text:
White House Not Moving on DADT (Don't Ask Don't Tell)
From The Advocate:
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked twice during Thursday's press briefing about the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Both times, he reverted to his standard talking points on the subject.
When would the White House push Congress to repeal the policy, asked one reporter?
Gibbs reiterated the president's support for repeal, then added, "He does not think the policy is working in the national interests and is working with the Joint Chiefs, the Pentagon, and others to bring about a change in that policy."
My Comment: I guess the White House is thinking along the same lines that I am .... there are more important things to focus on. Of course .... for many in the gay community .... this is the important issue.
Posted by War News Updates Editor at 11:59 PM 1 comment:
Labels: gay issues
G8 Wants Closer Cooperation To Fight Terrorism, Piracy
From Yahoo News/AFP:
ROME (AFP) – Fighting the global terrorism threat as well as the scourge of piracy calls for stronger cooperation among G8 nations, the group's interior and justice ministers said Saturday.
Despite some successes, "terrorism is still one of the most serious threats to international security," the ministers from the Group of Eight rich nations said in a final statement after three days of talks near Rome.
Extremists have shown a "significant offensive capability" and "organisational flexibility," they said, along with an ability to recruit and radicalise their followers, which is "a cause of great concern."
My Comment: The same speeches, platitudes, and announcements made at this (and past) meetings/conferences.
Labels: G8
What Is Happening In Iran -- News Updates For June 1, 2009
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his opponents were serving the interests of the West. Hasan Sarbakhshian / Associated Press
Iran President's Rivals Slam His Foreign Policy -- L.A. Times
Challengers in the presidential race dare to criticize Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's positions on sensitive issues such as U.S. relations and Israel.
Reporting from Tehran -- In a political race most analysts predicted would hinge on domestic bread-and-butter issues, foreign policy has emerged as a major battleground -- and a potential Achilles' heel for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
With campaigns for the June 12 presidential election in full swing, none of the three challengers have shied away from publicly criticizing Ahmadinejad on topics long considered off-limits for debate in Iran, such as his stance on the country's nuclear program and his vitriol for Israel.
More News On Iran
Iran: Polls put Ahmadinejad in lead -- Jerusalem Post
Iran set for intense vote battle -- Middle East Online
Iranian Candidate Taps Student Woes -- New York Times
Iran reformist candidate wants end of US sanctions -- Yahoo News/AP
Iran candidate Mousavi backs women's rights -- BBC
Iranian Women Campaign for Greater Rights -- Washington Times
Think tank accuses Ahmadinejad of distorting facts -- Yahoo News/AP
Homemade bomb on board plane raises tension ahead of Iran elections -- The Guardian
Suspected bomb found on Iranian flight -- The Telegraph
Three hanged in Iran mosque bombing -- L.A. Times
Iran Hangs 3 Men Held in Bombing of Mosque -- New York Times
Change in the Air in Iran -- David Ignatius, Washington Post opinion
Labels: Iran
Extra U.S. Troops In Afghanistan By Mid-July
A U.S. Marine from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit looks through his gun sights during a patrol in the town of Garmser in Helmand Province of Afghanistan, Sunday, July 13, 2008. Some 2,200 Marines, who have been deployed since late April, moved into the town of Garmser to sweep out insurgents. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
From Reuters:
KABUL, May 31 (Reuters) - The majority of the 17,000 extra U.S. troops being sent to fight a growing Taliban-led insurgency in southern and western Afghanistan should be on the ground by mid-July, the U.S. military said on Sunday.
A further 4,000 troops are arriving to train Afghan security forces and they will be deployed by August.
Washington pledged to send 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to reinforce security ahead of presidential elections scheduled for Aug. 20 and to support NATO-led troops which have struggled to fight an escalating insurgency there.
"10,000 Marines are beginning to arrive now and will continue to arrive for the next month and a half or so and they will be principally located in Helmand but also in Farah," said Colonel Greg Julian, spokesman for U.S. forces.
My Comment: These troops are needed now.
Labels: Afghanistan
Cyber War/Security News Updates -- May 31, 2009
Terry Gillette, left, and Scott Chase run a Raytheon unit that finds flaws in Pentagon computers. Gregg Matthews for The New York Times
Contractors Vie For Plum Work, Hacking For The United States -- New York Times
MELBOURNE, Fla. — The government's urgent push into cyberwarfare has set off a rush among the biggest military companies for billions of dollars in new defense contracts.
The exotic nature of the work, coupled with the deep recession, is enabling the companies to attract top young talent that once would have gone to Silicon Valley. And the race to develop weapons that defend against, or initiate, computer attacks has given rise to thousands of "hacker soldiers" within the Pentagon who can blend the new capabilities into the nation's war planning.
Nearly all of the largest military companies — including Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon — have major cyber contracts with the military and intelligence agencies.
More News On Cyber War/Security Issues
Obama's strategy for countering cyber attacks -- Christian Science Monitor
Obama: Cyber Security is a National Security Priority -- Washington Post
Cyber security strategy unveiled -- Washington Times
Obama's Cybersecurity Initiative Wins Praise -- PC World
Obama's cybersecurity plan prompts praise and some questions -- Washington Technology
Obama Moves to Curb Data-System Attacks -- Wall Street Journal
Obama will name official to push for cyber security -- Star Telegram
Cyber attacks continue to grow -- MSNBC
What Obama's Cyberplan Means For Business -- Forbes
All hail the cyber czar -- Washington Times Editorial
Labels: cyberwar and security news updates
'Top Gun' Takes On Taliban Upside Down
Photo: Simon Rawlins says he has come close to death at least twice during his 193 missions
From Times Online:
The navy's leading pilot in Afghanistan tells of the daring manoeuvre he used to tackle a militant stronghold
THE Royal Navy's "Top Gun" pilot and veteran of almost 200 missions in Afghanistan has relived the hair-raising aerial manoeuvres used against a Taliban stronghold.
Lieutenant Simon Rawlins, 30, described flipping his Harrier jet upside down while flying up the side of a mountain at more than 500mph to scare off enemy troops.
The "show of force" mission required the fighter pilot to fly just 100ft above ground, the minimum safe distance, leaving him vulnerable to rocket attack and rifle fire.
Rawlins has clocked up in excess of 400 flying hours - more than any other navy pilot - providing air support for British and Nato troops in Afghanistan over five years.
Read more .....
My Comment: A riveting read.
Labels: Afghanistan, combat action report
Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- May 31, 2009
Meet The New, Government-Owned GM -- Forbes
Bankruptcy will force lots of changes on the automaker, putting bureaucrats in the driver's seat.
NEW YORK (Fortune) -- With General Motors poised to enter Chapter 11 reorganization, the question arises: What will the bankrupt company look like and how will it be different?
The answer to the second part is "a lot." The answer to the first is nobody knows for sure, but it may not be pretty.
COMMENTARIES, OPINIONS, AND EDITORIALS
A military answer to North Korea? Not likely. -- Christian Science Monitor
North Korea and Diplomacy -- Wall Street Journal opinion
Loose cannon gives Obama a lesson -- The Australian opinion
Truce Or Consequences For N. Korea -- IBDeditorial
Is Aid Working in Africa? -- Real Clear World
The Disaster in Sri Lanka -- The Times editorial
Why It's So Hard to Close Gitmo -- Wall Street Journal
War against the West -- Clifford May, Washington Times
There's No Room for Partisanship on Iran -- Wall Street Journal
The Mother of All Myths (On The Middle East) -- Michael Totten, Commentary
American capitalism gone with a whimper -- Pravda
A nation up for grabs -- Thomas Henriksen, Washington Times
Who Is to Blame for the Next Attack? -- Frank Rich, New York Times
A perpetual missile crisis -- Victor Hanson, Washington Times
The Trauma of 9/11 Is No Excuse -- Richard Clarke, Washington Post
Failure of make-nice diplomacy -- Oliver North. Washington Times
World News Briefs -- May 31, 2009
A Pakistani Soldier On Patrol In The Swat Valley's Main Town Of Mingora Photo: EPA
Pakistan Makes Progress In Battle To Defeat Taliban In Swat Valley -- The Telegraph
Pakistan heralded a decisive victory over the Taliban in the Swat valley within days as the army announced it had taken control of the main town of Mingora.
A senior government official said the offensive to wrest control of Swat from the Taliban would end in two or three days but a military spokesman warned the challenge of securing the area from Taliban infiltration would last for a time.
Shootout between Palestinian police, Hamas kills 6.
Israel begins its biggest civil defense drill.
Three hanged for mosque bombing in Iran.
Freed journalist Roxana Saberi tells of fearful jail time in Iran.
Hizbullah raises alert ahead of drill.
Egypt: Iran less important than peace process.
Pakistan city centre 'destroyed'.
Web-savvy & cynical: China's youth since Tiananmen.
Sri Lanka rules out outside probe. U.N. is pressed to report Sri Lanka toll.
Burmese activist's health is a concern.
Pakistani on US list of drug barons.
China's contribution to UN Peacekeeping grows.
Darfuri women report ominous pattern of rape.
Zimbabwe PM party says central bank chief must go.
African leaders want transparent Mauritania vote.
IMF approves $200 million loan for Kenya.
Sudan buries ex-president who imposed Islamic rule.
UN team meets Chad child soldiers.
Police detain would-be anti-Putin protesters.
Paris gunman makes off with millions in jewels.
Rebel Georgian region holds election, tension builds.
Last Titanic survivor dies at 97.
Chávez seeks tighter grip on military.
Venezuela's Chavez shifts gears in leftist revolution.
Missile buildup has U.S. on edge.
What you'll need to satisfy new U.S. identification requirements.
Mexico drug traffickers corrupt politics.
Cuba accepts US migration talks.
Homeland Security to scan fingerprints of travelers exiting the US.
Italian Minister says EU should decide unanimously on Gitmo inmates.
Australia considers resettling Gitmo detainees.
Terrorist flees to Lebanon, FBI confirms.
