Poor Richard 2011: HermannMoNews.blogspot.com Hermann, Missouri - News & Commentary

Occupy Wall Street For Dummies and Idiots VIDEO

2011-10-11T02:55:00.006-05:00

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The Real story behind Occupy Wall Street, the bank fraud and corruption of our political system!
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END THE FED!!! STOP THE BAILOUTS!!! JAIL THE FRAUDSTERS!!!

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Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

NO MORE NUKES FILES: Callaway II Nuclear Plant Permit Shot Down Again

2011-10-08T01:47:00.000-05:00

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Callaway II down for the count – again

by: Tim Sampson
missouri-news.org
October 8, 2011
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JEFFESON CITY, Mo. – Hope of bringing back Callaway II flickered to life briefly on the floor of Missouri House of Representatives this week only to be snuffed out again – as it has been often times this year.
During floor negotiations over the jobs bill at the heart of the current, contentious special legislative session, Rep. Chris Kelly made a last ditch effort to attach an amendment that would have put the issue of repealing the so-called CWIP law from the Missouri constitution and cleared the way for public financing of a second nuclear power plant in Missouri.
“When we are in economic trouble, the best solution is to build something,” said Rep. Chris Kelly, D-Columbia, who offered the amendment.
CWIP, which stands for constructions work in progress, was first passed by Missouri voters in the mid-1970s in response to the building of the first nuclear reactor in Callaway County. The law forbids utility companies from raising rates on customers to finance the construction of new power generating facilities that are not yet operational. Throughout the current special session and the preceding regular legislative session, a consortium of utility companies led by Ameren Missouri has led the charge to try and repeal this law, but with no success.
The original bill to repeal CWIP was sidelined, in part, by renewed controversy over nuclear power stemming from the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan earlier this year. Although an attempt to salvage the bill in the final days of the regular session was made, it was ultimately unsuccessful.
That led to Kelly’s amendment. With the Callaway II bill not on the formal agenda for the special session, the only route for supports has been to try and attach the language to another piece of legislation.
But the language was tossed out on a procedural ruling by House Speaker Steve Tilley, R-Perryville. He said the language was not germane to the main content of the jobs bill, which deals primarily with economic development incentives and tax credit reform.
But Kelly said the jobs bill has grown from its initial scope of reforming tax code, and he said construction of a second nuclear reactor at Callaway would bring jobs to mid-Missouri.
“The concept, the very thought that anything could be beyond the scope of this legislation is ludicrous,” Kelly said.
But others disagreed. Rep. Rory Ellinger, D-St. Louis, spoke against the amendment, arguing that its inclusion in the bill would sink it and take down other provisions, including $360 million in proposed foreign trade incentives for the Lambert-St. Louis Airport area.
“The very issue of nuclear power is in its nature fundamentally controversial,” Ellinger said. “There’s no question about that. No matter how the people have voted, that has nothing to do with the Aerotropolis Bill.

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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Obama Rhetoric: MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY, Era of Compromise is Over

2011-10-06T19:16:00.000-05:00

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Obama to GOP: Act on jobs or get run out of town

By BEN FELLER
AP White House Correspondent

October 6, 2011
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WASHINGTON (AP) -- A combative President Barack Obama challenged a divided Congress on Thursday to unite behind his jobs bill or get ready to be run "out of town" by angry voters. Hoping to use public frustration and economic worry as leverage, he called his proposal an insurance plan against a painful return to recession.

In a news conference long on restatements of his ideas, Obama laid bare the dynamic that now is Washington: The era of compromise is over.

Frustrated over getting nowhere with Republicans, Obama demanded that they explain themselves to the country and promised to keep "hammering way until something gets done."

Despite Obama's taunts, Republicans showed no signs of switching positions. Instead, they pressed unsuccessfully for a symbolic vote later in the day so they could demonstrate their opposition to the bill the president submitted three weeks ago. They also predicted they would prevail next week when Democrats try to advance a reworked version, which Obama supports, with a tax on millionaires.

Speaking at a forum just about the same time as Obama, House Speaker John Boehner said the president had decided to "give up on governing, give up on leading." Said Boehner: "We're legislating. He's campaigning."

Obama's news conference marked a continuation of his recent feistiness, and his party's pre-election-year attempt to depict Republicans as protectors of the rich at the expense of the jobless. Obama plans to keep it up through his campaign as he seeks a second term amid persistently high unemployment.

Lamenting political gamesmanship, Obama defended his own tactic of campaigning for a jobs bill that appears to have no chance of passing as it is. When asked about his willingness to negotiate to help the millions of unemployed, he said he had gone out of his way every time with Republicans, to little avail.

"The question, then, is, will Congress do something?" the president said. "If Congress does something, then I can't run against a do-nothing Congress. If Congress does nothing, then it's not a matter of me running against them. I think the American people will run them out of town, because they are frustrated."

Obama conceded that voters have grown deeply exasperated and cynical, and he put the responsibility largely on Congress as unresponsive to public opinion. At one point Obama even told his media questioners to accept a "little homework assignment" and "go ask Republicans what their jobs plan is."

The political positioning came with the American economy weakening and at a risk of sinking as a consequence of Europe's debt crisis. Nearly one-third of the unemployed people in the United States - almost 4.5 million people - have been out of work for a year or more.

Obama would not say whether he agreed with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's warning this week that the economic recovery "is close to faltering." The president said the country stands to face deeper problems without action, particularly if a payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits are not extended.

He has presented a $447 billion plan to jolt the economy by cutting taxes and increasing spending on schools, roads and other public projects. He has proposed covering the cost of that, and therefore avoiding another pile of public debt, in part by raising taxes on wealthier people and corporations.

It is likely Congress will eventually pass Obama's proposal to extend and expand the Social Security payroll tax cuts that took effect on Jan. 1, the costliest part of the overall jobs plan. Other elements could also clear Congress by the end of the year, including a renewal of unemployment benefits.

Yet Republicans strongly oppose Obama's proposed spending and also are against raising taxes - on anyone. Giving a bit of ground on his own plan, Obama endorsed a new proposal by Senate Democrats to tax millionaires - not households making $250,000 or more - to pay for his jobs program.

"If the goal is to create jobs, then why are we even talking about tax hikes?" said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Republicans also shrugged off Obama's complaints that they have not explained their opposition or proposed alternatives, saying they had done both.

About 392,000 households would get hit by the Senate Democrats' proposed 5.6 percent tax on income above $1 million, according to an analysis by the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank. In 2013, the first year the tax would take effect, those households would see their taxes increase by an average of $110,500, according to the analysis.

Obama's session with reporters centered on economic themes.

He was also pressed to defend his administration's handling of two matters: a multimillion-dollar federal loan guarantee to a solar company that now has declared bankruptcy, and a Justice Department program aimed at building cases against major weapons traffickers in Mexico that lost track of numerous guns.

The president said his jobs bill could guard against another economic downturn if the situation in debt-laden Europe worsens. Ramping up his language, Obama called his plan "an insurance policy against a possible double-dip recession."

The overarching theme of Obama's news conference was frustration - on the part of Americans with Washington, and on his part with Congress. It fit with his campaign of late as he moves around the country raising money for his re-election and promoting his jobs plan on the home turf of Republican foes.

"We have a democracy, and right now John Boehner is the speaker of the House and Mitch McConnell is the Republican leader" in the Senate, Obama said. "And, you know, all I can do is make the best arguments and mobilize the American people so that they're responsive."

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Associated Press writers David Espo, Andrew Taylor, Julie Pace, Erica Werner, Jim Kuhnhenn, Stephen Ohlemacher and Gerry Bolander contributed to this story.

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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

100 Years in Prison for Franklin County Man Producing Child Porn

2011-10-06T16:47:00.000-05:00

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Franklin County man gets 100 years in prison for producing child porn

stltoday.com
October 6, 2011
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ST. LOUIS • A man from Franklin County has been sentenced to 100 years in prison on federal child pornography charges, authorities said Thrusday.
Jeffrey Greenwell, 39, of Sullivan, Mo., received 20 years each on five counts of production of child pornography, federal prosecutors say.
Greenwell pleaded guilty in June to allegations he photographed five children engaged in sex acts between January 2007 and October 2009.

Jeffrey Greenwell, 39, formerly of Sullivan, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Charles A. Shaw to 20 years on each of five felony counts of production of child pornography between 2007 and 2009. Judge Shaw ordered the terms be served consecutively.

Greenwell was part of the so-called "Lost Boys" network that distributed child porn to members around the world.
Under federal sentencing guidelines, Greenwell will serve 85 percent of the 100-year sentence, a detective with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office said.

Slumming on Sesame Street: Growing Hope Against Hunger

2011-10-06T15:52:00.001-05:00

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Things Are So Bad In America That Now Even Sesame Street Muppets Are Poverty-Stricken And Hungry

endoftheamericandream.com
OCTOBER 6, 2011
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Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie are about to get a new friend. This new character comes from a family that is poverty-stricken and that struggles to get enough food. She is going to teach the other residents of Sesame Street the facts about hunger in America. Her name is Lily, and she will be appearing on a special one hour primetime special of Sesame Street that will focus on the plight of hungry children all over the nation.
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This is yet another sign that things are so bad in America that nobody can really deny the reality of what is happening anymore. When you have more than one out of every five children living in poverty and one out of every four children on food stamps, it would be an injustice to call it anything less than a national crisis. Our economy is dying because of our foolishness and our children are paying the price.
But a new Sesame Street character that is poverty-stricken and hungry is not the only unusual sign that things have changed in America.
-Things are so bad in America that now Hallmark is actually offering a 6 card line of "job loss" greeting cards.
-Things are so bad in America that now gangster rappers are actually making rap videos about using food stamps.
-Things are so bad in America that the number of Americans that are submitting applications for temporary work visas in Canada has approximately doubled since 2008.
-Things are so bad in America that thieves are now stealing air conditioners, drain covers, hair extensions and even embalming fluid.
But things are especially bad for children.
The following are some jaw-dropping statistics about how children are faring in our declining economy....
*The poverty rate for children living in the United States increased to 22% in 2010. That means that tonight more than one out of every five U.S. children is living in poverty.
*Right now, one out of every four American children is on food stamps.
*There are 314 counties in the United States where at least 30% of the children are facing food insecurity.
*In Washington D.C., the "child food insecurity rate" is 32.3%.
*More than 20 million U.S. children rely on school meal programs to keep from going hungry.
*Approximately one-third of the entire population of Alabama is now on food stamps.
*The number of Americans that are going to food pantries and soup kitchens has increased by 46% since 2006.
*It is being projected that approximately 50 percent of all U.S. children will be on food stamps at some point in their lives before they reach the age of 18.
*Last year, the number of Americans living in poverty increased by an all-time record 2.6 million.
*It is estimated that up to half a million children may currently be homeless in the United States.
*More than 45 million Americans are now on food stamps. The number of Americans on food stamps has increased 74% since 2007.
Sometimes it is hard to believe that this is still the United States of America.
Aren't we supposed to be the most prosperous nation on the planet?
It is almost as if we are under some sort of a curse.
As I have written about previously, the average American family is having a harder and harder time surviving in this economy.
Unemployment is rampant, and the number of good jobs continues to decrease.
Right now, there are actually fewer payroll jobs in the United States than there were back in 2000 even though we have added 30 million extra people to the population since then.
Sadly, it looks like things are starting to take a turn for the worse once again. U.S. employers announced 212 percent more job cuts this September than they did last September.
That is not a good sign.
Also, everywhere you look the cost of living is going up.
For example, according to the Daily Beast utility bills across the country are about to go up significantly....

