Luke_Wilbur

Here is the President's other statement on North Korea.

I did not forget the questions. I was just putting out his public statement. But, in fairness you forgot to post the President's response to previous administrations. This is not just an American, so I am moving this topic to World Politics.

Here are the Presidents remarks at a Rose Garden Press Conference.

What happened during that encounter?

How do you know Martin Austermuhle? Did you meet him? From what I have read DC1st is focused on our local community. Does Martin Austermuhle write columns about his opinions on the political climate in Venezuela that upsets you?

I never have met or corresponded with Martin Austermuhle. So, I am no help on this. Sorry.

Here is the latest from Rob

AdamsMorgan MainStreet highlights new, independent wine store DeVinos. (couldn't tell if your Evite got through?) WINE TASTING, APPETIZERS & DOOR PRIZES! Sparkling wine to open; then reds and whites Specialty wines from DeVinos Tuesday, Oct. 10; 7:00 – 9:00pm Location: El Tamarindo (1785 Florida Ave, NW) JOIN THE FUN, mingle with neighbors, enjoy tasty tidbits from family-owned El Tamarindo. DOOR PRIZES: Urban Escape and Fleet Feet

What level are you Anil?

I will give them a call and ask.

When you find peace and smile. That is heaven.

Hi Clemence, When I was younger I had the biggest crush with a girl that lived next to me at the beach. She was very pretty and was alot of fun. But, I never had the courage to let her know how I felt. She ended up meeting this guy and got married. I was seriously bummed out for awhile. But, then a friend of mine set me up with one of his friends. We naturally hit it off and eventually got married. After reading your post it really made me feel grateful that I did not go out with the girl at the beach. Life is crazy, so just have fun. Before my dad died he would say, "Son, if you look for the bad in life you will find it. If you look for the good in life you will find it. Its up to you to decide which path to take. I hope you look for the good.

Mercury attacks the central nervous system and endocrine system and adversely affects the mouth, gums, and teeth. High exposure over long periods of time will result in brain damage and ultimately death. Mercury also can have severe effects on fetuses and infants. Mothers who have taken in high levels of mercury have given birth to children with birth defects. Due to this risk, with the exception of some Influenza (flu) vaccines, none of the vaccines used in the U.S. to protect preschool children against 12 infectious diseases contain thimerosal as a preservative.

The District Department of Public Works (DPW) will hold its fall household hazardous waste and electronics recycling drop-off Saturday, October 28, 2006, from 8 am to 3 pm at the District’s newly renovated Trash Transfer Station at 3200 Benning Road, NE. This service is free and open to all District residents. Household hazards include old cleaning and gardening chemicals, pesticides and poisons, acids, varnish, oil-based paints, solvents, aerosols, wood preservatives, spent batteries of all kinds, roofing tar, chemistry sets, automotive fluids, and even asbestos floor tiles. DPW will also have an electronics recycling station to receive end-of-life televisions, office and audio equipment, computers, computer parts and accessories. All computer monitors and TV screens must be intact, not cracked, punctured or shattered. During processing, the electronics are broken down into component parts, precious as well as toxic metals are extracted, and then the various materials are recycled or disposed of safely.

