Tag Archives: wall street

International, U.S.

World War 3: Iraq says United States will burn by fire! U.S. behind war in Syria, behind continued violence in Iraq, behind al-Qaeda!

“He who starts a fire will be destroyed by fire in the end!”-Nouri al-Maliki, Prime Minister of Iraq

In an interview with RT (aka Russia Today) the Prime Minister of Iraq gave a dire warning for countries, like the U.S. and Israel, who’re instigating the war inside Syria.

Here’s al-Maliki’s responses to two of the questions, concerning the U.S./European/Israeli meddling in other countries’ affairs.

RT: Do you share the view that it’s foreign interference in Syria’s affairs that’s made the situation in the country so dangerous?

NaM: Absolutely. And they will keep driving it to an even more dangerous degree until eventually it will backfire on the states that are now sponsoring the Syrian opposition. All these states will face upheavals and unrest due to sectarian violence, foreign interference, the spillover effect and expansion. They’re already feeling it. If these countries keep sending arms and using force for a regime change, their stability will be in jeopardy, and the situation inside these countries will be no better than in Syria.

RT: Both the Iraqi government and its citizens still suffer from regular terror attacks. Who is behind this violence, international players interfering in your affairs or al-Qaeda militants opposing the political process? Or are there any other reasons that the Iraqi people are not aware of? Why is it so hard to take out these armed groups that are still out there?

NaM: Violence continues and it’s been down to all the factors you have mentioned. Foreign intervention is fully underway. What they want to do is to use these acts of violence to prepare for the next, post-Syrian stage. It’s the same states that are now interfering in Syria. They are sending arms and militants there, over and over again. Their goal is to change Syria, then Iraq, and ultimately the entire region. Also, al-Qaeda is back, it came to life again – regrettably, as part of the Arab Spring. It flooded the streets in the capitals of Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen. Its slogans, groups and terrorist attacks are clear signs of its revival, and Iraq couldn’t escape that. And those states that are interfering won’t escape it either.


International, U.S.

World War 3: NATO member Turkey launches new attacks on Syria! Syria pulls troops back from Turkish border! False flag to get U.S./NATO into full blown war with Syria?

“…Don’t dare to test Turkey’s patience. Turkey will prevail without a scratch out of this incident and proceed on its way. But you will be crushed by it and pay a big price!”-Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey

05 October 2012, reports saying that Turkish forces are continuing artillery attacks on Syria.

Turkish officials claim they were attacked first, and are responding to a new round of mortar attacks coming from Syria.  Turkish media claims a mortar round from Syria hit a farm.

Some regional analysts are suspecting a false flag operation by U.S./Israeli supported insurgents inside Syria, in order to justify a full blown war.

It does not make sense for the Syrian government to attack Turkey, and the Turks seem too willing to attack Syria!

Also, there are reports that the Syrian government is responding to a suggestion to create a buffer zone along the Turkish border. The report says Syrian troops have pulled back 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the border, and Syrian aircraft are forbidden to enter the buffer zone.  This is more proof that the Syrian government does not want war with Turkey.

Business/Economics, U.S.

Media Incompetence: CNN & other main stream media keep touting no new U.S. refineries built since 1976. But oh yes Virginia, there are new refineries in the United States!

05 October 2012, once again I read a mainstream news media article about high gas prices, and they state that: “Given that a new refinery has not been built since 1976…..”-CNN/Fortune

CNN, you’re a big FAIL!  You moronic U.S. main stream media, yes, there have been new refineries built since 1976!

The information concerning new fuel refineries in the United States comes directly from the U.S. Energy Information Agency!

According to the USEIA, at least 12 refineries have been built since 1976!  The latest refinery to go online is in Douglas, Wyoming, in 2008!!!

Those 12 refineries are all ‘simple’, meaning they convert oil into fuels on the ‘first run’.  A ‘complex’ refinery uses hydrocracking (which uses the hydrogen, usually from natural gas, aka Feedstock) to squeeze more fuel out of ‘first run’ fuels.

And there are more refineries in the works (as I’ve said before, Obama is a true oil man), like the new DSO (Diesel/naptha) refinery being built 16 miles south of Williston, North Dakota!

According to Dakota Oil Processing LLC, the new Williston refinery could pump out a max of 8,000 barrels per day of ultra-low sulfur DSO (this is good news for the trucking industry, and people with efficient Diesel cars)!

Dakota Oil Processing hopes to have the refinery up and running by the end of 2013.

