Archive for May 10th, 2012
Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees to undergo further chemotherapy!…
Posted by: | CommentsRobin Gibb’s illness continues despite a startling recovery from pneumonia, prior to which he spent more than a week in a coma. Doctors are now worried that the singer’s cancer has spread to his liver, his friend Jim Dooley told the Daily Telegraph, and it is believed to be “50/50″ whether the Bee Gee will come through.
More than two weeks after waking from his coma, Gibb is still in intensive care at a London hospital. Although his doctor said then that Gibb was “fully conscious, lucid and able to speak”, the singer has reportedly undergone a tracheotomy and must currently communicate “by blinking his eyes”, Dooley said. “The plan is to get his strength up so he can resume chemotherapy treatment for his cancer,” he continued. “Dwina [Gibb's wife] has said that because he spent so long in a coma there are a lot of things he will have to learn to do again if he comes through it.” It is not clear whether Gibb will recover his voice.
Gibb’s colon cancer was discovered about 18 months ago, during an unrelated bowel surgery. The singer’s twin brother, Maurice, died from complications from a twisted intestine in 2003.
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Lawmakers Evaluate the Readiness of U.S. Forces!…
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WASHINGTON, DC
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support holds a hearing on the readiness of U.S. forces as they consider legislation to authorize defense programs for fiscal 2013.
The ranking member, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), expressed her concern over planned reductions in troop levels following the end of the war in Iraq and the upcoming end of combat operations in Afghanistan. She highlighted the rise of interest in Asian operations and the need to meet sea-based readiness in that area.
The hearing sought to understand the effects of planned cuts in troop levels and funding, but also of sequestration, or the automatic reduction in funding levels that would come next year unless lawmakers act to stop them. The cuts were agreed to in last year’s Budget Control Act.
Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Philip Breedlove acknowledged that the age of the air fleet is of some concern to him. He also told senators that estimating fuel costs posed a challenge, and fluctuations in prices can affect what he called “institutional risk” which included maintaining readiness of infrastructure and the workforce.
Marine Corps Assistant Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford said that the marines are expecting 8-10 years of austerity based on economic and political forces.
The hearing is chaired by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO).
In addition to Gen. Dunford and Gen. Breedlove, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III and Naval Operations Vice Chief of Staff Adm. Mark E. Ferguson III were witnesses at this hearing.
During today’s Senate Armed Services Subcommittee hearing on President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13) proposed budget for the Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a senior member of the committee and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, expressed concerns to U.S. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, USA Vice Chief of Staff, U.S. Adm. Mark E. Ferguson III, USN Vice Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., USMC Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, and U.S. Gen. Phillip M. Breedlove, USAF Vice Chief of Staff, regarding the risks of a limited defense budget that drastically reduces troop forces and delays the modernization of weapon systems.
Senator Inhofe went on to warn the American people regarding our men and women who serve in our armed forces:
“The American people believe our men and women in combat have the very best equipment, but that simply is not the case. President Obama continues to gut our national defense while pursuing his unrealistic dream of a nuclear free world.”
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Ukraine’s Tymoshenko Moved to Hospital After Hunger Strike!…
Posted by: | CommentsKIEV; – Jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, whose plight has soured relations between the country’s leadership and the West, was moved to a hospital for treatment for back pains on Wednesday and ended her hunger strike.
“This is all completely absurd,” said Mrs Tymoshenko. “This is how the president deals with his biggest political opponents . .”
President Viktor Yanukovich has faced growing criticism over the conviction of Tymoshenko and the authorities’ refusal to let her travel abroad for treatment for chronic back trouble.
Her transfer from prison in the eastern city of Kharkiv to a nearby hospital for treatment under the supervision of German doctors was worked out last week in a compromise.
But it seemed unlikely to relieve pressure on Yanukovich, who looks increasingly isolated as Ukraine prepares to co-host Europe’s biggest soccer tournament.
Her transfer from prison in the eastern city of Kharkiv to a nearby hospital for treatment under the supervision of German doctors was worked out last week in a compromise.
But it seemed unlikely to relieve pressure on Yanukovich, who looks increasingly isolated as Ukraine prepares to co-host Europe’s biggest soccer tournament.
Tymoshenko, 51, a former prime minister, was jailed last October for seven years for alleged abuse of power while in office, a charge she denied.
She says she is the victim of a vendetta by Yanukovich who narrowly beat her for the presidency in February 2010. The European Union and the United States have condemned her trial and sentencing as politically motivated and want her released.