As far as temperatures drop in the Arctic winter – on average to -34°C (-29°F) – a new study shows that in the last two years sea ice is shrinking on the surface of Arctic waters to record low levels. Using satellite data, scientists have observed unusually warm wintertime temperatures in the region and a resulting decline in the length of the Arctic seasonal ice. The maximum amount of sea ice in the Arctic winter has fallen by six percent over each of the last two winters, as compared to a loss of merely 1.5 percent per decade on average annually since the earliest satellite monitoring in 1979. This is happening as summer sea ice continues its retreat at an average of ten percent per decade. "This amount of Arctic sea ice reduction the past two consecutive winters has not taken place before during the 27 years satellite data has been available," said Joey Comiso, a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "In the past, sea ice reduction in winter was significantly lower per decade compared to summer sea ice retreat. What's remarkable is that we've witnessed sea ice reduction at six percent per year over just the last two winters, most likely a result of warming due to greenhouse gases." Comiso used satellite data from 1978 to 2006 to carry out the study, to be published in Geophysical Research Letters this month. Computer simulations of the climate warming effect of greenhouse gases had predicted that winter sea ice would decline faster than summer sea ice Satellite data has shown otherwise until two years ago, when record low winter ice cover and warmer temperatures have prevailed. Sea ice cover in the Northern Hemisphere spans nearly 6.2 million square miles in the winter. Satellite sensors are the only means to observe such a large region effectively. Comiso confirmed the accuracy of satellite sea ice data by comparing it with high-resolution satellite information and data gathered from sensitive instruments aboard aircraft. Surface temperature data from satellite sensors are checked against measurements from meteorological stations in the region. Adding to the plight of winter sea ice, previous research has shown a trend in which the melt period lasts about two weeks longer per year annually due to summer sea ice decline. This means that the onset of freeze-up is happening later in the fall season. As a result, the ice cover in winter never gets as extensive as it would have been if the freeze-up had begun earlier. More than that, the ice reflects the sun's radiation much more efficiently than the ocean's surface. As a result, as the ice cover declines, the ocean's surface warms, causing in turn, further decline of the ice. According to Comiso, if the winter ice retreat continues, the effect could be very profound, especially for marine animals. "The seasonal ice regions in the Arctic are among the most biologically productive regions in the world," he said. "Some of the richest fisheries are found in the region, in part because of sea ice. Sea ice provides melt-water in spring that floats because of low density. This melt-water layer is considered by biologists as the ideal layer for phytoplankton growth because it does not sink, and there is plenty of sunlight reaching it to enable photosynthesis. Plankton are at the bottom of the food web. If their concentration goes down, animals at all tropics level would be deprived of a basic source of food." In addition to climate warming, other factors can contribute to the observed retreat of winter sea ice. Hard blowing winds can compact ice, causing it to contract, making it thicker, but covering a smaller area. Wind direction may blow ice toward warmer waters, causing it to melt. Other processes can also affect sea ice, by way of warmer oceans to the south spinning up cyclones that will introduce warmer temperatures than normal that melt ice. "A continued reduction of the Arctic winter ice cover would be a clear indicator of the warming effect of increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It would at least confirm our current understanding of the physics of the Arctic climate system that has been incorporated in our models," said Comiso.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cited Allied Realty Corp. of Bethesda, Md., for violating a federal law requiring home sellers and landlords to disclose information on lead-based paint to prospective purchasers and tenants. According to EPA, Allied Realty failed to disclose information on lead-based paint to tenants in 16 rental properties in Washington, D.C. and its Maryland suburbs. Under the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, sellers and landlords of residential housing built before 1978 (when the federal government banned the sale of lead-based house paint) are required to notify purchasers and tenants about the presence of known lead- based paint or disclose their lack of knowledge as to the presence thereof. The law also requires landlords to provide a lead-based paint information pamphlet to prospective tenants, provide a standard warning statement in the lease on the dangers of lead-based paint and include disclosure and acknowledgment language in sales contracts and leases. EPA's administrative complaint cites 82 violations of the regulations implementing the lead-based paint disclosure rule, involving 19 lease agreements for 16 rental properties signed between November 2001 and May 2004. Among the cited violations are failure to disclose known lead-based paint to prospective tenants, failure to provide available reports regarding lead-based paint and failure to provide lead-warning statements in leases. The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act provides for a maximum penalty of up to $11,000 per violation. EPA will propose a specific penalty after giving the company an opportunity to provide relevant information. The company has the right to a hearing to contest the alleged violations and proposed penalty.