And it’s not just new refineries, but several older refineries that had been closed for years, have been rebuilt and restarted!

Examples: The Orion Refinery in Louisiana, upgraded and reopened in 1998.  And a refinery in Corpus Cristi, Texas, upgraded from a ‘simple’ refinery to a ‘complex’ one in 1983.

As of 01 January 2012, there are 144 operating refineries in the U.S.  However, there could be a lot more.

According to the USEIA, the oil industry has “permanently” shut down approximately 69 U.S. refineries (including Puerto Rico). The majority of those closings took place in the 1990s.

And that’s the kicker, it’s the oil industry that shut those plants down, not the government!  The website, Public Citizen, states that it’s all about getting more of your money: “…the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concluded in March 2001 that oil companies had intentionally withheld supplies of gasoline from the market as a tactic to drive up prices—all as a ‘profit-maximizing strategy.’ A May 2004 U.S. Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) report also found that mergers in the oil industry directly led to higher prices—and this report did not even include the large mergers after the year 2000, such as ChevronTexaco and ConocoPhillips. Yet, just one week after Hurricane Katrina, the FTC approved yet another merger of refinery giants—Valero Energy and Premcor—giving Valero 13% of the national market share.  These actions, while costing consumers billions of dollars in overcharges, have not been challenged by the U.S. government.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? I warned you! U.S. gas & Diesel prices about to launch, weekly stockpile report shows supply shortage! Blame PADD 1 & 3! Western U.S. being made to pay for shortages in Eastern U.S.?

“‘This is ridiculous,’ said Criley, 55, who pulled into a Valero station off Hamilton Avenue in San Jose where gas was selling for $4.61 a gallon. A station attendant told him that he had just raised the price 20 cents five minutes earlier. ‘It had been holding at $3.99 for a couple of weeks. Now this. You betcha this hurts.'”-The Oakland Tribune, 04 October 2012

“Gasoline station owners in the Los Angeles area including Costco Wholesale Corp. are beginning to shut pumps because of supply shortages that have driven wholesale fuel prices to record highs.”-Bloomberg, 04 October 2012

“The U.S. average retail price of regular gasoline decreased five cents last week…Prices decreased in all regions of the Nation except the Rocky Mountains….The national average diesel fuel price decreased a nickel…”-U.S. Energy Information Agency, 26 September 2012

So, in September average retail fuel prices slightly decreased.  In some places, like Idaho, per gallon Diesel (distillate fuel oil, DSO) prices held almost steady while gasoline went down a piddly few cents.  Now prices are already going back up.

Do not blame the gas station operators!!!  I managed a gas station in Santa Maria, California, decades ago, and I can tell you the profit margin is just too small at the retail level.  In fact, the current situation in California is shutting down family owned gas stations: “Gas is costing me almost $4.75 a gallon with taxes. There’s no sense in staying open. The profit margins are so low it’s not worth it.”-Sam Krikorian, owner Quality Auto Repair in North Hollywood

A Montana based petroleum industry analysts agrees: “The mom and pop gas stations are having to close down from either not being able to obtain gasoline from their regular distributor or cannot afford the break-even price of almost $5 per gallon!”-Bob van der Valk

Back at the beginning of September I warned of higher fuel prices for October.  This was based on the futures (commodity) prices of fuel, which are usually four weeks out. I basically warned that on 12 October 2012, DSO fuel prices could hit around $5.15 per gallon!

I also explained that fuel prices in the Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts (PADD) 5 area (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington) was being hit by fuel refinery shut downs, for reasons known and unknown (and so is the rest of the country).  It looks like that situation has not changed, and might actually be worse on the east coast and along the Gulf of Mexico!

Several media sources are reporting that California fuel refiners are actually rationing out fuel!   The result is that gasoline is reported to have jumped by a full dollar in one week in some parts of the Los Angeles area!

Phillips 66 is shutting down two California refineries for maintenance.  A Chevron pipeline was shut down because of contamination.  On 01 October, a ExxonMobil refinery was shut down because of a power outage. And according to a Bloomberg report, the narcissistic environmental policies created by California politicians/environmentalists have made it impossible to import fuels from outside California!

So don’t blame Obama!  Obama has allowed the opening of more oil fields than any other U.S. President (a true oil man)!!! It’s the fault of the oil companies and fuel refiners, and stupid laws in California!  And that’s the real crux for the drivers in California, the stupid laws!

Even though California is part of PADD 5, their fuel refining laws are so strict that fuel made outside California, yet still within PADD 5, can not be sold inside California!!!