Already weary of high gas prices and 9.1 percent unemployment, many Americans are about to get another kick in the wallet thanks to large increases in their electricity bills.
From Alaska to Georgia and Wyoming to Florida, utilities are seeking permission to pass on hundreds of millions of dollars in new charges to customers to help upgrade aging infrastructure and build new or retrofitted power plants that comply with tougher environmental regulations, a Daily Beast review of regulatory filings has found.

Another example is the rising cost of health insurance. The cost of a health insurance policy for the average American family rose by a whopping 9 percent last year.
But those that actually still do have health insurance should consider themselves to be fortunate. Things have gotten so bad that an all-time record 49.9 million Americans do not have any health insurance at all at this point. Not only that, the percentage of Americans covered by employer-based health plans has fallen for 11 years in a row.
So what is Barack Obama doing about all this?
Not much.
Actually, one thing that Barack Obama is doing is that he is pressuring Congress to pass legislation that will make it much easier for private debt collectors to badger people on their cellphones about delinquent student loans.
According to the Obama administration, this change "is expected to provide substantial increases in collections, particularly as an increasing share of households no longer have landlines and rely instead on cellphones".
Instead of focusing on ways to make it easier for debt collectors to bug us, perhaps he should start thinking about ways to get the economy moving in the right direction.
Up to this point, Obama's economic proposals have been a bad joke.
Right now, millions of Americans are incredibly frustrated with the economy. People want to be able to feed their children and pay their bills. When you don't have enough money you start to think about it constantly. Tonight, millions of Americans will lay in bed and stare at the ceiling and wonder where their lives went wrong.
As the economy continues to crumble, we are going to see millions more Americans fall into poverty and struggle with hunger.
Hopefully the rest of us will be kind, compassionate and generous. The truth is that any of us could catch a bad break and end up without any money. We should remember to treat others the way that we would like to be treated if we were in desperate circumstances.
America is changing, and not for the better.
Unless fundamental changes are made, our economy is going to continue to deteriorate and a lot more people are going to suffer.
Let us hope for the best, but let us also prepare for the worst.

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______________________________________________________ ___________________________ . . VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== . Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Dictator Obama Repeals the 5th Amendment

2011-10-06T13:57:00.000-05:00

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Obama Repeals the 5th Amendment

by Bob Bauman
The Sovereign Investor

October 6, 2011
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Rarely in my long life’s experience have two news items been published on the same day that demonstrated such palpable irony.

The two stories that appeared in The New York Times last Friday (Sept. 30) and when read together, they present a sharp incongruity and discordance that far exceeds the simple and evident intention of the words and actions recounted.
Due Process: 1945
Item #1: In a column entitled “The Nuremberg Scripts” Joe Nocera told how, in November 1945, six months after Nazi Germany’s surrender to the victorious Allies, a 24-year-old Army combat engineer named Harold Burson was handed a new assignment: daily reports on the Nuremberg trial of the top Nazis leaders for the American Armed Forces Radio Network. For the next five months, Burson was one of two soldiers who reported on the trial and produced a daily “script,” read over the air by the AFRN announcers.
Mr. Burson, who is 90 now, is the co-founder of Burson-Marsteller, one of the world’s largest public relations firms, says that every five years or so, he goes back and re-reads those old scripts, marveling at the remarkable experience he’d been afforded at such a young age.

Nocera says there was an aspect to Burson’s scripts he “…found quite endearing. They have an earnest, idealistic quality that reminds you just how full of hope America was after World War II.
“Though we had fought a brutal war, we were determined to act generously to the vanquished. That even applied to the Nazi brass who had committed reprehensible crimes against humanity. “G.I.’s have one stock question,” reads Burson’s very first 1945 script. “Why can’t we just take them out and shoot ’em? We know they’re guilty.”
Due Process: 2011
Item #2: In a “news analysis” in the same Times edition, Scott Shane reported: “The killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen struck on Friday by a missile fired from a drone aircraft operated by his own government, instantly reignited a difficult debate over terrorism, civil liberties and the law.”
In a statement my former U.S. House of Representatives colleague, Rep. Ron Paul, said President Obama was “appointing himself judge, jury and executioner by presidential decree” and was acting outside “the Constitution or the rule of law” He added: “Awlaki was a U.S. citizen. Under our Constitution, American citizens, even those living abroad, must be charged with a crime before being sentenced.” He suggested the president could be impeached for the killing.
“In any way destroyed…”

The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, one of the most important protections in our Bill of Rights says in part: “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury…nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law…”
The United States Supreme Court has held: ”It is now the settled doctrine of this Court that the Due Process Clause embodies a system of rights based on moral principles so deeply imbedded in the traditions and feelings of our people as to be deemed fundamental to a civilized society as conceived by our whole history. Due Process is that which comports with the deepest notions of what is fair and right and just.” Solesbee v. Balkcom, 339 U.S. 9, 16 (1950);’ Snyder v. Massachusetts, 291 U.S. 97, 105 (1934).
The concept of due process goes all the way back to Magna Carta, (1215) in which King John promised that ”[n]o free man shall be taken or imprisoned or disseized or exiled or in any way destroyed…except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.”
Evidence
Pressed to justify the constitutional law professor/president’s open defiance of the Fifth Amendment in ordering the murder of a U.S. citizen without trial, the White House press secretary refused to respond. As the Washington Post put it, “The administration officials refused to disclose the exact legal analysis used to authorize targeting Aulaqi, or how they considered any Fifth Amendment right to due process.”

Glen Greenwald said it: “That is the mindset of the U.S. Government and its followers expressed as vividly as can be: we can spy on, imprison, or even kill anyone we want – including citizens – without any due process or any evidence shown, simply because we will tell you they are Bad People, and you will trust us and believe us.”
Deeply Embedded Hypocrisy
A writer from Bangor, Maine commented: “…we target and kill an American citizen without trial. I’m not saying this man’s actions didn’t deserve punishment. But why even bother to pretend anymore? Why bother? Maybe with Obama’s latest drone kill we can let the hypocrisy go. But remember, Americans. Remotely-controlled drones can fly and kill over American cities just as easily as they can fly and kill over Yemen.”
Ask yourself this question: In the 66 years from the Nuremberg Trial 1945 to the White House 2011, what has happened to America’s belief in what the Supreme Court described as those “moral principles so deeply imbedded in the traditions and feelings of our people as to be deemed fundamental to a civilized society…”
The next time you hear what sounds like a small plane flying overhead, look up. If the president decides you are one of those Bad People, it might be the last thing you ever see.

October 5, 2011

Robert E. Bauman is a former Member of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland, (1973–1981). He is also a former federal official and state legislator; Member, Washington, DC Bar; Graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center (1964) and the School of Foreign Service (1959), Washington, DC. Robert currently serves as legal counsel for the Sovereign Society.

GMO Giant Monsanto Caught Cooking It's Books

2011-10-06T02:34:00.000-05:00

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Monsanto reports 4th quarter loss, will restate earnings

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
October 6, 2011
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ST. LOUIS • Monsanto's fourth-quarter results beat Wall Street expectations. But the company says it has to restate the last two year's earnings because of a federal investigation into its herbicide sales.
The world's biggest seed company on Wednesday said a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will prompt it to restate earnings irregularities arising from incentives it paid dealers of its Roundup Herbicide.
The St. Louis company said it had a net loss of $112 million, or 21 cents per share, for the quarter ended Aug. 31. Monsanto Co. said that adjusted for one-time items, the loss was 22 cents per share. Revenue rose to $2.25 billion from $1.95 billion last year.
Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected an adjusted loss of 27 cents per share on revenue of $1.91 billion.