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Socialists and Democrats agree on new Serbian government!…
Posted by: | CommentsThe leaders of the Democratic Party (DP) and the Socialist Party of Serbia agreed on Wednesday (May 9th) that their parties will compose the foundation of the future government, which will be formed in detail after the presidential run-off on May 20th.
One look at the countryside of Serbia to give viewers a look at the way the country is geographically laid out.
The two parties, which have up until now been the strongest members of 
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Serbia’s ruling coalition, will likely make Serbia’s EU accession a top priority.
The Democrats won 67 seats in the elections, while the Socialists won 44 of the total 250 seats in parliament. There is talk of the United Regions of Serbia and minority parties as the third partner in the endeavour to form the new government.
“Let’s see the presidential elections through first, and then we can talk about the parliamentary majority. I am confident that Serbia will continue down the safe road,” President Boris Tadic of the DP said after the agreement with the Socialists.
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Same-sex couples should be able to marry: Obama!…
Posted by: | CommentsAfter years of “evolving” on the issue, President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he believes same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, a stance that is likely to please his political base and complicate efforts to attract some independent voters.
“It is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama said in an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts.
Obama’s comments marked the first time a U.S. president had publicly expressed support for gay marriage, and his position was hailed by Democrats, gay rights groups and others as a benchmark for civil rights in the United States.
“This is a major turning point in the history of American civil rights” said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent whose city is in one of six states that allow same-sex marriage.
Neera Tanden from the Center for American Progress described the president’s expression of support as “another large step toward realizing this country’s promise of equality.”
Others, including Republican activists and conservative Christianleaders, criticized Obama’s stance and called it a huge political risk on a divisive issue.
Some said it could lead independent voters who oppose gay marriage to support Mitt Romney, Obama’s likely Republican opponent in the November 6 election. Noting that 29 states have approved bans on same-sex marriage, they said Obama’s announcement also could help Romney consolidate support among evangelical Christians who, like Romney, oppose gay marriage.
“Today’s announcement ensures that marriage will again be a major issue in the presidential election,” said Tony Perkins, a prominent evangelical leader and president of the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian group. “The president has provided a clear contrast between him and … Mitt Romney.”
Added Ralph Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition: “This is an unanticipated gift to the Romney campaign. It is certain to fuel a record turnout of voters of faith to the polls this November.”
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Laura and Bruno sailing through the Panama Canal two days ago on May 7, 2012. This was Laura’s fourth time through and Bruno’s second time.
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Of all the signals and symbols that shape Russian foreign policy, this one seemed particularly blunt: Vladimir Putin, in one of the first decisions of his new presidency presidency, will thumb his nose at a Group of Eight summit nations which will be hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama.
The May 18-19 visit was to have been Putin’s first foreign trip since he returned to the Kremlin on Monday, a chance to begin putting U.S. ties back on track after a growth in tension over missile defense, Syria and Russia’s presidential campaign.
Instead, Putin is sending his junior partner, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev – and a message that as long as he is in charge, Russia will not bend to Washington’s will when its interests are at stake.
“I think the signal he wants to send to America … is that agreements with America will be built on a balance of the strategic interests of America and Russia,” said Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center think-tank. “Russia will not make any unilateral concessions.”
It is a message Putin has repeated, from an inauguration-day decree on Monday in which he said Russia would demand U.S. respect to a warning on Wednesday against modern-day violations of sovereignty, delivered before tanks and missiles trundled across Red Square to mark the 1945 victory over Nazi Germany.
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Syrian suicide bombers kill 55, leaving ceasefire in tatters
Posted by: | CommentsTwo suicide car bombers killed 55 people and wounded 372 in Damascus on Thursday, state media said, the deadliest attacks in the Syrian capital since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 14 months ago.
Opposition leaders said Annan’s peace plan was dead, while Western powers insisted it remained the best way forward.
Annan condemned the “abhorrent” bombings and urged all parties to halt violence and protect civilians. “The Syrian people have already suffered too much,” he said in a statement.
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After waiting for days at the Port of Colon, next to the Panama Canal in the Carribean Sea, Laura Dekker 16, and her friend Bruno, 19, sailed through the Panama Canal and are now in the Pacific Ocean. This was Laura’s fourth time through the canal.
Laura is sailing to New Zealand where she holds a second citizenship. Laura was born in New Zealand waters on a boat that was owned by her father.
| Colón, Panama, «koh LOHN» (2000 pop. 204,208), is the second largest city in Panama, at the Caribbean end of the Panama Canal. Colón was surrounded by, but not part of, the former Panama Canal Zone.
