Here's a clever and judicious use of the open space that is required around a busy airport like Chicago's O'Hare: An apiary. That's a Bee Farm for those of you who don't know.
There are now 1.5 million bees living in beehives in this open space. The beehives are tended mainly by carefully screened former convicts. The felons work for Sweet Beginnings, an enterprise that employs them as beekeepers, landscapers and food processors. Ooooo-Kay. Sounds like a Honey of a Job. Kinda takes the sting out of being an ex-con.
The Daily Herald has a quote from the CEO of Sweet Beginnings that I found encouraging:
"Bees don't distinguish between weeds and flowers," Palms Barber said. "They see it all as a source of food and turn whatever they draw from into something sweet and good. That's what we do with these men and women. There is good in them as well."
Since the land that's used for beekeeping is in what's called the runway protection zone, it can't be developed. The open space was already vegetated with plants that attract bees. So the bees get a good home, the felons have a chance to learn meaningful skills while being employed. In the current economy who knows how many beekeepers we'll need?
If they're smart, other airports across the country will replicate this model.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
08/25/2011 10:37 ||
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The beehives are tended mainly by carefully screened former convicts.
Doing the jobs that law abiding citizens won't do.
#3
Hilarious full circle for bee fanciers. Considering how "mainstream journalism" missed the Wright Brothers first flight, and "Gleanings in Bee Culture" had the scoop in reporting it, it's fitting bees should take up lots of space around flight operations.
If "journalists" missed the story of the millenium, why should expect any more of them today?
Now, if DARPA could just deploy one of the various bee-inspired devices they've been working on we'd really be making progress.
Russia may fail to fulfill its obligations in delivering crews to the International Space Station after Wednesday's accident with Russia's Progress M-12M space freighter, a source in Russia's space industry said.
The space freighter fell in South Siberia's Altai Republic on Wednesday after failing to separate from the Soyuz-U carrier rocket, the first loss of the Progress freighter in the history of Russia's space industry. A rocket engine failure is believed to have caused the accident.
"The scheduled launches of the [Soyuz] rockets are likely to be suspended because of the space freighter accident... until the reasons [of the accident] are established," the source said.
This means that members of the International Space Station's crew are likely to stay at the station longer than planned and that the new crew will not be able to replace them on schedule, he said.
A special commission was created from representatives of Roscosmos and other space industry organizations to investigate the accident.
Russia has carried out more than 130 successful launches of Progress space freighters since they entered service in 1972.
Wednesday's accident is the second spacecraft loss for the Russian space industry in within a week. On August 18, the Express AM-4 telecommunications satellite failed to separate from the Proton-M carrier rocket and could not reach the designated orbit.
Posted by: Water Modem ||
08/25/2011 00:19 ||
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OOOOOOOOO, you just know the ISS will crash, + the crew will wake up from their induced slumber to find a future Earth ruled by Talking Apes.
[CHARLESTON HESTON, BEACH BABE, HOSS + WRECKED STATUE OF LIBERTY here].
That link to the Accuweather satellite loop was an excellent idea. We east coasters can hope for a jog to the east later today. At least the storm failed to reach cat 4 last night.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
08/25/2011 9:21 Comments ||
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Hurricane Irae, newc?
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
08/25/2011 9:58 Comments ||
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Get ready for a massive spending surge to rebuild the East Coast. Billions spent nothing done, never let a crises go to waste.
#11
per the 5 pm analysis, the hurricane hasn't gotten any stronger (winds or central pressure) for the past day or so
now, if we could just have a turn to the east and/or some significant dry air mixing into the core from the west, the total damage would be a lot less (although some might get hurt worse)
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
08/25/2011 17:17 Comments ||
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Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States.
"Good afternoon. Today, I come before you with regrettably bad news. Today, we have undisputed proof that we are indeed under threat by a massive collusion of non-man-made-disasters which threaten to destroy my summer of recovery.
I have therefore called together my job security council here at the blind bunker of hole 8. It is apparent there is a group which will stop at nothing to destroy our late August way of life. We are witness to a hurricane which directly targets the goals of this administration. This comes on the heels of an earthquake, not to mention the Japanese tsunami.
Let me be clear. This is Bush's fault. We are now witness to the chickens of the previous adminstration's errors - the menacing carrier task force off the coast of Indonesia and US troops near Pakistani Kashmir are the most known examples the US aggression against mother gaia.
It is with this understanding that I sortee the 2nd Fleet - sortee is Quebecian for go out - to intercept Irene. I do this not because it may extend mine and many others' vacations but to show that I, too, can get the weather forecasts at Martha's Vineyard.
