Luke_Wilbur

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign announced that a coalition of family issues leaders and activists from across the Commonwealth of Virginia have endorsed John McCain for president. This broad coalition includes more than 70 leaders and activists from the pro-life, pro-family and faith-based communities. "Like me, Senator McCain has a long history of supporting life. I believe that as he has stated time and time again, he will nominate judges who understand that the role of the federal courts is not to legislate from the bench. His proven record of protecting human dignity, the institution of marriage and protecting children of all ages is long held and I look forward to working together with him to advance these moral principles," said Jim Gilmore, former Virginia governor and current U.S. Senate candidate. "John McCain is dedicated to nominating judges to the federal judiciary who understand their job is to interpret law, not to legislate from the bench. His commitment to nominate judges in the vein of Alito and Roberts is extremely important. There is no one in the field of presidential candidates better equipped to drive this process than John McCain," stated Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell. "John McCain has in his core, a concern for both the unborn and the women who are dealing with a crisis. He truly is a man who understands the term 'love them both.' He is a lifelong pro-life leader worthy of our support," stated Christian Hamaker, pro-family advocate of Fairfax. John McCain expressed his appreciation, stating, "I am grateful to have the support of this distinguished coalition of family issues leaders and activists. I am proud to stand side-by-side with them on many of the most critical issues of our day: defending the sanctity of human life, upholding traditional marriage, expanding educational choice and defending America from the threats that we face around the globe. I have fought my entire life to protect religious freedom and human rights around the world. I look forward to working with these leaders in the weeks and months ahead as we take our shared values to the White House." VIRGINIA FAMILY ISSUES LEADERS FOR MCCAIN Steering Committee Members Hon. Jim Gilmore, Former Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell, Commonwealth of Virginia Senator Robert Hurt, Chatham, VA Delegate John Cosgrove, Chesapeake, VA Delegate Tom Gear, Hampton, VA Delegate Terry Kilgore, Gate City, VA Delegate Dave Nutter, Christiansburg, VA Delegate John O'Bannon, Richmond, VA Delegate Glenn Oder, Newport News, VA Delegate Chris Saxman, Staunton, VA Delegate Ed Scott, Madison, VA Delegate Bob Tata, Virginia Beach, VA Supervisor Richard Havasy, Green Springs District Supervisor Pat Herrity, Springfield, VA Committee Members Diana Banister, Pro-family Advocate, Alexandria, VA Andresen Blom, Former Communications Director, Human Life International, Winchester, VA Malia Blom, Director, BoysandSchools.com, Manassas Park, VA Georgia Blom, Parish Council of Catholic Women, Winchester, VA Paul Bothwell, Pro-life Advocate, Arlington, VA Chris Braunlich, Former member of the Fairfax County School Board, Alexandria, VA Emily Buchanan, Executive Director, Susan B. Anthony List, Arlington, VA Cristina Burelli, Executive Director, Alliance for the Family, VA Mary Brunette Cannon, Former executive director, The Bioethics Project, Arlington, VA Jennifer Boeke Caterini, 2008 Vitae Caring Foundation Gala Chair Frank Buono, Pro-life, Pro-family Advocate, Arlington, VA Miriam Buono, Pro-life, Pro-family Advocate, Arlington, VA John R. Caterini, Pro-life Advocate, Arlington, VA Robert Carlson, Pro-family Advocate, Sully District GOP chairman, Centreville, VA David Carradini, Chair, International Youth Committee, Fairfax, VA Joseph Cella, Co-founder, Fidelis; Founder/President, National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, Fairfax, VA Linda Chavez, President, Center for Equal Opportunity, Purcellville, VA Karen Czarnecki, Pro-life Advocate, Arlington, VA Marjorie Dannenfelser, President, Susan B. Anthony List, Arlington, VA Martin Dannenfelser, Former Vice President, Family Research Council, Arlington, VA Cathy Deeds, Former deputy director for govt. relations for Family Research Council, Alexandria, VA Robert Destro, Professor, Catholic University of America School of Law, Arlington, VA Kathleen Dezio, Pro-life Advocate, Alexandria, VA Joseph Esposito, Former Deputy Undersecretary for international Affairs, VA Jonathan Fellows, Pro-life, Pro-family Advocate, Alexandria, VA Marjorie Fellows, Pro-life, Pro-family Advocate, Alexandria, VA Keith Fimian, Pro-family Advocate, Centreville, VA Bill Finerfrock, Pro-family Advocate, former Springfield GOP Chairman, Springfield, VA Michael Frey, Republican Supervisor, Sully District, Fairfax County, VA Dr. Mary Ellen Gallagher, Pro-life Physician, Arlington, VA Chris Gersten, Chairman, Fatherhood and Marriage Leadership Institute (FAMLI), Purcellville, VA Carlyle Gregory, Consultant for pro-life, pro-family candidates, Falls Church, VA Michelle (Powers) Gress, Director of Programs, Westchester Institute for Ethics and the Human Person, Alexandria, VA Joseph Grogan, Former Administrator Compassion Capital Fund, Administration for Children and Families, Alexandria, VA Jacqueline Halbig, Former Pro-family Lobbyist for Family Research Council & Christian Coalition, Alexandria, VA Christian Hamaker, Church Deacon and Christian Film Critic, Fairfax, VA James Hill, Pro-life Advocate, Manassas Park, VA Rev. Rodger Hunter-Hall, Assistant Professor Notre Dame Graduate School, Alexandria, VA Shaun Kenney, Former Communications Director, Republican Party of Virginia, Kents Store, VA Patrick Kernan, Pro-life, family, marriage and military advocate, Burke, VA Margaret Lewis, Winchester Chapter of Christian Family Movement, Winchester, VA Cindy Lindsey, Pro-life, Pro-military Advocate, Dayton, VA Philip Ludvigson, Pro-life, pro-family. pro-marriage, military family advocate, Alexandria, VA Elizabeth Maier, Former Legislative Assistant, National Right to Life Committee, Arlington, VA Maurice McBride, President, Family Action Council International, VA Laura McLaughlin, Pro-life Advocate, Arlington, VA Susan Mea, Pro-family Advocate, Arlington, VA Pedro C. Moreno, Pro-family Leader, Warrenton, VA Penny Nance, Former president, Kid's First Coalition, Fairfax, VA Mary Alice Patterson, Loudoun County Republican Women's Club, Leesburg, VA Robert W. Patterson, Former Senior Director, Family Research Council, Leesburg, VA Frank Puleo, Pro-family Advocate, Fredricksburg, VA Shannon Royce, Former Executive Director, the Arlington Group, Arlington, VA Austin Ruse, President, Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute and Former President of the Culture of Life Foundation, Alexandria, VA Cathy Ruse, Esq., Former chief pro-life spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Alexandria, VA Mike Thompson, Jr., Pro-family Advocate, Vice Chairman, Fairfax County Republican Committee, Burke, VA Maureen Thompson, Pro-family Advocate, Leader in Daughters of the American Revolution, Burke, VA Michael Thompson, Sr., Pro-life Leader, Active Fairfax County GOP Member, Springfield, VA Patrick Trueman, Former Chief, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, U.S. Department of Justice, Oakton, VA Danny Vargas, Pro-family Advocate, Chairman of the National Republican Hispanic Assembly

If the drought increases in dust bowl regions of the United States converting beef ranches to solar farms may be the best option.

The video walks through the processes by which How solar panels are made. A solar panel is a device that collects and converts solar energy into electricity or heat. It transfers energy from the sun into electricity or heat which can be used by (for example) nearby buildings.

