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Chicago's Murder rate Drops

To some extent it is just our minds playing tricks on us but lately, It seems at times that each night we turn on the news that is just one bad statistic after another. From the price of a barrel of oil, to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Talk of the meltdown in home values caused in part by the sub-prime credit crunch, and the outrageous balance of trade deficit: so I was happy to read that the Chicago murder rate dropped.

As you can see, Chicago still has a way to go, and clearly the crime rates are far from evenly distriputed

Unfortunatly, Chicago is on pace to have more murders that New York City, eventhough our population is much smaller.

Larry Lubell

http://www.urbaninsuranceagency.com/

Trump Tower Chicago - Does it live up to the Hype?

Since I have been writing for UrbanNews Blog, people have been witting in, and emailing
me questions.
Recently, I find myself being asked several questions repeatedly; so let me briefly respond in this blog.

1. Trump Tower Chicago - Does it live up to the Hype?

Absolutely, the Trump Tower will be one of the world's finestexclusive buildings.
Trump Tower Chicago has the advantage that any building with the Trump name, can command "Top- Dollar."
It also has the advantage of getting millions in free advertising. These things combined allow "The Donald" to build a first-class building without being subject to some of the restraints that other builders would.

Let Ivanka Trump take you on a Video tour

Don't expect to buy even a studio apartment for less that $1.2M The cost of a two bedroom will set you back over $3M
Of course for those that want a little room to spread -out, there are three and four bedroom models available. Call quickly, I'm sure there
are plenty of people standing in line waiting to drop Ten Million for an apartment with a view.

2. Wrigley Field - ( What's going on)

The Cubs are leveling the playing field surface and installingnew high-tech drainage system under the field (undershort 4-week timetable because they have to do itbefore the first frost).

3. The boom of the New East side.

What's the question? Magellan Development has the right to build about 10 million square feet worth ofspace on the old public golf course.

To give you an idea of how big 10 million square feet is- There are cities who's
entire business district is less than 10 Million feet.
This is coming on top of years of building one 40 plus story building after an another.

The East side in bordered by Michigan Avenue and it's fine shopping on the west and the ever popular Navy Pier on the east.

4. The most exciting new building in Chicago is _______?

Drum roll please.........
The Chicago Spire.

This is one of those building that is so different, so sculptural, so unlike anything else, that it it easy to believe that it will never be built.
That it is destined to remain for ever on paper and virtual clips like some building from Star Wars or Wright's mile high building.

WRONG...
This time, this drawing is actually going to be built. In fact the web site states: It has also been announced that the sales center for The Chicago Spire, located on the 18th floor of NBC Tower, overlooking the site will open by appointment in January 2008.

Lucky Chicago!

Keep those questions coming.

Alan Craine
Architecture Reporter

Does Al Gore deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?

The Nobel Committee awarded Al Gore with it’s most prestigious prize. The Peace Prize. In explaining, what is clearly a controversial decision, the Nobel Committee said that Al Gore was the,

"[S]ingle individual" responsible for convincing world government's that climate change was real, caused by human activity, and posed a threat to society”.

This choice by the committee is going to be a lightning rod stuck right in the heart of the committee, for the following reasons.
Al Gore is a leading voice in the Democratic Party.
Conservatives for years have been raising the valid question of why President Ronald Reagan, or at least Pope John Paul II, did not receive an award for their work towards ending the cold war and bringing greater freedom throughout Eastern Europe.
Is Global Warming really the threat Al Gore, The Panel on Climate Change
and most scientists say it is?
Would it have been more appropriate to award Gore, let’s say an award in science, rather that “The Peace Prize.”
My answers to the above questions are:

