$5,000 Chrysler Vouchers????? You've Got to be KIDDING!!!!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

BRING THEM HOME!!!!

By Pauline Jelinek and Kimberly Hefling for the Associated Press
Stressed by war and long overseas tours, U.S. soldiers killed themselves last year at the highest rate on record, the toll rising for a fourth straight year and even surpassing the suicide rate among comparable civilians. Army leaders said they were doing everything they could think of to curb the deaths and appealed for more mental health professionals to join and help out.
At least 128 soldiers committed suicide in 2008, the Army said Thursday. And the final count is likely to be even higher because 15 more suspicious deaths are still being investigated.
"Why do the numbers keep going up? We cannot tell you," said Army Secretary Pete Geren. "We can tell you that across the Army we're committed to doing everything we can to address the problem."
It's all about pressure and the military approach, said Kim Ruocco, 45, whose Marine husband was an officer and Cobra helicopter pilot who hanged himself in a California hotel room in 2005. That was one month before he was to return to Iraq a second time.
She said her husband, John, had completed 75 missions in Iraq and was struggling with anxiety and depression but felt he'd be letting others down if he sought help and couldn't return.

$140 Billion Crime...And Mr. Geithner is an Accomplice if in Fact Paulson's Actions were Illegal!!!

40,000 More J-O-B-S Slashed!!!

The recession is killing jobs at an alarming pace, with tens of thousands of new layoffs announced Monday by some of the biggest names in American business _ Pfizer, Caterpillar and Home Depot.
More pink slips, pay freezes and other hits are expected to slam workers in the months ahead as companies desperately look for ways to survive.
Looking ahead, economists predicted a net loss of at least 2 million jobs _ possibly more _ this year even if President Barack Obama's $825 billion package of increased government spending and tax cuts is enacted. Last year, the economy lost a net 2.6 million jobs, the most since 1945, though the labor force has grown significantly since then.
The unemployment rate, now at a 16-year high of 7.2 percent, could hit 10 percent or higher later this year or early next year, under some analysts' projections.
The mounting toll was visible Monday as roughly 40,000 more U.S. workers got the grim news.

GUILTY!!!!!

Please go to the link below to read about 25 people who played the key roles in the economic meltdown.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/26/road-ruin-recession-individuals-economy

$100??????

By Yinka Adegoke for Reuters
Fallen Lehman Brothers Chief Executive Richard Fuld sold his $13.3 million mansion to his wife for just $100 last November, according to Florida real estate records.
The 62-year old executive, who could face civil lawsuits after overseeing the storied investment bank's collapse into Chapter 11 proceedings last September, transferred ownership of the 3.3 acres seaside home to Kathleen Fuld on November 10, records show.
The couple had jointly bought the home for $13.75 million in March 2004, as first reported by Cityfile.com.
Fuld has been blamed for Lehman's collapse on September 15 after it was weighed down by bad assets leading to the largest-ever U.S. bankruptcy when it was unable to find a buyer to come to its rescue.
He was widely criticized for not acting quickly enough to save the 158-year old bank.
Though Fuld told U.S. lawmakers he took full responsibility for his actions and felt "horrible about what has happened to the company," he insisted he shared the blame with U.S. regulators and Congress.
Fuld, who was awarded $22 million in compensation in fiscal 2007, stepped down as Lehman chief executive at the end of last year and did not receive any bonus or severance when he left.

WE NEED REGULATION NOW!!!!! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!!!

By Jennifer Gould Keil and Chuck Bennett for the New York Post
Beleaguered Citigroup is upgrading its mile-high club with a brand-new $50 million corporate jet - only this time, it's the taxpayers who are getting screwed.
Even though the bank's stock is as cheap as a gallon of gas and it's burning through a $45 billion taxpayer-funded rescue, the airhead execs pushed through the purchase of a new Dassault Falcon 7X, according to a source familiar with the deal.
The French-made luxury jet seats up to 12 in a plush interior with leather seats, sofas and a customizable entertainment center, according to Dassault's sales literature. It can cruise 5,950 miles before refueling and has a top speed of 559 mph.
There are just nine of these top-of-the-line models in the United States, with Dassault's European factory churning out three to four 7Xs a month.
Citigroup decided to get its new wings two years ago, when the financial-services giant was flush with cash, but it still intends to take possession of the jet this year despite its current woes, the source said.

FDA Approves Embryonic Stem Cell Trials!!!

By Agence France-Presse for Raw Story
US authorities have approved the first human trials using embryonic stem cells to test a pioneering therapy to help paralyzed patients regain movement, the FDA said Friday.
"The FDA has granted its clearance for a new drug application of Geron Corp for a phase one clinical trial of an embryionic stem cell based therapy in patients with acute spinal cord injury," FDA spokeswoman Susan Cruzan told AFP.
Earlier, the California-based biotech firm Geron Corp. announced the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had been cleared to carry out human trials of a novel therapy called GRNOPC1.
"The clearance enables Geron to move forward with the world's first study of a human embryonic stem cell based therapy in man," Geron said.
The goal is to inject cells into the spines of paralyzed volunteers, between seven to 14 days after they are injured, hoping this will prompt the damaged nerve cells to regrow, enabling them to eventually recover feeling and movement.
"This marks the beginning of what is potentially a new chapter in medical therapeutics -- one that reaches beyond pills to a new level of healing: the restoration of organ and tissue function achieved by the injection of healthy replacement cells," said Geron's president Thomas Okarma.

The Cut Continues to Bleed...