Oh, and the prices Californians are seeing now don’t even reflect what the gas station owners are paying: “Really, since the Chevron Richmond fire, inventories have been tight. As other refinery problems occur, there isn’t much or any available inventory. Retailers are not yet reflecting the wholesale price increases they have experienced...”-Tom Robinson, Robinson Oil

How about PADD 4 (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming)?

Phillips 66, Pocatello, Idaho, 04 October 2012.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, the current average retail price for PADD 4 area DSO is $4.20 per gallon.  If you notice in the pics I posted, here in Bannock County, Idaho, diesel prices range from $4.30 to $4.40 per gallon, at the cheap fuel stations.

CommonCents, Chubbuck, Idaho, 04 October 2012.

For regular octane gasoline, USEIA says the average PADD 4 area retail price is $3.76 per gallon.  My pics show that where I live it’s at least $3.82-$3.84 per gallon.

Padd 4 fuel stockpiles have been stable for all types of gasoline, around 6 million barrels, that’s according to 28 September 2012 data.  All types of DSO, in PADD 4 area, has a stockpile of about 3 million barrels, steady for the past four weeks.  So stockpile issues do not explain why prices in Idaho are higher than the PADD 4 average.

It’s not production issues either.  PADD 4 production has gone up.  DSO production at the end of September was averaged at 0.174 millions of barrels per day (mbpd).  Last year it was 0.156 mbpd.

PADD 4 gasoline production ended September with an average of 0.296 mbpd. At the same time last year it was 0.254 mbpd.

In fact, even in the troubled PADD 5 area, USEIA data shows stockpiles and production hasn’t changed that much in the past four weeks.  (stockpiles of DSO in PADD 5 have actually gone up in the past two months!)

Is it demand?  Nope.  According to USEIA, overall demand for fuel in the United States has gone down slightly since last year!

Average demand for gasoline was at 8.6 mbpd at the end of September, last year it was 8.9 mbpd.  For DSO the average demand was at 3.6 mbpd, compared to last year’s 3.8 mbpd.

The USEIA reported that at the end of September, for the country as a whole, raw oil stockpiles were down by 500,000 barrels.  The ‘expert’ media analysts had expected an increase of 1.5 million barrels!  Overall stockpiles of gasoline went up by 100,000 barrels.  The big loser is DSO, with stockpiles falling by 3.7 million barrels!!!  The net result being an overall reduction in petroleum supplies!

Well, if stockpiles and production are steady or actually up in PADD 4 & 5 areas, and demand is slightly down for the country, then why would overall supplies be low?

Blame PADD 1 and 3!  Stockpiles and production are crashing on the east coast and in the Gulf states!

At the end of September PADD 1 had 41.1 million barrels of DSO, a 20 million barrel drop from last year’s 61.5 million!  Gasoline is at 46.1 million barrels, compared to last year’s 55.3 million barrels!

PADD 3 ended September with 67.4 million barrels of gasoline, last year they had 74.9 million!  DSO saw a huge drop, from 50.8 million barrels last year to 37.4 million barrels at the end of September this year!

For such a big drop in stockpiles, PADD 3 averaged DSO production is unchanged from last year, at 2.4 mbpd.   PADD 1 DSO production average is down slightly from 0.4 mbpd last year to 0.38 this year.

The same can be said of PADD 1 gasoline production; 2.8 mbpd this year versus 2.9 mbpd last year.  Average gasoline production for PADD 3 ended September at 1.8 mbpd, last year it was at 2.1 mbpd, so a big drop there.

This begs the question: Is the western half of the United States being made to pay for shortages that should only be affecting the eastern half of the country?

“I see no reason for this at all. Sounds like a load of rubbish to me!”-Errol Emrich, pissed off California driver

PS: Wholsale/futures/commodity prices for refined fuels ended September 2012 higher.  So expect even higher prices at the pump next month!  Wish the U.S. petroleum industry a Happy Thanksgiving!

Idaho, U.S.

Ann Romney pissing off U.S. women?

The following was posted in the Tuscola County Advertiser in Michigan:

Ann Romney made a concerted effort to paint a picture of her husband and herself as supporters of women in her talk at the Republican National Convention. She was definitely out of her element when she tried to show empathy for women and families struggling to pay bills, to buy gas and fuel, and coping with daily personal tensions.

Unlike most families with moms working outside the home, or a single parent without a partner to assist and support them, Ann has had cooks, maids and nannies. While her battles with cancer and M.S. were trying, she was able to afford top-notch treatment and emotional support.