1. Every decision has a large “Value” component. Last time I checked the noble Committee is in Sweden, definitely not a “Red State.” I do think that the more objective and evenhanded the decisions are, the more powerful they become.
2. There is no question that all of that “Evil Empire” rhetoric, I sure did little to help his chance at the “Peace Prize” The case for Pope John Paul II is much stronger.
3. I have to assume that the most direr of the predictions regarding global warming, fall into the category of “Hysteria”. While I do believe most of the basic science and data, the earth is such a complex system that it becomes extremely difficult to extrapolate out very far with dependable results. There is also the question that even if you believe that Global Warming is a real threat, that still leaves the questions, is it caused by man, and is there anything Man can do to change the Global Temperature?
I find it difficult to go against the overwhelming tide of scientists that seem convinced that Global Warming is a genuine problem. Some times I feel my position can best be described as “Better safe than sorry”. If even half of the predictions turn out to be valid, there is reason for concern. I can’t think of any other time that this large a percentage of scientists have gathered this much evidence and been completely wrong. (True there was a time the vast % of people believed the world to be flat, but that was not science speaking) .
4. Truth be told, I find “Why not an award in science, rather that “The Peace Prize,” To be the most difficult question to answer. I assume the explanation would go something like:
If global warming causes floods and or draughts, or land get swallowed up by the sea, there will be mass displacement of population and that will result in great unrest and additional wars.

Was the committee sending a message, yes? Maybe they felt bad about not giving Gore an award for “Investing the Internet.”

Larry Lubell

Clean Technology tower for Chicago

Within five days of hearing that Adrian Smith has been commissioned to do that 60-story addition in Sears' plaza, I just got word he's ALSO doing a 60-story tower at 321 S. Wacker (about 300 feet south of that), the southern of the two empty lots flanking the "birthday cake" tower at 311 S. Wacker.
Smith launched his new web site this evening, and you should read the first paragraph of this tower's description to understand why, when it comes to skyscrapers, there's Adrian and then there's everyone else...
http://www.smithgill.com/cleantechnologytower.htm

P.S. It took me a minute to figure out, but you have to click on a picture to enlarge it, then again to shrink it back to the menu.

Alan Craine Architecture Reporter
UrbanBlog

Peace in Jerusalem?

Do you think Jerusalem should be divided?
No 50% 11,695
Yes 39% 9,195
I'm not sure 11% 2,579
AOL News Poll

I would love to wake-up one morning and hear that Peace had finally found it's way to Israel. And by peace I mean, not just a lull in violence, but the Israelis and Palestinians experiencing the kind of good relations the U.S. enjoys with Canada.
Yes I do believe that such a peace would be good for all parties, just as believe that the bloodshed in the Middle East has caused pain and suffering throughout the region and world as a whole. Yes I want peace, even if the price includes giving up hard-fought-lands, and unequal concessions.

That said there has to be a division between what you will give up for peace, and what you will give up for the "Possibility" of peace.

On Monday, October 8th, a representative of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that his government would support a division of Jerusalem.

Such a division is a key component of an Israeli-Palestinian declaration, which will be the cornerstone of the U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference scheduled in November. The expression, “God is in the details”, never seamed truer, than in any sort of plan to divide the holiest and most controversial parcel of land on the planet. How do you divide Territories separated not just by natural geographic boundaries, like rivers and hills; but also by thousands of year of history- land that has been fought over in countless battles over the millenniums.
Haim Ramon, Deputy Vice Prime Minister of Israel, has proposed turning over many of the Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem to the Palestinians, but Israel would not transfer control of the Holy City and neighborhoods around it to the Palestinians According to Ramon, it is these areas that could be the capital of a future Palestinian state.
This is the land, which Israel captured from Jordan, when attacked, in the 1967 Mideast war. As for what Israel would receive in exchange for giving up land; the international community, including Arab states, would recognize Israel's sovereignty over Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem as well as it's right to call those areas of the city it's capital.
According to Ramon, even the hawkish elements of Olmert's coalition, such as Avigdor Lieberman, a Cabinet Minister of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, would back such an Israeli concession. Ramon as so spoke of support from The centrist Labor Party
"There are two central parties that agree to this," Ramon told Army Radio. "The most important thing is to preserve the state of Israel Jewish and democratic."