ECONOMIC/FINANCIAL CRISIS
World Bank President Zoellick warns stimulus 'sugar high' won't stem unemployment.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner's China trip comes at difficult time.
Leaders Live In Luxury While North Koreans Starve To Pay For Nuclear Bomb
North Korea Uncovered pin point Kim Jong Il's manicured residence and swimming pool in an area reserved for North Korea's ruling elite
Satellite images of North Korea have revealed the luxury lifestyle of dictator Kim Jong Il and his inner circle, replete with palaces, golf courses and swimming pools with giant waterslides.
They appear to show that the country's secretive elite, who sparked a fresh nuclear crisis last week by test firing an atomic device, live in circumstances more appropriate to residents of Beverley Hills than leaders of the world's last Stalinist state.
The privileges of Pyongyang's select few are unheard of for most ordinary citizens in North Korea, whose government's disastrous economic polices have left millions reliant on foriegn food aid handouts.
My Comment: Saddam Hussein had the same deal going .... but many in the West opposed the invasion that had him over thrown. In fact .... Saddam Hussein's palaces were many and bigger.
Labels: north korea
Amateurs Use Google Earth To Uncover Kim's Sinister Secrets
Camp 16: Fences and boundaries match accounts by escaped prisoners
FOR all the billions of dollars worth of surveillance technology directed at North Korea as it breathes fire this weekend, its closed society is so impervious to spying that diplomats in Asia are forced to admit that they might as well rely on Google Earth.
A set of images - "North Korea Uncovered", released by Curtis Melvin, a keen American amateur - includes a tantalising view of the site where the North Koreans detonated a nuclear device last week that diplomatic sources say may have been based on a Chinese design.
Melvin's satellite map of the country, collated from Google Earth, reveals palaces, labour camps, mass graves and the entrance to the subterranean test base in the remote northeast of the country.
My Comment: Kudos to those who work tirelessly to reveal the truth.
Labels: google earth, north korea
U.S. Vows To Keep Using 'State Secrets' Defense
From CNN:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Obama administration has informed a federal judge it will continue to invoke the "state secrets" privilege in a legal battle with an Islamic charity suspected of funding terrorism.
The United States has designated the Oregon-based al-Haramain Islamic Foundation as a terrorist organization. The group, which has sued the government over alleged warrantless wiretapping, is demanding classified information about the program.
My Comment: Goodbye to the old boss .... hello to the new boss.
Labels: state secret defense
Predator Drones Could Face Legal Challenges From Human Rights Advocates
Photo from The New Republic
Human rights activists are turning their attention to the drone program in part because they say there's no warning to innocent civilians who are in a targeted area.
Human rights activists at odds with President Obama over his recent national security decisions are indicating that they might legally challenge the U.S. military's use of Predator drones, a weapon that intelligence officials say is their single most effective tool in combating Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Predator spy planes are unmanned aerial vehicles that are virtually invisible when flying overhead. The Air Force uses them frequently in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where they are able to track and hit targets from the air when mountainous terrain makes it notoriously hard to send troops.
My Comment: This legal attempt will go nowhere with the exception of creating publicity .... which is probably the main reason for doing this.
Labels: uav operations
A Korean Invasion Blindsides The U.S. Army -- But In A Good Way
A Korean man signing up at an Army recruitment office in Los Angeles.
Miriam Jordan/The Wall Street Journal
Immigrants From Peninsula Swamp Program Offering Citizenship; Other Groups Squeezed
LOS ANGELES -- Suk Joon Lee, a South Korean immigrant, feared his days in the U.S. were numbered. His ice-cream shop wasn't doing well, and if it failed, his investor visa could be revoked.
Then Mr. Lee stumbled upon a Korean-language Web site that described a way out: a program that the Army was about to launch that offered a shortcut to getting U.S. citizenship. The site was created by another Korean immigrant, James Hwang, and it explained in minute detail the steps required to qualify.
My Comment: From my own personal experience (my parents are immigrants from Russia) .... I have found that many immigrants are more loyal and dedicated to their adopted country than citizens who are fifth, sixth etc. generations. This program will (and is) a success story, and this does not surprised me at all.
Man Who Tracked Che For CIA Awarded $1 Billion In Lawsuit
From McClatchy News:
MIAMI — In what may be the largest civil judgment ever against the Cuban government, a Miami-Dade judge on Friday awarded more than $1 billion to a Homestead man who blamed Fidel Castro and Ernesto ''Che'' Guevara for driving his father to suicide in 1959.
''What the defendants did was torture this family and tear it apart,'' said Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Peter Adrien in ruling for Gustavo Villoldo, 73, who ironically became a CIA operative and helped track down Guevara in the jungles of Bolivia in 1967.
In keeping with its practice in a handful of similar lawsuits, the Cuban government did not respond to the suit or attempt to defend itself.
My Comment: Liabilities and court judgments against the Cuban Government runs into the billions. Until the Cuban Government can come to terms with these legal judgements .... open and free economic trade with the U.S. will never be possible.
Labels: u.s. cuba relations
Likely Hizbollah Electoral Victory In Lebanon Raises Prospect Of New Tensions With Israel
Lebanese Hizbollah women with the national and Hizbollah flags draped about their shoulders walk in Beirut's southern suburbs Photo: REUTERS
From The Telegraph:
Hizbollah, the heavily armed militant group supported by Iran, is poised to lead a coalition to victory in Lebanon's parliamentary elections next week.
The party could come to power thanks to its unlikely alliance with Michel Aoun, a leader of Lebanon's Christian minority, whose followers have joined forces with the hardline Shia Muslim party after falling out with fellow Christians.
Mr Aoun's party is expected to secure around 30 seats, while Hezbollah, which is allied with the Amal party, another hardline Shia faction, is expected to retain its current holding of 35 seats. With around 65 seats between them, the alliance would have a slender majority in the 124 seat parliament.
My Comment: Hexbollah's control of the Lebanese Government will guarantee war with Israel within the next year or two. Their victory will also guarantee the end of the Cedar Revolution as we know it.
Labels: lebanon
North Korea News Updates -- May 31, 2009
A missile-firing drill in an undisclosed location in North Korea.
Photograph: KCNA/KCNA/AFP/Getty Images
Gates, Allies Discuss Response to North Korea -- Wall Street Journal
SINGAPORE -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates Saturday began to lay the groundwork for building up U.S. and allied military defenses in East Asia should the Obama administration fail to convince China and Russia to join in a multilateral diplomatic response to North Korea's nuclear test.
In closed-door meetings with the defense ministers of U.S. treaty allies Japan and South Korea -- and a separate half-hour discussion with a senior Chinese general -- Mr. Gates said the U.S. preferred for the five countries that have engaged Pyongyang in talks on its nuclear program to present a unified front to punish North Korea.
More News On The North Korean Crisis
Gates Looks to Tougher Approach on North Korea -- New York Times
U.S., Asian allies gear up for tougher stance toward N. Korea -- L.A. Times
Gates Issues Tough Warning to N. Korea -- Washington Times.
Gates: 'Painful' Sanctions May Be Required Against North Korea -- Voice of America.
Gates Calls North Korea's Actions 'Reckless, Ultimately Self-destructive' -- American Forces Press Service
North Korea planning to launch long range rocket -- Times Online
N. Korea Seen Moving Missile to Launchpad -- Washington Post
US May Shoot Down NK Missile -- Korea Times
Pentagon Official: U.S. Could Shoot Down North Korean Missiles -- FOX News
A look at North Korea's missile arsenal -- AP
Nuclear-armed North Korea is 'not acceptable', warns US -- The Guardian
N.Korea threat hangs over S.Korea, ASEAN summit -- AFP
Dealing with North Korea by Ralph A. Cossa -- Global Security
Understanding China's Approach to North Korea -- Huffington Post
US journalists' trial begins in NKorea this week -- Yahoo News/AP
Nigeria's Unrest In The Oil Rich Delta Region Continues
Fighters with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) raise their rifles in celebration after an operation against the Nigerian army in the Niger Delta on September 17, 2008. "Our target is to crimple the oil installations in order to force the government to a round table to solve the problem once and for all". Photo: AFP
Nigerian Militant Group Rejects President's Amnesty Offer -- The Wall Street Journal
IBADAN, Nigeria (Dow Jones)--Militants in the Niger Delta region Friday rejected Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua's renewed offer of amnesty to those who lay down their arms.
Yar'Adua renewed the offer, which he first made last month, in an address to commemorate a decade of democracy in Nigeria on Friday.
"The recently renewed amnesty offer by the Nigerian government has been hereby rejected by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta because it is ambiguous, dictatorial, and has not been tested in a test tube," the militants said in a statement.
More News On Nigeira
Nigerian army out of control -- Next
Official: 7 militants killed in Nigeria clashes -- Taiwan News/AP
Niger Delta offensive intensifies -- Next
Niger Delta Militant Chief Threatens Restarting Oil Attacks -- Easy Bourse
Labels: nigeria
Pakistan Civil War News Updates -- May 31, 2009
Taliban rebels in Pakistan are taking their war to the cities, honing terror tactics to maximise civilian carnage after suffering heavy losses in a blistering military offensive, analysts say. — AFP/File Photo
Pakistan: Corpses Lie Exposed In Retaken Swat Town -- Yahoo News/AP
MINGORA, Pakistan – Corpses lay exposed in the Swat Valley's main town on Sunday, and residents rushed to mostly empty markets in search of food a day after the military claimed to have retaken the city from the Taliban.
Elsewhere in the northwest, officials said scores of militants were killed in fighting with soldiers that could signal Pakistan is expanding the offensive from Swat into other parts of the northwestern border region with Afghanistan.