Nuclear Power: Bad Idea Turned Into Good Fun

2011-10-05T16:20:00.000-05:00

The 190-foot-tall whirling aerial swing in the Wunderland Kalkar amusement park, near the German-Dutch border, claims an unusual distinction: It’s the only ride in the world constructed in a decommissioned nuclear cooling tower. In 1995, Dutch developer Hennie van der Most bought the defunct nuclear power plant from the German government. The site was supposed to house an SNR 300 fast breeder reactor, built from 1972 to 1985, but it never became fully operational.
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Visitors Enjoy a Nuclear Amusement Park in Germany

By Nick Stattpopsci.com
October 5, 2011
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After the sale, van der Most converted the plant site into a theme park and recreation center. Wunderland Kalkar sees an average of 600,000 visitors a year and boasts more than 40 attractions, including rock-climbing on the outer walls of the cooling tower.
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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Frank James Surrender, Never Convicted of a Crime, On this Date 1882 AUDIO STORY

2011-10-05T15:01:00.001-05:00

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Surrender

by Bob Priddy on October 5, 2011

in Across Our Wide Missouri

The two men spent the day strolling around town or lounging at the hotel. They were waiting for a late afternoon appointment with the governor. Their names on the hotel register read John Edwards, and B. F. Winfrey. Edwards said he was from Sedalia and Winfrey claimed to be from Marshall. Winfrey had just recently come to Missouri from Tennessee where people called him B. J. Woodson, but that wasn’t his real name either.
Late that afternoon, the governor called several state officials and newsmen to his office and showed them an important letter. While the guests in the office were discussing the letter the two men strolled in. The one whose name really was John Edwards introduced the other whose name was neither Winfrey nor Woodson. “Governor Crittenden,” said Edwards, “I want to introduce you to my friend Frank James.”
AUDIO: Listen to program

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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Missouri River Cleanup Towboat in Hermann

2011-10-05T13:25:00.001-05:00

The River Cleanup towboat pushed into Hermann Monday evening with a sand flat trash barge and house barge for crew quarters preparing for a week of educational activities with local school children and a cleanup of the river on Saturday.
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‘We All Live Downstream’

By Karen Cernich
emissourian.com
October 5, 2011

You may not pay any attention to the trash you see along the roads in your neighborhood or any of the streets around town, but those empty water bottles, soda cans, Styrofoam cups, plastic drinking straws and other bits of plastic that you see lying on the ground, forgotten, are ending up in the Missouri River.
Heavy rains and winds carry the trash from the streets into storm drains and creeks, which then empty into the Missouri River and eventually reach the oceans.
Steve Schnarr, program director with Missouri River Relief, “a grassroots, volunteer and equipment-based organization dedicated to reconnecting people to the Missouri River through hands-on river cleanups and education events,” describes it as “incidental trash,” or in other words, trash left behind by well-meaning people who just weren’t paying attention and are unaware of how their forgotten trash could end up polluting rivers and oceans.
Schnarr has seen plenty of incidental trash over the last 10 years as he and teams of volunteers have hauled ton after ton of trash from the Missouri. Last year alone the group pulled out 592 tons of trash.
Missouri River Relief will be in Washington next week to lead a series of events, including a hands-on educational workshop with local fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders on Wednesday and Thursday, a fundraising dinner on the barge Thursday evening and a daylong cleanup on Saturday.
A river festival also will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (See story on 5C.)
It’s all part of the Big Muddy Clean Sweep, the keystone event marking Missouri River Relief’s 10th anniversary this year.
Schnarr is currently looking for volunteers to help with the cleanup here. People can contact him ahead of time by calling him at 573-289-2077 or emailing him at steve@riverrelief.org, or they can show up Saturday morning at 9 at the Washington riverfront.
Missouri River Relief has led cleanups in Washington several times before but this time will be a little different. The crew will be arriving by barge.
The River Cleanup towboat will push into town early next week with a sand flat that looks likes a giant dumpster, a house barge that features the crew’s quarters and kitchen, and a work flat which is simply a flat work area.
This week the boat is docked in Hermann. It arrived Monday evening for a week of activities that will end in a cleanup there on Saturday.
When it leaves headed for Washington, there are no plans to stop along the way, but Schnarr said if people in between Hermann and Washington are inspired to conduct their own cleanups in those places, they can leave the bagged trash at the bank, call him (573-289-2077) to give its location and the barge will stop to pick it up.
‘We Definitely See a Pattern’
At first glance, the river and its banks may look pretty clean, no trash in sight. But when you look closer, you begin to notice it.
Because of the flooding earlier this year, much of the trash has been pushed up into the woods along the banks, said Schnarr. During the clean up in Jefferson City last week, a crew found a slew of trash 150 yards into the woods.
Schnarr said he doesn’t usually get upset anymore at seeing all of the incidental trash. He picks it up and works that much harder at educating people about it.
“We definitely see a pattern,” he said. “Below urban areas where streams come into the Missouri River, we will see all of this plastic garbage, mostly general trash that gets washed into storm drains during rain events and end up in the Missouri.”
Not all of the trash comes from such innocent sources, Schnarr realizes. There are definitely people who intentionally dump things into the river — tires, carpet, old broken down refrigerators that would cost them $10 to place in a landfill, used motor oil . . .
“Anything that costs people money to dispose of are things we find in the river,” said Schnarr.
There are also fishermen and “partiers” on boats who toss trash — beer cans or bait containers — over the side of the boat instead of bringing it back to shore to dispose of properly.
Part of that mindset can be cultural, said Schnarr. It’s something people have always done and they don’t realize the harm it’s doing.
Why Clean It Up?
Regardless of how the trash gets to the river, Schnarr and his crew make it their business to clean it up for several reasons, beginning with the fact that trash just looks ugly, plain and simple.
“If the river is your playground, your place to get nourished by nature, you don’t want a bunch of trash lying around,” said Schnarr.
More than that, however, is that this trash is doing damage, he said. Birds, fish and other wildlife are getting tangled in it, or worse, mistaking it for food and eating it.
“Biologists have found fish that have been damaged by plastics because they get tangled up in it or have swallowed it,” said Schnarr. “It’s more of a problem than people realize. All of it eventually washes into the oceans . . . and we’re starting to find out some of the problems this floating waste is causing.”
There is an “abnormal concentration” of trash that has collected in one area of the Pacific Ocean where historically organic material collects, said Schnarr. Animals have come to this area to feed on that organic patch, which is now mixed largely with trash and broken bits of plastic.
“They die because their stomachs are filled up with these plastics,” said Schnarr.
Another reason to clean up the trash is the chemicals that the trash is releasing into the water.
“If you’ve ever smelled a tire, what you’re smelling is petro chemicals, and those are ending up in our water stream from dumped tires,” said Schnarr, noting it’s also common to find bottles full of waste oil dumped in the river.
In addition to getting all of these items out of the river, the cleanups are about educating people, said Schnarr.
“We’re not going to make any major changes to that (trash patch) with this, but a big part of what we do is education,” he said. “We want to open people’s eyes to the impact cities have on the Missouri River.
“One-sixth of the continental U.S. drains into the Missouri.”
The education workshops that Schnarr will be leading with local school groups will have two main points to get across — the scale of the river and that trash lying on their street will eventually end up in the river — that includes lost balls that rolled away never to be seen again.
“They end up in storm drains and then in the river,” said Schnarr, picking up a mud-covered tennis ball from one of the bags collected in Jefferson City last week.
“We all live downstream,” Schnarr remarked.

___________________________________________ _____________________________________ . .

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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Morrison Mo. Branch May Be Saved: Baucus offers Senate Bill to Save Post Office, keep rural offices open

2011-10-05T11:44:00.000-05:00

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Baucus offers plan to save Post Office, keep rural offices open

By Pete Kasperowiczthehill.com
October 5, 2011
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Senate Finance Committee Chairman and deficit-reduction supercommittee member Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Tuesday introduced legislation that would help the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) avoid bankruptcy and prevent the closure of rural post offices, including some in his home state.
"The Postal Service has serious budget troubles to tackle, and Congress has a responsibility to play its part," Baucus said. "This bill provides the life preserver the Postal Service needs to stay above water while we work together to find longer-term solutions to preserve the postal services and jobs Montanans depend on."
The USPS is facing a severe fiscal crisis because it is required to make a $5.5 billion pre-payment to a retiree health benefit fund, and has said it cannot make the payment. The USPS was originally scheduled to make that payment by Sept. 30, but the continuing spending resolution approved by the House this week extends that until Nov. 18.
The Baucus bill, S. 1649, would require the Office of Personnel Management to estimate how much the Postal Service has made in overpayments to the Federal Employee Retirement System and use those to make its payment to the health benefit fund. Baucus said some estimates put the overpayment at $6.9 billion, more than enough to make the payment.
The bill also includes language that prohibits the USPS from closing rural offices if there is not another post office within 10 miles. Baucus just this week complained to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe that the USPS is planning to close three rural offices in Montana, a decision Baucus said was made without allowing for enough public input.
"It is clear that the Postal Service decided to close these post offices without sufficiently considering community input, and I oppose moving forward with the closings until Montanans have more time to voice their support for their local post office," he wrote in an Oct. 3 letter.
Baucus added that while Donahoe has said the USPS would only make closure decisions after substantive consideration of public input, "this has sadly not been the case" in the instance of the three Montana offices. He also noted that nearly all of the 85 offices in Montana that might be closed are more than 10 miles from another office.

Original List of possible Missouri closings:

167 Missouri post offices are on the United States Postal Service’s hit list as targets for possible closing. They’re part of a postal service plan to possibly shut down almost 3700 small post offices nationwide.

The postal service says the closings are not done deals; the list is only of “possible” closings.

The service is considering closing about ten percent of its offices nationwide, saying the increase use of e-mail and the recession-caused decline in advertising mail produced a 58-million dollar financial loss last year.

FERGUSON SAINT LOUIS 63135
GWEN B GILES SAINT LOUIS 63112
JEFFERSON MEMORIAL SAINT LOUIS 63101
JORDAN W CHAMBERS SAINT LOUIS 63106
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Lisa Irwin: 10-Month Old Kansas City Baby Missing, No Leads, No Suspects

2011-10-05T11:08:00.001-05:00

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Kansas City police hunt for clues on missing 10-month-old Lisa Irwin

By Camille Mann
cbsnews.com
October 5, 2011

__________________________________________________________________________ (CBS/KCTV/AP) KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Detectives looking for missing 10-month-old, Kansas City infant Lisa Irwin are struggling to find leads in the investigation Wednesday after an intense search a day earlier turned up few substantial clues, police said. . . Lisa was last seen on Monday around 10:30 p.m. when her mother put her to bed in a crib, police said. Her father, who is an electrician, arrived home from an overnight shift about 4 a.m. . . He discovered Lisa missing and frantically called police, friends and family tell CBS affiliate KCTV. Authorities are speculating that the suspect entered through a bedroom window and snatched the baby from her bed as she was sleeping. Police said they issued the Amber Alert about 7:15 a.m. Tuesday in part because Lisa lived with both of her parents, who were at home and are accounted for. The alert was cancelled at 7 p.m. since the public awareness has been raised but police said they would continue to search for the baby. More than 100 law enforcement officials are looking for the girl. This includes local, state and federal officers including agents from the FBI. Officers on horseback are involved in the search along with police dogs. Firefighters with rappelling equipment are also assisting. The couple has two other young children who have also been interviewed. Police discounted the notion that Lisa could have crawled away. "The family is being cooperative with detectives," said Capt. Steve Young said reports the station."If there were any holes in their story, we would know by now. There are no holes in their stories. . . . There is a 10-month-old who isn't where she belongs and we are trying to find her. We will keep going bigger as long as we need to." Lisa has blue eyes and blonde hair. She is 30 inches tall and weighs between 26 and 30 pounds. She was last seen wearing purple shorts and a purple shirt with white kittens on it. The baby is described as having two bottom teeth, a small bug bite under her left ear, a beauty mark on her right outer thigh and currently has a cold with a cough. One neighbor told police that a stranger was seen walking with a baby wearing only a diaper about 1 a.m. in the street by the baby's home. Young said police are investigating this tip and ask for any and all tips from the public. Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477. ___________________________________________ _____________________________________ . .