There is no question but that having Arab states, recognize not just Israel's "right to exist, but the' re sovereignty over Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem and the right to define those areas it's capital, would be a major step towards Peace.
In part as a diversion, many other conflicts have been linked to a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Any true movement has the potential to break logjams in several other regional negotiations. All of which has the potential to be very positive.
The real question is "Will Israel be giving up land for peace, or just giving up land as the admission price for entering the room. If they give up control over a large part of Jerusalem before the Mideast peace conference even begins, what will they be asked to give up by the close of the conference? Who will speak for the Palestinians, Will it be Hamas? What about Gaza? Will al-Qaida allow a peace to take hold?
Yes, I would love to wake-up one morning and hear that Peace had finally found it's way to Israel, but I have my doubts it will occur in the near future.

All Star Insurance agency license will be revoked

I know I'm a few months late on this one, but after reading the article by Joshua Stowe:
I was so angry I wanted to add my comment.

As an Insurance Agent, let me tell you, this kind of story really bothers me.
For over 48 years Urban Insurance Agency has been helping our customers save money and solve their insurance needs. We work hard for our clients and conduct our selves in a lawful and honest fashion. I have to tell you that most of our competitors also operate in a proper way.
This gives all agents a bad name.
Something that 99% do not deserve.

I don't want to imply that I'm the only honest insurance agent out there. The fact is Daneile Frydrych is really the exception.

I feel bad for all of the customers that ALL STAR INSURANCE cheated. People give you their money and trust that you will do the right thing. Trust is the very heart of insurance.
It is clear that Daneile Frydrych not only hurt her customers but also the Insurance companies that she dealt with, as well as the Department of Insurance in Indiana, and her own employees who might have been trying to do their job correctly.

Larry Lubell
www.urbaninsuranceagency.com

JOSHUA STOWE
Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- The owner of a local insurance agency won't be selling policies anymore, state officials announced Thursday, during a hearing in which customers and investigators described how she allegedly lied to customers and misspent the money they paid her.

During the hours-long administrative hearing, investigators used customer testimony and bank records to paint Daneile Frydrych, owner of All Star Insurance in South Bend, as someone who used customers' money to finance her gambling habit and pay for personal expenses.

Frydrych spent money at casinos in Las Vegas and Michigan City, at clothing and book stores, and at a local adult entertainment store, investigators said, taking money that customers mistakenly believed was being spent on their home and vehicle insurance policies.

At one point, her response to a question about Frydrych's spending habits drew snickers from the crowd.
While discussing how Frydrych allegedly spent money from a company account at the Adult Emporium in South Bend, attorney Holden asked, "Definitely not your typical business expense? Ankney replied, "I don't know what kind of office equipment you'd buy at the Adult Emporium."
jstowe@sbtinfo.com


I'm not sure what she was buying at the "Adult Emporium" but it's clear that her customers were getting screwed.

As I said before, the lions shair of agents are out there doing it right. I am glad to see that All Star is not going to be cheating any more customers.


Larry Lubell
www.urbaninsuranceagency.com

Did the USDA’s delay destroy a 67-year-old company?

Today Topps Meat Co. announced it was closing its business. This comes six days after it was forced to issue the second-largest beef recall in U.S. history. The recall comes in the wake of a cluster of illnesses in the Northeast caused by E. coli bacteria.

The C.D.C*. lists “E. coli O157:H7 is one of hundreds of strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Although most strains are harmless, this strain produces a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness”. “Though most illness has been associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef, people have also become ill from eating contaminated bean sprouts or fresh leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach.”

While E. coli out-breaks can come from a variety of sources, Ground beef, is by far the most likely. In fact I have met several people in the business of selling meat that have told me they wound not eat ground beef unless they ground it at cooked it them selves.