Coal is lousy for your health, gas smells, and electricity is pricey—plus none are exactly swell for the environment. Still, it just ain't summer without a barbecue. With Solar-Grill you can barbecue fish, chicken, vegetables, juicy steaks or other tasteful meals. An all this can be achieved without: electricity gas coals connecting or fire lighting just unfold aim at the sun put the meal into the barbecue cup ... and grilling starts immediately The Solar-Grill has a flexible mirror, which focuses the sun beams on the barbecue cup allowing it to heat up. Your meal is cooked in the self contained barbecue cup an heated evenly from all sides, without direct irradiation by sunlight. Because of the intelligent construction of the Solar-Grill your favorite dishes are cooked thoroughly by it self well-done, without burning. Everything keeps icy and you can enjoy other activities. Solar-Grill is ideal for camping and spare time, in the garden, on the balcony, at the swimming pool, beach or lakeside resort. Anyplace where open fire is forbidden or clouds of smoke are not welcome. no smoke no open fire no turn of meals no burn just pleasant smell of fresh barbecued dishes ... Telescope features and a foldable mirror enables easy handling and space-saving storage. Because of it's extreme lightness you can easily take the Solar-Grill to your favorite place. http://www.tammock.ch/en/

Being the worlds first fully automatic lawn mower, the Auto Mower is the ultimate user friendly mower. You don’t have to lift a finger to get a perfect lawn. The Husqvarna Auto Mower is a battery-powered mower that works independently. Mowing in a random pattern for consistent coverage, your lawn is always freshly manicured. The Auto Mower takes itself to the charging station and then returns to the lawn automatically, fully charged. The mower’s working area is defined by a boundary loop along the edges of the lawn. The mowing action is continuous and the cuttings are redistributed to the ground as fertilizer. The Automower is user-friendly and safe to operate. It is also built to a high specification and when used in accordance with the Operator’s Manual, will offer years of trouble-free service. The Operator’s Manual is a valuable document. Please read its contents carefully before setting up your Automower. Adhering to the maintenance instructions will ensure a long life for the mower. The Automower is designed to mow grass on ordinary lawns free from stones, large branches, etc. The Automower is not suitable for any other type of use. The manufacturer’s instructions with regard to installation, operation and maintenance must be followed precisely. What is the maximum operational area for the Automower? The Automower can handle any areas up to .45 acres +/- 20%, depending on the complexity of the garden. Will I still need an ordinary lawnmower? No. We recommend you to complement the edges with a trimmer to get a perfect finish for your lawn. What do I do if my lawn size is larger than .5 acres? You can install two or more machines side by side. We have today several “multiple” installations in place throughout the world. So far, the maximum amount of Automowers working side by side is 13 units maintaining a total area of 4 acres. Where can I get service and spare parts? You can get service at your nearest authorised retailer. To find it, go to the Dealer Locator. What’s the lifetime of the battery? This depends on the area and set running time of the Automower. If you run your Automower 6 months a year on an area of .2 acre, your battery will last 2-3 seasons. In order to save your battery you should set the timer according to the size of your lawn. A guideline is .02 acres per hour, which means that .2 acres needs an operation time of approx. 11 hours per day under normal growing conditions. During the dry season you can easily reduce the running time without losing performance. What’s the lifetime of the blades? The life of the blades depends on the type of soil and grass. Typically, the life is 1-2 months on .25 acres. You can replace the three lightweight blades in five minutes using a regular screwdriver. Do I need to store it inside during the winter? Yes, if you don’t have to mow in the winter. Before putting the Automower away for the winter it should be cleaned and wiped dry and then stored in dry frost-free conditions. We also recommend that the charging station is stored indoors over the winter. The loop wire installation can remain in the lawn. How do I maintain the Automower to keep it in the best condition? Replacing blades regularly is vital to maintain an excellent cutting result. Now and then, depending on your lawn size, you should spend a few minutes cleaning grass from the wheels and chassis. Can I use the Automower in smaller gardens? Yes. The Automower’s working hours should be set in accordance to lawn size. A good guideline is .02 acres per hour, so if your lawn size is .1 acres you need to set the Automower to work for about 5 hours per day. Can the Automower handle all types of gardens? In principle yes as long as the incline doesn’t exceed 35%. The convenience advantage may be limited in a very fragmented garden (a lawn consisting of many small patches of lawns not connected to each other) as the mower has to be moved around manually. During the installation, you will have to ensure that the Automower does not cut areas you do not wish to cut, e.g. flowers, bushes, trees, rocks, etc. Will the Automower cope with my uneven lawn? Due to the large driving wheels, the Automower can cope with uneven surfaces very well. Only small deep holes may cause the Automower to get stuck. The Automower is small enough to follow the curvature of a rough lawn. It will not scalp the “hills” like many larger mowers. Can the Automower detect objects such as clothes or toys lying around on the lawn? No. It is up to the owner to keep the lawn surface free from objects. Any object that is small enough for the Automower to pass over may be damaged, as well as cause damage to the machine’s blades. Make sure your lawn is clear of small objects before operating the Automower. What about pine cones, tree branches and fruit on the ground? To maximize the life of the blades these types of objects should be raked or collected regularly. They will not damage the mower, but the blades will wear faster. Tree branches may also damage or bend the blades resulting in a poor cutting performance. I have a nice flower bed and trees that I want to protect. Is that possible? Provided the wire has been installed correctly around your flower bed, tree, shrub, or other object, then Automower cannot damage it or intrude into that area. How does the Automower handle very long grass? If the grass is very long and thick you should raise the cutting height and then gradually reduce it to the preferred level. In extreme conditions the lawn may need to be cut by a conventional mower before the Automower takes over. I have a lot of moss in my lawn – how does that effect the Automower? Actually it’s the Automower that will affect the moss. The continuous mowing has a very positive influence on grass growth leading to the gradual disappearance of moss from the lawn. Will the mower cut the grass in rainy conditions? Yes, but it’s recommended that you bring the mower inside in extreme weather conditions, such as heavy rain and storms. Will the mower cut in very hot conditions? The mower is designed to function in temperatures of up to about 113ºF. From about 77ºF the mow and charge times will become shorter, as the battery capacity is lower in hot conditions. The area performance however remains unchanged. If I want to use the Automower at my summer home or share it with my neighbour, can the Automower work at two different locations? Yes. If you buy two charging stations and two loop wire cables, you can have two separate installation sites and use the Automower in both locations. http://www.automower.us