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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

CHECKPOINT 99 MILES INSIDE U.S. BORDER, How to Stand Up to Police State 4th Amendment Violation VIDEO

2011-10-05T00:39:00.025-05:00

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Exposing Internal Checkpoints: INFO WARS Nightly News Report
infowars.com
October 5, 2011
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Alex Jones shows us how it's done when dealing with those unconstitutional checkpoints in His Home State of Texas.
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The map below shows how many Americans are currently living without full constitutional protection.

Are You Living in a Constitution Free Zone?

December 15, 2006

Using data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, the ACLU has determined that nearly 2/3 of the entire US population (197.4 million people) live within 100 miles of the US land and coastal borders.

The government is assuming extraordinary powers to stop and search individuals within this zone. This is not just about the border: This " Constitution-Free Zone" includes most of the nation's largest metropolitan areas.

(Are You Living In A Constitution Free Zone? See the interactive map >>)

We urge you to call on Congress to hold hearings on and pass legislation to end these egregious violations of Americans' civil rights.

The problem:

Normally under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the American people are not generally subject to random and arbitrary stops and searches.
The border, however, has always been an exception. There, the longstanding view is that the normal rules do not apply. For example the authorities do not need a warrant or probable cause to conduct a “routine search.”
But what is “the border”? According to the government, it is a 100-mile wide strip that wraps around the “external boundary” of the United States.
As a result of this claimed authority, individuals who are far away from the border, American citizens traveling from one place in America to another, are being stopped and harassed in ways that our Constitution does not permit.
Border Patrol has been setting up checkpoints inland — on highways in states such as California, Texas and Arizona, and at ferry terminals in Washington State. Typically, the agents ask drivers and passengers about their citizenship. Unfortunately, our courts so far have permitted these kinds of checkpoints – legally speaking, they are “administrative” stops that are permitted only for the specific purpose of protecting the nation’s borders. They cannot become general drug-search or other law enforcement efforts.
However, these stops by Border Patrol agents are not remaining confined to that border security purpose. On the roads of California and elsewhere in the nation – places far removed from the actual border – agents are stopping, interrogating, and searching Americans on an everyday basis with absolutely no suspicion of wrongdoing.
The bottom line is that the extraordinary authorities that the government possesses at the border are spilling into regular American streets.

Much of U.S. population affected

Many Americans and Washington policymakers believe that this is a problem confined to the San Diego-Tijuana border or the dusty sands of Arizona or Texas, but these powers stretch far inland across the United States.
To calculate what proportion of the U.S. population is affected by these powers, the ACLU created a map and spreadsheet showing the population and population centers that lie within 100 miles of any “external boundary” of the United States.
The population estimates were calculated by examining the most recent US census numbers for all counties within 100 miles of these borders. Using numbers from the Population Distribution Branch of the US Census Bureau, we were able to estimate both the total number and a state-by-state population breakdown. The custom map was created with help from a map expert at World Sites Atlas.
What we found is that fully TWO-THIRDS of the United States’ population lives within this Constitution-free or Constitution-lite Zone. That’s 197.4 million people who live within 100 miles of the US land and coastal borders.
Nine of the top 10 largest metropolitan areas as determined by the 2000 census, fall within the Constitution-free Zone. (The only exception is #9, Dallas-Fort Worth.) Some states are considered to lie completely within the zone: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Part of a broader problem

The spread of border-search powers inland is part of a broad expansion of border powers with the potential to affect the lives of ordinary Americans who have never left their own country.
It coincides with the development of numerous border technologies, including watch list and database systems such as the Automated Targeting System (ATS) traveler risk assessment program, identity and tracking systems such as electronic (RFID) passports, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), and intrusive technological schemes such as the Secure Border Initiative Network (SBINet) or “virtual border fence” and unmanned aerial vehicles (aka “drone aircraft”).
This illegitimate expansion of the extraordinary powers of agents at the border is also part of a general trend we have seen over the past 8 years of an untrammeled, heedless expansion of police and national security powers without regard to the effect on innocent Americans.
This trend is also typical of the Bush Administration’s dragnet approach to law enforcement and national security. Instead of intelligent, competent, targeted efforts to stop terrorism, illegal immigration, and other crimes, what we have been seeing in area after area is an approach that turns us all into suspects. This approach seeks to sift through the entire U.S. population in the hopes of encountering the rare individual whom the authorities have a legitimate interest in.

If the current generation of Americans does not challenge this creeping (and sometimes galloping) expansion of federal powers over the individual through the rationale of “border protection,” we are not doing our part to keep alive the rights and freedoms that we inherited, and will soon find that we have lost some or all of their right to go about their business, and travel around inside their own country, without interference from the authorities.

The numbers below are taken from the 2007 U.S. Census. States that are not listed, have zero population within the 100 mile zone.

State	Estimated 2007 Border Population	Estimated 2007 State Population	Percentage of Population in Constitution-Free Zone
Alabama	1,104,926	4,627,851	23.88%
Alaska	584,156	683,478	85.47%
Arizona	5,570,479	6,338,755	87.88%
California	36,453,649	36,553,215	99.73%
Connecticut	3,502,309	3,502,309	100.00%
Delaware	864,764	864,764	100.00%
District of Columbia	588,292	588,292	100.00%
Florida	18,251,243	18,251,243	100.00%
Georgia	1,512,950	9,544,750	15.85%
Hawaii	1,283,388	1,283,388	100.00%
Idaho	199,202	1,499,402	13.29%
Illinois	9,847,235	12,852,548	76.62%
Indiana	2,607,575	6,345,289	41.09%
Louisiana	3,388,334	4,293,204	78.92%
Maine	1,317,207	1,317,207	100.00%
Maryland	5,516,123	5,618,344	98.18%
Massachusetts	6,449,755	6,449,755	100.00%
Michigan	10,071,822	10,071,822	100.00%
Minnesota	623,477	5,197,621	12.00%
Mississippi	976,345	2,918,785	33.45%
Montana	518,717	957,861	54.15%
New Hampshire	1,315,828	1,315,828	100.00%
New Jersey	8,685,920	8,685,920	100.00%
New Mexico	452,904	1,969,915	22.99%
New York	18,795,187	19,297,729	97.40%
North Carolina	2,795,661	9,061,032	30.85%
North Dakota	279,695	639,715	43.72%
Ohio	7,885,365	11,466,917	68.77%
Oregon	3,249,327	3,747,455	86.71%
Pennsylvania	10,890,623	12,432,792	87.60%
Rhode Island	1,057,832	1,057,832	100.00%
South Carolina	2,603,946	4,407,709	59.08%
Texas	10,301,403	23,904,380	43.09%
Vermont	584,802	621,254	94.13%
Virginia	6,282,997	7,712,091	81.47%
Washington	6,076,268	6,468,424	93.94%
West Virginia	233,344	1,812,035	12.88%
Wisconsin	4,716,621	5,601,640	84.20%

______________________________________________________ ___________________________ . .

VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Inflation Calculator: Purchasing Power of the Dollar Over Time,

2011-10-04T21:24:00.003-05:00

VIDEO: Politicians Are Bought GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS - MSNBC Dylan Ratigan Discusses Separation of Business and State, OWS
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Inflation Calculator: Money’s Real Worth Over Time

The inflation calculator uses U.S. government provided Consumer Price Index (CPI) data to measure the purchasing power of the dollar over time. It’ll provide a look into the present, past or any time between. (Consumer inflation climbed 3.8% over the past year. It increased 0.4% in August. The next U.S. government update is on October 19, 2011.)
How to use: You can start with any date from 1913 through 2011. The first date field can also begin in the present, like 2011, and then move backwards – each method is interesting. The inflation calculator starts with default values just to give a quick glimpse into how it works. Simply clear or edit the numbers with your own.
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Inflation Calculator*
If in (enter year)
I purchased an item for $
then in (enter year**)
that item would cost:
Rate of inflation change:

*Uses latest available CPI data. Next data update on Oct. 19, 2011.

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CPI Inflation Calculator Details

The CPI inflation calculator uses the U.S. Consumer Price Index for a given calendar year. This data represents the changed prices in goods and services purchased in the U.S.
For 2011, the latest monthly index value is used.

Understanding Inflation: An Overview, Measuring and Its Role on the Economy

The amount a product costs should be the first decision a consumer has to make before they purchase a good or service. Consumers may find themselves asking what exactly makes a price rise and why their money can purchase less and less.
The answer to this question is inflation. What is inflation and why should any consumer care about inflation? A general overview of the inflation phenomenon, the main measures of inflation, and how inflation plays a role in the economy will all help a person better understand why their money seems to be worth less each year.

Overview of Inflation and its Pressure on the Economy: Spending, Demand and Supply

In order to truly understand inflation, the first step is listing the main cause of inflation pressures on the economy. Inflation begins initially and continues to occur due to sustained excess of spending in the economy. (Wilson 27)
This amounts to spending over and above what is considered average spending for the economy in past months. The type of spending that would cause inflation is "when people, groups, businesses, government, and foreigners all together "demand" or try to spend more than the economy can produce at full employment, prices in general will be bid up." (Ibid)
Basically what this amounts to is people all wanting to buy products and services, but there are not enough products or services to fulfill all the buyers. The prices will go up because manufacturers can sell the product at a much higher rate because there are so many buyers. The solution to the problem is really two separate incidences that must happen in order for prices to begin falling.
One of these solutions is "excess demand for goods and services is reduced" and the other solution is for "capacity of the economy to produce is expanded, the price level will continue to rise." (Ibid) Thinking about these two situations makes sense. If the demand for goods or services decreases then less people will want to buy and there will be more of the product for the remaining consumers. Also, if a manufactured item is rising because it is not manufactured in many factories and suddenly factories spring up all over to manufacture the product then the price will fall.
The demand and supply capacity are the cornerstones of inflation, but what also plays into inflation’s fluctuations is the money supply. The Federal Reserve Bank sets interest rates for borrowing of money. The lower the interest rate the greater amount of money that is borrowed, and the higher the interest rate the lesser amount of money that is borrowed. (Wilson 103) For example, if borrowing $1000 would cost 10% a year, a borrower would be paying $100 a year for the use of that initial $1000.
If, however, the Federal Reserve Bank lowers the interest rate to 5%, the amount the borrower would be paying per year would be cut in half. In the latter example, a borrower would be willing to take out a larger amount of money because it would cost them less. So, with a larger amount of cheaper money in the market, prices will begin to rise because the cost of that money would cause more people to borrow as compared to a higher rate of interest.
Money would essentially be worth less because the Federal Reserve allows it to be worth less by dropping the interest rate. The rise in prices would continue until the Federal Reserve once again decides to raise the interest rate. (Ibid)
The Federal Reserve utilizes these money techniques in order to help spur growth in the economy, but the downside to economic growth is always inflation.