Good night. Good luck. And may you blame this on the TEA Party."
[VOA] Joice Mujuru, vice president of Zim-bob-we, said she is suspicious about how her husband, Solomon Mujuru, died. Mujuru, former commander of the Zim-bob-we security services, was burned to ashes at his farmhouse last week even though he could have easily beat feet the fire. Oooh! I think I seen this movie!
Shortly after her husband's remains were found at the farmhouse front door, Joice Mujuru spoke out and said people should not speculate about his death.
President Bob Muggsy Mugabe's Octogenarian President-for-Life of Zim-bob-we who turned the former Breadbasket of Africa into the African Basket Case... front man, George Charamba, also made a statement, saying that speculation about Mujuru's death was out of line.
Probe into death's circumstances
Since then, police and Mujuru family members have been investigating, and so far, 23 people have been questioned about the fire at the farmhouse about 55 kilometers south of Harare.
In an interview Tuesday, broadcast on the state-run Zim-bob-we Broadcasting Corporation, Joice Mujuru said she "will not rest" until she finds out how her husband, who she described as a "military man," had burned to death. She said he could easily have beat feet from his bedroom as the unbarred windows were large and low enough to climb through.
She said her young children regularly climbed through those windows when they stayed at the farm.
Mujuru said her husband's death had "raised many eyebrows."
Solomon Mujuru seized the farm from a prosperous white farmer in 2002 at the height of Mugabe's so-called land reform program. Solomon was in the farmhouse alone when a fire broke out in the early morning hours of August 15.
Police reports say they removed his remains, which were reduced to ashes, from near the front door.
Mujuru's political actions
Solomon Mujuru was a member of Mugabe's ZANU-PF party. But political analysts, including former members of ZANU-PF's supreme decision-making body, the Politburo, say he regularly stood up to Mugabe.
Within the Politburo, he opposed colleagues who said repeatedly they wanted fresh elections this year. After disputed elections in 2008, Mugabe was forced to accept a unity government with the longtime opposition Movement for Democratic Change.
The Southern African Development Community, or SADC, which has mediated Zim-bob-we's long-running political crisis, has said Zim-bob-we is not ready for fresh elections this year.
Joice Mujuru is one of two vice presidents of Zim-bob-we. The other vice president, John Nkomo, is ill and frail. Solomon Mujuru was seen by many political analysts as a possible power broker in Zim-bob-we as Mugabe, who is 87, grows frail as well.
Several top ZANU-PF leaders have died in mysterious circumstances over the years, both before and after the country's 1980 independence.
Posted by: Fred ||
08/25/2011 00:00 ||
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Mysterious circumstances? Oh, no! Will they ever find a cure?
To read the previous Rantburg story on the Moreira political crisis, click here
Supporters of the leader of Mexico's Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) Humberto Moreira voiced their support Wednesday in an attempt to deflect blame for the huge increase of debt in Coahuila state Moreira amassed while governor.
But in the background opposition party leaders with a tinge of partisanship are now warning that Mexican states may be taking on too much debt.
Tuesday Moreira himself attempted to deflect criticism of his financial dealings by accusing the federal government, currently in the hands of rival Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) of pursuing a "personal" vendetta against him as newly installed leader of PRI.
Wednesday day the PRI coordinator for the Chamber of Deputies, Francisco Rojas said in a new article in El Universal daily that the charges against Moreira were a "barrage of half truths", and said the issue should be how the monies were used.
Also Wednesday, Enrique Pena Nieto in a Notimex wire service interview dismissed that charges as fodder for next year's elections. Pena Nieto reiterated his confidence in Moreira as national leader of the PRI.
The issue is the massive amount of debt Coahuila state has acquired during Moreira's tenure as governor,which ended last March when he ascended to take the reins of the PRI. The total debt for the state went from MP $323 million (USD $26,177,373.50) to MP $32 billion (USD $259,342,400.00) with interest outlays going from MP $1,300,000.00 (USD $105,357.85) a year to as much as MP $601 million (USD $48,707,744.50) a year.
The increase is because Coahuila's bond ratings were decreased five levels by Moody's Investor Service and Fitchs. The increase in interest outlays forced the Coahuila Chamber of Deputies to vote to refinance the current debt.
Moreira's political scandal has gained the attention of other sectors of the Mexican government such as the chairman of the Mexican national auditor, Comision de Vigilancia de la Auditor�a Superior de la Federacion (ASF), Esthela Damian Peralta.
Senora Damian Peralta announced today her agency would request to see Coahuila state books to determine if management of the new resources were according to law. The issue with such an audit, according to an article in El Universal daily are reports that an aide to Moreira while he was governor, Javier Villarreal may have falsified documents as they related to the transfer of monies from the state to municipalities.