This video is quite interesting and scary. Edmonds claims that during her time at the FBI (September 20, 2001 to March 22, 2002) she discovered that intelligence material had been deliberately allowed to accumulate without translation; that inept translators were retained and promoted; and that evidence for traffic in nuclear materials was ignored. More shockingly, she charges that Grossman arranged for Turkish and Israeli Ph.D. students to acquire security clearances to Los Alamos and other nuclear facilities; and that nuclear secrets they acquired were transmitted to Pakistan and to Abdul Qadeer Khan, the "father of the Islamic bomb," who in turn was selling nuclear technology to Libya and other nations. She links Grossman to the former Pakistani military intelligence chief Mahmoud Ahmad, a patron of the Taliban who reportedly arranged for a payment of $ 100,000 to 9/11 ringleader Atta via Pakistani terrorist Saeed Sheikh before the attacks. She suggests that he warned Pakistani and Turkish contacts against dealings with the Brewster Jennings Corp., the CIA front company that Valerie Plame was involved in as part of an effort to infiltrate a nuclear smuggling ring. All very heady stuff, published this month in the Times of London (and largely ignored by the U.S. media)… Oct. 18, 2002: Attorney General John Ashcroft invokes the State Secrets Privilege (requested not by Justice Department but by State department) in order to prevent disclosure of the nature of Edmonds' work on the grounds that it would endanger national security, and asked that her wrongful termination suit be dismissed. In effect places Edmonds under a gag order. … Dec. 11, Attorney General Ashcroft again invoking the State Secrets Privilege, files a motion calling for Edmonds' deposition in Burnett v. Al Baraka case be suppressed and for the entire case to be dismissed. The judge, seeking more information, orders government to produce any unclassified material relating to the case. In response, Ashcroft submits further statements to justify the use of the State Secrets Privilege. 2004 - Grossman achieves Foreign Service's highest rank when President Bush appoints him to rank of Career Ambassador. Patrick Leahy calls for investigation; Sen. Orrin Hatch, Republican Chairman of the Senate, blocks it. May 13: Ashcroft retroactively classifies all material that had been provided to Senate Judiciary Committee in 2000 relating to Edmond's lawsuit, as well as the senators' letters that had already been posted on line by the Project on Government Oversight (POGO). June 23: POGO files lawsuit against Justice Department for classifying material it had published; Justice Department fails to get the case dismissed. 2005 - …Feb. 18: Justice Department under new attorney general backs away from claim that documents posted by POGO were classified. … http://pogo.org/p/government/w-nswhistleblowers.html

Party Leaders and Elected Official (PLEO) delegates - DNC Members, Democratic House and Senate members, Democratic governors, and former Democratic Party leaders are automatically confirmed to the state parties. In addition, these positions are considered according to the following priority: big city mayors and state-wide elected officials, state legislative leaders, state legislators, and other state, county and local elected officials and party leaders. These delegates can be chosen by a state convention, the State Party Committee, or by a committee consisting of a quorum of district-level delegates. There are both pledged and unpledged PLEO delegates. DNC DELEGATE SELECTION RULES UNPLEDGED AND PLEDGED PARTY LEADERS AND ELECTED OFFICIAL DELEGATES A. The procedure to be used for certifying unpledged party leader and elected official delegates is as follows: Not later than March 1, 2008, the Secretary of the Democratic National Committee shall officially confirm to each State Democratic Chair the names of the following unpledged delegates who legally reside in their respective state and who shall be recognized as part of their state’s delegation unless any such member has publicly expressed support for the election of, or has endorsed, a presidential candidate of another political party: 1. The individuals recognized as members of the DNC (as set forth in Article Three, Sections 2 and 3 of the Charter of the Democratic Party of the United States); and, 2. The Democratic President and the Democratic Vice President of the United States, if applicable; and, 3. All Democratic members of the United States House of Representatives and all Democratic members of the United States Senate; and, 4. The Democratic Governor, if applicable; and, 5. All former Democratic Presidents, all former Democratic Vice Presidents, all former Democratic Leaders of the U.S. Senate, all former Democratic Speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives and Democratic Minority Leaders, as applicable, and all former Chairs of the Democratic National Committee. B. Following the selection of district-level delegates, and prior to the selection of pledged party leader and elected official delegates, unpledged add-on delegates shall be selected according to the following procedures: 1. Unpledged add-on delegates may be selected by either the same selecting body which will select the state’s party leader and elected official delegates, or by the same selecting body which will select the state’s at-large delegates and alternates. 2. The equal division and affirmative action provisions of Rule 10.A. apply to the selection of unpledged add-on delegates. 3. The list from which the selecting body chooses the unpledged add-on delegates shall contain the same minimum number of names for every such add-on position to be filled as the minimum number of names required by the state’s delegate selection plan to remain on the list of bona fide supporters for each at-large and pledged party leader and elected official delegate pursuant to Rule 12.E.(2). 4. Unpledged add-on delegates are not entitled to alternates, and neither shall the delegation be entitled to a replacement, except in the case of death. 5. Unpledged add-on delegates may be selected whether or not they previously filed a statement of candidacy for a delegate position or submitted a pledge of support for a presidential candidate. C. Following the selection of unpledged add-on delegates under 9.B., pledged party leader and elected official delegates are to be selected subject to the following procedures: 1. Persons shall be considered for pledged party leader and elected official delegates and alternates according to the following priority: big city mayors and state-wide elected officials to be given equal consideration; state legislative leaders, state legislators, and other state, county and local elected officials and party leaders. 2. These slots shall be allocated on the same basis as the state’s at-large delegates. 3. If persons eligible for pledged party leader and elected official delegate positions have not made known their presidential preference under the procedures established by the state pursuant to Rule 12 for candidates for district-level and atlarge delegate positions, their preferences shall be ascertained through alternative procedures established by the state party, which shall require a signed pledge of support for a presidential candidate. Such an alternative system shall have a final deadline for submitting a pledge of support after the selection of all district-level delegates has been completed and must provide an opportunity for disapproval by the presidential candidate or the candidate’s authorized representative. D. A state’s party leader and elected official delegates may be chosen by a state convention or by a committee consisting of a quorum of district-level delegates. They may also be chosen by the State Party Committee, as recognized by the Democratic National Committee, but only if the state’s Delegate Selection Plan is in full compliance with these rules, and provided: 1. Membership on the State Party Committee is apportioned on the basis of population and/or some measure of Democratic strength; 2. Members of the State Party Committee have been elected through open processes in conformity with the basic procedural guarantees utilized for delegate selection; 3. Such delegates are elected at a public meeting subsequent to the election of district-level delegates; 4. Members of the State Party Committee exercising such authority shall have been elected no earlier than the date of the previous presidential election; and 5. Membership of the State Party Committee complies with the equal division requirements of Article 9, Section 16 of the Charter of the Democratic Party of the United States. E. Except as provided in 9.A. above, no person shall serve as an automatic delegate at any level of the delegate selection process by virtue of holding a public or party office. California Unpledged Votes DNC Members 33 Dem. Members of Congress 32 Distinguised Party Leaders 1 Add-on Upledged 5 http://www.demconvention.com/delegate-map/ http://www.demconvention.com/how-to-become-a-delegate/

Where is Red Foxx on the list? Cmon. He should be on top.

Superdelegates are delegates to a presidential nominating convention in the United States who are not bound by the decisions of party primaries or caucuses. Superdelegates are elected officeholders and party officials. They are sometimes referred to as "unpledged delegates," but some unpledged delegates are not superdelegates. Superdelegates control more than forty percent of the delegates needed to win the nomination. Most of the super delegates aren't chosen by the general populace, and they are not bound by the votes in their respective states. Superdelegates were first appointed in the 1970s, after control of the nomination process in the Democratic Party effectively moved out of the hands of party officials into the primary and caucus process. The aim was to grant some say in the process to people who had been playing roles in the party before the election year. In 2008, the 796 super delegates will make up about 20% of the entire Democratic National convention. Winning the nomination requires 2,025 delegates The Republican Party has 123 similarly automatically appointed delegates, members of the Republican National Committee. Including these appointees, the Republican Party has 463 unpledged delegates out of a total of 2,380 delegates. A “unpledged voter” is not the same thing as “super delegates”. Almost all of the unpledged delegates on the Democratic side are indeed super delegates (i.e. party leaders), but some of the super delegates are actually pledged delegates, and they are not free to simply vote for whomever they wish.