More News On Pakistan's Civil War
Pakistan: 2-3 Days From Victory in Swat, Buner -- Voice of America
Pakistan battles Taliban; Swat offensive "near end" -- Reuters
Pakistan Army Claims Control of Main Swat Town -- New York Times
Pakistani Forces Reclaim Swat Valley's Largest City -- Washington Post
Pakistan troops say kill 40 Taliban near Afghan border -- Reuters
Pakistani offensive shifts towards Afghan border -- Radio Netherlands
Pakistan diary: Hit and run tactics -- Al Jazeera
Taliban take war to Pakistan cities -- Dawn
Terror Attacks, Threats Put Pakistanis Cities on High Alert -- Voice of America
Pakistani cities are new battleground for Taliban -- Mercury news
3.4 million displaced by Pakistan fighting -- UPI
Pakistani Refugees Wait Out Swat Valley Conflict -- Washington Post
Taliban recruits teenagers for future suicide bombers: Report -- Economic Times
Facebook Pakistanis unite against terror -- Times Online
INTERVIEW - Pakistan says confident nuclear assets safe -- Reuters
Gates Calls on Asian Partners for Help in Afghanistan -- U.S. Department of Defense
Labels: pakistan
AH64-D Apache Longbow during flight testing at Boeing testing ground.
DOD photo by : MSGT LANCE CHEUNG, USAF
From World Tribune:
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has blocked Israel's request for advanced U.S.-origin attack helicopters.
Government sources said the administration has held up Israel's request for the AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter. The sources said the request was undergoing an interagency review to determine whether additional Longbow helicopters would threaten Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
"During the recent war, Israel made considerable use of the Longbow, and there were high civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip," a source close to the administration said.
My Comment: I guess last weeks meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was not as great as advertised.
Labels: u.s. israel relations
Camp Lejeune Vets Suffer From Drinking Water Contamination
A sign at Camp Lejeune, N.C., warns about treatment of the underground plume
of TCE, or trichloroethylene, on the base.
From St. Petersburg Times:
The last years of Marine Corps veteran Ian Colin MacPherson's life were spent fending off one puzzling ailment after another.
Rashes. Headaches. Vertigo. Nausea. And finally, the abnormally aggressive prostate cancer that killed the Riverview man at age 46 in 2004.
MacPherson always figured he must have been poisoned. But by whom?
His widow, Jody MacPherson, believes she found the culprit last year: MacPherson's beloved Marine Corps.
"They killed him," she said.
Camp Lejeune, a sprawling Marine base on the North Carolina seaboard, is the site of what some scientists call the worst public drinking-water contamination in the nation's history. Its water wells were tainted with cancer-causing industrial compounds for 30 years, ending in 1987.
My Comment: I must confess that this is the first time I have heard of this story. It deserves more coverage and commentary.
Labels: u.s. military health
Cirsis On The Korean Peninsula -- Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials
North Korea's Nuclear Tests: A Sign Of Things To Come? -- RUSI
North Korea's most recent nuclear testing has provoked international outrage, but the challenges here come with a foreboding of an 'American strategic disaster' further afield.
North Korea's latest nuclear test has been met with a wave of international outrage, UN Security Council emergency meetings and a flurry of political consultations. And, just as predictably, the ultimate result was not very encouraging: a new UN Security Council resolution, a few statements warning that what North Korea has done is 'unacceptable', yet little action. Nevertheless, behind all this diplomatic noise lurk some horrible realities. The entire system of deterrence which governed relations between nuclear powers for over half a century appears to be melting down. The proliferation of nuclear weapons is now an established fact; what North Korea has done is precisely what Iran is seeking to achieve as well. But nobody has a workable policy to prevent these ominous developments. In short, the world's nuclear future is now set to become predictably unpredictable.
More Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials On North Korea
Is Kim Chong-Il losing his nerves in North Korea's gigantic nuclear bluff? -- Defpro
North Korea Provokes with Impunity -- Mark Steyn, OC Register
What Can Be Done About North Korea? -- John Metzler, China Post
America's North Korean Military Options -- Todd Crowell, RealClearWorld
Force Alone Won't Solve Korean Crisis -- Donald Kirk, Los Angeles Times
North Korea and Diplomacy -- Wall Street Journal editorial
Pyongyang Strutting -- Japan Times editorial
Labels: commentary -- north korea
US Lab Debuts Super Laser
A US weapons lab pulled back the curtain on a
super laser with the power to burn as hot as a star
From AFP:
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) — A US weapons lab on Friday pulled back the curtain on a super laser with the power to burn as hot as a star.
The National Ignition Facility's main purpose is to serve as a tool for gauging the reliability and safety of the US nuclear weapons arsenal but scientists say it could deliver breakthroughs in safe fusion power.
"We have invented the world's largest laser system," actor-turned-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said during a dedication ceremony attended by thousands including state and national officials.
"We can create the stars right here on earth. And I can see already my friends in Hollywood being very upset that their stuff that they show on the big screen is obsolete. We have the real stuff right here."
NIF is touted as the world's highest-energy laser system. It is located inside the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory about an hour's drive from San Francisco.
Labels: lasers
The Kilcullen Doctrine
From Zen Pundit:
Dr. John Nagl, president of CNAS, lead author of The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual, retired lieutenant colonel and top COIN expert, has penned an important review of Accidental Guerrilla by Col. David Kilcullen, in the prestigious British journal RUSI. Unfortunately, at present no link is is available, but my co-author Lexington Green is a subscriber and sent me a copy of the review, which I read last night. I now look forward to reading Kilcullen firsthand and have put Accidental Guerrilla near the top of my summer reading List.
I state that Nagl's review is important because beyond the descriptive element that is inherent in a review, there is a substantive aspect that amounts to an effective act of policy advocacy. First, an example of Nagl's descriptions of Kilcullen's arguments:
My Comment: An excellent essay and post by Zen Pundit. The Strongest Tribe by Bing West is my favorite book .... but the Accidental Guerrilla appears to be another must read book for me this summer.
Labels: David Kilcullen
To Marines, Day At Beach Means Seizing It
From Sign On San Diego:
Cpl. Andrew Mustain joined the Marine Corps a few years ago, drawn partly by its storied heritage of storming beaches and the chance to drive a large vehicle in and out of water.
The Marines' expertise with amphibious landings has been memorialized in movies, posters and recruiting commercials. It's arguably the Corps' defining image – a Leatherneck rushing the shores of Iwo Jima, Japan; Inchon, Korea; and other foreign locales.
That's what Mustain, 21, is learning to do at Red Beach, a mile-long stretch of sand in the middle of Camp Pendleton's coastal training zone. The parcel is one of the most uncluttered yet heavily used oceanfront tracts in Southern California.
My Comment: That part of Southern California typifies the beauty of Southern California. Sigh .... I wish I was there now.
Labels: u.s. marines
Russian Fighter Jets Worse Than Those Of USA And Europe?
Indian Il-78MKI gassing two Su-30MKIs (IAF)
From Pravda:
The failure of the deal to sell Russian IL-78 fuel tankers to India once again raised the issue of the competitive ability decrease of Russian arms and military technique on the world market. Russia's "Оboronka" (the defense industry) is facing yet harder problems in handling export contracts and servicing clients of earlier transactions. "It is impossible to improve the situation", our expert concludes.
According to Russian and foreign media sources, India refused to buy Russian Il-78 fuel tanker aircraft. Indian officials motivated this decision with the non-conformity of planes to the customer's requisitions. The spare parts supply and the after-sales service were also mentioned.
My Comment: The Russian arms industry is selling weapons and fighters worldwide at a brisk rate.... but it appears that with India cost over-runs and delays is hurting Russia's international image.
Labels: Russian aircraft
Robert Gates: The Bureaucrat Unbound
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates greets U.S. military service personnel at Kabul airport following his visit to Forward Operating Base Airborne on May 8, 2009 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Gates is in Afghanistan ahead of the 21,000 increase in U.S. troops in the country. (Photo by Jason Reed-Pool/Getty Images) Katie Couric;Robert Gates. (Photo by Pool/Getty Images AsiaPac)
From Time Magazine:
A few weeks ago, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates trooped up to Capitol Hill to answer questions about the new Pentagon budget. This is an unseemly spectacle under the best of circumstances. Even reasonable members of Congress have been known to empretzel themselves shamelessly, attempting to defend weapons the Pentagon doesn't want or need, but which provide jobs for their constituents. Usually, they win, too. It is just too difficult for a Secretary of Defense to argue against shiny new weapons systems with subcontractors in 46 states, even if they are fantastically over budget and designed to counter a missile threat that the Soviets never perfected 30 years ago.
But this is a different year, and Gates is a different sort of Defense Secretary. He warned the legislators that each decision was "zero sum." Any money that went to things he didn't want would come out of programs necessary to support the troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
My Comment: For a man who was ready and prepared to retire when President Obama was sworn into office .... Secretary of Defense Gates has been one busy man. He has even usurped the State Department on the issue of North Korea .... something that was considered inconceivable when Hillary Clinton took the post of Secretary of State.
Labels: robert gates
Taliban Target Britain On 'Orders' From Al-Qaeda
(7/7 London)
A Taliban-trained terrorist was part of a cell sent to bomb Britain as revenge for their presence in Afghanistan, it has emerged.
The terrorist informant has told prosecutors he was trained by Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Pakistan Taliban, and was planning a series of suicide attacks with 11 other men.
The informant, known as "Ahmed", told investigators the bombers were to work in pairs using a "device carried in a backpack with a third person to detonate a remote control" in order to ensure the bombers went through with their mission.
My Comment: You know that it is only a question of time before Al Qaeda is successful in conducting a major hit in the U.K.
Labels: Terrorism, u.k.
Lovelorn Iraqi Men Call On A Wartime Skill
When this young woman's family rejected a neighbor's marriage proposal, he planted a bomb in front of his own home, hoping to blame them for it. Christoph Bangert for The New York Times
BAGHDAD — It goes like this: Boy meets girl. They exchange glances and text messages, the limit of respectable courting here. Then boy asks girl's father for her hand. Dad turns him down. Boy goes to girl's house and plants a bomb out front.
The authorities call it a "love I.E.D.," or improvised explosive device, and it is not just an isolated case. Capt. Nabil Abdul Hussein of the Iraqi national police said that six had exploded in the Dora neighborhood of Baghdad alone in the past year.
"These guys, they face any problem with their girlfriends, family, anyone, and they're making this kind of I.E.D.," Captain Hussein said.