Report from Reuters
Coffee chain Starbucks Corp could cut another 1,000 jobs in the coming weeks, according to a report in the Seattle Times on Saturday.
The latest cuts could include employees at its Seattle headquarters, district managers and field employees but not the so-called baristas, who serve customers, said the report, which cited a client note from an analyst at McAdams Wright Ragen.
A Starbucks spokeswoman declined to comment.
The coffee chain, which has been fighting to revive growth in the United States, is closing 600 cafes and has already trimmed jobs in stores and at headquarters.
The company is scheduled to release its first-quarter financial results on Wednesday.

Mr. President, Keep Fulfilling Your Promises!!!!

Breaking forcefully with Bush anti-terror policies, President Barack Obama ordered major changes Thursday that he said would halt the torture of suspects, close down the Guantanamo detention center, ban secret CIA prisons overseas and fight terrorism "in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals."
The policies and practices that Obama said he was reversing have been widely reviled overseas, by U.S. allies as well as in less-friendly Arab countries. President George W. Bush said the policies were necessary to protect the nation after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks _ though he, too, had said he wanted Guantanamo closed at some point.
"A new era of American leadership is at hand," Obama said.
Executive orders signed by the new president would order the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, shut within a year, require the closure of any remaining secret CIA "black site" prisons abroad and bar CIA interrogators of detainees from using harsh techniques already banned for military questioners.

YOUR RIGHT TO PRIVACY????

By David Edwards and Stephen C. Webster for Raw Story
On Wednesday night, when former NSA analyst Russell Tice told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann that the Bush administration's National Security Agency spied on everyone in the United States, specifically targeting journalists, the Countdown host was so flabbergasted that Tice was invited back for a second interview.
On Thursday, he returned to the airwaves with expanded allegations against the NSA, claiming the agency collected Americans' credit card records, and adding that he believes the massive, warrantless data vacuum to be the remnants of the Total Information Awareness program, shut down by Congress in 2003.
Asked for comment by Olbermann's staff, the agency responded, "NSA considers the constitutional rights of US citizens to be sacrosanct. The intelligence community faces immense challenges in protecting our nation. No matter the challenges, NSA remains dedicated to performing its mission under the rule of law."
Olbermann ran the quote under a banner which read, "Non-denial denial."
"As far as the wiretap information that made it though NSA, there was also data-mining that was involved," Tice told Olbermann during the pair's second interview. "At some point, information from credit card records and financial transactions was married in with that information."
At this point on the audio track, Olbermann can be heard taking a deep breath.
"So, lucky American citizens, tens of thousands of whom are now on digital databases at NSA, who have no idea of this, also have that information included in those digital files that have been warehoused," said Tice.
"... Do you have any idea what all this stuff was used for?" asked the stunned host.
"The obvious explanation would be, if you did have a potential terrorist, you'd want to know where they're spending money, whether they purchased an airline ticket, that sort of thing," said Tice. "But, once again, we're talking about tens of thousands of innocent US citizens that have been caught up into this trap. They have no clue.

Look Where Your Bailout Money Was Spent!!!

By Charlie Gasparino for the Daily Beast
In early 2008, just as Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain was preparing to slash expenses, cut thousands of jobs and exit businesses to fix the ailing securities firm, he was also spending company money on himself, senior people at the firm say.
According to documents reviewed by The Daily Beast, Thain spent $1.22 million of company money to refurbish his office at Merrill Lynch headquarters in lower Manhattan. The biggest piece of the spending spree: $800,000 to hire famed celebrity designer Michael Smith, who is currently redesigning the White House for the Obama family for just $100,000.
Big ticket items included $87,000 for an area rug, four pairs of curtains for $28,000, a pair of guest chairs for $87,000 and fabric for a "Roman Shade" for $11,000.
The other big ticket items Thain purchased include: $87,000 for an area rug in Thain's conference room and another area rug for $44,000; a "mahogany pedestal table" for $25,000; a "19th Century Credenza" in Thain's office for $68,000; a sofa for $15,000; four pairs of curtains for $28,000; a pair of guest chairs for $87,000; a "George IV Desk" for $18,000; six wall sconces for $2,700; six chairs in his private dining room for $37,000; a mirror in his private dining room for $5,000; a chandelier in the private dining room for $13,000; fabric for a "Roman Shade" for $11,000; a "custom coffee table" for $16,000; something called a "commode on legs" for $35,000; a "Regency Chairs" for $24,000; "40 yards of fabric for wall panels," for $5,000 and a "parchment waste can" for $1,400. The documents also show that Thain signed off on the purchases personally.

Was Your Personal Data Stolen???

By Eric Dash and Brad Stone for the New York Times
Heartland Payment Systems, a major payment processing company, disclosed a data breach on Monday that potentially exposed tens of millions of credit and debit cardholders to the risk of fraud in what could quickly become one of the country’s biggest data compromises.
Robert H. B. Baldwin Jr., Heartland’s president and chief financial officer, said that his company believed the card numbers, expiration dates, and in some cases cardholder names were exposed after attacks on its computer systems at the one point where data had been unencrypted.
Once consumers swiped their cards, so-called sniffer software captured that data as Heartland sought authorization from the major payment companies and banks. Customers of Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Financial were all vulnerable.
“We have industry-leading encryption, but the data has to be unencrypted to request the information,” Mr. Baldwin said. “The sniffer was able to grab that authorization data at that point.”
Data thieves introduced the software as early as May, but Heartland did not detect the breach until it was alerted to the activity in late fall. The personal data of 600 million or more cardholders was vulnerable, but data security experts suggested data from far fewer accounts had been extracted. Other confidential information, like personal security codes, is not believed to have been compromised. That might limit damages.

Congratualtions President Obama!!!! We Salute You!!!!