On the Democratic Side Hillary Clinton edged Barack Obama by 21 delegates. What made the difference in this race was the Latino voting for Senator Clinton by two-to-one margin in key states such as New York, California and New Jersey. Clinton 584 Obama 563 On the Republican Side John McCain to a commanding lead for his party's nomination. What made the difference in this race was moderates and liberal Republicans gave over 50 percent of their votes to Senator McCain. McCain 511 Romney 176 Huckabee 147 Paul 10 Here is a state by state breakdown. Georgia Obama 27/87 Huckabee 45/72 West Virginia May 13 Huckabee 18/18 Alabama Obama 20/52 Huckabee 20/45 Connecticut Obama 26/48 McCain 27/27 Delaware Obama 9/15 McCain 18/18 Illinois Obama 62/153 McCain 54/57 Massachusetts Clinton 54/93 Romney 22/40 Missouri Obama 0/72 McCain 58/58 New Jersey Clinton 51/107 McCain 52/52 Oklahoma Clinton 24/38 McCain 32/38 Tennessee Clinton 34/68 Huckabee 21/52 Arkansas Clinton 23/35 Huckabee 26/31 Arizona Clinton 26/56 McCain 53/53 Colorado Obama 13/55 Romney 22/43 Kansas Obama 23/32 Minnesota Obama 48/72 Romney 36/38 New Mexico Too Close 0/26 New York Clinton 127/232 McCain 101/101 Idaho Obama 15/18 Montana Romney 25/25 North Dakota Obama 8/13 Romney 8/26 Utah Obama 14/23 Romney 36/36 California Clinton 42/370 McCain 56/170 Alaska Obama 9/13 12:30 am Alaska Romney 12/26

To me this is a more interesting story. The Temple Mount (Hebrew: הַר הַבַּיִת‎, Har haBáyit), also known as the Noble Sanctuary (Arabic: الحرم القدسي الشريف‎, al-haram al-qudsī ash-sharīf) is a religious site in the Old City of Jerusalem. Due to its importance for Judaism, Christianity and Islam it is one of the most contested religious sites in the world. According to an Aggada in the Talmud, the world was created from the Foundation Stone on the Temple Mount. According to the Bible, the place where Abraham fulfilled God's test to see if he would be willing to sacrifice his son Isaac was Mount Moriah, which the Talmud says was another name for the Temple Mount. The Muslim administrative body responsible for the Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem is often referred to as "the waqf". In July 2007, the Waqf began digging a ditch from the northern side of the Temple Mount compound to the Dome of the Rock as a prelude to infrastructure work in the area. Although the dig was approved by the police, it generated protests from archaeologists. The Committee for the Prevention of Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount criticized the use of a tractor for excavation at the Temple Mount "without real, professional and careful archaeological supervision involving meticulous documentation". Why would Congress get involved in this dispute? HRES 756 IH Condemning the Wakf's digging activities at the Temple Mount site and deploring the destruction of artifacts vitally important to Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. (Introduced in House) 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 756 Condemning the Wakf's digging activities at the Temple Mount site and deploring the destruction of artifacts vitally important to Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 18, 2007 Mr. CANTOR (for himself and Ms. BERKLEY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RESOLUTION Condemning the Wakf's digging activities at the Temple Mount site and deploring the destruction of artifacts vitally important to Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. Whereas the Temple Mount , located in the ancient city of Jerusalem, Israel, has tremendous religious significance to the world's three major monotheistic religions; Whereas according to the Jewish faith, the Temple Mount is the location where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, in the ultimate test of his commitment to God; Whereas the Temple Mount was also the site of the First and Second Holy Temples; Whereas according to Christianity, Jesus was dedicated on the Temple Mount in the Second Temple in accordance with the Law of Moses; Whereas Jesus referred to the Biblical Temple as His Father's House; Whereas Muslims believe that Mohammed ascended to heaven from the Temple Mount to make the Night Journey to the Throne of Allah; Whereas in June 1967, Jerusalem once again became a united city under Israel's sovereignty; Whereas the State of Israel has been legally responsible for the Temple Mount since 1967 and has been respectful of the religious practices of Jews, Christians, and Muslims at the site; Whereas Israel maintains overall security control of the site; Whereas the Wakf, or Islamic Trust, conducts day-to-day administration of the compound; Whereas Wakf officials have repeatedly denied the existence of the First and Second Jewish Temples; Whereas the Wakf has a stained history of damaging sensitive Jewish and Christian cultural sites; Whereas in August 1999 the Wakf dug a large stairway at the Temple Mount leading down to an underground mosque, dumping thousands of tons of archaeologically rich soil into the adjacent Kidron Valley; Whereas Israel's Supreme Court declared in 1993 that the Wakf had violated Israel's antiquities laws on 35 occasions; Whereas in the summer of 2007 Wakf officials began some of the most extensive work on the Temple Mount site in more than a decade using tractors and other heavy construction machinery to create a 400-meter-long and 1.5-meter-deep trench to replace electrical cables and water pipes; Whereas in some areas of the Temple Mount the bedrock is only a half meter deep, endangering structures that have been in place for thousands of years; Whereas among the antiquities removed include a 7-meter-wide wall widely believed to date back to the Second Temple; Whereas irresponsible or destructive construction and digging threaten to damage this sacred site; and Whereas leading Israeli archaeologists have warned of irreversible damage to Jerusalem's holiest artifacts: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives condemns the Wakf's digging activities at the Temple Mount site and deplores the destruction of artifacts vitally important to Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. Rep Akin, W. Todd [MO-2] - 11/14/2007 Rep Barrett, J. Gresham [sC-3] - 11/14/2007 Rep Berkley, Shelley [NV-1] - 10/18/2007 Rep Broun, Paul C. [GA-10] - 11/14/2007 Rep Campbell, John [CA-48] - 11/14/2007 Rep Conaway, K. Michael [TX-11] - 11/14/2007 Rep Davis, David [TN-1] - 11/14/2007 Rep Doolittle, John T. [CA-4] - 11/14/2007 Rep Feeney, Tom [FL-24] - 11/14/2007 Rep Fortuno, Luis G. [PR] - 11/14/2007 Rep Foxx, Virginia [NC-5] - 11/14/2007 Rep Garrett, Scott [NJ-5] - 11/14/2007 Rep Gingrey, Phil [GA-11] - 11/14/2007 Rep Hensarling, Jeb [TX-5] - 11/14/2007 Rep Jordan, Jim [OH-4] - 11/14/2007 Rep Kingston, Jack [GA-1] - 11/14/2007 Rep Kline, John [MN-2] - 11/14/2007 Rep Kuhl, John R. "Randy", Jr. [NY-29] - 11/14/2007 Rep Lamborn, Doug [CO-5] - 11/14/2007 Rep Lucas, Frank D. [OK-3] - 11/14/2007 Rep Lungren, Daniel E. [CA-3] - 11/14/2007 Rep Manzullo, Donald A. [iL-16] - 11/14/2007 Rep Marchant, Kenny [TX-24] - 11/14/2007 Rep McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [WA-5] - 11/14/2007 Rep Musgrave, Marilyn N. [CO-4] - 11/14/2007 Rep Neugebauer, Randy [TX-19] - 11/14/2007 Rep Pence, Mike [iN-6] - 11/14/2007 Rep Pitts, Joseph R. [PA-16] - 11/14/2007 Rep Price, Tom [GA-6] - 11/14/2007 Rep Sali, Bill [iD-1] - 11/14/2007 Rep Shadegg, John B. [AZ-3] - 11/14/2007 Rep Walberg, Timothy [MI-7] - 11/14/2007 Rep Wamp, Zach [TN-3] - 11/14/2007 Rep Weldon, Dave [FL-15] - 11/14/2007 Rep Westmoreland, Lynn A. [GA-3] - 11/14/2007 Rep Wilson, Joe [sC-2] - 11/14/2007

This bill was introduced in 2004 H.R.4980 Title: To direct the Secretary of the Interior to arrange for the carving of the figure of former President Ronald Reagan on Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and for other purposes. Latest Major Action: 8/2/2004 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Executive Comment Requested from Interior. The National Park Service stated that Mount Rushmore was now too fragile to sustain another carving.