My Comment: We do not have to go all the way to Iraq to see men act stupid and (in some cases) dangerous when it comes to relationships and families .... we have enough of them here.
Labels: Iraq
Taliban Recruits Teenage Suicide Bombers For Revenge Attacks
Video films made by the Taliban in Pakistan's troubled Swat valley show teenage boys being groomed as suicide bombers for revenge attacks against local security forces.
After the army began an operation to clear Taliban from the valley in May, fighters went from house to house demanding a boy or young man from each family, with recruits encouraged to volunteer for martyrdom missions.
Last week 24 people died and more than 300 were wounded when a suicide car bomb exploded outside a secret police headquarters in Lahore, and six policemen were killed when an attacker detonated explosives at a checkpoint in Peshawar.
My Comment: This is the true of evil .... remarkably caught on camera.
Labels: Taliban
5 Reasons Why This North Korean Crisis Is No Groundhog's Day -- Commentary And Analysis
A South Korean tourist looks at northern side through binoculars on South Korea's western Yeonpyong Island as Chinese fishing boats gather near the disputed sea border with communist North Korea, Saturday, May 30, 2009. North Korea vowed to retaliate if punitive U.N. sanctions are imposed for its latest nuclear test, and U.S. officials said there are new signs Pyongyang may be planning more long-range missile launches. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
From Foreign Policy:
North Korea's missile and nuclear tests, new threats of war against its declared enemies, and the predictable results of these developments -– expressions of concern at the UN Security Council, U.S. offers of more unconditional talks, China's ambivalent response –- suggest that we remain in the "Groundhog Day" cycle of crisis and response that has characterized U.S. policy towards Pyongyang since 1994. In fact, new dynamics on the peninsula and in the region, and the fresh opportunity provided by what can now clearly be judged to be years of failed policy on denuclearization and disarmament, present an opportunity for a creative rethink about U.S. policy options. To clarify a way forward, it's worth considering how the playing field has shifted (I see five ways that it has), and how this may create a different set of possibilities for the United States and our allies vis-à-vis the North Korean regime -– one that breaks decisively from the past and offers real hope for change.
My Comment: A good analysis .... a must read.
The Nuclear Arms Race Between Pakistan And India
A nuclear-capable missile is displayed during
National Day celebrations in Pakistan — APP photo.
Pakistan Enhances Second Strike N-Capability: US Report -- Dawn.com
WASHINGTON: Pakistan has addressed issues of survivability in a possible nuclear conflict through second strike capability, says a US congressional report.
The first part of the report, published on Friday, deals with Islamabad's efforts to develop new weapons, while the second part studies its strategy for surviving a nuclear war.
According to the report, Pakistan has built hard and deeply buried storage and launch facilities to retain a second strike capability in a nuclear war.
It also has built road-mobile missiles, air defences around strategic sites, and concealment measures.
More News On The Nuclear Arms Race Between Pakistan And India
Pakistan-India tensions spur nuclear race -- Dawn.com
Pak develops second strike capability: US report -- SIfy
Army chief expresses concern over Pak nuke arsenal -- Times Of India
India army chief calls for Pakistan nuclear cap -- Reuters
Pak has 60 nukes & counting... -- Economic Times of India
South Asia nuclear upgrades worry United States -- Daily Times
Pakistan and the Bomb -- Wall Street Journal
Labels: india pakistan relations
Courageous Exploits Of SAS May Never Be Reported
When the last British combat soldier withdrew from Iraq this week, one of the most fraught campaigns of modern British military history ended.
But for the SAS the story is very different.
As General Sir Richard Dannatt, the Chief of the General Staff, told The Times recently, the exploits of the SAS in Iraq "may stay untold for ever". But enough details have emerged to provide some insight into what the SAS achieved, and over time their achievements will fill an important chapter in the history of the regiment.
Unlike the Americans, who use the title of "special forces" to embrace thousands of troops, Britain's version, the SAS and SBS, are relatively few. Efforts to boost numbers have always been resisted to preserve their elite status.
My Comment: Fellow soldiers and their families will always know .... and that's what counts.
Labels: SAS
Venezuela's Hugo Chavez Is Putting His Military Chiefs Into Jail
President Hugo Chávez, left, in 2004 with Gen. Raúl Isaías Baduel, who is now a critic of Mr. Chávez and a prisoner. Juan Barreto/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Chávez Seeks Tighter Grip on Military -- New York Times
LOS TEQUES, Venezuela — They say prison life can be lonely, but not for Raúl Isaías Baduel, Venezuela's former army chief and once one of President Hugo Chávez's confidants, who was detained last month.
Among his cellmates in the Ramo Verde military prison here are a former admiral, Carlos Millán, and Wilfredo Barroso, a onetime general arrested along with Mr. Millán on charges of conspiring to oust Mr. Chávez.
Since February, Mr. Chávez has moved against a wide range of domestic critics, and his efforts in recent weeks to strengthen his grip on the armed forces have led to high-profile arrests and a wave of reassignments.
My Comment: Chavez's paranoia is starting to show. Like all dictators, they have trouble accepting dissent .... worse when it comes from military commanders. Expect more Venezuelan officers being arrested over forced out of the country.
Labels: Venezuela
Cyber War Games Pit Hackers Vs. Military
U.S. Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command. Wikimedia
From CBS:
Exclusive Look At Air Force Office Tasked With Stopping Criminal, Terrorist And Espionage Computer Threats 24/7.
(CBS) It may not look like a battleground, but behind the walls at the Air Force Office of Special Investigations are the front lines in the booming cyber war against hackers driven to disrupt - even destroy - vital U.S. military networks and investigators intent on protecting them.
"What we want to do is protect the way we do business, protect the Air Force, and protect our country from this kind of harm," Brigadier General Dana Simmons said.
At the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, agents identify and attempt to neutralize criminal, terrorist and espionage computer threats of every kind, reports CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian. They have 11 field offices around the world.
My Comment: These Air Force agents have a lot of work cut out for them.
Labels: cyberwar
Documentary Highlights Success Of Land Warrior System
The US Army exhibited the improved Land Warrior individual soldier combat system on Capitol Hill in Washington. (US Army photo)
From The U.S. Army:
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (Army News Service, May 27, 2009) -- "Keep Up the Fire," a new documentary produced by the Army's Program Executive Office Soldier, tells the story of the first infantry unit deployed to Iraq with the Land Warrior system.
In 2007, the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, deployed to Iraq to help bring peace to a region paralyzed by war. With them, the battalion brought a vital system called Land Warrior, the most advanced piece of infantry technology ever fielded.
My Comment: This is my first post on this remarkable piece of technology .... this tech with improved body armor and weaponry is revolutionizing how infantry works.
Labels: Land Warrior System
Aftermath Of The Sri Lankan Civil War -- News Updates For May 30, 2009
Civilians at a refugee camp outside Vavuniya, in northern Sri Lanka. The camps around this town are woefully overcrowded. David Gray/Associated Press
UN Urged To Release Sri Lankan Civilian Death Toll -- AP
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A leading human rights group has asked the United Nations to publicize its estimate of civilian deaths in the final weeks of Sri Lanka's civil war amid escalating reports over how many died.
Amnesty International said in a statement late Friday that it has received "consistent testimony" that both government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels killed thousands of civilians trapped in the war zone and called for an independent international investigation. The group did not say who had testified to the alleged abuses.
The U.N. said earlier that 7,000 civilians were killed and 16,700 wounded from Jan. 20 through May 7. However, these estimates circulated among diplomats were not released publicly.
Amnesty cited an investigation published on Friday in a British newspaper, The Times, which said some 20,000 civilians were killed in the final phase of the war. The report cited unnamed U.N. sources.
More News On the Aftermath Of The Sri Lankan Civil War
Aid Slowly Reaching Sri Lanka's War Refugees -- New York Times
Rights Group Asks UN to Speak Out on Sri Lanka 'Bloodbath' -- Voice of America
Sri Lanka's death toll much higher, groups say -- Toronto Star
Amnesty calls for probe of Sri Lanka civilian deaths -- AFP
Calls mount for Sri Lanka probe -- BBC
Sri Lanka toll 'may never be known' -- Al Jazeera
Sri Lanka Disputes Report of 20,000 Dead -- New York Times
Killing Rajiv was LTTE's biggest mistake: Rajapaksa -- Press Trust of India
Sri Lanka Stirs an Economy Racked by War -- Wall Street Journal
Labels: sri lanka
Afghanistan War News Updates -- May 30, 2009
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates talks to soldiers deployed to Field Operating Base Ramrod, Afghanistan, during a recent trip to southwest Asia, May 7, 2009. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison
56 Die In Afghan Violence; Bomb Targets Afghan Gov -- Yahoo News/AP
KABUL – A battle in a militant-controlled region of western Afghanistan killed 30 insurgents and nine Afghan soldiers, while a roadside bomb in the country's north wounded an Afghan governor, officials said Saturday.
Violence elsewhere in the country killed 17 others, part of a spate of attacks that killed 56 people over all.
The battle in Badghis province began Friday and continued into Saturday. Afghan troops supported by international forces killed 30 militants in the Bala Murghab district, a region where the Afghan government has little control. Nine Afghan soldiers died in the battle, and four "disappeared," the Ministry of Defense said. The ministry did not elaborate.