Measures of Inflation: Consumer Price Index (CPI), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Bryan-Cecchetti model

An important concept of inflation is to pay close attention to inflation indicators. These "indicators" are indexes that signal a potential arrival of inflation for the country. Many measures of inflation exist, but the main types are the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the Bryan-Cecchetti model.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI)

The CPI is perhaps the most important indicator because it is the model that all other inflation models emulate in some way. The first step in understanding the CPI is to decipher the calculation of the index. The CPI is constructed from basic component indexes. Component indexes are those goods and services that a consumer purchases and those "components" are split into 207 items. (Moulton 13) Also, there are 44 more items included for the urban areas of the United States, and these two sets of items are multiplied together to a total of 9,108 components for the CPI. (Ibid)
For example, dairy products are considered just set of the components within the 9,108 components used to calculate the CPI. A problem arises with the CPI in that many products come and go in the market and it is up to the CPI to document these types of changes. This problem is overcome by the economists allowing for products to enter and leave the market as well as "estimating the indexes on the basis of samples used from all the items that consumers buy" for a given period. (Ibid)
This type of calculating gives economists as comprehensive a picture as one can get. The resulting figure is compared to previous time periods and an increase percentage or decrease percentage is discovered from the calculations. This increase or decrease percentage is the amount that general prices have risen or fallen in between those time periods. If the prices rise then the CPI will show the American public that inflation has occurred.
It is important that the CPI stay current with the ever-changing American economy. This is why the CPI is updated once every 10 years, and the last update occurred in 1998. (Greenlees, and Mason 3) This aspect of the CPI is important because of its relation to inflation. The CPI is used in many government programs including entitlements for school lunches and food stamps as well as the amount figured for tax deductions. (Ibid)
If the CPI is not allowed to evolve with the evolving economy, many people would not be allowed government benefits or tax deductions that they otherwise would deserve. Thus, the CPI is examined and revised so inflation pressures do not have as much an impact on government programs.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Another measure of inflation that is essentially a CPI number but factored with a different set of variables is the BLS model. The BLS model highlights the fact that some parts of the CPI are considered volatile due to outside pressures such as weather and international conflicts.
Cogley suggests, "the Bureau of Labor Statistics computes a ‘core inflation’ measure that consists of a weighted average of all CPI components except for food and energy, which are removed because their prices tend to be more volatile." (94)
Energy can be affected by international conflicts and food supplies can be affected by the weather. Thus, the BLS model will demonstrate a less drastic change in inflation numbers if these events do occur.

The Bryan-Cecchetti model

A final measure of inflation that utilizes the CPI is the Bryan-Cecchetti model. This model takes the BLS model one step further. The Bryan-Cecchetti system still uses the CPI as a basis, because the economists that developed this model understand that the CPI is the greatest general measure to be utilized.
However, the Bryan-Cecchetti model "extends the BLS approach by automatically excluding large price changes from the CPI basket regardless of the sector in which they arise." (Ibid)
Bryan-Cecchetti correctly identifies that other sectors besides energy and food are affected by outside influences and can have a drastic rise or fall. However, the CPI is still considered the main standard for deciding the amount of inflation in the economy.

The Role Inflation Play on the Economy

Inflation would essentially mean nothing to the average consumer if it had no bearing on the economy. It is in the economy that inflation can either hinder a person’s ability to purchase or cause a lack of growth for businesses. The role inflation plays in the economy is substantial.
One of the main consequences of unwanted inflation is to the American worker. The first negative impact is a consumer’s shopping patterns and amount of money spent on goods and services. Inflation "causes consumers to shift the timing of their shopping closer to the receipt of income and creates incentives for shop owners to decrease their inventories." (Frenkel, and Mehrez 616)
Less of a product in the store and less purchasing power of consumers combines to create even more inflation in the economy to occur. It is a cycle that ultimately raises prices to a harmful degree. So, a consumer is left with little alternatives to combat the harm that inflation causes.
A person with less money will possibly lose their job (because of the lack of buying by other consumers), will consume less (because of the higher prices and lower supplies), invest less (because of the lack of money to invest), and finally rely more on credit (because the purchasing power of credit does not have to be paid until later). (Ibid)
Another problem with inflation in the economy is it decreases the value of the dollar. As discussed previously, more dollars in the stream of commerce or rising prices due to limited supplies will help lower the value of the dollar. In this country, for example, "the dollar lost about three-fourths of its value between 1965 to 1985; between 1985 and 2005, it lost a bit over one-third of its value." (Hoar 42)
This dramatic decrease in dollar value is due to inflation. This occurrence is precisely why older Americans will reminisce about how a movie and a Coke cost them less than a dollar. The dollar is still the same, but the amount it can purchase has decreased and will more than likely continue to decrease in the future.

Wrapping Inflation and the CPI Up

If a person is purchasing goods or services in America then inflation and the CPI are important concepts to understand. Understanding these two concepts will help a person better plan their future and allow them to stay calm when their money cannot buy them as much as before.

Works Cited

Cogley, Timothy. "A Simple Adaptive Measure of Core Inflation." Journal of Money, Credit & Banking 34.1 (2002): 94+.
Frenkel, Michael, and Gil Mehrez. "Inflation and the Misallocation of Resources." Economic Inquiry 38.4 (2000): 616-628.
Greenlees, John S., and Charles C. Mason. "Overview of the 1998 Revision of the Consumer Price Index." Monthly Labor Review 119.12 (1996): 3+.
Hoar, William P. "Myths about Inflation." The New American 12 Dec. 2005: 42+.
Moulton, Brent R. "Basic Components of the CPI: Estimation of Price Changes." Monthly Labor Review 116.12 (1993): 13+.
Wilson, George W. Inflation Causes, Consequences, and Cures. 1st ed. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1982.

Inflation Article

Understanding Inflation: An Overview, Measuring and Its Role on the Economy written by James Richard Robbins III.

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Lonedell Woman Paula Pursley Found Dead

2011-10-04T20:03:00.001-05:00

October 4, 2011

The Franklin County Sheriff's Department confirms the death of a 45-year-old Franklin County woman. Deputies say a family friend went to a residence in the 600 block of Lynn Lane in Lonedell to pick up her friend. When the friend arrived to the house around ten-forty this morning, the woman was found sitting in a chair unresponsive at the time. St. Clair Ambulance arrived at the scene and pronounced Paula Pursley deceased. The Sheriff's Office responded to the call. There are no signs of foul play at this time. The victim had reportedly been having problems with headaches in the past.

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Eric Holder to Take the Fall for Obama UPDATE: Obama Administration Under Fire Inept Gun Trafficking Investigation 'Project Gunrunner'

2011-10-04T09:52:00.000-05:00

VIDEO: Obstruction of Justice Eric Holder Fast and Furious Obama Fall Guy LIAR - Three Dog Night
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ATF Fast and Furious: New documents show Attorney General Eric Holder was briefed in July 2010

By Sharyl Attkisson
cbsnews
October 4, 2011

WASHINGTON - New documents obtained by CBS News show Attorney General Eric Holder was sent briefings on the controversial Fast and Furious operation as far back as July 2010. That directly contradicts his statement to Congress.
On May 3, 2011, Holder told a Judiciary Committee hearing, "I'm not sure of the exact date, but I probably heard about Fast and Furious for the first time over the last few weeks."
Yet internal Justice Department documents show that at least ten months before that hearing, Holder began receiving frequent memos discussing Fast and Furious.
Read the new documents
Read the July 5, 2010 memo Read the "It's a tricky case" email Read the memo to AG Holder from Asst. AG Lanny A. Breuer The documents came from the head of the National Drug Intelligence Center and Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer.
In Fast and Furious, ATF agents allegedly allowed thousands of weapons to cross the border and fall into the hands of Mexican drug cartels.
Gunwalking scandal uncovered at ATF
It's called letting guns "walk," and it remained secret to the public until Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered last December. Two guns from Fast and Furious were found at the scene, and ATF agent John Dodson blew the whistle on the operation.
Agent: I was ordered to let guns "walk" into Mexico
Ever since, the Justice Department has publicly tried to distance itself. But the new documents leave no doubt that high level Justice officials knew guns were being "walked."
Two Justice Department officials mulled it over in an email exchange Oct. 18, 2010. "It's a tricky case given the number of guns that have walked but is a significant set of prosecutions," says Jason Weinstein, Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division. Deputy Chief of the National Gang Unit James Trusty replies "I'm not sure how much grief we get for 'guns walking.' It may be more like, "Finally they're going after people who sent guns down there."
The Justice Department told CBS News that the officials in those emails were talking about a different case started before Eric Holder became Attorney General. And tonight they tell CBS News, Holder misunderstood that question from the committee - he did know about Fast and Furious - just not the details.

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Obama Administration Under Mounting Pressure for Botched Gun Trafficking Investigation

By William La Jeunesse

March 28, 2011

FoxNews.com

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Congress and the Department of Justice appear to be headed for a showdown this week over documents detailing Operation Fast and Furious, the botched gunrunning sting set up by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that funneled more than 1,700 smuggled weapons from Arizona to Mexico.

The Justice Department has until Wednesday to deliver to congressional investigators a stack of records and emails naming the individuals responsible for the gun trafficking operation that may have killed dozens, if not hundreds of Mexicans, and is becoming a growing embarrassment for the Obama administration.