When American Muslims celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr they observe the same religious traditions familiar to Muslims around the world, but celebrate in a distinctly American way, as people from diverse national and cultural backgrounds come together to share the feast. Imam Mohamed Magid from the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) center in Sterling, Virginia, says that Muslims in America look forward to Eid-ul-Fitr for several reasons. Besides the religious observances, breaking the monthlong Ramadan fast and socializing, Muslims receive special greetings from the president of the United States. “It makes Muslims feel their holiday is part of mainstream American holidays,” the imam told the Washington File. It has been a tradition to mark the occasion of eid in the White House since George H. W. Bush was president. The Clinton White House continued the observance, as has George W. Bush. In 2001, a U.S. postage stamp was issued commemorating eid. According to Magid, new technology has made it easier to plan eid celebrations. Now Muslims accurately can calculate when the new moon will signal the beginning of eid in their locality. No longer must they wait for an imam to sight the moon. “They can know far ahead of time when to take off work,” he said. The ADAMS center has a congregation of 5,070 families from diverse Muslim traditions. The mosque is known for its openness and involvement in interfaith dialogues. Sunni and Shiia worship there together. “I think we find a common ground being Muslims and Americans. We focus on the common good, working and studying together,” Magid said. “Respect for all in Islam must be in a mosque,” he said. “Respecting each other and living in harmony.” He said his mosque initiated a Sunni-Shiia dialogue, which is continuing nationwide. “We hope we can send the dialogue to Pakistan and Iraq” and other places where there is conflict between the two sects, he said. Most families observe the same general eid customs of going to the mosque after sunrise. “Before anything we offer zakat,” or alms to the poor, said Moroccan-American Saad. In America, this is customarily done through the mosque. Then special eid prayers are said. Usually, on Eid-ul-Fitr, the faithful pray in a large group in the mosque, outdoors or in some other venue where an imam will give a sermon. The Ramadan fast is broken with sweets. Everyone wears new clothes -- especially children are dressed in bright, new outfits. Later, most families celebrate with a sumptuous midday meal complete with holiday delicacies. Meeting relatives and friends is also an important part of the eid celebration. Magid, who is originally from Sudan, says part of his eid celebration is taking his children to an amusement park for a special day of recreation. Amina, originally from Egypt, makes traditional cookies or kak-ul-fitr for her family to break the fast, as do Arab-American Muslims from the Gulf states. Iranian-American Muslims prepare a sweet, saffron-spiced rice dish and halwah in honor of the holiday. And for the big luncheon, halal meat is readily available in cities and towns with Muslim communities. Businessman Mukit Hossain, who hails from Bangladesh, told the Washington File that on eid Bangladeshi Muslims relish vegetables fried in batter and moori, puffed rice with chickpeas. Misti doi, a thick yogurt sweetened with palm sugar and lassi, a yogurt drink, are also a must on his Eid-ul-Fitr menu. Hossain said Bangladeshi Muslim organizations sometimes invite members of the Bangladeshi-American community to special observances. Eid sermons are delivered in English because many second-generation Bangladeshi Americans do not speak Bangala, and American Muslims have various ethnic and linguistic origins. Regarding the eid sermon, Hossain said, “If I know a person who is ultraconservative, I avoid those people because, in my humble understanding, they don’t represent Islam.” The majority of Muslims in the United States are African Americans. South Asians are thought to be the second largest group, with Arab Americans third largest. Estimates of the Muslim population in the United States range between 3 million and 8 million. There are more than 800 mosques in the United States. In the hectic pace of daily life, Muslim Americans have the same difficulty meeting their friends socially as do most hard-working Americans. Consequently, Hossain identifies one of the greatest joys of eid saying, “You meet a lot of people you haven’t seen in a long time.”