Does it really matter if Scientologist have their roots masonry? I am neither, but I cannot see any harm they have done to anyone. I cannot see how charitble organizations are bad? Soldier what is your belief? I know as a Catholic people bash my religion all the time, but I believe it good and have gained decent morals and ethics from it. It appears these groups do the same.

Founded to meet the new technical and operational challenges of the communications industry when the U.S. government mandated local number portability in 1996, NeuStar has evolved to create customer-responsive technologies that deliver a broad range of essential clearinghouse capabilities for service providers. Our clearinghouse enables delivery of traditional services more efficiently and deployment of new services more rapidly than ever before. NeuStar's Ultra Services provide solutions to organizations that rely on DNS for their critical business processes, applications and services, delivering superior security, reliability and performance. With the growth in e-commerce and the emergence of advanced DNS-based communication services, organizations can no longer rely on traditional approaches to DNS. NeuStar's Ultra Services offer a range of global and local DNS solutions – both managed services and custom infrastructure – built on the unique Directory Services Platform and proprietary, patented technologies. With thousands of enterprise, service provider and TLD infrastructure customers, NeuStar Ultra Services power the resolution of over 15 million domains around the world. http://www.neustarultraservices.biz Jamie Lewis, an engineer for UltraDns stated that Godaddy maximum of six nodes David Chase thought Godaddy uses only 2 or 3 nodes. Godaddy' service can fail. It did last year. Ultra DNS provides its customers with access to 14 nodes Here are two examples of its caliber of customers. It also has partnered with private networks Load Balancing mirrored domains and multidomains 12 month agreement 600,000 - 1,00,000 unique domain name queries $700/month When you transfer it will be extremely seemly You can expect 2% increase In 2005 Kelly Blue Book experienced 10-12% They have a 98% renewel rate. David Chase Jamie Lewis Worked Lockheed Owned Neustar Own Every phone star Manage of 22% worlds DNS traffic. Nodes, so there is lest http://www.internic.net/whois.html

The future is an exciting place. The Tesla Roadster is a fully electric sports car, and is the first car to be produced by electric car firm Tesla Motors. The car will be able to travel 221 miles (356 km) on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery,The Roadster's efficiency is reported as 133 Wh/km (4.7 mi/kWh), equivalent to 135 mpg–U.S. (1.74 L/100 km / 162.1 mpg–imp). Tesla Motors engineers have designed an electric engine that will go 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds with a top speed of 130 mph. Would you pay $90K for an electric sportscar that out performs a Ferrari? The Roadster was developed with help from Lotus Cars. The AC motor and drivetrain technology are more advanced than versions used in the GM EV1 and AC Propulsion tzero. Tesla Motors licensed AC Propulsion's Reductive Charging patent which covers integration of the charging electronics with the inverter, thus reducing mass, complexity and cost. Tesla Motors has designed and built its own power electronics, motor, and other drivetrain components that incorporate this licensed technology from AC Propulsion. Lotus supplied the basic chassis development technology from its Lotus Elise. Tesla engineers designed a new chassis with this development technology. The Roadster shares some components with the Elise, such as the windshield, air bags, tires, some dashboard parts, and suspension components.[9] The styling was by Barney Hatt at Lotus' design studio with input from Tesla. The car will be assembled at the Lotus factory in Hethel, England, with drivetrain components and body components supplied to the factory by Tesla. Tesla Motors has completed all Regulatory Approvals and has set a schedule to begin production in March. Tesla Motors, Inc. is a Silicon Valley automobile startup company focusing on the production of high performance, consumer-oriented electric vehicles. The firm was started in the summer of 2003 by engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in San Carlos, and has since grown to include several team members with extensive computer, electrical, and automotive engineering backgrounds from around the world. Tesla Motors is named after Serbian inventor, electrical engineer and scientist Nikola Tesla. Initial investment came from PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, who became Tesla's Chairman of the Board. He also led Tesla Motors' first two rounds of financing and co-led the third round along with VantagePoint Venture Partners. Tesla's third round included investment from prominent entrepreneurs, such as Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and former eBay President Jeff Skoll. As of May 2007, the company has raised over $105 million USD through private financing. Elon Musk, who was President of PayPal before it was bought by eBay, has contributed $37 million of his own money to the company. As of 2008, Elon Musk has successfully ousted Tesla's original founder Martin Eberhard from the company and fired several key personnel that were there since its inception. New direction is now under Ze'ev Drori, the current CEO of Tesla Motors.

I need to find out how to get a grant for my farm. My idea is to make it completely green self sustaining.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business. The result is assurance. Consumers and producers know that they can enjoy secure supplies and greater choice of the finished products, components, raw materials and services that they use. Producers and exporters know that foreign markets will remain open to them. The result is also a more prosperous, peaceful and accountable economic world. Decisions in the WTO are typically taken by consensus among all member countries and they are ratified by members’ parliaments. Trade friction is channeled into the WTO's dispute settlement process where the focus is on interpreting agreements and commitments, and how to ensure that countries’ trade policies conform with them. That way, the risk of disputes spilling over into political or military conflict is reduced. By lowering trade barriers, the WTO's system also breaks down other barriers between peoples and nations. At the heart of the system known as the multilateral trading system–are the WTO's agreements, negotiated and signed by a large majority of the world’s trading nations, and ratified in their parliaments. These agreements are the legal ground-rules for international commerce. Essentially, they are contracts, guaranteeing member countries important trade rights. They also bind governments to keep their trade policies within agreed limits to everybody’s benefit. The agreements were negotiated and signed by governments. But their purpose is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business. The goal is to improve the welfare of the peoples of the member countries. The WTO's rules - the agreements–are the result of negotiations between the members. The current set were the outcome of the 1986-94 Uruguay Round negotiations which included a major revision of the original General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). GATT is now the WTO's principal rule-book for trade in goods. The Uruguay Round also created new rules for dealing with trade in services, relevant aspects of intellectual property, dispute settlement, and trade policy reviews. The complete set runs to some 30,000 pages consisting of about 60 agreements and separate commitments (called schedules) made by individual members in specific areas such as lower customs duty rates and services market-opening. Through these agreements, WTO members operate a non-discriminatory trading system that spells out their rights and their obligations. Each country receives guarantees that its exports will be treated fairly and consistently in other countries’ markets. Each promises to do the same for imports into its own market. The system also gives developing countries some flexibility in implementing their commitments. http://www.wto.org