More News On The Afghan War
34 insurgents killed in eastern Afghanistan -- AP
Four killed, Afghan governor wounded in blasts -- Yahoo News/AFP
Militants Killed, Governor Wounded in Afghan Violence -- Voice of America
6 Afghan Troops, 18 Taliban Killed In Battle -Official -- Wall Street Journal
FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan, May 30 -- Reuters
SAS take on Taleban in Afghanistan after defeating al-Qaeda in Iraq -- Times Online
Constant mistaken killings tarnishing future of U.S.-led int'l troops in Afghanistan -- China View
U.S.: Taliban 'very clearly' target of raid -- Washington Times
Petraeus: Video Shows Air Strikes Aimed at Taliban Targets -- U.S. Department of Defense
U.S. seeks pact on joint probes of Afghan deaths -- Stars And Stripes
DEFENCE officials have cleared Australian troops of killing Afghan civilians -- The Australian
NATO moves to counter Taliban propaganda machine -- Canada.com
Author Claims Taliban Funds South Asia Fighting with Poppy Cultivation -- Voice of America
U.S. urges more foreign aid for Afghanistan -- Washington Post
US urges Europe, China to step up Afghan help -- AP
Afghan women fight on -- Philadelphia Inquirer
US military deaths in Afghanistan region at 618 -- AP
Azerbaijan Seen As New Front In Mideast Conflict
(Click the Map to Enlarge: Image from Global Security)
From The L.A. Times:
Officials say they foiled a plot by Hezbollah and Iran to bomb the Israeli Embassy in revenge for the 2008 slaying of Imad Mughniyah. Anti-terrorism officials fear a new militant hub.
Reporting from Paris -- It happened in Baku, transforming the capital of Azerbaijan into a battleground in a global shadow war.
Police intercepted a fleeing car and captured two suspected Hezbollah militants from Lebanon. The car contained explosives, binoculars, cameras, pistols with silencers and reconnaissance photos. Raiding alleged safe houses, police foiled what authorities say was a plot to blow up the Israeli Embassy in Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic that borders Iran.
My Comment: Azerbaijan is important to Iran .... but Iran cannot get directly involved in this "new front". Enter Hezbollah .... Iran's front man for black ops.
Labels: Azerbaijan
The Crisis On The Korean Peninsula -- News Updates For May 30, 2009
South Korean soldiers on a drill Friday in the border town of Paju. North Korea warned this week of possible military action after the South said it is joining a U.S.-led initiative to stop trade in weapons of mass destruction. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
U.S. Warns North Korea Against Nuclear Activity -- Wall Street Journal
Defense Secretary's Tough Talk, Following Another Missile Test, Signals Washington May Be Rethinking Pyongyang Policy
SINGAPORE -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued North Korea the sternest warning from Washington since Monday's test of a nuclear weapon, saying the U.S. "will not stand idly by" as Pyongyang develops nuclear and missile technologies that could threaten America and its allies in the region.
The warning came in a Saturday-morning address Mr. Gates delivered to an annual gathering of Asian defense officials here. "President Obama has offered an open hand to tyrannies that unclench their fists; he is hopeful but he is not naive," Mr. Gates said. "North Korea's latest reply to our overtures isn't exactly something we would characterize as helpful or constructive."
More News On The Crisis On the Korean Peninsula
Gates draws the line on North Korea's nuclear program: No proliferation -- L.A. Times
Gates: Tougher sanctions against NKorea needed -- Yahoo News/AP
North Korea Is Warned by Gates on Testing -- New York Times
Official: New signs of NKorea missile preparations -- AP
US warns N.Korea amid reports of rocket test -- AFP
Official: Signs NKorea prepping long-range missile -- Yahoo News/AP
N. Korea seen preparing for new ICBM test -- UPI
Officials: NKorea may plan long-range missile test -- Breitbart/AP
North Korea 'may' launch new long-range missiles -- Press TV
N. Korea Fires Sixth Missile in a Week -- Washington Post
North Korea's next move: long-range missile tests? -- Christian Science Monitor
N.Korea fires short-range missile; may take more action -- Alertnet
U.S. 'Likely' Could Intercept North Korean Missile -- Bloomberg
UK military aid Korean nuclear investigation -- Times Online
U.S., Japan, S Korea reaffirm position on DPRK's nuclear issue -- China View
Analysis: NKorea nuke test won't break China ties -- Yahoo News/AP
Nuclear N.Korea won't change Japan defense: minister -- Reuters


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Home>Companies and Products>REITs
Self-Storage REIT National Storage Affiliates Trust Buys Xpress Storage in Parrish, FL
National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSAT), a Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in self-storage, has acquired Xpress Storage in Parrish, Fla., for $4.2 million. The 39,240-square-foot facility was built three years ago and was owned by Sarasota, Fla.-based Hide-Away Storage Services Inc., according to the source. Hide-Away signed an agreement in February to become NSAT's seventh participating regional operator.
Under terms of the regional-operator agreement, Hide-Away is contributing 14 of its 16 properties to the REIT's portfolio. The Xpress transaction appears to be for one of the two remaining Hide-Away assets. The operator had indicated it would continue to acquire and develop self-storage assets in the region to add to the NSAT pipeline, according to a previous press release.
Hide-Away was founded in 1977 by Stephen A. Wilson, who has served as its president for more than 35 years. The company operates 16 self-storage properties in Florida under the Hide-Away Storage and Xpress Storage brands.
Headquartered in Greenwood, Colo., NSAT is a self-administered and -managed REIT focused on the acquisition, operation and ownership of self-storage properties within the top 100 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas throughout the United States. The company has 307 self-storage facilities in 18 states comprising approximately 18 million net rentable square feet. It's owned by its affiliate operators, who are contributing their interests in their self-storage assets over the next few years as their current mortgage debt matures.
Bradenton Herald: Storage Investor Buys Parrish Facility
TAGS: Investing and Real Estate Companies and Products News
Extended California Price-Gouging Protections Could Affect Self-Storage, Other Services
ISS News Desk: California Court Case Raises Questions About Self-Storage Rate Increases in a Crisis
SmartStop Self Storage REIT Reports Third-Quarter 2019 Financial Results

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Fertilizer & Commodity Chemicals Company Business Plan
Fertilizer & Commodity Chemicals Company
Photo by: Florian Villesèche
AGRONIX ORGANICS, INC.
1666 West 75th Avenue, 2nd Floor
Vancouver, British Columbia V6P 6G2
Agronix Organics, Inc., plans on becoming a leading biotechnology firm, licensing technology for the conversion of common agricultural residue into environmentally friendly, bio-stabilized organic fertilizers and soil-enhancers, plus a host of related products. This plan, created by Concord Business Development, Inc., of Vancouver, raised $1.7 million for the company.
Industry and Sector: Biotechnology/Fertilizers, Commodity Chemicals
Agronix Organics, Inc., will be a leading biotechnology firm, licensing technology for the conversion of common agricultural residue into environmentally friendly, bio-stabilized organic fertilizers and soil-enhancers, and a range of commodity chemicals produced on-demand, including ethanol for alternative fuel use. First to market with technology that offers significant advances over existing commercial methods and which uses only naturally occurring microbes during the enclosed channel bioconversion process, the company will work on a global, regional, national, and multinational basis in licensing the technology and in ongoing equity participation with licensees.
Singular Features
Fully bio-converted organic fertilizers and other products that meet or exceed criteria in current and proposed legislation; turnkey commercial-scale operations; rapid product turn-around time. Flexible, economically viable, on-demand production of chemicals to meet market requirements. Use of only naturally occurring (not genetically modified) microbes. Heavy metal contaminants changed from water-soluble to water-insoluble form.
Technology transfer licensing program for qualified investors in North America and Europe, followed by Asia and South America.
Agronix Organics, Inc., is currently seeking US$5 million from both private and public sources to implement its global strategy.
Research and development costs; formulation and calibration plant, product development, and general and administrative costs; marketing of the company's Technology Transfer Licensing program.
Management Projections
By the end of Year 1, the company expects revenues to be US$0.76 million; US$7.80 million by the end of Year 2; and US$34.12 million by the end of Year 3.
Vision: Completing the Cycle
The problems associated with organic waste—such as animal manures, crop residues, and industrial waste—are not new. However, recent events, such as at Walkerton, Ontario, where seven people died from water contaminated by animal manure leachates, have raised many concerns about the approach Canada, the United States, and other industrial countries have chosen to deal with organic waste.
To make a significant contribution to resolving environmental pollution associated with organic waste, it is necessary to understand how Nature works. Any long-term viable solution has to be determined in accordance with how naturally produced matter is recycled through extremely small steps into essential compounds such as CO 2 , H 2 O, and minerals. For example, the production of plant constituents through photosynthesis is the result of several hundred minute steps, each requiring very small amounts of energy. Dead leaves on the ground are used in part by soil fauna to produce soil fauna biomass, and the least biodegradable materials are released for additional biological and chemical transformations by soil microorganisms, exoenzymes, and chemical reactions. Eventually, they are further decomposed by soil enzymes and soil microbes into more bio-resistant soil organic matter. At all of these steps, some components of the starting material are transformed into CO 2 and H 2 O, but most are transformed into compounds that are more resistant to biodegradation.
It is also important to realize that the process takes time—simply adding raw agricultural residue to the soil makes it more depleted in organic matter than it was at the time the residue was incorporated. Any "artificial" process used to speed this up must increase the beneficial uses while retarding as much as possible the production of water-soluble materials or gases that contribute to air and water pollution. As well, until now, technology for the production of energy or chemicals from organic material has usually used anaerobic digestion to produce methane or fermentation to produce ethanol—and both processes have a negative impact on the environment by releasing carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur-based gases into the atmosphere and by significantly increasing the water solubility of residual organic and inorganic matter.
On the other hand, the company's technology for fully optimized bioconversion of organic residues into fully bio-stabilized organic matter follows Nature's path in producing a variety of components based on the chemical composition and biological and chemical reactivity of the source material. In this process, the amount of water-soluble organic and inorganic matter is reduced and the production of CO 2 and H 2 O is limited.
The company's technology consists of two technical processes that can be operated independently or in conjunction with one another. Sources of material include agricultural residue, raw livestock manures, and other organic residues (olive sludge, brewers residue, etc.). Using these technologies and working with the company's strategic partners, Agronix Organics, Inc., will develop turnkey agricultural residue processing plants for licensing to investors with the option of equity investment.
Bio-Conversion Reactor (BCR) System
Ready for industry launch, this bioconversion process goes beyond what is possible with composting and produces fully sanitized and bio-stabilized organic matter suitable for use as value-added agricultural and gardening products, soil conditioners, growth substrates and enhanced, organically based fertilizers. During the process—which takes less than half the time as the closest comparative technology—no pollution or residue is produced and the end product is completely safe for the environment.