This begs the question, why was the USDA so slow in investigating, and taking steps to address the out-break? On Thursday, only after New York State Department of Health find evidence of a wider problem, did top USDA officials state they would speed warnings in the future.
"We don't understand why it took so long to recall this meat. If there was a victim in August, it should have been revealed weeks ago," said Jean Halloran of the Consumers Union.

Topps Meat Co. on Sept. 29 recalled 21.7 million pounds of frozen ground beef ( a year's worth of production)
"This is tragic for all concerned," “The decision will cost 87 people their jobs”, said Topps chief operating officer Anthony D'Urso, a member of the family that founded the company in 1940.

Topps, which is a Family owned company claimed to be the leading U.S. maker of frozen hamburger patties. Their web site show that there products are sold in supermarkets, schools, restaurants, hospitals and hotels.

Understanding the importance of food safety, critics question that every lot of processed meat should be tested. Today only “Spot” checks are required. Had the USDA required that each batch of food be tested, the number each year that get sick, and or die, from, contaminated foods would drop dramatically, and maybe 87 people would still have their jobs.

http://www.urbaninsuranceagency.com/
*Content source: Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases / Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases

Is China’s economic boom a threat?

Start picking up products at your home or office and count how many of them are “Made in China.”
It is impossible not to have recognized the startling growth of the Chinese economy. The question, “Is China’s economic boom a threat to the U.S.” is hotly debated and the answer quite unclear. The fact is a credible case can be made either way, with a substantial body of evidence backing the conclusions.

First the reasons for concern are obvious and include our loss of manufacturing jobs, China’s increasing economic influence, global environmental impact and an ever increasingly powerful military. Each, in it’s self a legitimate reason for our concern.

There was a time in American history when a person could graduate high school, get a job in a factory and earn enough money to buy a home, two cars, take a yearly vacation and maybe even share a set of season tickets to the bears. The number of good manufacturing jobs able to support the “American Dream” has dwindled, and clearly the availability of those jobs continues to fall. Some of these jobs have been lost to robotics, but the lions-share has simply moved to low wage markets; and China is the king of low cost manufacturing.

It is difficult to see how an American plant can complete against a plant in China, backed by the government, paying Seventy Five cents an hour, with no vacation or time off pay, using cheaper, at times dangerous materials banned in the U.S. China’s practice of keeping their currency artificially low, exacerbates the problem by giving them the ability to offer goods an unfair competitive price. The communist government also keeps the inflation rate low and keeps the workers poor. They are able to do so because of both their tight control as well as having an unlimited supply of low skill workers willing to take any job, making it almost impossible for workers to ask for higher wages.
The United States has benefited from being the worlds largest economy.
With size comes power and influence. We have been able to use the scale of our economy to attract foreign investment, have significant sway in the creation of international laws and have countries cater to the needs of our market. The same way a newspaper might be reluctant do a negative story about a company that is that papers largest advertiser, countries might let the importance of our market affect their political decisions. China’s economic stature has catapulted its ability to control world markets and has silenced, or at least lowered the volume of, complaints regarding their Human Rights violations.

China is currently the world's second biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. This is despite the fact that average person in China consumes only 10-15% of the energy an average used by a US citizen. Based on an objective analysis of the projected Growth of the Chinese gross national product, and the inevitable upward demand of their standard of living, one should expect China's total emissions to overtake America's by mid-century. This increase could more than offset any improvements and sacrifices made by Europe and the U.S. If one is to believe the “Doomsday predictions” of many environmentalists, the rise a energy consumption by China, and other developing nations is the greatest single threat to Mankind. Short of the most extreme, and least proven of the predictions, the general scientific community has come to recognize a connection between greenhouse gases and global temperatures. Even some of the most reluctant and conservative of the scientists, still view a large increase in CO2 as a point of concern. That said, it is difficult to see why this global condition would affect America more than China.