Come and see nature’s way of blanketing the mountains with stunning color during the month of October. Enjoy fun filled days complete with good food and entertainment including bluegrass music, cloggers, arts and crafts, hayrides and horseback rides. Experience the days of yesteryear watching apple butter and Brunswick stew being cooked in kettles over and open fire. Our orchards are open for apple picking or you may select your own from the apple bins at the picnic pavilion. Visit the farm and the animals. Music played daily from 11 - 3 Oct 14- Green Branch Oct 21 - Dark Hollow Oct 15 -Flatland Bluegrass Band Oct 22 - Driving Force Lunch is served in the festival area and reservations are not required. Home cooked meals will be served in the covered picnic pavilion each Saturday and Sunday from 1130am- 430pm or as long as the food stores hold out! The menu will be: Brunswick Stew, Cornbread, Applebutter, Applesauce and Apple cider. Hamburgers and Hotdogs and fries are also available Meals at the lodge: At the main lodge lunch is served from 1200Pm- 130Pm, dinner from 600pm-730pm. Reservations are required and seating is limited. Please call 540-923-4231 for reservations. Apple Orchards- Pick you own apples fresh from the trees. Varieties include: Red and Golden Delicious, Stayman, York, Winesap, Mutsu Fuji, Granny Smith and Empire. At our packing shed you can also select pre-picked apples to suit your tastes or purchase pumpkins, gourds, cider and Indian corn. We also offer a large selection of our preserves and condiments. For more information contact the packing shed at 540-923-4638. Gift Shop- stop in at the main lodge to find a variety of items. Clothing, gift items, preserves toys, jewelry and country gifts. Rain or Shine Free Admission / Free Parking Graves’ Mountain Lodge Inc. Celebrating 37 Years Rt. 670 Syria, Virginia 22743 540-923-4231/ Fax 540-923-4312 10:00AM-4:30PM Daily

I heard that Foley immediately apoligized for his actions. He promised to turn over a new page : ) I cannot understand why the Democrats are getting so shocked. Maybe, its because they thought he was cute. In 1983, then-Democratic Rep. Gerry Studds of Massachusetts was caught in a similar situation. In his case, Studds had sex with a male teenage page -- something Foley hasn't been charged with anything. In 1989, Rep. Barney Frank (news, bio, voting record), also of Massachusetts, admitted he'd lived with Steve Gobie, a male prostitute who ran a gay sex-for-hire ring out of Frank's apartment. Frank, it was later discovered, used his position to fix 33 parking tickets for Gobie. In 2001, President Clinton, who had his own intern problem, commuted the prison sentence of Illinois Rep. Mel Reynolds, who had sex with a 16-year-old campaign volunteer and pressured her to lie about it. (Reynolds also was convicted of campaign spending violations.) This is a Bi-Partisan problem. And this problem needs to be resolved. If this Congress does not motion up a Bill to make sure this does not happen, every damn one of them needs to be booted out on their asses. That goes for Democrats and Republicans. I have not seen any statements as of today. If you see any please let me know. I have been getting emails asking me what a DC Page is. The United States House of Representatives Page Program is a program run by the United States House of Representatives in which appointed high school juniors act as partisan federal employees in the House of Representatives, providing supplemental administrative support to House operations in a variety of capacities in Washington, D.C. at the United States Capitol. Some page responsibilities in the House include transporting legislative documents between Congressional offices, delivering new bills and amendments to the House floor and performing non-specialized www.google.com duties for various House offices, both partisan and non-partisan. Pages are nominated by representatives based upon a highly competitive application process. Congressional Pages have served within the U.S. House of Representatives for almost 180 years.

The Mark Foley scandal centers on e-mails and sexually explicit instant messages allegedly sent by United States Republican Congressman Mark Foley with a male who was originally reported by ABC's Brian Ross to be a "minor" at the time of the exchange in 2003. Media accounts now indicate the male was 18 during the exchanges and is now 21. He is a former congressional page. The questionable conversations, which took place between 2003 and 2005, are under investigation by the FBI and Florida officials for possible criminal violations. Foley has issued a statement saying that he has never had sexual contact with a minor. He also stated that he was himself molested as a teenager, that he is gay, and that he is an alcoholic. In 2005, Foley sent five emails, some of them suggestive, to a 16-year-old former page sponsored by Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA). Among other things, Foley asked for a photo of the page, and expressed admiration for the physique of another young male friend. The page forwarded the emails to a colleague in Alexander's office, saying "this really freaked me out," and repeating the word "sick" 13 times to describe the photo request. He added, "if you can, please tell Rodney [Alexander] about this." After the initial story on the emails, other pages contacted ABC, providing transcripts of sexually explicit instant messaging (IM) conversations that Foley allegedly had with pages. Some said they had not shared the events earlier because Foley was a powerful Congressman. On September 29, in a second story, ABC News reported that it had seen excerpts of these instant messages which made repeated references to sexual organs and acts. When the extent of Foley's action was discovered, members of the Republican party strongly condemned his actions. They voted unanimously with House Democrats to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee for investigation. Republican Speaker Hastert also demanded a criminal investigation by writing the Attorney General asking for a full investigation both into Foley's actions and into the possibility that earlier clues were not properly acted upon by Congressional officials, representatives, the media, and the FBI. The National Republican Congressional Committee is now focusing on finding another candidate for the upcoming Florida House race, since Foley voluntarily agreed not to run. Carl Forti, NRCC spokesman, said on October 2, 2006, that the Republican committee would "gladly accept" Foley's $2.7 million campaign fund, should he donate it to them. U.S. Representative and U.S. Senate candidate Katherine Harris (R-FL) said, "The media would be quite disingenuous, trying to make it a partisan issue. If anything, the Republicans didn't know about these issues, and we're going to be very anxious to see who in the media or on the other side of the aisle knew about it and kept this from the public interest, because our children were at stake."

Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) issued the following statement regarding Congressman Mark Foley:

This smells like President Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech. I'm sorry, but this is not what I pay taxes for. Why is Congress wasting its paid time on foolish things like this? Lets win the war first!!! *********************************************************************************** WASHINGTON - Even as the Bush administration urges Americans to stay the course in Iraq, Republicans in Congress have put down a quiet marker in the apparent hope that V-I Day might be only months away. Tucked away in fine print in the military spending bill for this past year was $20 million to pay for a celebration in the nation's capital "for commemoration of success'' in Iraq and Afghanistan. advertisement Not surprisingly, the money was not spent. Now congressional Republicans are saying, in effect, maybe next year. A paragraph written into spending legislation and approved by the Senate and House allows the $20 million to be rolled over into 2007. The original legislation empowered the president to designate ``a day of celebration'' to commemorate the success of the armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, and to ``issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.'' The celebration would honor the soldiers, sailors, air crews and Marines who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it would be held in Washington, with the $20 million to cover the costs of military participation. Democrats on Capitol Hill called attention to the measure. The Democrats said both the original language and the one-year extension were pushed by Senate Republicans. A spokesman for the Republican-controlled Senate Armed Services Committee said it was protocol not to identify sponsors of such specific legislation. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/10/...on=nation_world http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/04/congress.iraq.ap/

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is purchasing artwork to be part of the District of Columbia’s 2007 Art Bank Program. The Art Bank is a growing collection of moveable works funded through DC Creates Public Art, the District’s Art in Public Places Program. Works in the collection are owned by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and are loaned to other District government agencies for display in public areas of government buildings. This collection helps preserve the city’s past and is an important legacy for future generations. Currently, approximately 1,600 artworks are on display in more than 100 agencies. View the call for artists* in order to submit your application. The deadline is October 6, 2006. http://dcarts.dc.gov/dcarts/frames.asp?doc..._oct_6_2006.pdf (202) 727-1000

I contacted the OMB. They told me to talk with the ADA. ADA told me to talk with OPM. The Office of Personel Management should have those numbers. U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of Communications 202-606-2402 The office of Personel Management said they have no such records and for me to call the Office of General Council 202-606-1700. The General Council sent me to Disabilities section. The Disabilities section gave me this information. Office of Personel Management Retirement Operations Center P.O. Box 45 Boyers, PA 16017 I asked why they were making me write a request. They gave me a phone number, but said I would only get a response by writing. 1-888-767-6738 I was first given the following information http://www.opm.gov/retire/ No information there... I then asked why I would I write the Retirement Operations Center. I want current employees. YEESH!! I left a message with Carol Cook. I called the Office of Personel Management, Office of General Council and asked why they sent me to them. They stated the

I have known Father Baraki for many years. He worked with my father in the District helping the poor. He is a saint in my mind. To find out more about the terrible plight in Ethopia visit his organization's web site. http://www.irrob.org Please spread the word and help out.