that his color was slightly yellow last night. Please say a prayer for little Luke. Pray he does not have Meningitis. We asked the doctor to write a list of what he was being tested for. She stated that she did not have time, because she needed to focus on treating Luke and the other babies. It is just fustrating that Sibley hospital does not have the staff to talk to us about what is going on.

Fellas I just had a kid this week. I cannot believe God would waste a newborn's life for nothing. Do any of you have a family?

What is with all this end of world crap??????????????????????????

BlingBling, I don't think he is trying to say that at all. I also think you are baiting him to state more than he really feels comfortable with. I also think that Senator Obama knew that running for the highest office would not be pretty. He realizes some members of the media and political parties are going to do everything in their power to make him lose. That is the nature of the beast of politics.

My wife's contractions are 10 minutes apart and lasting 60 seconds. I am a nervous wreck. We are not packed. My wife wants me to wait and I just want to go. Please say prayers that my child's birth goes okay. I love Jenna.

I would like to know how they got our addresses?

I left them a message the other day. I will follow up next week. I just like the idea of no spin from our leaders. If I had the money I would go in a heartbeat. I am trying to negotiate with them

WOW. This is an event I would love to photograph. Do you have any pull to get me in?

Open Source Center (OSC) is a United States government agency that provides analysis of open-source materials, including gray literature, through OSC's domestic and overseas bureaus. Established November 1, 2005 under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, OSC was tasked with improving the availability of open sources to intelligence officers and other government officials. A couple of my colleagues told how great this wiki web site is, so I tried to access the website to verify information. What I found out is that the Open Source Center is not open source at all. It is not freely acceptable to the American public. The information is not classified, so what is the problem? World Wide Web Consortium's Open Source definition transparency (due process is public, and all technical discussions, meeting minutes, are archived and referencable in decision making) relevance (new standardization is started upon due analysis of the market needs, including requirements phase, e.g. accessibility, multi-linguism) openness (anybody can participate, and everybody does: industry, individual, public, government bodies, academia, on a worldwide scale) impartiality and consensus (guaranteed fairness by the process and the neutral hosting of the W3C organization, with equal weight for each participant) availability (free access to the standard text, both during development and at final stage, translations, and clear IPR rules for implementation, allowing open source development in the case of Web technologies) maintenance (ongoing process for testing, errata, revision, permanent access) DNI Open Source definition DNI defines open source as gathering and disseminating information from open source publications. The U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law ensuring public access to U.S. government records. FOIA carries a presumption of disclosure; the burden is on the government - not the public - to substantiate why information may not be released. Upon written request, agencies of the United States government are required to disclose those records, unless they can be lawfully withheld from disclosure under one of nine specific exemptions in the FOIA. This right of access is ultimately enforceable in federal court. I have spoken with a member of the Open Source Center about gaining access to OpenSource.gov. It was explained that no news media except members of the BBC and Stars and Stripes have access to the web site. The reason being is the analysis is For Official Use Only. In addition, if Director, National Intelligence (DNI) allowed public access OpenSource.gov would be in copyright and license violations with International Media Publications. Although it would be nice to access the seven million articles I do understand why I do not have access. Imagine the American media collaborating with their sources of information to build OpenSource.gov. What a tool that would be. No spin. No fluff. Just the facts.

The 'God particle', was made famous metaphor by Nobel laureate Leon Lederman's book The God Particle: "If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?" Physicists actually the famous call this hypothetical particle the "Higgs Boson." In 1964 by Peter Higgs theorized how massless elementary particles could manage to construct mass in matter. The Higgs boson particle is one quantum component of the theoretical Higgs Field. In empty space, the Higgs field has a mathematical value that is always greater than zero (also known as a “non-zero vacuum expectation value, which illustrates the concept that there is no such thing as a completely “empty” vacuum). The existence of this non-zero vacuum expectation plays a fundamental role: it gives mass to every elementary particle, including the Higgs boson itself. without the Higgs boson, the theory has not been able to explain how other elementary particles acquire properties such as mass. Or for that matter why there's so much "extra" mass in the universe in the form of unseen "dark matter" which, in fact, makes up 96 per cent of all matter anywhere but about which scientists are themselves totally in the dark. The Large Hadron Collide is hoped to discover "Higgs Boson". Although such energies in collisions are certainly occurring every day in space, this will be the first time that energies such as these will be observed on Earth. By using such a powerful machine that phyicists can probe deeper into the key mysteries of the Universe. Some people have expressed concerns about the safety of whatever may be created in high-energy particle collisions. However there are no reasons for concern. Or is there? Some physicists suggest that microscopic black holes could be produced in the collisions at the LHC. However, these would only be created with the energies of the colliding particles (equivalent to the energies of mosquitoes), so no microscopic black holes produced inside the LHC could generate a strong enough gravitational force to pull in surrounding matter. The problem is that although most people in the physics community believe in Hawkings Radiation, it has no basis in observation. In 2003 Adam D. Helfer Published a paper concerning Hawking's Radiation coming to the conclusion that Hawking's Radiation may in fact be incorrect, and that a Black Hole would not lose mass in such a way. If a Black Hole created doesn't evaporate, what next? It would either maintain a rather low orbit within our planet itself, slowly increase mass at an exponential rate, or it's possible it may "gravitate" to the direct center of the planet in which case would increase mass very quickly. A lawsuit has been filed in Hawaii, attempting to delay any activity at the LHC. Find more about CERN HERE http://www.dcmessageboards.com/index.php?showtopic=13621