The Scholar family would like to take a brief moment to not only cordially welcome but truly embrace President Barack Hussein Obama and his new administration. We will do everything we can to positively contribute to the renewed call for responsibility that you are humbly asking of your citizens. Take care and we wish you, your family and your entire staff continued health, happiness and success!!!

We Must Always Remember Dr. King!!! A True Hero!!!

Planet's Glaciers Could Disappear Completely by the mid 21st Century!!!

Most of the planet's glaciers are melting so fast that they will disappear by the middle of the century, a leading expert has warned. Figures from the World Glacier Monitoring Service show that although melt rates for 2007 fell substantially from record levels the previous year, the loss of ice was still the third worst on record.
The total mass left in the glaciers is now thought to be at the lowest level for "thousands of years".
Even under moderate predictions of global warming, the small glaciers, which make up the majority by number, will not recover, said Prof Wilfried Haeberli, the organisation's director.
The warning will raise concern among those who say that glacier melting is one of the greatest threats of climate change because it raises the risk of sudden avalanches of rocks and soil released from the ice, threatening the livelihoods of more than 2 billion people who depend on melt-water to feed rivers in summer. Glacier melting will also add to rising global sea levels.
"If the climate is not really cooling dramatically, they'll retreat and disintegrate," said Haeberli. "This means many will simply be lost in the next decades - 10, 20, 30, 40 years.

The Media is Responsible for Making the Recession Worse? OK, Sure... Listen to Thom Hartmann Rip Into Dain Gainor on This Topic!!!

Let's Remember Some DUMB Bush Moments as We Give Him a Peaceful "Get the #$%^ Out"!!!!

Courtesy of Johanna Smith at Huffington Post
Well, it's just about time to say goodbye to George W. Bush, but before we do, we just have to look back at some of his more memorable quotes about the environment.
Austin, Texas, Dec. 20, 2000: "Natural gas is hemispheric. I like to call it hemispheric in nature because it is a product that we can find in our neighborhoods." (Source: Treehugger)
Washington, D.C. March 13, 2001: "There are some monuments where the land is so widespread, they just encompass as much as possible. And the integral part of the--the precious part, so to speak--I guess all land is precious, but the part that the people uniformly would not want to spoil, will not be despoiled. But there are parts of the monument lands where we can explore without affecting the overall environment." (Source: Slate)
Washington, D.C., January 6, 2009: "The new steps I've announced today are the capstone of an eight-year commitment to strong environmental protection and conservation." Check out this interesting graphic from the Natural Resources Defense Council illustrating the last eight years in environmental policy...
New Delhi, India, Mar. 2, 2006 "Obviously, nu-que-lar power is, uh, a renewable source of energy, and the less demand there is for non-renewable sources of energy, like fossil fuels, the better it off it is for the American people." Well, he got the second part right, but nuclear energy produced from uranium is, uh, not renewable as far as we know... (Source: Treehugger)
Washington, D.C., June 8, 2005: "We're spending money on clean coal technology. Do you realize we've got 250 million years of coal?" (Source: Slate)
Michigan, September 2000, explaining his energy policies: "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." (Source: AP)
A Freudian slip made while addressing Australian Prime Minister John Howard at the APEC Summit, Sept. 7, 2007: "Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit."
And a bonus: "[It's] time for the human race to enter the solar system."

Bank of America??? Not Very American to Me!!! Or Actually is it Based on the Way Things Have Been Going!!!

We need to stop BOA from conducting their completely abusive business practices or demand that they give the bailout money they received back!!!!

PLEASE CEASE FIRE!!!!!!

Say Goodbye to Circuit City!!!

Circuit City, the nation's second largest electronics retailer, is liquidating its inventory and shutting its doors forever. The company, which filed Chapter 11 last November, was unable to officially solidify a deal with creditors and potential buyers. For the past decade Circuit City has been plagued by problems that stemmed from very poorly chosen retail locations to utter management failure. They are just one of many retail companies forced to go belly up.

Bailed Out Corporations Use Tax Havens!!!

By Ken Thomas for the Associated Press
Eighty-three of the nation's 100 largest corporations, including Citigroup, Bank of America and News Corp., had subsidiaries in offshore tax havens in 2007, and some of the companies received federal bailout funding, a government watchdog said Friday.
The Government Accountability Office released a report that said Bank of America Inc., Citigroup Inc. and Morgan Stanley all had more than 100 units in countries that maintain low or no taxes. The three financial institutions were included in the $700 billion financial bailout approved by Congress.
Insurance giant American International Group Inc., which has received about $150 billion in bailout money, had 18 subsidiaries. JPMorgan Chase & Co. had 50 units and Wells Fargo & Co. had 18; both financial institutions received government bailout money.
Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who requested the report, have pushed for tougher laws to fight offshore tax havens around the globe. Levin, who leads the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, has estimated abusive tax havens and offshore accounts cost the U.S. government at least $100 billion a year in lost taxes.

Johnson Controls Debuts Plug-In Re3 Concept Vehicle!!!

Johnson Controls Plug-In Re3 Concept
For Johnson Controls , a major goal is finding new opportunities to help its customers succeed by creating "smart" environments. In terms of vehicles, this means creating products that bring value today -- reducing weight, optimizing cost and providing sustainable solutions that generate consumer appeal. With the debut of its re3 concept vehicle at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit this week, Johnson Controls demonstrates its strong capabilities and latest innovations in product and process technologies targeting the growing small car segment.
The re3 exemplifies a smart environment that has three key elements: re:think -- shifting the paradigm of what a small car should be, enabled by innovative engineering; re:new -- providing an interior based on the core principles of sustainability; and re:spond -- presenting a holistic experience that generates strong consumer appeal, through a focus on human machine interaction (HMI), comfort and interior ambiance. It is on display this week at the NAIAS, as part of the Johnson Controls product and technology exhibit in room D2-15 of Cobo Center.
To view more images of the car please visit http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/01/15/detroit-2009-johnson-controls-shows-off-re3-concept/

US Airways Flight Crashes into Hudson River

We at the Scholar Family are so happy that everyone is okay!!!!