Colón is an important port, commercial center, and tourist destination. It was made a free trade zone in 1953 and is the world’s second largest duty-free port. |
Laura’s next stop could well be determined by the weather forecasts she will study before sailing forth into the south Pacific, supposedly with Bruno, her friend and companion.
WATCH THIS BLOG.JETSETTINGMAGAZINE.COM for continuing updates of Laura’s progress crossing the mighty Pacific for the second time in two years. Her first time was on the way around the world as the youngest sailor to make the circumnavigation of the earth solo.
11-5-2012 |
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| We’ve been on the Pacific side now for two days. The transit was wonderful. We didn’t have a drop of rain and had to wait less than 10 minutes to get in the locks every time. Everything went so fast, we were through before I even realized it. I had the same advisor as last year which is really rare because there are a lot of advisors, so that was fun. Just like last year, he didn’t do a lot–drank water and ate the food Bruno made.
Advisors are really just on the boat to advise.You practically do everything yourself and as skipper you still have the full responsibility for your boat and the crew. If he ever thinks you’re not doing the right thing, then he says something. After having transited the canal four times, I pretty much knew how everything worked so he had an easy transit just as we did.
Yesterday morning I went to the dentist. They filled a few small cavities and everything looks fine again. So that’s over with for the next while. Today we’re going to see if we can find water and diesel to top everything off and then get ready to set sail again. I’ve been here long enough now with the hot humid climate and heavy thunderstorms. Even though the skyline is beautiful, I really look forward to going to French Polynesia again. Laura |
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The Department of Justice has been seeking an agreement requiring Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office to train officers in how to make constitutional traffic stops, collect data on people arrested in traffic stops and reach out to Latinos to assure them that the department is also there to protect them.
Arpaio has denied the racial profiling allegations and has contended that allowing a court monitor would mean that every policy decision would have to be cleared through an observer, and would nullify his authority.
Justice Department officials told a lawyer for Arpaio on April 3 that the lawman’s refusal of a court-appointed monitor was a deal-breaker that would end settlement negotiations and result in a federal lawsuit.
The “notice of intent to file civil action” came Wednesday from Assistant U.S. Atty. Gen. Thomas E. Perez in a letter to an Arpaio lawyer.
The Justice Department released a scathing report last December accusing Arpaio’s office of racially profiling Latinos, basing immigration enforcement on racially charged citizen complaints and punishing Latino jail inmates for speaking Spanish. The department also accused Arpaio of having a culture of disregard for basic constitutional rights.
Perez, who heads the Justice Department’s civil rights division, noted that it’s been more than 100 days since the sheriff’s office received the report, and federal authorities haven’t met with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office counsel since Feb. 6 to discuss the terms of a consent agreement.
Neither Arpaio nor Joseph Popolizio, one of the lawyers representing the sheriff’s office, immediately returned calls seeking comment.
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Mountain carvers at Crazy Horse Memorial in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, began chiseling Feb. 6, 2012. The first work week that included a double blast, almost removed 700 tons in the area of the nose on the colossal 219-foot-high horse’s head.
It represents Crazy Horse, an Oglala Lakota warrior, riding a horse and pointing into the distance. The memorial was commissioned by Lakota elder Henry Standing Bear to be sculpted by Kprczal Ziolkowski.
It is operated by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, a private non-profit organization.
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Did F-22 pilots refuse to fly the fighter?…
Posted by: | CommentsThe U.S. Air Force has not revealed how many of its 200 F-22 pilots, who are stationed at seven military bases across the country, declined their assignment orders. However, current and former Air Force officials say it’s an extremely rare occurrence.
“It’s shocking to me as a fighter pilot and former commander of Air Combat Command that a pilot would decline to get into that airplane,” said retired four-star Gen. Richard E. Hawley, a former F-15 fighter pilot and air combat commander at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Va.
He said he couldn’t remember one specific incident in his 35-year career in which a fighter pilot had declined his assignment.
Concern about the safety of the F-22 has grown in recent months as reports about problems with its oxygen systems have offered no clear explanations why pilots are reporting hypoxia-like symptoms in the air. Hypoxia is a condition that can bring on nausea, headaches, fatigue or blackouts when the body is deprived of oxygen.
The Air Force’s handling of the investigation is being closely watched throughout the military and in Congress.
The F-22, designed and built byLockheed Martin Corp., is considered the most advanced fighter jet in the world. It entered service in 2005, and the Air Force is set to receive the last of its order of 188 planes later this month.
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