Under Project Gunrunner and the Phoenix off-shoot, dubbed Fast and Furious, the ATF encouraged gun store owners to sell to straw buyers -- consumers who they suspected of working on behalf of Mexican drug cartels.

Project Gunrunner purposely allowed the straw buyers to illegally buy and export guns only to see where they surfaced in Mexico. Using this investigative technique, the ATF hoped to take down the entire gun trafficking organization. Instead, records show it allowed more than 1,700 guns, including hundreds of AK-47s and high-powered, armor-piercing .50-caliber rifles to be trafficked to Mexico

Buying guns for non-personal use is illegal. Yet gun store owners were assured by ATF agents the buyers were under investigation and the guns were being intercepted before crossing into Mexico.

Instead, whistleblowers say the guns were allowed "to walk."

President Obama, speaking for the first time about the growing scandal, conceded last week Fast and Furious may have been "a serious mistake," but he claimed, "I did not authorize it; Eric Holder, the attorney general, did not authorize it. He's been very clear that our policy is to catch gunrunners and put them into jail."

But an investigation by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, could show otherwise.

The ATF operates under Justice Department, and two assistant U.S. attorneys in Phoenix authorized virtually every wiretap, affidavit and investigation conducted in Operation Fast and Furious.

Some, like Issa, wonder how Holder could not have known about an investigation that size.

"One of the questions we always ask is who is lying," Issa told Fox News. "We lose our credibility if we don't come clean and make the changes necessary to save lives on both sides of the border."

If the Justice Department and ATF refuse to deliver the records Issa requested, as it already has done with similar requests by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Issa can subpoena the records.

"We will subpoena if we have to, we'll hold hearings if we have to, we'll call in officials if we have to. But at the end of the day, the two Americans likely to have died as a result of this action pale in comparison to the countless numbers of Mexicans who have been killed," said Issa.

He is referring to Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Jamie Zapata. The guns used to kill both men have been linked to Project Gunrunner.

Humberto Trevino, a senior Mexican lawmaker, says at least 150 people have been shot with ATF-monitored gun

Read more:

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COLOR OF LAW FILES: Nationwide Hoax Illegal to Film Cops Despite Clear Legal Precedent to the Contrary

2011-10-01T19:13:00.002-05:00

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Cops Try To Hit Illinois Man With 15 Year Jail Sentence For Recording Traffic Stop

Despite clear legal precedent, nationwide hoax that it is illegal to film cops prevails
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
October 1, 2011
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Cops arrested an Illinois man and tried to hit him with a 15-year jail sentence for “eavesdropping” after the man filmed his own traffic stop, in another example of how citizens are being intimidated out of documenting the actions of public servants despite every single case against Americans for recording police officers being thrown out of court.
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“I’m just an ordinary citizen. I was on my way to the movies, and all of a sudden I’m facing a felony and 15 years in prison,” Frobe told ABC7.

Convinced that he had been stopped unfairly because he was not in a 35-mile-an-hour zone, Frobe used his flip camera to record the incident in Lindenhurst, before being arrested on “eavesdropping charges”.

Officer: “That recording? Frobe : “Yes, Yes, I’ve been… Officer: “Was it recording all of our conversation? Frobe: “Yes. Officer: “Guess what? You were eavesdropping on our conversation. I did not give you permission to do so. Step out of the vehicle.”

“I was terrified. I was absolutely terrified. I was begging him, I said I didn’t know about this law. Would you please take the camera – this is no big deal – and smash it. You know I didn’t know about the law,” Frobe told ABC7.

“And they had audio and they had video on me, but I’m not allowed to do it to them. I’m in a private car on a public street and it’s a public official. Why shouldn’t I be able to record what’s going on to prove my innocence?” he said.

After spending a night in jail, Frobe was released the next day and all charges against him were dropped. However, Frobe has decided to file a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law, an effort the Attorney General’s office has dismissed, but legal precedent clearly indicates that Frobe will win the case.

The Illinois eavesdropping law has been proven unconstitutional time and time again, and yet police in the state and other states around the country with even less strict laws are still arresting citizens for filming police officers. There is no reasonable expectation of privacy in a public place – that’s why police are allowed to film citizens from dashboard cameras. However, citizens are still being told they have less rights than public servants.

“It’s a public conversation about a public function. A traffic stop,” attorney Torri Hamilton said.

“He has no reasonable expectation that his conversation with Louis is private, and so therefore it shouldn’t be criminal to record it,” said Hamilton.
That stance has been backed up by court rulings over and over again, most recently in the case of Michael Allison, the 41-year old Illinois mechanic who faced life in jail for recording police officers. Despite aggressive efforts by the state to secure a prosecution, Circuit Court Judge David Frankland ruled that Allison’s First Amendment rights had been violated, that the eavesdropping law was unconstitutional, and dropped the case.
Frankland’s decision followed a First Circuit Court of Appeals ruling which found that, “The filming of government officials engaged in their duties in a public place, including police officers performing their responsibilities, fits comfortably within these principles [of protected First Amendment activity].”
Indeed, every similar case nationwide has concluded in all charges being dropped against the defendant. It is not illegal to film police officers in public.
Despite these rulings, we seem to have entered some kind of twilight zone where legal precedent no longer has any meaning. This is the true measure of a predatory police state. Cops are still being trained by their superiors that recording police officers is a criminal offense.

It’s time to put an end to the hoax once and for all – it’s going to take a deluge of lawsuits like that being pursued by Louis Frobe to finally teach law enforcement bodies in America that citizens will not have their First Amendment rights trampled. Filming police officers is not a crime and cops who arrest Americans for doing so will be sued personally.

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Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a regular fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show.

EDITORS NOTE:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Color of law refers to an appearance of legal power to act but which may operate in violation of law. For example, though a police officer acts with the "color of law" authority to arrest someone, if such an arrest is made without probable cause the arrest may actually be in violation of law. In other words, just because something is done with the "color of law", that does not mean that the action was lawful. When police act outside their lawful authority and violate the civil rights of a citizen, the FBI is tasked with investigating.

The Supreme Court has interpreted the United States Constitution to construct laws regulating the actions of the law enforcement community. Under "color of law", it is a crime for one or more persons using power given to him or her by a governmental agency (local, state or federal), to willfully deprive or conspire to deprive another person of any right protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States. Enforcement of "color of law" does not require that any racial, religious, or other discriminatory motive existed. Criminal acts under color of law include acts within and beyond the bounds or limits of lawful authority. Off-duty conduct may also be covered if official status is asserted in some manner. Color of law may include forced vaccinations for school aged children under threat of expulsion or placing the child's parents under arrest where no law exists to do so. Color of law may include public officials and non-governmental employees who are not law enforcement officers such as judges, prosecutors, and private security guards. Furthermore, in many states it is unlawful to falsely impersonate a police officer, a federal officer or employee, or any other public official or to use equipment used by law enforcement officers, such as flashing lights or a fake police badge. "Possession of a firearm also can enhance the penalty for false impersonation of a police officer."

In U.S. law, the term color of denotes the “mere semblance of legal right”, the “pretense or appearance of” right; hence, an action done under color of law colors (adjusts) the law to the circumstance, yet said apparently legal action contravenes the law.

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FROST ADVISORY ISSUED FOR SUNDAY MORNING!!! Hermann Mo News Weather Center: VIDEO WEATHER FORECAST: East Central Missouri

2011-10-01T14:56:00.000-05:00

Conditions and Forecast @ 3 PM CST

Frost Advisory

Statement as of 2:25 PM CDT on October 01, 2011

... Frost advisory in effect from 4 am to 8 am CDT Sunday...

The National Weather Service in St Louis has issued a frost
advisory... which is in effect from 4 am to 8 am CDT Sunday.

* Timing... frost will develop early Sunday morning and last to about
an hour after sunrise.

* Temperatures... low temperatures in the mid 30s.

* Impacts... sensitive outdoor plants and other vegetation could be
damaged or even killed by the cold temperatures if left
unprotected.

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

A frost advisory is issued when frost is expected to develop
during the growing season. Those with agricultural interests in
the advisory area should protect tender vegetation. Also... potted
plants normally left outdoors should be covered or brought inside
away from the cold.

LATEST FORECAST COVERAGE

Press PLAY> Above to watch latest forecast!!!
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Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar | Hurricane Center

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Hermann riverfront during minor flood of 10 May 2007 at 25.6 feet. PHOTO BELOW

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Hermann Middle School May 25, 2011

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Blizzard Of 2011, Drive Thru Hermann, Missouri, Hwy 100 Heading East 2/2/2011
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Weather Events - Photos and Videos:

Beautiful spring pear tree blooms! (Photo by Kathleen Mccarthy)

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BASEBALL SIZE HAIL!!!

on April 22, 2011
Diane Delude wrote to say:

The Pics were taken at my house, about 5 miles south of Hermann proper on Hwy 19

Thanks for the photos(3) and video(1) Diane!!!

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Golf Ball Size Hail in Warrenton MO 4-22-2011

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The two photos below were provided by Nicholas Presser via Facebook on March 4, 2011. Thanks Nicholas!!!
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Anti-Wall Street Protest Spreads to West Coast Against Banks, Non-Tax Paying Corporations

2011-09-30T06:43:00.002-05:00

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September 30, 2011

Anti-corporate activists in San Fransisco, fired up by a fortnight of protest on wall Street, vent their fury against banks and financial players in a mass protest yesterday.
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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Obama May Pull a Johnson and Bow Out of 2012 Presidential Race say Dick Morris Former Clinton Adviser

2011-09-30T04:08:00.002-05:00

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Fmr. Clinton Adviser: 'Very Possible' Obama Will Bow Out of Presidential Race - For Now

By Grant M. Dahl

September 30, 2011

http://cnsnews.com

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In an interview with conservative radio icon Sean Hannity, former President Clinton adviser and campaign manager Dick Morris stated that, after speaking with a Democratic strategist, he thinks it is “very possible” that President Obama might acquiesce to requests from the Democratic leadership in Congress and bow out of the 2012 race, leaving the door open for him to return sometime in the future.
“I asked a top Democratic strategist the other day and he thought that it was possible that, in January, Harry Reid comes to Obama and says, ‘Look you cost us control of the House last year, you’re going to cost us control of the Senate this year. For the good of the party you have to step aside’” said Morris.
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“And, then, (Obama) pulls a Lyndon Johnson, he says ‘I’m fighting to solve the recession, and problem is because of partisanship and my re-election people reject everything I say because of partisanship, so I’m going to not run for president and focus my full time attention on solving this recession’ and then go out popular,” Morris added.