She has neither the personal or professional authority to talk about the difficulties of poor, working class or even middle class Americans. Her remark about women doing more and doing it happily made many women cringe. She must not be aware that with working women making 80 percent of what men do, women have to do more just to break even. And her husband has been a proponent for such unfairness.

It’s important to know that the Romneys’ LDS church (Latter Day Saints or Mormon) opposed the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment which would have guaranteed women equal rights. In addition, the southern Bible Belt states plus those states with a strong Mormon presence (Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Arizona) opposed the passage of the ERA amendment. The church even ex-communicated Sonia Johnson, a part-time school teacher and mother for her role in organizing Mormon support for this amendment.

The LDS is a male dominated hierarchy. Women are not allowed to hold the priesthood or serve as elders in their church. They cannot reach as high a ranking in heaven as their husbands. Mothers stay home and are primarily responsible for the nurturing of their children. Women’s “sacred” and “divinely” sanctioned job description as homemaker, wife and mother is heavily emphasized. Large families are encouraged.

Since LDS couples marry so young, women must forfeit their own education and careers. Without college degrees or marketable job skills, most women are financially dependent on their husbands, with few options should their marriage not last “into the eternities”. They believe only women who are married in a church temple will have eternal life and parents are unable to attend the ceremony if not Mormon. (Of course they believe any non-Mormon will go to hell.)

A majority of our population is not aware of the LDS church’s impact on its members. Their beliefs aren’t in agreement with what most women want and need. While living in Idaho among LDS neighbors, working in professional fields for seven years, and our sons attendance at Boise State University, our family learned about this church’s insidious domination of and influence on state government policies, public schools and lifestyles.

Don’t let Ann’s sweetness and charm overshadow the Romneys’ true beliefs and motives.

Bonnie Johnson

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 01 – 04 October 2012. Massive attack planned! Karzai wants war with Pakistan! Karzai wants more advanced weapons, will buy from Russia or China! Karzai does not want to be President anymore! Afghan government to make peace with Mujahideen! Afghan GDP better than U.S.!

04 October 2012

In Nuristan Province, the governor says he has information saying that at least 400 Mujahideen are preparing for a massive attack.  He also says the Mujahideen will be supported by the Pakistani military!

President Hamid Karzai steps closer to declaring war on Pakistan, after he condemns the United States for not doing so: “…U.S. has clearly denied to defend Afghanistan and even their military officials deny the statistics provided by Afghan officials regarding the Pakistan shelling!” 

Karzai also said: “Afghanistan is ready to take every steps to fight in case war was declared among the forces of the two countries.”

The Afghan President says the Untied States is refusing to sell his country the weapons it needs to adequately defend itself, and he is now willing to buy them from Russia or China: “If U.S. and NATO does not want to equip Afghan forces then should Afghanistan wait for it or Afghanistan should take steps to purchase its required equipments from Russia, China, India or elsewhere? We are going to decide in this regard to purchase the required equipments for the Afghan security forces if United States is unable to do so.”

Karzai made the statements just three days after sending thousands of ANA troops to the border with Pakistan.

Afghan politicians say Karzai has been too lenient towards Pakistan.  Tribal elders in Nangarhar Province say they will launch their own retaliatory attacks against Pakistan, the next time Pakistan launches a rocket strike into their province.

Karzai also warned that the United States is planning on staying in Afghanistan beyond Obama’s 2014 pull out date. 2014 is also when presidential elections take place in the Central Asian country.  Karzai indicated he did not want to be re-elected: “The election will definitely happen. Go on and choose your own favorite candidate. My term, if prolonged by even a day, will be seen as illegitimate.”

In Farah Province, two children killed, four in critical condition, after an explosion.  The children might have been playing near a recently planted mine, accidentally setting it off.

In Kandahar Province, a U.S. led airstrike killed at least 15 people.

ISAF said: “An International Security Assistance Force service member died as a result of a non-battle related injury in southern Afghanistan today.”

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) stated that Afghanistan’s GDP for 2011 was 5.7%, better than the approximately 2.8% for the United States.  The ADB expects Afghanistan’s GDP rate for 2012 to be 6.9%, this after the expected 2012 GDP rate for the U.S. dropped to 1.7%!

Economists say true GDP growth occurs at 3% or higher, clearly Afghanistan is growing while the U.S. is stagnating.  Maybe the taxpayers of the U.S. should stop throwing billions of dollars at Afghanistan and bring that money home?