Damian Peralta told El Universal that documents relating to the transfer were submitted later than usual. When such an event takes place the ASF is charged with looking into why.
Laura Angelica Rojas, natioanal coordinator for local deputies for PAN's Comite Ejecutivo Nacional warned that more Mexican states were taking on too much debt without providing publication on websites and transparency as required by law.
As an example, Angelica Rojas cited Javier Durate, PRI governor of Veracruz who has contracted new debt in the amount of MP $30 billion (USD $240,615,900.00). The Veracruz Chamber of Deputies is currently discussing asking for another MP $700,004,00 or borrowing authority.
Angelica Roja said in 2010 Veracruz borrowed MP $10 billion (USD $80,205,300.00). She also mentioned PRI occupied Tamaulipas, which has requested to borrowed MP $730 million (USD $58,549,869.00).
"(PAN) is not willing to give a blank check to the PRI governors," Angelica Rojas is quoted as saying.
Another PAN politician, Guillermo Anaya, who is associate CEN said that countercharges by PRI politicians that PAN is playing politics with public debt "insults the intelligence of the average Mexican, as politicians seek to hide their vices."
Anaya also said the issue will not end until Moreira has explained his actions.
Snip, duplicate. Sorry Darth :-) Not to mention the 1.2 million people that can't collect anymore since they have been unemployed so long. Ever think that these so called "experts" don't know what the fuck they are doing? Me too.
#7
The previous week's figure was revised up to 412,000 from 408,000.
Last week's numbers had shown a decline. Now it's an increase, which is why the preliminary numbers mean nothing.
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
08/25/2011 12:01 Comments ||
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The term 'unexpectedly' is a rhetorical gimmick to make the continuing deterioration of the economy seem less painful and foreboding than it is. Current headline reads better than "US Initial Jobless Claims Rise Again"
#9
As a lifelong, committed advocate of Obama for World Emporer, I demand a US Justice Department "investigation" of the U.S. Department of Labor. These numbers appear well, well racist!
#14
That's gotta hurt. It's also notable that he made extended remarks about his reason for dissenting in the last FOMC meeting. Things will be getting rougher.
Claims for U.S. unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, pushed up for a second time by a labor dispute at Verizon Communications Inc.
Jobless claims climbed by 5,000 to 417,000 in the week ended Aug. 20, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News projected a drop in claims to 405,000, according to the median forecast. At least 8,500 applications were filed by workers at Verizon last week, compared with 12,500 the prior week, a department spokesman said as the data was released to the press.
The report signals that excluding the communications dispute, companies are slowing the pace of firings, which may ease concern that consumers will cut back on spending. At the same time, an unemployment rate at 9.1 percent is a reminder that a sustained labor-market rebound has yet to develop two years into the economic recovery.
Pakistans economy, already facing severe difficulties, suffered a loss of around Rs15 billion on Tuesday due to a complete shutdown of Karachi and other major cities of Sindh province.
Rs 15 billion is about a buck fifty-nine...
This was claimed by the representatives of industrialists and traders who said that non-availability of transport severely affected exports and business in other parts of the country. Manufacturing and trading activities in Karachi contribute around Rs25 billion daily to the GDP and Rs4 billion to the national revenue.
More than 80 per cent of industrial units out of more than 20,000 were closed on Tuesday in the city due to absence of public and private transport, said Khalid Tawab, an official of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
He also claimed that the closure of plants and factories across the city caused an estimated loss of about Rs12 billion to industrialists, while the national exchequer lost Rs3 billion in revenues.
Chairman of All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Atiq Mir said one-day closure of markets and small businesses caused a loss of over Rs3 billion and the worst-affected were more than three million daily wage workers. Losses to the traders due to lack of sales and the violence are around Rs12 billion. There has been a 50 per cent drop in sales during Ramadhan, he added.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/25/2011 00:00 ||
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Chairman of All Karachi Tajir Ittehad Atiq Mir said one-day closure of markets and small businesses caused a loss of over Rs3 billion and the worst-affected were more than three million daily wage workers.
Not to mention the losses in revenue from weapons and explosives exports across the border to Afghanistan.
#1
Of course, the obvious thing is to put just a dab of some potent explosive on board, because a typical enemy response would be to grab it. Probably that same milled explosive they use in the new 25mm grenade-rifle rounds.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
Russia may fail to fulfill its obligations in delivering crews to the International Space Station after Wednesday's accident with Russia's Progress M-12M space freighter, a source in Russia's space industry said.