The strategy proposed here is an interesting one. With his approval ratings at an all time low, Obama is looking at a very high likelihood of a defeat in the 2012 elections and forecasters, using the examples of the 2011 special elections in New York City and Nevada, have forecast a very high probability of losses across the nation for the Democratic Party because of Obama.
A withdrawal by President Obama, with a statement that the reason he’s bowing out is to solve the recession, would likely allow the Democratic Party to recover some of its popularity and allow the president to present himself as rising above the partisan fights in Congress with a higher goal in mind. This would help the Democrats to better portray the Republicans, and especially the Tea Party, as the stubborn, non-compromising party uninterested in truly solving the nation’s problems.
Morris added that he thinks that this strategy could also set up Obama for a presidential run in a later election.
“The twenty second amendment does not preclude non-consecutive terms, he is young, (he could) preserve himself as a possible candidate down the road” said Morris. “We’ve seen how Bill Clinton is much more popular now then he was when he was leaving office, same with Jimmy Carter.”
Intriguing as that possibility is, however, non-consecutive presidential terms have only happened once before in American politics, though they have been attempted by a few former presidents. The only president to successfully serve non-consecutive terms was Democrat Grover Cleveland who won election in 1884, lost in 1888, and won in 1892.

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Obama Comedy Of Errors VIDEO

2011-09-30T01:53:00.000-05:00

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Obama Can't Get On Track Without Teleprompter - Da...Da...Da...Dats All Folks
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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Enjoy Oktoberfest in Beautiful Hermann Missouri

2011-09-29T20:11:00.000-05:00

Oktoberfest in Hermann, Mo. 2010

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Oktoberfest is always the first four weekends of October, starting October 1 this year. Now is the time to reserve lodging for this popular event. Visitors flock to Hermann to enjoy brilliant fall color, oom-pah bands and brats on the grill.
www.visithermann.com
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Saturday, October 1

Historic Hermann's Museum at the German School
Fourth & Schiller. 10:00 to 4:00. Self-guided tours of newly renovated museum rooms. Adults, $5; students, $3; children 5 and under free.

Deutschheim State Historic Site
107 West Second, 10:00 to 4:00. Free exhibits and interpretive displays. Guided tours at 10:00, 12:30 and 2:30. Adults $4, students and children $2.50.

White House Hotel
232 East Wharf Street. Ticket and information booth opens at 10:00. Self-guided tour Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to closing. Guided interactive lantern tours with actors in period costumes at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

Hermannhof Festhalle
East First Street. 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. German music by the Loehnig Family, wine, beer & brats.

Stone Hill Winery
Noon to 5:00 p.m. Music by the Pat Auberry Accordion Duo. Special Octoberfest menu at Vintage Restaurant.

Lion's Club Kettle Corn
First & Schiller. 11:00 to 5:00. Hot dogs, brats & drinks.

Masonic Lodge Caboose
East First Street. Brats, burgers, hot dogs, lemonade, soda & homemade ice cream.

Oktoberfest German Bier Garten
Sequicentennial Park on Gutenberg Street. Food available from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Live entertainment from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Red Barn Crafts & Antiques
523 West Ninth. 10:00 to 5:00. Where the past comes alive through tools of yesteryear.

Music at the Bank Bar
Live music by The Bluff-Tones at the Bank Bar on Schiller Street. 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 2

Butch Wax & The Hollywoods
Hermann Amphitheater, Fourth & Gutenberg, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Groove to the beat of the 60s, 70s and Motown with the hottest band around. Tickets: $10. Purchase tickets online, at the Welcome Center or at the gate. Lawn-chair seating, full concessions (no coolers, please).

Historic Hermann's Museum at the German School
Fourth & Schiller. Noon to 4:00. Self-guided tours of newly renovated museum rooms. Adults, $5; students, $3; children 5 and under free.

Deutschheim State Historic Site
107 West Second, 10:00 to 4:00. Free exhibits and interpretive displays. Guided tours at 10:00, 12:30 and 2:30. Adults $4, students and children $2.50.

Stone Hill Winery
Noon to 5:00 p.m. Music by the Pat Auberry Accordion Duo. Special Octoberfest menu at Vintage Restaurant.

Lion's Club Kettle Corn
First & Schiller. 11:00 to 5:00. Hot dogs, brats & drinks.

Masonic Lodge Caboose
East First Street. Brats, burgers, hot dogs, lemonade, soda & homemade ice cream.

Red Barn Crafts & Antiques
523 West Ninth. Noon to 5:00 p.m. Where the past comes alive through tools of yesteryear.

Saturday, October 8

60th Annual Arts and Crafts Festival
Hermann Middle School, Highway 100 West, 9:00 to 5:00. Exhibition and sale of a wide variety of handcrafted items. Sponsored by the Brush & Palette Club. $1 donation.

Historic Hermann's Museum at the German School
Fourth & Schiller. 10:00 to 4:00. Self-guided tours of newly renovated museum rooms. Adults, $5; students, $3; children 5 and under free.

Deutschheim State Historic Site
107 West Second, 10:00 to 4:00. Free exhibits and interpretive displays. Guided tours at 10:00, 12:30 and 2:30. Adults $4, students and children $2.50.

Hermannhof Festhalle
East First Street. 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. German music by the Loehnig Family, wine, beer & brats.

Stone Hill Winery
Noon to 5:00 p.m. Music by the Pat Auberry Accordion Duo. Special Octoberfest menu at Vintage Restaurant.

Lion's Club Kettle Corn
First & Schiller. 11:00 to 5:00. Hot dogs, brats & drinks.

Masonic Lodge Caboose
East First Street. Brats, burgers, hot dogs, lemonade, soda & homemade ice cream.

Oktoberfest German Bier Garten
Sequicentennial Park on Gutenberg Street. Food available from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Live entertainment by Badlands, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Red Barn Crafts & Antiques
523 West Ninth. 10:00 to 5:00. Where the past comes alive through tools of yesteryear.

St. George Church Smorgasbord Dinner
128 West Fourth Street. Serving 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Music at the Bank Bar
Live music at the Bank Bar on Schiller Street. 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 9

60th Annual Arts and Crafts Festival
Hermann Middle School, Highway 100 West, 10:00 to 4:00. Exhibition and sale of a wide variety of handcrafted items. Sponsored by the Brush & Palette Club. $1 donation

Historic Hermann's Museum at the German School
Fourth & Schiller. Noon to 4:00. Self-guided tours of newly renovated museum rooms. Adults, $5; students, $3; children 5 and under free.

Deutschheim State Historic Site
107 West Second, 10:00 to 4:00. Free exhibits and interpretive displays. Guided tours at 10:00, 12:30 and 2:30. Adults $4, students and children $2.50.

Stone Hill Winery
Noon to 5:00 p.m. Music by Ed Morris. Special Octoberfest menu at Vintage Restaurant.

Lion's Club Kettle Corn
First & Schiller. 11:00 to 5:00. Hot dogs, brats & drinks.

Masonic Lodge Caboose
East First Street. Brats, burgers, hot dogs, lemonade, soda & homemade ice cream.

Red Barn Crafts & Antiques
523 West Ninth. Noon to 5:00. Where the past comes alive through tools of yesteryear.

St. George Church Smorgasbord Dinner
128 West Fourth Street. Serving 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 15

Artists of Wine Country
10:00 to 5:00. Free self-guided tour. Meet award-winning artist, discover unique holiday gifts. Artists profiles and maps available from the Welcome Center.

Historic Hermann's Museum at the German School
Fourth & Schiller. 10:00 to 4:00. Self-guided tours of newly renovated museum rooms. Adults, $5; students, $3; children 5 and under free.

Deutschheim State Historic Site
107 West Second, 10:00 to 4:00. Free exhibits and interpretive displays. Guided tours at 10:00, 12:30 and 2:30. Adults $4, students and children $2.50.

Hermannhof Festhalle
East First Street. 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. German music by the Loehnig Family, wine, beer & brats.

Stone Hill Winery
Noon to 5:00 p.m. Music by the Pat Auberry Accordion Duo. Special Octoberfest menu at Vintage Restaurant.

Lion's Club Kettle Corn
First & Schiller. 11:00 to 5:00. Hot dogs, brats & drinks.

Masonic Lodge Caboose
East First Street. Brats, burgers, hot dogs, lemonade, soda & homemade ice cream.

Oktoberfest German Bier Garten
Sequicentennial Park on Gutenberg Street. Food available from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Live entertainment by Pilot Grove, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Red Barn Crafts & Antiques
523 West Ninth. 10:00 to 5:00. Where the past comes alive through tools of yesteryear.

Music at the Bank Bar
Live music by Play'n with Sharon at the Bank Bar on Schiller Street. 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 16

Artists of Wine Country
11:00 to 4:00. Free self-guided tour. Meet award-winning artist, discover unique holiday gifts. Artists profiles and maps available from the Welcome Center.

Historic Hermann's Museum at the German School
Fourth & Schiller. Noon to 4:00. Self-guided tours of newly renovated museum rooms. Adults, $5; students, $3; children 5 and under free.

Deutschheim State Historic Site
107 West Second, 10:00 to 4:00. Free exhibits and interpretive displays. Guided tours at 10:00, 12:30 and 2:30. Adults $4, students and children $2.50.

Stone Hill Winery
Noon to 5:00 p.m. Music by the Pat Auberry Accordion Duo. Special Octoberfest menu at Vintage Restaurant.

Lion's Club Kettle Corn
First & Schiller. 11:00 to 5:00. Hot dogs, brats & drinks.

Masonic Lodge Caboose
East First Street. Brats, burgers, hot dogs, lemonade, soda & homemade ice cream.

Red Barn Crafts & Antiques
523 West Ninth. 10:00 to 5:00. Where the past comes alive through tools of yesteryear.

Saturday, October 22

Historic Hermann's Museum at the German School
Fourth & Schiller. 10:00 to 4:00. Self-guided tours of newly renovated museum rooms. Adults, $5; students, $3; children 5 and under free.