The ADB admits that if foreign military forces were pulled out of Afghanistan, that country’s GDP would drop!

03 October 2012

ISAF said: “Dozens of Afghan soldiers and police, supported by coalition special operations forces, concluded a six day operation against insurgent networks in the Chak district, Wardak province…..More than 30 insurgents were killed…”

Afghan foreign affairs minister, Zalmai Rassoul, said: “We will continue to pursue the peace process vigorously. This is the just and deserving right of the Afghan people and the surest path to ending the cycle of violence in Afghanistan.”

Loser U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said peace talks were part of a plan “….to guide the relationship between Afghanistan and the United States, as we move to the next phase of our relationship.”

02 October 2012

ISAF said: “An U.S. Forces-Afghanistan service member died of wounds following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan today.”

A day after an attack left three U.S./NATO personnel dead, numb nuts U.S. Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, called Afghan government officials to whine about it!  He then lied and restated “…the United States’ continued commitment to a secure and stable Afghanistan.”

In Zabul Province, a U.S./NATO helicopter crash landed.  ISAF says it was due to technical problems.  Mujahideen claim they shot it down.

Despite having a GDP growth rate that is the envy of the United States, only 4% of Afghans have access to modern “western” banking.  That’s according to the Afghan Banks Association.  What this tells me is that the overwhelming majority of the wealth being created in Afghanistan is only in the hands of an extreme minority!

Afghan banks are also charging interest, which is a violation of Islamic law (one of the real reasons the elites of the West are afraid of Islam).

01 October 2012

ISAF said: “Three International Security Assistance Force service members and an ISAF-contracted interpreter died following a suicide improvised explosive device attack in eastern Afghanistan today.”

The deaths of U.S./NATO personnel, and the contractor, are believed to be part of a massive suicide bombing in Khost Province. Reports say up to 70 people were killed (including the local police chief) or wounded after a man with a bomb blew himself up.  Witnesses say the man was wearing the bomb, other reports say a motorcycle bomb was also used.

The Afghan National Army (ANA) has deployed thousands of troops to the border with Pakistan.  ANA officials say the next time Pakistan launches artillery attacks against Afghanistan, they will be prepared to retaliate with attacks against Pakistan.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Syria officially apologizes. Russia blocks UNSC vote against Syria! Turkey approves use of military outside its borders!

“As far as the incident between Syria and Turkey goes, it is of great concern for us. The situation is deteriorating with every coming day.”-Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister

04 October 2012,  Russia has blocked a anti-Syria draft statement by the UN Security Council.  The UNSC is discussing the cross border fighting between Syria and NATO member Turkey.

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister, Besir Atalay, says Syrian officials have officially apologized, saying the mortar attack on Turkey was a dreadful accident.

This has not stopped the Turkish parliament from voting to allow the Turkish military to be used outside Turkey’s borders.  The new mandate will be in effect for one year.

The accidental mortar shelling of Turkey happened on 03 October 2012.  Reports say that Turkey has been retaliating with ongoing artillery attacks, at least 14 barrages fired as far as six miles inside Syria until 06:45 this morning.

On 02 October 2012, Russian officials warned that NATO was looking for an excuse to go to war with Syria: “In our contacts with partners in NATO and in the region, we are calling on them not to seek pretexts for carrying out a military scenario…”-Gennady Gatilov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister

Business/Economics, International, Opinion, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? IMF says world economy to suck for at least 10 more years, says recovery relies on Japan & China! Inflation must take place!

“…it will surely take at least a decade from the beginning of the crisis for the world economy to get back to decent shape.”-Olivier Blanchard, IMF Chief Economist

“The current status of the economy and the global economy needs both Japan and China fully engaged.”-Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director

Officials with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are making some very concerning statements.

While the U.S. main stream media seems focused on the economic disaster unfolding in Europe, the IMF says look to Asia.  Maybe that’s because it’s looking more and more like the IMF policies in Europe are failing big time.

In fact, on 04 October 2012, the IMF just warned the European Union to get its rear in gear: “No one has the luxury of time, this is really urgent!”-Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director

Despite the urgent call to action by the IMF, some European leaders say the U.S. based IMF is actually delaying action: “There are circles, by which I mean the IMF, who are pressing for a delay until after the U.S. election in November…”-Dimitris Hadzisokratous, Democratic Left, one of three political parties running the Greek government

What about China and Japan? The IMF seems to think the two countries are the Holy Grail in saving the World economy.  There are major problems with that!