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review Rules Bush's Warrantless Telecommunications Wiretapping Program Legal!!!!! We Should be Outraged!!!

By Eric Lichtblau for the New York Times
A federal intelligence court, in a rare public opinion, is expected to issue a major ruling validating the power of the president and Congress to wiretap international phone calls and intercept e-mail messages without a court order, even when Americans’ private communications may be involved, according to a person with knowledge of the opinion.
The court decision, made in December by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, is expected to be disclosed as early as Thursday in an unclassified, redacted form, the person said. The review court has issued only two other rulings in its 30-year history.
The decision marks the first time since the disclosure of the National Security Agency’s warrantless eavesdropping program three years ago that an appellate court has addressed the constitutionality of the federal government’s wiretapping powers. In validating the government’s wide authority to collect foreign intelligence, it may offer legal credence to the Bush administration’s repeated assertions that the president has constitutional authority to act without specific court approval in ordering national security eavesdropping.

Foreclosure Filings Up 81% in 2008!!!

By Alan Zibel for the Associated Press
More than 2.3 million American homeowners faced foreclosure proceedings last year, an 81 percent increase from 2007, with the worst yet to come as consumers grapple with layoffs, shrinking investment portfolios and falling home prices.
Nationwide, more than 860,000 properties were actually repossessed by lenders, more than double the 2007 level, according to RealtyTrac, a foreclosure listing firm based in Irvine, Calif., which compiled the figures.
Moody's Economy.com, a research firm, predicts the number of homes lost to foreclosure is likely to rise by another 18 percent this year before tapering off slightly through 2011.
Still, foreclosures _ which keep breaking records going back 30 years, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association _ are likely to remain well above normal levels for years to come, and that will continue to keep home prices from rebounding.

Israel is Way Out of Line!!!!!!!! This Fighting Must End!!!!

By Ibrahim Barzak and Amy Teibel for the Associated Press
Israel shelled the United Nations headquarters in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, engulfing the compound and a warehouse in fire and destroying thousands of pounds of food and humanitarian supplies intended for Palestinian refugees.
U.N. workers and Palestinian firefighters, some wearing bulletproof jackets, struggled to douse the flames and pull bags of food aid from the debris after the Israeli attack, which was another blow to efforts to ease the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Dense smoke billowed from the compound.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is in the region to end the devastating offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers, demanded a "full explanation" and said the Israeli defense minister told him there had been a "grave mistake."
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the military fired artillery shells at the U.N. compound after Hamas militants opened fire from the location. Three people were wounded.
"It is absolutely true that we were attacked from that place, but the consequences are very sad and we apologize for it," he said. "I don't think it should have happened and I'm very sorry."

Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Donald Kohn Gives Bogus Excuse for Keeping Bailout Spending Details Secret

If the Federal Reserve were to reveal the details of the distribution of bailout funds then banks would not accept it??? That is an absolute joke!!! Listen to the clip below of Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Donald Kohn giving that exact reasoning as his his excuse for the Federal Reserve keeping the distribution of bailout money in secrecy. Representative Alan Grayson (D-Fla) was not buying it!!! No pun intended. This is a clip from Tuesday's House Financial Services Committee hearing on the bailout funds.

Steve Jobs Takes Leave of Absence from Apple Due Health Issues

I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.

In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple's day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.

I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.

Steve

From Everyone at the Scholar Family we wish Mr. Jobs well!!!!

Internet Takes Flight!!!

Aircell has already solidified deals with American, Delta, Virgin America, Air Canada, and now United Airlines of installing its Gogo in-flight internet equipment in some of their aircraft. Starting this year, 13 of United's Boeing 757s --which will fly between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and California's Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport -- will provide WiFi for the people. Pricing will be $12.95 for the entire flight, and service is expected to begin after June of this year.

Bin Laden at it Again!!!

Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has issued a 22-minute audio statement calling for jihad, or holy war, to stop Israeli "aggression" in Gaza, the US-based IntelCenter monitoring service reported Wednesday.
In the statement, titled "A Call for Jihad to Stop Aggression Against Gaza," Bin Laden calls for jihad to restore "Jerusalem and Palestine."
The Al-Qaeda leader also criticizes the Arab handling of the Gaza conflict and discusses both outgoing US President George W. Bush's administration and president-elect Barack Obama.

Torture Does Not Work!!! Therefore, Keep Jack Bauer Fictional!!!

A Saudi suspected of involvement in the September 11, 2001 attacks was tortured at the US detention site in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing a US official.
Susan Crawford, the Bush administration official in charge of deciding whether to bring Guantanamo detainees to trial, told the Post that the suspect cannot be tried because he was tortured.
US military interrogators subjected Mohammed al-Qahtani, 30, to sustained isolation, sleep deprivation, nudity and prolonged exposure to cold, leaving him in a "life-threatening condition," Crawford said.
"We tortured Qahtani," Crawford told the newspaper. "His treatment met the legal definition of torture. And that's why I did not refer the case" for prosecution.
Qahtani, alleged to be the 20th hijacker in the September 11 attacks, was denied entry to the United States one month before the attacks but was captured in Afghanistan and flown to Guantanamo in January 2002.
He was interrogated over 50 days from November 2002 to January 2003, though he was held in isolation until April 2003, according to the Post.
"The techniques they used were all authorized, but the manner in which they applied them was overly aggressive and too persistent," Crawford told the Post.