Bio-Chemical Integrated Recycling (BCIR) System
At the engineering stage (post laboratory), this environmentally friendly process has been proven to extract from bio-residue more than 65 chemical commodities suitable for sale to industry, including ethanol as a fuel additive or alternative. Other products include: polymers, surfactants, lubricants, alternative fuels, de-icers, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, and agro-chemical product ingredients.
Agronix Organics, Inc., will deploy its BCR technology into the North American and European market first, closely followed by its BCIR technology (in the final phases of testing). Marketing will then continue into China, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. To take advantage of the multinational and multi-industry applications of the two technologies, the company is in the process of developing a three-part, highly flexible Technology Transfer and Licensing Structure that includes the following:
Technology Transfer Region Agreements
Based nationally or within economic communities (such as Western Europe), these agreements will take the form of either a License or Joint Venture between Agronix Organics, Inc., and one or more companies or government agencies. Any agreements would center on the ability of the candidate(s) to quickly establish the program within the region defined, taking into account the impact that cultural, regulatory, and language implications would have on the market entry process. Production and sales would be organized independently within each region. Agreements would include both processes, the Bio-Conversion Reactor (BCR) System and Bio-Chemical Integrated Recycling (BCIR) System.
Regions will be established based on strategic partnerships, organic residue availability, and the quality and efficiencies of processing the residues into value-added products for the specific region.
Sales and Distribution Territory Agreements
As the company's BCR and BCIR Systems generally serve different markets, they will have separate Sales and Distribution Territory licenses, although the same group may subscribe to both. For the BCR System, the Sales and Distribution Territory Agreements will follow natural boundaries (based on what crops are grown and the weather) rather than political ones, allowing Agronix Organics, Inc., and its regional Technology Transfer Licensee to tie into many existing marketing networks and channels of distribution. An example is the Pacific Northwest of North America. An estimated US$1 to US$2 million is required for a Sales and Distribution Territory; likely companies are established industry sector distributors or marketing organizations.
Production Area Licenses
Within each Sales and Distribution Territory there may be several Production Area License Plants with either or both BCR or BCIR operating licenses. Each license will be tied to a pre-established organic residue collection area that will supply the raw material required for that plant and the dedicated products it will produce.
An estimated US$7 million will be required for a Production Area License; likely investors will be large food processors and co-ventures by groups of livestock farmers. Government funding programs may be available for some ventures. Usually covered under a Technology Transfer Region Agreement, Production Area Licenses may precede such agreements.
BCR System
The company's initial per region target segments include licensing to companies producing end products for:
Commercial farmers, including certified and non-certified organic farmers.
Nurseries and greenhouses, including those serving the organic farming market.
Lawn maintenance companies.
Parks and municipalities.
Golf courses.
Lawn and garden retail suppliers and home gardeners.
Competition in these areas comes from other non-chemical fertilizers and soil-enhancers and chemical fertilizers. Depending on local and national regulations and the source material used, the end product may be able to be labeled as "organic," a positive factor for marketing to organic farmers and some home gardeners (both in direct purchases and as a selling factor in choosing gardening services).
BCIR System
As the company's BCIR System is an "on-demand" method of producing chemical commodities, chemicals to be produced can be matched closely to market demand. Due to anti-pollution legislation and alternative fuel source initiatives and tax breaks introduced by most developed countries, the company expects that ethanol will be a popular end product for companies licensing the BCIR System.
The ultimate success of Agronix Organics's technology and the commercial end products of that technology are subject to trends in several overlapping market categories:
Availability and uses for the agricultural wastes that provide the source raw material for the company's BCR and BCIR Systems. A 1998 report estimates that Minnesota alone produces 13.6 million dry tons of agricultural waste annually, mostly corn stover. This type of production is due to the tendency towards fewer and larger, more specialized farms, which are unable to recycle their own waste. From the National Agricultural Statistics Service (United States): "There were over 2.17 million U.S. farms in 2000, down 0.9 percent from 1999. The average farm size increased to 434 acres. Farms with annual sales of over $100,000 accounted for 16.1 percent of all farms and for 56.1 percent of land in farms, averaging 1,516 acres."
Fertilizers and other soil enhancers for agricultural and home and garden use, including chemical-based and composted products. In the United States, fertilizer purchases amount to about 6 percent of total farm production costs. In 1997, U.S. farmers spent $10.9 billion on chemical fertilizers, up 18 percent over 1994. The increase was due to increased fertilizer prices, increased planted acres, and increased application rates for corn over 1994. Chemical fertilizers are facing increasingly stringent government controls due to the pollution they can cause and that they don't restore the soil as organically based fertilizer can.
Global growth in organic farming as a market for BCR System products. International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the international umbrella organization of organic agriculture organizations, has around 750 member organizations and institutions in 104 countries...their February 2001 survey stated that about 15.8 million hectares are managed organically worldwide with the largest being in Australia at 7.6 million hectares. Consumer demand is increasing, making organic agriculture more viable. Total retail sales should have reached almost US$20 billion in 2000.
Commodity chemicals market in general (market for end product of the BCIR System), and specifically, agricultural crops grown to produce material previously supplied by the petrochemical industry. A 1999 United States report sets the goal of at least 10 percent of basic chemical building blocks from plant-derived renewables instead of from fossil fuel sources by 2020 and 50 percent by 2050. Already ethanol production is the third largest use of U.S. corn, utilizing about 7 percent of the corn crop and adding $4.5 billion to U.S. farm income annually.
Agronix Organics, Inc., is in the process of further developing its management base and adding key marketing staff, advisors, and associates, while bringing in specialists on a contract basis to handle aspects of the development process. At this time, the company depends on members of its Board of Directors for advice and occasional operational assistance and works in concert with both the scientific contingent guided by Dr. Daniel and the equipment/facility engineering team(s) managed by Mr. Carl Genesis.
Agronix Organics has to date successfully negotiated several key strategic agreements:
Partnership agreement with BioMax Inc. of Quebec, Canada, in which BioMax has agreed to manufacture channel-composting systems on a worldwide basis, incorporating proprietary changes exclusive to Agronix Organics, Inc. Strategic partner Premier Tech will be responsible for building all of the heavy equipment for the operations; Elite Technologies Inc. will develop the process control and quality assurance software.
Agreement with DRD Consultants ("Dr. Daniel") of Ottawa, Canada, in which Agronix Organics, Inc., was able to acquire the proprietary technology developed by DRD Consultants for the treatment of organic residues.
Discussions between Agronix Organics, Inc., and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to complete the development of the formulations for the BCIR System. This preliminary Collaborative Research Agreement gives Agronix Organics, Inc., the exclusive world leadership position for this exciting technology.
Agreement with Carleton University for process engineering of the BCIR System (to build BCIR plants).
The Farm Credit Corporation ("FCC") of Canada has agreed in principle to provide 100 percent financing for the company's first commercial plant and all subsequent plants to be constructed in Canada, provided it falls within their mandate. This will be accomplished by a joint venture agreement where 50 percent will be owned by participating farmers and 50 percent by Agronix Organics, Inc.
Agronix Organics, Inc., will be first to market with technology that has significant advantages from a marketing and regulatory standpoint over existing processes for the production of organic fertilizers (and related products) and commodity chemicals from common agricultural residue. No pollution is caused by either process and there are no waste by-products; the microbes used in the company's BCR System are naturally occurring, not genetically modified; any heavy metals in the source material for the BCR System are changed from water-soluble form to water-insoluble; and last, the reagents used in the BCIR System are environmentally friendly.
Such is the growing demand for environmentally safe fertilizers and chemicals, the global marketplace will support many more companies than currently exist for both these technologies—being first to market means that Agronix Organics, Inc., will be able to establish optimal operations, both from a supply and market standpoint.
For its BCR System, Agronix Organics, Inc., faces competition from established manufacturers of organically based fertilizers and soil enhancers and manufacturers of chemical fertilizers for agriculture and home and garden use. While chemical fertilizers have a large market share, their use is facing increasingly stringent controls; as well, organically derived fertilizers are more acceptable than chemical fertilizers to a growing segment of the population.
Examined in the competitive analysis are Vivendi Environnement (USFilter/IPS) and Bedminster AB, established companies with composting operations worldwide that primarily use municipal waste in their processes, and International Bio-Recovery Corp, a Canadian start-up company. Key differentiators for the company's BCR System is the production of a fully mature bio-stabilized product (doesn't require aging) in a very short time span without any pollution or waste created and which meets or exceeds current and proposed legislation. Unlike standard composting, with the company's BCR System, heavy metals are bound in a water-insoluble form, fully protecting the environment. In addition, the company is focusing on underutilized agricultural residue as the source material, not municipal waste.
For its BCIR System, the company faces competition from companies involved in the production of chemicals from crops and crop waste (such as corn stover), as well as those producing chemicals from fossil fuels and other sources. Looked at are Power Energy Fuels Inc., Archer Daniels Midland, and Arkenol Inc., all of which produce ethanol for use as a gasoline additive or replacement. Differentiators for the company's BCIR System: no pollution or waste material is produced during the process and the company's process is not only more flexible in the types of chemicals that are produced (able to change to meet market demands), but the process itself is less expensive.
During Year 1, proceeds will be used for:
Research and development costs, including final engineering of the BCIR System.
Construction of a working formulation and calibration plant.
Implementation of the company's strategic marketing plan.
General and administrative costs.
Office and communications costs.
Building the Agronix Organics, Inc., website.
Agronix Organics, Inc., offers investors a strong exit strategy based on Technology Transfer Region sales in Europe, China, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. The company is in the process of applying for listing on the NASDAQ BB. After the first plant is built, the company will move up to NASDAQ Small Cap, and with additional plants, to Large Cap.