Underlying CBO’s baseline projections is a forecast that U.S. economic growth will slow in calendar year 2008 but pick up in 2009. Specifically, CBO anticipates that GDP will grow by 1.7 percent in real terms for 2008 as a whole, about half a percentage point less than the growth recorded last year. For 2009, CBO forecasts that GDP growth will rebound to 2.8 percent Problems in the housing and financial markets, along with high oil prices, triggered much of the recent slowdown. Between mid-2006 and the end of 2007, residential investment (which includes the construction of new housing units, improvements to existing units, and brokers’ commissions) declined, but the drop was largely offset by growth in both consumer spending and business fixed investment (businesses’ spending on structures, equipment, and software). Those two sectors are unlikely to provide as much support to economic growth this year. Residential investment is expected to continue to decline through much of 2008; in addition, the growth of consumer spending, sustained thus far by solid growth in people’s real income as well as by their borrowing and use of savings, is likely to fall off, curtailed by a drop in housing wealth (home equity), increased costs for borrowing, the high price of oil, and slower growth of real income. The resulting weak domestic demand for goods and services in turn is expected to slow the growth of business fixed investment, which is likely to further diminish the pace of overall economic growth this year. In contrast, the relative economic strength of the United States’ major trading partners—in particular, developing countries with emerging market economies—when combined with the dollar’s decline will partially offset the sluggishness in domestic demand expected in 2008 and support U.S. economic growth by stimulating exports. Emerging economies have become increasingly less dependent on demand in the United States to fuel their expansions and, as a result, have become less vulnerable to slowdowns in U.S. economic growth. Moreover, the pace of the decline begun in 2002 in the value of the dollar relative to the currencies of major trading partners—which helps make U.S. exports less expensive—has quickened. Those developments, accompanied by less domestic demand for imports, are likely to reduce the U.S. current-account deficit (broadly, the summary measure of the United States’ trade with the rest of the world). Inflation (as measured by the year-to-year change in the price index for personal consumption expenditures) is likely to be about the same this year as last year; in 2009, CBO forecasts, the rate will fall, to 1.8 percent, as inflation in energy and food prices eases. The unemployment rate, which was 4.6 percent last year, will average 5.1 percent in 2008 and reach 5.3 percent by the end of the year, CBO estimates. Interest rates on Treasury securities are expected to remain low this year and to increase in 2009 as the economy works through and emerges from its current difficulties. In CBO’s forecast, the rate on 3-month Treasury bills averages 3.2 percent in 2008 and moves higher, to 4.2 percent, in 2009. Similarly, the rate on 10-year Treasury notes moves from an average of 4.2 percent in 2008 to 4.9 percent in 2009. For 2010 to 2018, CBO projects that real growth will average 2.7 percent and the personal consumption expenditure price index, 1.9 percent. CBO also projects that in the latter years of the projection period, the unemployment rate will average 4.8 percent and that the interest rates on 3-month Treasury bills and 10-yearTreasury notes will average 4.7 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively

Manufacturing production, which accounts for about 82 percent of all industrial output, rose 4.1 percent at an annual rate in the third quarter of 2007, following a 4.3 percent increase in the second quarter. A strong gain in the output of high-technology goods led the overall manufacturing increase. The output of high-technology goods (computers, communications equipment, and semiconductors) grew by 28.5 percent at an annual rate, up from the second quarter’s 16.6 percent pace. Production of motor vehicles and parts–which can be very volatile–was up 1.3 percent at an annual rate after growing 13.3 percent at an annual rate in the second quarter of 2007. In the 12 months through October, output of motor vehicles and parts was up 0.9 percent. Apart from automobiles, manufacturing output increased at a 4.3 percent annual rate in the third quarter of 2007. http://fms.treas.gov/bulletin/index.html

As of 01/31/2008 Total Public Debt Outstanding 9,238,008,288,942.11 http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np Monthly Interest on the Public Debt $106,138,177,851.45 Congressional Budget Office estimates that if today’s laws and policies did not change, federal spending would total $2.9 trillion in 2008 and revenues would total $2.7 trillion, resulting in a budget deficit of $219 billion. That deficit could increase significantly if legislation is enacted to provide economic stimulus—as is currently under consideration. Furthermore, additional funding that is likely to be needed to finance military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan could add $30 billion to outlays this year. http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/89xx/doc8933/01...Testimony.shtml

INSTALLED U.S. WIND POWER CAPACITY SURGED 45% IN 2007: AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION MARKET REPORT Industry calls prompt extension of federal renewable energy incentive ‘vital’ to sustain momentum, strengthen economy Shattering all its previous records, the U.S. wind energy industry installed 5,244 megawatts (MW) in 2007, expanding the nation’s total wind power generating capacity by 45% in a single calendar year and injecting an investment of over $9 billion into the economy, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced today. The new wind projects account for about 30% of the entire new power-producing capacity added nationally in 2007 and will power the equivalent of 1.5 million American households annually while strengthening U.S. energy supply with clean, homegrown electric power. “This is the third consecutive year of record-setting growth, establishing wind power as one of the largest sources of new electricity supply for the country,” said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. “This remarkable and accelerating growth is driven by strong demand, favorable economics, and a period of welcome relief from the on-again, off-again, boom-and-bust, cycle of the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind power.” “But the PTC and tax incentives for other renewable energy sources are now in danger of lapsing at the end of this year—and at the worst moment for the U.S economy,” added Swisher. “The U.S. wind industry calls on Congress and the President to quickly extend the PTC—the only existing U.S. incentive for wind power—in order to sustain this remarkable growth along with the manufacturing jobs, fresh economic opportunities, and reduction of global warming pollution that it provides.” The U.S. wind power fleet now numbers 16,818 MW and spans 34 states. American wind farms will generate an estimated 48 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of wind energy in 2008, just over 1% of U.S. electricity supply, powering the equivalent of over 4.5 million homes. This wind power also: Helps protect consumers from increases in electricity costs due to volatile fuel prices and supply disruptions: by reducing the use of natural gas and other fuels used for electricity generation, and lowering the pressure on their price, wind can save consumers money, even in regions with low or no wind resources. Reduces global warming emissions: To generate the same amount of electricity using the average U.S. power plant fuel mix would cause over 28 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) to be emitted annually. Conserves precious water resources: Wind farms don’t need water for steam or for cooling, a benefit that is increasingly valuable in arid areas and in times of drought. Wind power’s strong performance is expected to continue this year, with AWEA’s initial estimates indicating that 2008 could equal 2007 in new wind capacity installed. Developers report that with strong demand for wind power across the country, wind turbines are sold out for the year. However, AWEA projects that with more companies entering the market, more turbines will become available. The pace of growth in 2008 and beyond is expected to largely depend, not on turbine availability, but on the timing and duration of an extension of the federal production tax credit. Report highlights include: Installations in the last quarter of 2007 alone (2,930 MW) surpassed the amount installed in all of 2006 (2,454 MW). Texas consolidates its lead; wind power also expands at a strong pace in Midwest and Northwest. The states with the most cumulative wind power capacity installed are: Texas - 4356 MW California - 2439 MW Minnesota - 1299 MW Iowa - 1273 MW Washington - 1163 MW Investment is flowing into the wind power supply chain. At least fourteen new manufacturing facilities opened or were announced in 2007, according to initial AWEA estimates. Companies are opening new manufacturing plants and expanding existing ones, creating new jobs and business opportunities across the country, even in states that do not have a large wind resource. GE Energy continued to lead in wind turbine sales, with 45% of the market in terms of new capacity installed. FPL Energy remained atop the list of wind project developers, with 956 MW of new development in 2007 alone. The full annual report is available on the AWEA Web site at www.awea.org/Market_Report_Jan08.pdf and a state-by-state listing of existing and proposed wind energy projects is available at http://www.awea.org/projects