SOLVATTEN + SUN = PURE DRINKING WATER FOR MORE PEOPLE

This is awesome!!!

Can't We All Just Get Along???

A rare gull that apparently tried to eat a couple's ice cream was euthanized after the man beat the bird with a stick. Dragan Djuric, 50, of Wichita, Kansas, and his wife were eating ice cream New Year's Eve on the boardwalk at Main Beach when a flock of birds attacked them, Laguna Beach police Sgt. Jeff Calvert said.
One bird hit Djuric's wife in the head and tried to take the ice cream. Djuric was defecated on.
The couple dropped the frozen food and Djuric began hitting the birds with a stick, Calvert said.
One of the birds -- a rare Heermann's gull -- sustained a broken wing and was later euthanized.
Djuric was cited and released on suspicion of animal cruelty.
Heermann's gulls are on the Audubon Society's watch list for at-risk birds. The creatures are surprisingly aggressive and steal fish from the pouches of pelicans and chase other birds to take their prey, according to the society's Web site.
The estimated population of Heermann's gulls is 525,000.

The Economy is Really BAD!!!!!!!!

Four firefighters have been arrested on suspicion of igniting between 15 and 20 fires in western Arizona so they could get paid for fighting them, officials said Tuesday.
Authorities also charged two men suspected of setting fires to get money from the firefighters, and were seeking arrest warrants for two former firefighters who have moved out of state.
The firefighters worked at the fire district in Ehrenberg, a town of about 1,200 people and about 140 miles west of Phoenix on the Arizona-California line. They got $10 an hour per fire.
The six men arrested are suspected of igniting at least 15 fires in abandoned trailer homes, on open land and in expensive haystacks owned by farmers between January 2006 and last week, La Paz County sheriff's Lt. Glenn Gilbert said.
No one was hurt in the fires, the most costly of which destroyed a $200,000 haystack. Gilbert said the firefighters admitted to starting the blazes to make money and targeted haystacks because those types of fires can last for days.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Please Welcome the New and Improved Prius!!!

The 2010 Prius debuted today in Detroit and, well, it's a new Prius. But it's also a little bit more in a lot of little ways. First, if all you care about is mileage, the number you need to know is a combined rating of 50 mpg, based on Toyota's own internal testing. That bump in MPGs (up from 46 in the current model) comes from a larger and more powerful 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle, four-cylinder engine. That may sound counterintuitive, but Toyota's press release (pasted after the jump) is prepared for that, and says that the higher torque means lower rpm on the highway. And the highway is where hybrids don't exactly shine.
The new Prius has three driving modes: Eco, EV-Drive and Power. The EV Drive isn't anything new – if you have a Japanese Prius. A first for the U.S., the Eco mode allows battery-only operation "at low speeds for about a mile, if conditions permit." This is still the nickel-metal battery pack, after all. The other modes should be fairly obvious, with Eco providing the best mileage and the Power giving the car a "sportier feel."
When you're not cruising down the road, an optional solar-powered moonroof over the rear seats can keep the hybrid from getting too hot when the car is parked in the sun. The electric fan circulates fresh air into the car before you get in and, if that's not enough coolness for you, a remote starter can turn on the air conditioning. Toyota says this is the world's first A/C that can operate on battery alone. How cool is the sun?

Those Taxpayers Will Never Find Out Where Their Money is Going...Or Will They???

Army warehouses are stacked with $3.6 billion worth of spare parts that the military does not need, according to new government report.
The supply of some parts stashed away by the Army exceeded the foreseeable demand for decades to come, an investigation by the Government Accountability Office discovered. There was “no projected demand” for a “substantial” amount of the inventory. The report said the Army probably will never use about $900 million of the equipment it had in storage in 2007.
“At a time when the country has a $10.6 trillion national debt and is struggling with huge unmet needs, it is an absolute outrage that the Army is wasting huge sums of money for spare parts that they don’t need,” said Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who requested the report. “This is waste pure and simple, and it’s waste that has to end.”
Investigators found, for example, that the Army stocked up on a tool used on Black Hawk helicopters, but planners were wrong about demand for the choppers. The Army was unable to cancel a contract, so parts worth $7.4 million are gathering dust. In another instance, the Army was left with 836 replacement parts worth $7.7 million that were bought in a rush to keep armored earthmovers working.
Unnecessary spare parts are not only in the Army’s warehouses. The GAO identified that the Army had on order an average of $120 million in parts that it did not need. In fact, about $55 million of spare parts on order but not yet delivered already are marked for disposal.
The report understates the extent of the problem because the Communications and Electronics Command, the Army agency in charge of advanced information technology development, couldn't track its inventory, the report said.
The investigation also found the Army has an average $3.5 billion annual shortfall in some types of spare parts needed as it fights in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lego Love The Kids!!!!!! SO DO WE!!!!!!

Digital Blue and LEGO have announced a licencing agreement that will bring several LEGO branded kid’s tech products to market. The line is scheduled for release this summer and will include digital cameras, video cameras, MP3 players, walkie talkies and other electronics.

SONY Taking a Billion Dollar Plus Punch As Recession Continues!!!

By Kentaro Hamada and Sachi Izumi for Reuters (Tokyo)
Japan's Sony Corp (6758.T) will likely suffer an annual operating loss of about $1.1 billion, its first such loss in 14 years, due to sluggish sales and a stronger yen, a person with knowledge of the matter said.
Shares of Sony tumbled 9 percent, slicing $2 billion off its market value to $22 billion, while rival Toshiba Corp (6502.T) dropped more than 8 percent after Japanese media said it too was headed for a big loss this financial year.
The global economic slump has dampened demand for electronics products, causing inventories to pile up and prices to tumble, and Sony is feeling the pinch of the downturn in every corner of its operations, which range from semiconductors to movies and insurance.
If it posts such a loss, management could come under pressure to pursue bolder restructuring than the plan unveiled last month that called for curbing investment, exiting businesses and cutting 16,000 jobs. That included 8,000 regular workers, or roughly 4 percent of its global workforce.