RCA Trading Co. (RCA Trading) was incorporated under the laws of the state of Florida on May 6, 1996. It was formed as a "blind pool" or "blank check" company for the purpose of seeking to complete a merger or business acquisition transaction. As of the end of its fiscal year ending December 31, 2000, the company had entered into an Agreement for Share Exchange ("Exchange Agreement") dated October 16, 2000, with American Waste Recovery, Inc., (AWR) a private Nevada corporation. On June 11, 2001, RCA Trading changed its name to Agronix Organics, Inc.
Presently, Agronix Organics, Inc., is a development stage biotechnology firm licensing technology for the conversion of common agricultural residue into environmentally friendly, bio-stabilized organic fertilizers and soil-enhancers, and a range of commodity chemicals on-demand, including ethanol for alternative fuel use. The company will be involved in the setup and operation of these manufacturing plants on a global basis through ongoing equity participation with licensees.
Date of Incorporation January 2000
Name of Incorporation Agronix Organics, Inc.
State of Incorporation Florida
Statement of Purpose Agronix Organics, Inc., is a biotechnology firm generating its income by regionally licensing its technology and by means of ongoing equity participation.
Principal Place of Business 1666 West 75th Avenue - 2nd Floor
www.AgronixOrganicsinc.com
E-mail sales@AgronixOrganicsinc.com
Fiscal Year End December 31
Board of Directors Peter J. Bartlett—Chairman
Brian Hofferman—President/Director
Dr. Henri Daniel—Director
Peter Desmond—Director
Corporate Attorney McCarthy Trench (Vancouver, BC)
Frascona, Joiner, Goodman and Greenstein P.C. (Boulder, CO)
Corporate Accountant Grant Thornton International (Vancouver, BC)
Sharp & Co. (Vancouver, BC)
Through hierarchal licensing agreements and equity investments, and supported by a global marketing force, Agronix Organics, Inc., will become a leading supplier of turnkey plants for the utilization of common agricultural residues and the production of organic fertilizer and soil enhancers as well as a range of commodity chemicals.
Year 1: Sales of at least one Technology Transfer Region agreement and the building of one BCR plant; processing revenues of US$235 per tonne; and general revenues of US$0.76 million and assets of US$8.6 million.
Year 2: Total of 2 Technology Transfer Region agreements, 3 BCR plants and 3 BCIR plants in operation; processing revenues of US$370 per tonne; and general revenues of US$7.8 million and assets of US$31.7 million.
Year 3: Total of 4 Technology Transfer Region agreements, 8 BCR plants and 7 BCIR plants in operation; processing revenues of US$416 per tonne; and general revenues of US$34 million and assets of US$69.8 million.
Agronix Organics, Inc., will achieve these goals through:
Aggressive marketing of licenses for the turnkey operations.
Being first to market with superior technology and maintaining that lead through continued research into bioconversion processes and provision for current licensees to benefit from any advances.
Provision of standardized quality assurance programs as conditions of the license, including proprietary operational software, centralized testing, on- and offline technical and marketing support, and comprehensive training.
Private label, branding, and co-branding initiatives.
Participation in industry associations and programs.
Active participation in government and multinational programs, including: sustainable agriculture, environmental reclamation, alternative energy, crop-based renewable resources, etc.
Establishing close and productive relationships with strategic partners.
Short-Term Goals
The key tactics to achieve these goals over the next year are to:
Establish a formulation and calibration plant in Canada for commercial testing of the BCR System, marketing, and training purposes, and the development of formal operational procedures and quality assurance programs.
Complete the process engineering and operational procedures for the BCIR System technology and build a bench test plant.
Build the company's website for marketing and technology support.
Build an enthusiastic, achievement-oriented sales and marketing team with backgrounds in biology and experience and contacts within the agricultural industry, especially in the supply chain, for value-added products for the industry.
Implement the company's strategic marketing plan within North America, including conducting market research to identify suitable locations for the company's plants based on supply of source materials, competition, and market demand for the bioconversion products.
Agronix Organics has assembled a management team with impressive industry experience and contacts. In addition the company has assembled an advisory board, which consists of leading research scientists in the biotechnology industry.
Peter J. Bartlett, Chairman, Director
Peter Bartlett is the Chairman and a Director of the company. He is a co-founder of a number of restaurant companies, including Pizza Patio and Elephant and Castle. Mr. Bartlett is involved in a number of community and charitable services, for which he was honored by the Government of Canada which conferred upon him the 125th Centennial Medal of Honor for contributions to the development of Canadian society. He was recently appointed to the presidency of Variety Club International, a worldwide charity that supports children in need. Mr. Bartlett is a resident of Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Brian Hofferman, President, CEO, Director
Brian Hofferman is the President, Chief Executive Officer, and a Director of the company. Mr. Hofferman is a founder of the company and has worked for the company since its inception. He has been an investor and developer for the past 20 years. Mr. Hofferman has a combined Economics and Commerce degree (Hons.) from Simon Fraser University and a law degree from the University of British Columbia. He is a resident of Vancouver, B.C. Canada.
Dr. Henri Daniel, Director
Dr. Henri Daniel is a director of the company. He has been a research scientist with the Research Branch of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada since 1974 and since 1990 he has been leading a study on the impact of bio-solids on soil agro-ecological functions and the development of value-added products from residual and naturally occurring organic matters. Dr. Daniel obtained a B.Sc. in 1981 from the University of Ottawa in plant biology and biochemistry; a Masters in Science in 1985 from the University of Montreal in Palynology, Paleoecology, and Pedology; and a Ph.D. in 1989 from McGill University in Soil Sciences. He is a resident of Chelsea, Quebec.
Peter Desmond, Director
Mr. Desmond is a company Director. He has extensive international business management and marketing experience in the Waste and Sewage treatment industry. He is currently Chairman of Watercare Services, a billion dollar company, and is also Chairman of four other corporations, two of which are related to the waste industry. He holds directorships in five other corporations, including a billion dollar infrastructure company. He was previously the Chairman of one of New Zealand's first composting companies and is a New Zealand "Fellow" of the Institute of Directors. He is a resident of Auckland, New Zealand.
Ron Bain, Secretary/Treasurer
Ron Bain is a founder and the Secretary/Treasurer of the company. He studied Business, Economics and Marketing at Sheridan College in Ontario and has an extensive background as a business development manager and brand manager with major multinational companies. He is also President of Offshore Seafarm Systems Inc., an advanced technology development company which produces sea pen systems for the aquaculture industry. He is a resident of Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Dr. Henri Daniel — See Directors and Officers.
Dr. Morris Schmidt
Dr. Schmidt obtained his B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. in Soil Chemistry from McGill University. At present he is the Emeritus Distinguished Research Scientist with Agriculture Canada. He is the co-author of the book Humic Substances in the Environment and the co-editor of the books Soil Organic Matter and Interaction of Soil Minerals with Natural Organics and Microbes . He has authored over 300 referred scientific papers and has received numerous awards and honors for his work in Soil Science. He is adjunct professor of Soil Science at the University of Guelph and has acted as an advisor to CIDA, Agriculture Canada, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Dr. Theodore Paris
Dr. Paris is a research scientist with the Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. He holds a M.Sc. in Agricultural Microbiology and a Ph.D. in Agronomy and Soil Fertility, both from Laval University. He is the author or co-author of 40 reports and studies on fertilizer effects and responses, plant productivity, composting, and soil management.
Carl Genesis
Mr. Genesis is the President of BioMax Inc., a company he created in 1987. He is a Professional Engineer, who received his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Laval University. Mr. Genesis has collaborated and initiated numerous composting projects in Quebec, and BioMax introduced the first in-vessel composting system in Quebec. He has been the Secretary-Treasurer of the Association Quebecoise des Industriels du Compostage (AQIC) as well as the Vice President of the Canadian Council of Canada (CCC-Quebec).
Philip Donaldson
Philip Donaldson is a chemical engineer and holds a P.Eng. along with a Bachelor of Arts. He has an extensive background in real estate development and investments through his company White Chapel Enterprises Ltd. He is a resident of Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Peter Desmond — See Directors and Officers.
Ron Bain — See Directors and Officers.
Ron Nelson is a graduate in Urban Land Economics from the University of British Columbia and is President of Ronald Nelson and Associates, a mortgage banker. Ron holds numerous designations relating to the mortgage and financing industry. He is experienced in producing financial models for plant expansion and international licensing.
SAGE (Strategic Advancement for Growth Enterprises, Inc.)
Principals Victor Long, Darcie Buzzer, and Tim Randall collectively have extensive experience in strategic resource development, pre- and post-production marketing, and e-marketing in the manufacturing and retail industries.
Strategic Alliances and Relationships
Agronix Organics, Inc., has developed key alliances with companies possessing the technological depth and industry experience necessary for rapid development of the company's agricultural residue processing plants:
BioMax Inc.
Based in Quebec, BioMax Inc. has developed a range of composting technology and services, and has recognized expertise in the development, construction, commercialization, and service of organic waste processing plants. Their most advanced system, RoboCompost III, was the starting point to which Agronix Organics, Inc., added proprietary improvements to develop the company's BCR System.
Agronix Organics, Inc., has acquired 20 percent (with the option of an additional 30 percent) of BioMax's third-generation RoboCompost technology and all improvements to that technology. BioMax will be responsible for process engineering and overseeing manufacturing of the turnkey bioconversion plants.
From a risk assessment by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (February 2001): "...BioMax's Technology is certainly the most advanced technology from an engineering perspective for the bio-conversion of organic residues. However, at this time the abiotic and biotic conditions required to fully optimize the bioconversion process is not met by the BioMax equipment. ... However, the equipment components of BioMax can easily be modified using [Agronix Organics, Inc.'s] proprietary technology without any fundamental changes. ... [and] will result in an increase of at least 20 percent in productivity for the first generation ... it could be increased by 50 to 60 percent in the second and third generation...will allow reduction of the bioconversion time from 21 days or more to 8 to 10 days...."
www.biomax.qc.ca
Premier Tech
Agronix Organics, Inc., and BioMax Inc. have contracted with Premier Tech for building all the heavy equipment required for the company's turnkey agricultural residue processing plants. Headquartered in Quebec, Premier Tech is a 75-year-old company with a multidisciplinary team of over 1,300 engineers, chemists, agronomists, technicians, plant workers, and sales and marketing specialists. With five business units, products and services include a full range of screening, sizing, and recycling equipment (through its business unit Erin Systems); development, manufacturing, and marketing of product handling, palletizing and packaging systems, custom design, and manufacture of mechanical equipment and systems; and a range of value-added agricultural/horticultural products. They sell to North American and European markets.