The Department of Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service and scores of community partners nationwide today kicked off EITC Awareness Day to promote the refundable tax credit for low-wage workers and options for free tax preparation. January 31, designated as EITC Awareness Day by the IRS, also marks the deadline for employers sending Forms W-2 to employees which enable them to file their tax returns. More than 60 percent of tax returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit are filed during the month of February. More than 22.4 million taxpayers received more than $43.7 billion in EITC on their 2006 federal income tax returns. The IRS estimates that approximately one in four eligible taxpayers fails to claim EITC. Eligibility requirements for the credit can be complex. Also, people who have earned income but may not have a filing requirement, non-English speakers, non-traditional families, the homeless, childless workers and rural residents are among those who may not realize they qualify. “Ensuring that more eligible families receive their EITC is important this year, as it is every year. I encourage people all across America to check to see if you are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit,” said Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. “Believe it or not, there are many taxpayers who are eligible to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit, but fail to claim it simply because they are not informed. That is why the many partners involved in today’s effort — from Congress, to state, local and community leaders — are so critical,” said U.S. Treasurer Anna Escobedo Cabral. “The IRS wants all eligible taxpayers to claim this important tax credit. We also want people to know that free help is available. There are volunteers staffing free tax-help sites nationwide. Free File at IRS.gov offers free software and e-filing. And, many professional tax preparers also donate their time and services to low-income taxpayers,” said Acting IRS Commissioner Linda Stiff. Many organizations offering free tax help also are encouraging taxpayers to save a little money or open a bank account. The IRS has helped in this effort by creating a split-refund program that allows all taxpayers to divide their refunds among up to three financial accounts, such as checking, savings and retirement. More than 150 coalitions and partners across the nation will mark EITC Awareness Day with a series of news conferences or news releases promoting this refundable tax credit for low-wage taxpayers. These organizations operate free tax preparation sites for low-income individuals, for seniors and for other eligible taxpayers. EITC claimants are eligible for free tax preparation services provided at nearly 12,000 volunteer sites nationwide. They can also link to Free File through IRS.gov if they wish to prepare their own returns. Many tax professionals also offer free service as part of their pro bono requirements. The credit was created in 1975 in part to offset the burden of Social Security taxes and to serve as a work incentive. The amount of the credit varies but it is generally determined by income and family size. Some states also have a local version of EITC also can increase a taxpayer’s refund. For the 2007 tax year, the maximum credit is $4,716 for a family with two or more children; $2,853 for a family with one child and $428 if the taxpayer does not reside with children. The maximum amount of earned income allowed is higher for tax year 2007 than it was for 2006. Please see Fact Sheet 2008-11 for all eligibility requirements. Generally, a taxpayer may be able to take the credit for tax year 2007 if the taxpayer: has more than one qualifying child and earns less than $37,783 ($39,783 if married filing jointly), has one qualifying child and earns less than $33,241 ($35,241 if married filing jointly), or does not have a qualifying child and earns less than $12,590 ($14,590 if married filing jointly). The maximum amount of investment income also increased to $2,900 for tax year 2007. For families, there also are certain requirements for child residency that must be met. Nearly 70 percent of all EITC returns are prepared by a third party or tax professional. The IRS reminds tax professionals that they must perform due diligence when preparing an EITC tax return. To help, the IRS created an EITC Tax Preparer Electronic Toolkit which is available at www.eitcfortaxpreparers.com. Taxpayers should seek out reputable tax preparers. People should be wary of tax preparers who offer larger refunds based on ETIC fraud or make other enticements based on EITC. False EITC returns have serious consequences and deliberate inaccuracies can result in a lengthy ban on eligibility. This year, the IRS also will keep 70 Taxpayer Assistance Centers open the first three Saturdays during February to help prepare EITC returns. These will be located in areas underserved by volunteer tax preparation sites. Tax preparers and taxpayers can find a wealth of information on this Web site. Both can use the EITC Assistant at www.irs.gov/eitc, which is an easy-to-use interactive tool to help determine if the taxpayer is qualified for EITC. This step-by-step online program helps answer questions about eligibility, filing status, qualifying children and credit amount. The EITC Assistant also is available in Spanish. http://www.irs.gov/app/freeFile/jsp/index.jsp?dcpages

The Internal Revenue Service today warned taxpayers to beware of several current e-mail and telephone scams that use the IRS name as a lure. The IRS expects such scams to continue through the end of tax return filing season and beyond. The IRS cautioned taxpayers to be on the lookout for scams involving proposed advance payment checks. Although the government has not yet enacted an economic stimulus package in which the IRS would provide advance payments, known informally as rebates to many Americans, a scam which uses the proposed rebates as bait has already cropped up. The goal of the scams is to trick people into revealing personal and financial information, such as Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers, which the scammers can use to commit identity theft. Typically, identity thieves use a victim’s personal and financial data to empty the victim’s financial accounts, run up charges on the victim’s existing credit cards, apply for new loans, credit cards, services or benefits in the victim’s name, file fraudulent tax returns or even commit crimes. Most of these fraudulent activities can be committed electronically from a remote location, including overseas. Committing these activities in cyberspace allows scamsters to act quickly and cover their tracks before the victim becomes aware of the theft. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years — and their hard-earned money — cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their reputations and credit records. In the meantime, victims may lose job opportunities, may be refused loans, education, housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit. The most recent scams brought to IRS attention are described below. Rebate Phone Call At least one scheme using the word “rebate” as part of the lure has been identified. In that scam, consumers receive a phone call from someone identifying himself as an IRS employee. The caller tells the targeted victim that he is eligible for a sizable rebate for filing his taxes early. The caller then states that he needs the target’s bank account information for the direct deposit of the rebate. If the target refuses, he is told that he cannot receive the rebate. This phone call is a scam. No legislation has yet been enacted that would allow the IRS to provide advance payments to taxpayers or that determines the details of those payments. Moreover, the IRS does not force taxpayers to use direct deposit. Those who opt for direct deposit do so by completing the appropriate section of their tax return, with bank routing and account information, when they file; the IRS does not gather the information by telephone. Refund e-Mail The IRS has seen several variations of a refund-related bogus e-mail which falsely claims to come from the IRS, tells the recipient that he or she is eligible for a tax refund for a specific amount, and instructs the recipient to click on a link in the e-mail to access a refund claim form. The form asks the recipient to enter personal information that the scamsters can then use to access the e-mail recipient’s bank or credit card account. In a new wrinkle, the current version of the refund scam includes two paragraphs that appear to be directed toward tax-exempt organizations that distribute funds to other organizations or individuals. The e-mail contains the name and supposed signature of the Director of the IRS’s Exempt Organizations business division. This e-mail is a phony. The IRS does not send unsolicited e-mail about tax account matters to individual, business, tax-exempt or other taxpayers. Filing a tax return is the only way to apply for a tax refund; there is no separate application form. Taxpayers who wish to find out if they are due a refund from their last annual tax return filing may use the “Where’s My Refund?” interactive application on this Web site, IRS.gov. The only official IRS Web site is located here at www.irs.gov. Audit e-Mail Another new scam brought to IRS attention contains features not seen before by the IRS. Using a technique calculated to get almost anyone’s attention, the e-mail notifies the recipient that his or her tax return will be audited. This is the first scam of which the IRS is aware that uses this to get the victim to respond. Unusual for a scam e-mail, it may contain a salutation in the body addressed to the specific recipient by name. Most scam e-mails seen by the IRS are sent using the same technique used by spammers, in which hundreds of thousands of messages are sent to potential victims based on Internet address. Because of the volume, the typical scam e-mail is not personalized. This e-mail instructs the recipient to click on links to complete forms with personal and account information, which the scammers will use to commit identity theft. This e-mail is a phony. The IRS does not send unsolicited, tax-account related e-mails to taxpayers. Changes to Tax Law e-Mail This bogus e-mail is addressed to businesses, accountants and “Treasury” managers. It instructs them to download information on tax law changes by clicking on a series of links to publications on businesses, estate taxes, excise taxes, exempt organizations and IRAs and other retirement plans. The IRS believes that clicking on a link downloads malware onto the recipient’s computer. Malware is malicious code that can take over the victim’s computer hard drive, giving someone remote access to the computer, or it could look for passwords and other information and send them to the scamster. There are other types of malware, as well. The urls contained in the link are not legitimate IRS Web addresses. All IRS.gov Web page addresses begin with http://www.irs.gov/. Paper Check Phone Call In a current telephone scam, a caller claims to be an IRS employee who is calling because the IRS sent a check to the individual being called. The caller states that because the check has not been cashed, the IRS wants to verify the individual’s bank account number. The caller may have a foreign accent. In reality, the IRS leaves it entirely up to the individual to choose to cash or not cash a paper check. The IRS has no business need to know, and does not ask for, bank account or similar information, except when taxpayers indicate on their tax return that they are opting for the direct electronic deposit of their refund. In that case, however, it is the individual’s responsibility to provide the IRS with the correct bank routing and account numbers on the tax return; the IRS does not contact taxpayers to verify the information. What to Do Anyone wishing to access the IRS Web site should initiate contact by typing the IRS.gov address into their Internet address window, rather than clicking on a link in an e-mail or opening an attachment. Those who have received a questionable e-mail claiming to come from the IRS may forward it to a mailbox the IRS has established to receive such e-mails, phishing@irs.gov, using instructions contained in an article titled “How to Protect Yourself from Suspicious E-Mails or Phishing Schemes.” Following the instructions will help the IRS track the suspicious e-mail to its origins and shut down the scam. Find the article by visiting IRS.gov and entering the words “suspicious e-mails” into the search box in the upper right corner of the front page. Those who have received a questionable telephone call that claims to come from the IRS may also use the phishing@irs.gov mailbox to notify the IRS of the scam. The IRS has issued previous warnings on scams that use the IRS to lure victims into believing the scam is legitimate. More information on identity theft, phishing and telephone scams using the IRS name, logo or spoofed (copied) Web site is available on this Web site. Enter the terms “phishing,” “identity theft” or “e-mail scams” into the search box in the upper right corner of the front page.