These Sneaky Little California Right Wingers...

The Protect Marriage Coalition, which led the fight to pass an anti-gay marriage initiative in California, is now suing to shield its financial records from public scrutiny.
The lawsuit claims that donors to Protect Marriage and a second group involved in the suit have received threatening phone calls and emails. It asks for existing donation lists to be removed from the California secretary of state's website and also seeks to have both plaintiffs and all similar groups be exempted in the future from ever having to file donation disclosure reports on this or any similar campaigns.
Although public access advocates believe this sweeping demand for donor anonymity has little chance of success, it does point up the secretive and even conspiratorial nature of much right-wing political activity in California.

Beware of Credit Card Companies in 2009!!! Watch Them Closely!!!

By Jane J. Kim for the Wall Street Journal
The latest currency devaluation is happening in your bank's and credit card's reward programs.
Airlines have been devaluing their frequent-flier programs for some time, stepping up the number of miles required to qualify for free flights and adding restrictions. But until recently, banks had still been sweetening their rewards programs -- adding more flexible redemption options and bigger cash-back bonuses to snag customers.
Now, with the economy contracting and fears rising about credit-card delinquencies, banks are trying to cut costs and bolster profits. Many card issuers have been testing shorter expiration periods, higher redemption fees or earnings caps on rewards. "You'll start to see all of those put into place starting in 2009," says Megan Bramlette, a London-based managing associate at Auriemma Consulting Group.
To read more please visit http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123180989113175857.html

Just a Powerful Image to Remind you of!!! Props to Meek!!!

Asus Eee Top Touchscreen PC to Hit US in a Few Weeks!!!

Be Prepared. And it's only $599!!!

Make Way for the Newest Tesla Roadster Sport!!!

Here is some quick facts about this amazing car:
--100% electric
--14,000 rpm redline
--0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds
--Burns no oil
--244 miles per charge
--Pennies per mile

If you have at least $128,500 to spend on a car you might want to put your name on this growing waiting list!!!
Please visit www.teslamotors.com for more info.

Please Give a Warm Welcome to Powermat!!!

How About Giving Some TARP Funds Back!!! Oh, We Forgot. This is Corporate America...

By Bradley Keoun and Christine Harper for Bloomberg
Citigroup Inc. may book a gain of as much as $10 billion by forming a brokerage venture with Morgan Stanley, helping to replenish capital depleted by the biggest losses in the bank’s 197-year history, a person familiar with the talks said.
The pretax gain would result from writing up the value of Citigroup’s Smith Barney brokerage unit to the new price set by the deal, said the person, who declined to be identified because the talks are confidential. The gain of $5 billion to $6 billion after taxes would flow into Citigroup’s capital, a loan-loss cushion so eroded that the bank had to get $45 billion of rescue funds last year from the U.S. government.
“You’re selling out the future to get through the crisis of the present, and unfortunately they don’t have a lot of other choice,” David Trone, an analyst at Fox-Pitt Kelton Cochran Caronia Waller in New York, said in a Jan. 9 interview.
The worst banking crisis since the Great Depression forced Citigroup Chief Executive Officer Vikram Pandit to abandon his pledge not to sell Smith Barney. For the past decade, the unit has been at the center of the bank’s plan to provide bond- underwriting, savings accounts and investment advice under a single umbrella.
Citigroup spokesman Michael Hanretta declined to comment. Jim Wiggins, a spokesman for Morgan Stanley, didn’t return calls seeking comment.
To read more please visit http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aHwJDMo060rc&refer=home

Go Back to Acting if You Still Know How!!!!

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who starred as a villain in "The Terminator" and other action flicks during his movie career, started the New Year playing the role of the "Fish Terminator" on Friday by releasing an environmentally devastating plan to break ground for the peripheral canal in 2011.
Schwarzenegger, realizing the opposition his plan faces in the State Legislature, intends to build the "dual conveyance" facility without the approval of the Legislature or the voters. The massive project would feature a combination of through-Delta flows and a peripheral canal to deliver Sacramento River water to the state and federal pumps in the South Delta, supposedly to achieve the goals of "ecosystem restoration" and "reliable water supply" at the same time.
The governor's hand-picked group of cabinet level advisers, the Delta Vision Committee, released their plan for the California Delta on January 2, missing the original deadline of December 31. The plan was released at 4:55 PM in the classic example of the "Friday night dump," where controversial plans and documents are released by government agencies to avoid full scrutiny by reporters and the public, preferably at the end of a long holiday weekend.
"There is no time to waste and we must accelerate implementation of near-term fundamental actions," the plan states, in an attempt to convey a sense of urgency. "Additional delay will only compound the risk to the state and its citizens."
YEAH RIGHT!!!!! He should figure out how to keep California from possibly going broke by March instead of trying push through his disastrous personal agenda!!!!

If You Lose Your Job Then Join the Army??? What is Our Society Coming to???