Japan’s economy is in the toilet!  Japanese factories have been laying people off, and offshoring what ever they can. Japan is in bigger debt than any European country (yet where’s the U.S. media coverage).

China is no longer the economic wunderkind it was just a few years ago.  GDP growth is dropping.  The Asia Development Bank (ADB) predicts it’ll drop almost two percentages, from 9.3% in 2011 to 7.7% for 2012, and even lower after that: “The years of two digit growth in Asia are coming to an end!”-Changyong Rhee, ADB chief economist

And why is the economy in China going down?  Firstly the Chinese government imposed economic restrictions in the hopes of holding off inflation.  But here’s the big reason; orders from Europe and the United States are way down.

Some of those orders are down because of the bad economies in Europe and the U.S., but also because of protectionist policies.

Many European countries have banned specific products made in China, and  U.S. President Barack Obama imposed ridiculous tariffs on Chinese made solar power products (that move also killed the Hoku polysilicon factory in southeastern Idaho, that was hoped to provide hundreds of good paying jobs.  smooth move exlax!).

The IMF is also expecting the cash flushed Chinese banks to help bailout Europe!  Can you believe that?  The Europeans are screwing over Chinese businesses and then the IMF expects the Chinese to help bail out the Europeans?

As expected the Chinese banks said hell no! Several major Chinese banks have cancelled their plans to attend the largest ever IMF/World Bank meeting, to be held in Tokyo, Japan, next week!

But get this, IMF chief economist, Olivier Blanchard, told Hungarian media that Japan would take decades to get its debt problems straightened out, and that the United States has become a financial deadweight:  “It remains the case that, in a number of advanced countries, notably the U.S., a return to full health requires replacing some of the domestic demand that fueled growth before the crisis by external demand. But, the arithmetic is again unforgiving here.”

Blanchard also said inflation was “…necessary and desirable…”

So, in a round-a-bout way officials with the IMF are expecting any World economic recovery to be messy (are they expecting World War 3?), and they’re placing their bets on China and Japan (two countries on the verge of war with each other over some tiny barren islands)!

Like the Colonial Marine, Hudson, said in the kick ass 1986 movie Aliens: “Oh dear lord Jesus, this ain’t happening, man… This can’t be happening, man!”

International, U.S.

World War 3: NATO member Turkey attacked, launches attack on Syria! Emergency NATO summit convened!

“In the spirit of indivisibility of security and solidarity deriving from the Washington Treaty, the Alliance continues to stand by Turkey…”-NATO statement

04 October 2012, Turkey continues artillery attacks on Syrian towns, after a mortar attack killed five, and wounded 10 people in Turkey on 03 October.

Several Syrian soldiers have been killed by the Turkish attacks.

Syrian officials have offered condolences to the families of those killed in Turkey, and vowed to find out who launched the mortar attack.

Turkey has protested to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), and an emergency meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, not affiliated with United Nations) is being held.

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Global Food Crisis: Red Bug invades United States, recently noticed in California, but has been seen in Idaho since late 1990s!

03 October 2012, a Red Bug (actually the official non-scientific name in the U.S.) was first reported in California in 2009, however, I moved to Idaho in 1997 and have seen the bug in the area since then.

Scantius aegyptius, aka Lodosiana (=Scantius) aegyptius, is native to the Mediterranean area.  It feeds on the seeds of plants, mainly plants that completely die out at the end of the year and can only be grown from seeds, which makes Red Bug a threat.

Red Bug was noted by BugGuide as being first reported in California in 2009 (as I said earlier, they’ve been in Idaho since late 1990s).

They are considered invasive, because of lack of predators.  People in California report that even their chickens stay away from them.  Harvester ants seem to be their main foe, however, here in Idaho I’ve noticed that our ants have been less and less active every year, possibly due to the ongoing drought (now in its 12th year).

This year the Red Bug swarms were so large I had to find out what they were.  Their growing swarms seem to correlate to the declining ant population!

When my youngest children were attending Chubbuck Elementary (years prior to the official 2009 California discovery) they said all the kids called them Fire Bugs, because they looked like they were on fire.

After all these years the Red Bugs haven’t touched my small victory garden in the backyard. So far they’ve relegated themselves to the driveway/south side of the house area, which is the warmest spot on the property.

I wounder if they have anything to do with my wide variety of bulb plants refusing to sprout this year (they are planted in the same area that these Red Bugs like to swarm)?