The Rocky Mountains have warmed by 2 degrees Fahrenheit. The snowpack in the Sierras has dwindled by 20 percent and the temperatures there have heated up by 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit. All could lead to dire consequences for the water supply in the Western United States, including California. Scientists have noted that water flow in the West has decreased for the last 20 to 30 years, but had never explained why it was happening. Until now. Scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison in collaboration with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, have pinpointed the cause of that diminishing water flow on a regional scale: humans. The research appears in the Jan. 31 online edition of Science Express. The findings also were presented at last year’s annual fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union. “We looked at whether there is a human-caused climate change where we live, and in aspects of our climate that we really care about,” said Benjamin Santer of LLNL and co-author of the paper. “No matter what we did, we couldn’t shake this robust conclusion that human-caused warming is affecting water resources here in the Western United States.” By looking at air temperatures, river flow and snowpack over the last 50 years, the team determined that the human-induced increase in greenhouse gases has seriously affected the water supply in the West. And the future brings more of the same. “It’s pretty much the same throughout all of the Western United States,” said Tim Barnett of Scripps and a co-author of the paper. “The results are being driven by temperature change. And that temperature change is caused by us.” The team scaled down global climate models to the regional scale and compared the results to observations over the last 50 years. The results were solid, giving the team confidence that they could use the same models to predict the effects of the global scale increase in greenhouse gases on the Western United States in the future. The projected consequences are bleak. By 2040, most of the snowpack in the Sierras and Colorado Rockies would melt by April 1 of each year because of rising air temperatures. The earlier snow melt would lead to a shift in river flows. The shift could lead to flooding in California’s Central Valley. Currently, state reservoirs are filled during the rainy season. As the water is drawn down, the reservoirs are replenished with snow melt from the Sierras. If that snow melts earlier, as predicted in the climate models, the reservoirs could overflow. “We are headed for a water crisis in the Western United States that has already started,” Barnett said. “A couple of decades ahead, we might not have that snowpack, making us more susceptible to flooding.” Santer said the increase in predicted river flow should be a wake- up call to officials that the water supply infrastructure needs to be updated now, as opposed to waiting until the situation is urgent. As for the warming, with the existing greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, the Earth will continue to warm for the next 80-100 years. “For someone who has seven grandchildren, that scares the hell out of me,” Barnett said. “I’ve seen the future and I don’t like it.” Other Livermore contributors included Celine Bonfils, Govindasamy Bala and Art Mirin. Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a national security laboratory, with a mission to ensure national security and apply science and technology to the important issues of our time. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. For more information contact Contact:Anne M. Stark Phone: (925) 422-9799 E-mail: stark8@llnl.gov

Virgin Galactic herald's 'The Year of the Spaceship with the unveiling of the designs of SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo. Virgin Galactic today unveiled the design of its new, environmentally benign, space launch system based on the X Prize winning technology of SpaceShipOne, which successfully flew into space for the third time in October 2004 and won the $10m Ansari X Prize. The construction of the White Knight Two (WK2) mothership, or carrier aircraft, is now very close to completion at Scaled Composites in Mojave, CA and is expected to begin flight testing in the summer of 2008. It is the world’s largest, all carbon composite aircraft; it has a unique high altitude lift capacity, capable of launching SpaceShipTwo and its eight astronauts into sub-orbital space flight. The WK2 mothership is powered by four Pratt and Whitney PW308A engines which are amongst the most powerful, economic and efficient engines available. The WK2 mothership has also been designed to be capable of lifting other payload and launching it into space. Whilst the two vehicles comprising the space launch system have been under construction, Virgin Galactic’s cadre of future astronauts has continued to grow strongly to well in excess of 200 individuals with around 85,000 registrations of interest to fly. Astronaut orientation for spaceflight is progressing well and already 80 of SpaceShipTwo’s first passengers have been through medical assessment and centrifuge training at the NASTAR facility in Philadelphia. Commenting on the unveiling, Burt Rutan, CEO of Scaled Composites, said: “Virgin Galactic produced a demanding output specification for the world’s first private human and payload space launch system. This required us to produce a safe but flexible design capable of multiple applications in new market sectors. I am confident that these vehicles, now in an advanced stage of construction, will achieve just that. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole team at Scaled Composites. "Looking up" way up!" is an expression we have shared since the X Prize began and now we are all excited that this year the dream will start to become a very tangible reality for everyone involved." Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Galactic, added: “The designs of both the mothership and the new spaceship are absolutely beautiful and surpass any expectations for the future of commercial spaceflight that we had when first registering the name Virgin Galactic in 1999. Burt and his team have done a fantastic job and I am also delighted with the wonderful vision that Foster and Partners, working with URS, have shown in the final designs for Spaceport America in New Mexico. Finally, we are all very excited about the prospect of being able to develop a bio-fuel solution for the space launch system and we are looking forward to working with Pratt and Whitney and Virgin Fuels to trial an appropriate bio mix for the PW308A engines that will be powering our new carrier aircraft.” Virgin Galactic will make further announcements regarding the progress of the launch system, development of its markets, the test flying program and start of commercial operations at Spaceport America in due course.