By Jon Hurdle for Reuters
The U.S. Army, struggling to ensure it has enough manpower as it fights wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is wooing young Americans with video games, Google maps and simulated attacks on enemy positions from an Apache helicopter.
Departing from the recruiting environment of metal tables and uniformed soldiers in a drab military building, the Army has invested $12 million in a facility that looks like a cross between a hotel lobby and a video arcade.
The U.S. Army Experience Center at the Franklin Mills shopping mall in northeast Philadelphia has 60 personal computers loaded with military video games, 19 Xbox 360 video game controllers and a series of interactive screens describing military bases and career options in great detail.
Potential recruits can hang out on couches and listen to rock music that fills the space.
The center is the first of its kind and opened in August as part of a two-year experiment. So far, it has signed up 33 full-time soldiers and five reservists - roughly matching the performance of five traditional recruiting centers it replaced.
The U.S. military says it has been meeting or exceeding its recruiting and retention goals, with 185,000 men and women entering active-duty military service in the fiscal year that ended on September 30 - the highest number since 2003.
Defense officials say the recession and rising unemployment were likely to boost recruiting.
THIS IS EXTREMELY UNFORTUNATE, DISTURBING, AND DEPRESSING!!!!!

Economists see longest recession since World War Two

By Emily Kaiser for Reuters
The U.S. recession will probably be the longest since World War Two and could worsen without heavy government spending, according to a closely-watched survey of economists released on Saturday.
The Blue Chip Economic Indicators poll of 52 economists from top financial firms, major companies and academia found that most expected a tepid recovery to begin later this year, with growth returning to more normal levels in 2010.
A majority of those polled thought the recession would officially end in the third quarter of 2009, which would make this the longest downturn since World War Two.
However, more than half of respondents thought unemployment would peak no earlier than 2010, suggesting that economic pain may linger long after the recession is technically over.
For 2009, the consensus view was that real gross domestic product would fall 1.6 percent, gloomier than the previous month's forecast for a 1.1 percent decline. A drop of that magnitude would be the worst yearly performance since 1982.

World’s first flying car prepares for take-off!!!

by Mark Harris for The Sunday Times
IS it a car? Is it a plane? Actually it’s both. The first flying automobile, equally at home in the sky or on the road, is scheduled to take to the air next month.
If it survives its first test flight, the Terrafugia Transition, which can transform itself from a two-seater road car to a plane in 15 seconds, is expected to land in showrooms in about 18 months’ time.
Its manufacturer says it is easy to keep and run since it uses normal unleaded fuel and will fit into a garage.
Carl Dietrich, who runs the Massachusetts-based Terrafugia, said: “This is the first really integrated design where the wings fold up automatically and all the parts are in one vehicle.”
The Transition, developed by former Nasa engineers, is powered by the same 100bhp engine on the ground and in the air.
Terrafugia claims it will be able to fly up to 500 miles on a single tank of petrol at a cruising speed of 115mph. Up to now, however, it has been tested only on roads at up to 90mph.
Dietrich said he had already received 40 orders, despite an expected retail price of $200,000 (£132,000).
“For an airplane that’s very reasonable, but for a car that’s very much at the high end,” he conceded.
There are still one or two drawbacks. Getting insurance may be a little tricky and finding somewhere to take off may not be straightforward: the only place in the US in which it is legal to take off from a road is Alaska.
Dietrich is optimistic. He said: “In the long term we have the potential to make air travel practical for individuals at a price that would meet or beat driving, with huge time savings.”

Do You Believe in Reincarnation???

Please visit the Tree Hugger link below to find a great gallery of the 23 revolutionary electric cars both past, present, and future!!!!

http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/01/slideshow-gallery-23-electric-cars-evs.php

If You Still Have Your Job, Be Thankful!!!

The nation's unemployment rate bolted to 7.2 percent in December, the highest level in 16 years, as nervous employers slashed 524,000 jobs, capping one of the worst years in modern history for American workers.
The Labor Department's report, released Friday, underscored the grim toll the deepening recession is having on workers and companies. And it highlights the difficulty President-elect Barack Obama faces in resuscitating the flat-lined economy. This year has gotten off to a rough start with a flurry of big corporate layoffs, pointing to another year of hefty job reductions.
For all of 2008, the economy lost a net total of 2.6 million jobs. That was the most since 1945, when nearly 2.8 million jobs were lost. Though the U.S. labor force has more than tripled since then, losses of this magnitude are still being painfully felt.
With employers throttling back hiring, the nation's jobless rate averaged 5.8 percent last year. That was up sharply from 4.6 percent in 2007 and was the highest since 2003.
While economists were forecasting even more payroll reductions in December _ around 550,000 _ job losses in both October and November turned out to be deeper than previously estimated. Revised figures showed employers slashed 584,000 positions in November and 423,000 in October.
The unemployment rate, meanwhile, rose from 6.8 percent in November, to 7.2 percent last month, the highest since January 1993. Economists were expecting the jobless rate to rise to 7 percent.
Losses were widespread in December. Construction companies slashed 101,000, and manufacturers axed a a whopping 149,000 jobs. Professional and business services got rid of 113,000 jobs. Retailers eliminated nearly 67,000 jobs, and leisure and hospitality reduced employment by 22,000. That more than swamped gains in education and health care, and the government.
All told, 11.1 million people were unemployed in December.

Common Supporting Scholar!!!

Scholar would like to send a very special thank you to Common for his support for the Scholar project. Please show your support for one of the greatest hip hop musicians ever. He is truly a very talented individual and we wish him nothing short of continued health, happiness, and success. We would also like to thank Theresa, Suzie, the rest of the SF2 crew and Rel from Pitch Control for showing us the unconditonal support. Happy New Year to you all and we will see you real soon. If you would like to see more from this video please visit www.pitchcontroltv.com. Peace!!!
Your Scholar Family!!!

Israel Has Taken It Way Too Far and Kucinich States the Truth Regarding US Accountability!!!