Deutschheim State Historic Site
107 West Second, 10:00 to 4:00. Free exhibits and interpretive displays. Guided tours at 10:00, 12:30 and 2:30. Adults $4, students and children $2.50.

Hermannhof Festhalle
East First Street. 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. German music by the Loehnig Family, wine, beer & brats.

Stone Hill Winery
Noon to 5:00 p.m. Music by the Pat Auberry Accordion Duo. Special Octoberfest menu at Vintage Restaurant.

Lion's Club Kettle Corn
First & Schiller. 11:00 to 5:00. Hot dogs, brats & drinks.

Oktoberfest German Bier Garten
Sequicentennial Park on Gutenberg Street. Food available from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Live entertainment by Tumbleweed, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Red Barn Crafts & Antiques
523 West Ninth. 10:00 to 5:00. Where the past comes alive through tools of yesteryear.

Music at the Bank Bar
Live music by Play'n with Sharon at the Bank Bar on Schiller Street. 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 23

Historic Hermann's Museum at the German School
Fourth & Schiller. Noon to 4:00. Self-guided tours of newly renovated museum rooms. Adults, $5; students, $3; children 5 and under free.

Deutschheim State Historic Site
107 West Second, 10:00 to 4:00. Free exhibits and interpretive displays. Guided tours at 10:00, 12:30 and 2:30. Adults $4, students and children $2.50.

Stone Hill Winery
Noon to 5:00 p.m. Music by the Pat Auberry Accordion Duo. Special Octoberfest menu at Vintage Restaurant.

Lion's Club Kettle Corn
First & Schiller. 11:00 to 5:00. Hot dogs, brats & drinks.

Red Barn Crafts & Antiques
523 West Ninth. 10:00 to 5:00. Where the past comes alive through tools of yesteryear.

Cemetery Walk
Hermann City Cemetery, 3:00 p.m. Learn about Hermann history from actors in period costume. Sponsored by the Gasconade County Historical Society. Tickets available from the Archives Center, corner of Fourth and Schiller.

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Special Oktoberfest events are scheduled at area wineries and the Tin Mill Brewery

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______________________________________________________ ___________________________ . . VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== . Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

More Fee Gouging From Banks: 5 Dollar Debit Card Fee

2011-09-29T18:32:00.000-05:00

More bad news for bank customers: Debit card fees
Associated Press
September 29, 2011

Locally, Peoples Savings Bank started charging $2 if you needed a question regarding your account answered over the phone. SEE STORY HERE
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Will a monthly debit card fee soon be the norm? Bank of America said Thursday that it plans to start charging a $5 monthly fee when customers make debit card purchases. The fee will be rolled out starting early next year.

Paying to use a debit card was unheard of before this year and is still a novel concept for many consumers. But several banks have recently introduced or started testing debit card fees. That's in addition to the spate of other unwelcome changes checking account customers have seen in the past year.

Bank of America's announcement carries added weight because it is the largest U.S. bank by deposits.

The fee will apply to basic accounts, which are marketed toward those with modest balances, and will be in addition to any existing monthly service fees. For example, one such account charges a $12 monthly fee unless customers meet certain conditions, such as maintaining a minimum average balance of $1,500.

Customers will only be charged the fee if they use their debit cards for purchases in any given month, said Anne Pace, a Bank of America spokeswoman. Those who only use their cards at ATMs won't have to pay.

The debit card fee is just the latest twist in the rapidly evolving market for checking account.

A study by Bankrate.com this week found that just 45 percent of checking accounts are now free with no strings attached, down from 65 percent last year and 76 percent in 2009. Customers can still get free checking in most cases, but only if they meet certain conditions, such as setting up direct deposit.

The study also found that the total average cost for using an ATM rose to $3.81, from $3.74, the year before. The average overdraft fee inched up to $30.83, from $30.47

The changes come ahead of a regulation that goes into effect next month.

Starting Oct. 1, the regulation will cap the fees that banks can collect from merchants whenever customers swipe their debit cards. Those fees generated $19 billion in revenue for banks in 2009, according to the Nilson Report, which tracks the payments industry.

There is no similar cap on the merchant fees that banks can collect when customers use their credit cards, however. That means many banks are increasingly encouraging customers to reach for their credit cards, in hopes of reversing a trend toward debit card usage in the past several years.

An increasing reliance on credit cards would be particularly beneficial for big institutions like Bank of America, which have large credit card portfolios, notes Bart Narter, a banking analyst with Celent, a consulting firm.

"It's become a more profitable business, at least in relation to debit cards," Narter said.

This summer, an Associated Press-GfK poll found that two-thirds of consumers use debit cards more frequently than credit cards. But when asked how they would react if they were charged a $3 monthly debit card fee, 61 percent said they'd find another way to pay.

With a $5 fee, 66 percent said they would change their payment method.

Several banks are nevertheless moving ahead with debit card fees.

SunTrust, a regional bank based in Atlanta, began charging a $5 debit card fee on its basic checking accounts this summer. Regions Financial, which is based in Birmingham, Ala., plans to start charging a $4 fee next month.

Chase and Wells Fargo are also testing $3 monthly debit card fees in select markets. Neither bank has said when it will make a final decision on whether to roll out the fee more broadly.

The growing prevalence of the debit card fee is alarming for Josh Wood, a 32-year-old financial adviser in Amarillo, Texas.

Wood relies entirely on debit cards to avoid interest charges on a credit card. If his bank, Wells Fargo, began charging a debit card fee, he said he would take his business to a credit union.

If a debit fee became so prevalent that it was unavoidable, Wood said he's not sure how he'd react.

"I might use all cash. Or go back to writing checks," he said.

Bank of America's debit card fee will be rolled out in stages starting with select states in early 2012. The company would not say which states would be affected first.

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Donate To Keep This Site Alive
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VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Hard Times For 46 Million Americans On Food Stamps (ETB) Highest Amount Ever

2011-09-29T16:34:00.001-05:00

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In hard times, poor Americans Struggle to feed their famlies.
One in six people in the U.S. didn't have enough money to put food on the table. Food insecurity is at its highest level in the US since 1995, and local officials report significant increases in the number of families seeking help.
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More Americans are in poverty right now, meaning more children are going to sleep hungry at night.

Nationwide, more than 16-million children live in homes with parents struggling to put enough food on the table.

Dr. Megan Sandel is at Boston Medical Center's unique "Grow Clinic." It specializes in treating underweight & malnourished children.

"People think about acute malnutrition and they may look at Somalia. What we see is chronic malnutrition, stunted growth, kids that are the size of a one year old when they're two years old. And they're not going to be able to make up for that for the rest of their lives."

Emergency rooms in boston are seeing a spike in severely-underweight children ages five & younger.

In other cities like Baltimore, Minneapolis, Philadelphia & Little Rock, Arkansas, the number of malnourished kids have doubled in the last two years many doctors say, because of the recession.

The latest numbers show that 46 million people are on food stamps.

Now, there's a renewed debate in Congress over what food stamps can and can't buy.

For example, food stamps can't be used for beer, wine, liquor or cigarettes.

They also can't be used for vitamins, prepared food from a store, pet food, or toilet paper.

But soft drinks, candy, cookies, ice cream and birthday cake are allowed.

Now, some restaurants in Florida, Michigan, Arizona and California are permitted to serve the homeless, disabled and elderly paying with food stamps.

Some fast-food companies want to expand that and allow people to buy fast food with food stamps.

Some advocates for the hungry think it's a great idea, while public health advocates think the program should be geared toward more nutritious food.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture runs the program.

Congress will be debating if a change should be made to what can and can't be bought with food stamps (EBT Cards - Electronic Benefit Transfer).

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Donate To Keep This Site Alive
_________________________________________________________________________________ . .

VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Fierce Firefight Between U.S. forces, Taliban Militants - September 2011 VIDEO

2011-09-29T15:21:00.001-05:00

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Nato released video shows a fierce firefight between U.S. forces and what they say were Taliban militants, two of whom they say were killed, in Kandalay village in southern Afghanistan.
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Donate To Keep This Site Alive
______________________________________________________ ___________________________ . .

VIDEO: MISSOURI THE BEAUTIFUL Take a patriotic tour of the Show Me State's natural wonders . . ========================================================== .

Important Note: FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog may contain copyrighted (©) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use." . ________________________________________________________________________

Poor Richard 2011: HermannMoNews.blogspot.com Hermann, Missouri - News & Commentary

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Franklin County man gets 100 years in prison for producing child porn

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Obama Repeals the 5th Amendment

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Visitors Enjoy a Nuclear Amusement Park in Germany

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Surrender

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Inflation Calculator: Money’s Real Worth Over Time

Inflation Calculator*

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Understanding Inflation: An Overview, Measuring and Its Role on the Economy

Overview of Inflation and its Pressure on the Economy: Spending, Demand and Supply

Measures of Inflation: Consumer Price Index (CPI), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Bryan-Cecchetti model

The Consumer Price Index (CPI)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

The Bryan-Cecchetti model

The Role Inflation Play on the Economy

Wrapping Inflation and the CPI Up

Works Cited

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Lonedell Woman Paula Pursley Found Dead

Eric Holder to Take the Fall for Obama UPDATE: Obama Administration Under Fire Inept Gun Trafficking Investigation 'Project Gunrunner'

ATF Fast and Furious: New documents show Attorney General Eric Holder was briefed in July 2010

Obama Administration Under Mounting Pressure for Botched Gun Trafficking Investigation

COLOR OF LAW FILES: Nationwide Hoax Illegal to Film Cops Despite Clear Legal Precedent to the Contrary

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FROST ADVISORY ISSUED FOR SUNDAY MORNING!!! Hermann Mo News Weather Center: VIDEO WEATHER FORECAST: East Central Missouri

Anti-Wall Street Protest Spreads to West Coast Against Banks, Non-Tax Paying Corporations

Obama May Pull a Johnson and Bow Out of 2012 Presidential Race say Dick Morris Former Clinton Adviser

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Enjoy Oktoberfest in Beautiful Hermann Missouri

More Fee Gouging From Banks: 5 Dollar Debit Card Fee

Hard Times For 46 Million Americans On Food Stamps (ETB) Highest Amount Ever

Fierce Firefight Between U.S. forces, Taliban Militants - September 2011 VIDEO