Premier Tech is "committed to supplying what their customers need through the ability of their business units to work as a team, delivering integrated product and services."
www.premiertech.com
Elite Technologies, Inc.
Elite Technologies is comprised of instrumentation and automation specialists, providing equipment and support software design, development, acquisition, installation, optimization, start-up, maintenance, and training services. For the company's turnkey plants, Agronix Organics, Inc., has contracted with Elite for development, installation, and optimization of the process monitoring and quality assurance software, as well as preparation of instrument data sheets and other quality assurance and training material.
Recent customers of Elite Technologies, Inc., include Merk Frost, AFG, Johnson & Johnson, JM Smucker, Noranda, Bombardier, and Grace Canada.
Agronix Organics's organizational development needs will center on the ability to meet the company's financial requirements and market coverage objectives, particularly in the short term. Much of this strength is already accounted for within the founding group, but will be augmented as developing technology license relationships are solidified and specific knowledge of regional markets is required.
Personnel will be required for:
Management and administrative functions.
Communication and coordination functions.
Process and product research and development.
Operational safety and quality assurance.
Marketing (staff and contractors).
Where top- and mid-level management and marketing capabilities are constrained by lack of direct geographic/political/industry sector experience, government implications, or language barrier limitations, the company will add the needed people though an aggressive recruitment plan. As well, the company's marketing plan, especially at the Technology Transfer Region Agreement level, is designed to allow rapid expansion into different geo-political areas.
Estimated Personnel Required
Personnel Type Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
Research and Development 4 5 5
Sales and Marketing 7 8 11
General and Administrative 8 10 10
For maximum flexibility, Agronix Organics, Inc., will use contractors for market research and for market/industry development, forming teams within each targeted area (multilingual where required). These teams would coordinate with and report to the company's marketing staff. Duties would include analysis of regulatory issues, government policies, industry, market or field science orientation, market entry challenges, the distribution process unique to each area, and preparation of contingency plans.
Agronix Organics, Inc., recognizes that ultimately, the success of individual operations is key to the success of the organization as a whole. For each Technology Transfer Region, an acceptance criterion and interrelational template will be established and refined, helping to secure only highly qualified groups. Care will be taken that all objectives coincide, equally addressing the needs of the prospective Technology Transfer Region Licensees as well as those of the much smaller Production Area Licensees and Sales and Distribution Territory Licensees.
Fertilizer & Commodity Chemicals Company Business Plan forum
Event Photography Service Food, Diet, & Nutrition Company


(℞) Prescription required. Product of Australia. Shipped from Australia. Combipatch is also marketed internationally under the name Estalis Continuous.
Take this medicine by mouth with a drink of water. You may take this medicine with food. Follow the directions on the prescription label. You will take one tablet daily at roughly the same time each day. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. A patient package insert for the product will be given with each prescription and refill. Read this sheet carefully each time. The sheet may change frequently. Talk to your pediatrician regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.
Visit your health care professional for regular checks on your progress. You should have a complete check-up every 6 months. You will need a regular breast and pelvic exam. You should also discuss the need for regular mammograms with your health care professional, and follow his or her guidelines. This medicine can make your body retain fluid, making your fingers, hands, or ankles swell. Your blood pressure can go up. Contact your doctor or health care professional if you feel you are retaining fluid. If you have any reason to think you are pregnant; stop taking this medicine at once and contact your doctor or health care professional. Tobacco smoking increases the risk of getting a blood clot or having a stroke, especially if you are more than 35 years old. You are strongly advised not to smoke. If you wear contact lenses and notice visual changes, or if the lenses begin to feel uncomfortable, consult your eye care specialist. If you are going to have elective surgery, you may need to stop taking this medicine beforehand. Consult your health care professional for advice prior to scheduling the surgery.


text:
Centene Grizzly Ridge
Grizzly Ridge is the home of two orphaned grizzly bear siblings from Montana, Huckleberry and Finley. The habitat allows guests to view the bears through 22 glass-panel windows, which offer a panoramic view into the bears' outdoor space, complete with waterfalls, a pool, and rocky bluffs.
Once the Bear Grottos
Grizzly Ridge is located on the site of the Zoo's historic bear grottos, which closed for construction in late 2015. When the grottos were built in the early 1920s, they were considered cutting-edge, and the Saint Louis Zoo was one of the first zoos in the world to replace barred cages with the open, moated enclosures. The new habitat retains three-fifths of the original rockwork, which was cast from Missouri limestone palisades. All new rock work was designed to reflect the historic look.
Animals in Grizzly Ridge
State-of-the-Art Features
Bellwether Foundation Grizzly Glade
Bellwether Foundation Grizzly Glade, a dramatic view of the pool and waterfall, backed by a rocky bluff, where visitors can watch the bears frolic both from above and below the water as they splash around and play, attempting to catch fish.
The Hermann Family Grizzly Hollow
The Hermann Family Grizzly Hollow allows visitors the opportunity to watch the bears come in and out of the water as well as explore looking for on-land enrichment opportunities.
River Bluff and Palisades Overlooks
The River Bluff and Palisades Overlooks provide varying views into the bears' expansive outdoor habitat.
Cub Crawl
Cub Crawl, a crawl-through cave where kids may see a bear nose-to-nose.
"Waiting for Sockeye" sculpture
"Waiting for Sockeye" sculpture by renowned artist Kent Ullberg personifies a grizzly bear waiting for his next meal of sockeye salmon.
Trail Shelter
The Trail Shelter resembles a three-sided structure provided for hikers in wilderness areas, where Zoo staff and volunteers share conservation messages.
You'll find penguins, puffins, grizzly bears, gorillas, chimpanzees, to name a few. And while visiting, you can take a ride on the Conservation Carousel or hop aboard and ride the Zooline Railroad. There are also gift shops and eateries you can enjoy.
Explore The Wild


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Forum: The Poetry and Prose of Science and Science Fiction
Topic: Artificial Intelligence / Synthetic Consciousness
A thermodynamic limit on brain size
A thermodynamic limit on brain size Posted: 25 May 2009 09:10 PM PDT If our brains have to be cooled like computer chips, is there a limit on how big they can be? In recent years, chip makers have conlcuded that the race to produce ever faster circuits is a fool's game. As the clock speed increases,...
Topic: Creationism, Intelligent Design, and Evolution
Only a Theory: Evolution and the Battle for America's Soul by Kenneth R.
This review was published 6/29 in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and is now online here:
http://www.scienceshelf.com/OnlyaTheory.htm
16% of US science teachers are creationists New Scientist news service May 20, 2008 ************************* Despite a court-ordered ban on the teaching of creationism in US schools, about one in eight high-school biology teachers still teach it as valid science, a survey by Pennsylvania State Univ...
Religion is a product of evolution, software suggests. God may work in mysterious ways, but a simple computer program called Evogod may explain how religion evolved. By assuming that a small number of people have a genetic predisposition to pass along unverifiable information, the program predicts t...
Topic: Light Pollution
The efforts of one astronomer to save Flagstaff, Arizona from encroaching light pollution: http://altairvi.blogspot.com/2008/04/wes-lockwood-saves-universe.html And check out these cities as seen from space at night - it looks pretty until you realize how those artificial lights have killed the real...
Check out this Web site, Expell Exposed:
http://www.expelledexposed.com/
Topic: Doomsday Seed Vault
Seeds of Future Agriculture Enter Doomsday Deep Freeze Scientific American Feb. 26, 2008 ************************* The first batch of 100 million of the most important agricultural seeds were placed into the "doomsday repository" Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway. The vault is a backup of last re...
Topic: News from Saturn
Next on NOVA: "Voyage to the Mystery Moon" http://www.pbs.org/nova/titan Tuesday, April 1 at 8 p.m. Check your local listings as dates and times may vary. Chronicling a bold voyage of discovery -- the Cassini/Huygens mission to Saturn and its enigmatic moon Titan -- NOVA's "Voyage to the Mystery Moo...
I will be blunt and say, why are people so utterly deluded when it comes to creationism: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/03/24/expelled You want to believe there is some being out there who made every thing? That's your business. But if you have no solid evidence, then don't push it on scien...
Topic: Universals of language
Language Feature Unique To Human Brain Identified (March 24, 2008) Researchers have identified a language feature unique to the human brain that is shedding light on how human language evolved. The study marks the first use of diffusion tensor imaging, a noninvasive imaging technique, to compare hum...
Why Language Is All Thumbs Chip Walter 03/15/2008 ************************* Toolmaking not only resulted in tools, but also the reconfiguration of our brains so they comprehended the world on the same terms as our toolmaking hands interacted with it. With mirror neurons, something entirely new enter...
Is Language a Window into Human Nature? "I told him to be fruitful and multiply, but not in those words." Woody Allen Is the gap between objective and inner reality the reason we have difficulty understanding large numbers, the way statistics works, scientific theories like quantum physics or how to...
The Genetics of Language Technology Review January/February 2008 ************************* Neurogeneticists have begun to tease out how we evolved the capacity for sophisticated speech, using improved techniques for detecting DNA, cutting-edge analytical tools, and the genome sequences of species fr...
The Horse, the Wheel, and Language How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World David W. Anthony To read the entire book description or a sample chapter, please visit: http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8488.html Roughly half the world's population speaks languages derived ...
Geologists Say 'Wall Of Africa' Allowed Humanity To Emerge ScienceDaily (Dec. 22, 2007) — Scientists long have focused on how climate and vegetation allowed human ancestors to evolve in Africa. Now, University of Utah geologists are calling renewed attention to the idea that ground movements formed ...
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text:
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