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today made the following statement on the House floor calling attention to a report in the Washington Post that the International Committee of the Red Cross has accused the Israeli military of preventing ambulances from reaching at least 15 emaciated people for four days:

“What is going on in America? We have trillions for a war machine and banks while our government stands by and sniffs at the slaughter of innocents in Gaza, where Israel is blocking aid for wounded Palestinians. Here’s today’s Washington Post it says: The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that it found at least 15 bodies and several children, emaciated but alive - - in a row of shattered houses in the Gaza strip and accused the Israeli military of preventing ambulances from reaching the site for four days. ...12 corpses lying on mattresses in one home, along with four young children lying next to their dead mothers." That’s a quote

“Today U.S. tax dollars, U.S. jets and U.S. helicopters provided to Israel are enabling the slaughter in Gaza. The Administration enables Israel to press forward with the attack against defenseless civilians; blocks efforts promoting a cease-fire at the UN; and refuses to make Israel comply with conditions that arms shipments not be used for aggression. Israel is going to receive $30 billion in a ten-year period for military assistance, without having to abide by any humanitarian principles, international laws or standards of basic human decency. Wake up America.”

350.org, A Very Important Movement to Know About!!!

This is the Truth!!! Can you Handle it???

Today President-Elect Obama delivered an incredibly truthful speech about the state of our economy. We cannot wait to solve this problem. We must begin the resolution process now!!!

BART Cop Kills Passenger!!! What a Tragedy!!!

To all the family, friends, and loved ones of Oscar Grant the Scholar family sends our most cordial condolences. This was an absolutely tragic and heartbraking story to hear about and we certainly hope that justice is served!!! May Oscar rest in complete peace.

The Progressive and the Progressive Movement, Then and Now! | The Progressive 100th Anniversary Conference

The Progressive and the Progressive Movement, Then and Now! | The Progressive 100th Anniversary Conference

This is going to be an amazing event for whoever attends!!!

Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) Telling It Like It Is!!!

The robbery is still going!!!

AND YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD A BAD DAY???

If you think people laugh at your skiing skills then think again. A man was a put into a precarious and undoubtedly embarrassing position while skiing with his child at Vail mountain last Friday.
According to reports:
the chairlift's fold-down seat was not in the correct lowered-down position - causing the man to partially fall through the resulting gap as he attempted to board the lift.
He was prevented from plummeting to the ground below by his right ski, which became jammed in the ascending lift. What a BUMMER!!!

Drew, you are a HERO!!!

The Scholar family would like to cordially thank Drew Heredia for his unbelievably courageous act. You are truly a HERO!!!

A Little Knowledge on the Effects of Higher Minmum Wages

I think it is safe to say that increased wages are crucial to the health of the nation's economy. Wages drive demand which is what runs the economy. In conclusion, heavily regulate private corporations and banks, raise taxes, raise wages, invest in the nation's infrastructure, and save our manufacturing industry in this country!!!!

Another Pay-to-Play Scandal???

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, tapped in December by President-elect Barack Obama to serve as secretary of Commerce, withdrew his bid because of an federal investigation into his political activities.
"Let me say unequivocally that I and my Administration have acted properly in all matters and that this investigation will bear out that fact," he said Sunday in a report by NBC News' Andrea Mitchell. "But I have concluded that the ongoing investigation also would have forced an untenable delay in the confirmation process."
A federal grand jury is investigating how a company that contributed to Richardson won a lucrative New Mexico state contract.
Democratic officials said Obama accepted the withdrawal with regret.
A source close to Richardson told Politico, "There are too many unanswered questions and while he thinks the results of the grand jury will turn out in his favor, he doesn't want to distract attention from the administration."
A federal grand jury is leading the investigation and looking into possible "pay-to-play" dealings between CDR Financial Products and someone in a position to push the contract through with the state of New Mexico.

Hands Down Respect to Toyota!!!

We at Scholar firmly believe that the American manufacturing industry is extremely crucial to the health of our nation's economy and national security. However, when you read stories like the one below and look at the lack of progression of US auto manufatcurers it makes you cringe!!! To Toyota, thank you for all of your efforts.
If only the rest of the world would follow...

Toyota Motor Corp. is secretly developing a vehicle that will be powered solely by solar energy in an effort to turn around its struggling business with a futuristic ecological car, a top business daily reported Thursday.
The Nikkei newspaper, however, said it will be years before the planned vehicle will be available on the market. Toyota's offices were closed Thursday and officials were not immediately available for comment.
According to The Nikkei, Toyota is working on an electric vehicle that will get some of its power from solar cells equipped on the vehicle, and that can be recharged with electricity generated from solar panels on the roofs of homes. The automaker later hopes to develop a model totally powered by solar cells on the vehicle, the newspaper said without citing sources.
The solar car is part of efforts by Japan's top automaker to grow during hard times, The Nikkei said.
Toyota, the manufacturer of the Lexus luxury car and Camry sedan, has already begun using solar panels at its Tsutsumi plant in central Japan to produce some of its own electricity.
The solar panels on the roofs add up in size to the equivalent of 60 tennis courts and produce enough electricity to power 500 homes, according to Toyota. That reduces 740 tons a year of carbon dioxide emissions and is equal to using 1,500 barrels of crude oil.
Toyota is also likely to indirectly gain expertise in solar energy when its partner in developing and producing hybrid batteries, Panasonic Corp., takes over Japanese rival Sanyo Electric Co., a leader in solar energy, early next year.

FOX NEWS PULLS SOME OFFENSIVE Sh!T AGAIN!!!

Think Progress??? Give me a break!!! Watch the bottom of the video with the words moving across the bottom. Fox News allowed people to send in New Year's text messages to the show. That is fine as long as they are ones that don't offend people!!!