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There is no question that China’s military is becoming ever stronger and is interested in projecting its authority throughout the region and world. To date, they have not focused their might towards attacking their neighbors. But looming at the horizon is the ever-present reality that China considerers Taiwan a part of their country. One gets the impression that the communist government feels it has enough on it’s plate at the moment and can wait for the reunification. But China has made it clear not to mistake patience for a lack of resolve. America is in the awkward position of on one hand of formally recognizing the “One China” proposal, while at the same time having a pact to defend Taiwan against an attack from the mainland. This has the potential to draw the U.S. into a major war with the communistic regime. China military might also looms large over Japan, Korea and the whole south pacific. It is also well documented that China has Inter-continental ballistic missiles aimed at American cities -A fact that should concern every U.S. Citizen.
While we must keep a watchful eye towards Beijing, I can’t help but have some confidence in the pragmatic nature of its leaders. It appears clear that the leadership is determined to take their country forward and become a dominant force in the 21st century, while still maintaining its dictatorial control. The good news for us is that they will not be able keep control and bring the country forward. Up till this point their success has been based on manufacturing other peoples products, and doing so at near starvation wages. Even this amount of development has come at the expense of many of their communistic ideals. Chief among them is the Marxist mantra of “Each contributes according to his abilities, and receives according to his needs” This is in stark contrast to the fact that China is Ferrari’s fastest growing market (cars are priced at up to 3 million yuan ($A525,000) Ferrari and Maserati brands plans to open dealerships in 11 mainland cities over the next 18 months. Italian designer Giorgio Armani opened a Chinese flagship boutique last month in Shanghai, the country's business capital and richest city.
China is correct in recognizing the need to cater to those that have the skills and creativity to build a modern society, However in the long run they are wrong to believe that they will be able to control this new world the way they were able to manage the old agrarian country of Mao.

It is clear that Tiawan is banking on the idea that China starts to loose it’s dogmatic athority prior to it’s inevitable reunification. It is also clear that the comunists in power will fight to keep power. No one should ever forget the Tiananmen Square massacre Obviously, it is not the intention of leaders to ever surender power, but they are traveling down a path they do not truly understand. Shhh…. Don’t tell them, but they are supervising over the building of a society that will in the end not tollerate them. Yes they will fight tooth and nail to hold power, and yes we will see more incidences like Tiananmen Square. But in the end, they will fall because there is no place for them in a 21st century first world nation.


China, over the next 25 years is likely to become the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. There are many that believe that the best way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide would be, to invest hundreds of billions of dollars to improve China's energy efficiency. While there is a clear logic to such an investment, most in the U.S. believe Congress would never support such an approach, fearing it would undercut competitiveness of U.S. companies. The flip side is, one can view China’s need to generate large amounts of clean energy as an opportunity for American companies to sell products into China to meet these needs and perhaps reduce of trade deficit.A quick look at the coastlines in Asia point to the danger that rising oceans pose to China. While one can question some of the claims of environmentalists, there is no doubting the potential market for clean products.

New "Britney Sex Tape"

Britney.... The Train Wreck Continues


I'm glad I'm not FAMOUS.

Yes, she is on a self induced downward- spiral. And yes, anyone that made the kind and number of mistakes that she did, would also be on a similar trajectory; That said it has got to be hard living in a fish bowl.

I do feel sorry for her even while I blame her at the same time.

www.urbaninsuranceagency.com

Chicago Events this Fall

Yes the weather in Chicago is starting to get a bit cooler, but that does not slow down the number of events of interest in Chicago.

Chicago, as a world -class city, is never free from events worth putting on your calendar. In fact, it can be a daunting task to try to list, let alone attend even half of the worthwhile ,Exhibitions Concerts or Festivals. But below are a few Chicago Events worth checking out.

Sympathy for the Devil: Art and Rock and Roll Since 1967
September 29, 2007 - January 6, 2008

This exhibition brings to Chicago. the most serious and comprehensive look at the intimate and inspired relationship between the visual arts and rock-and-roll culture to date.

Discover the man and the revolutionary theory that changed the world in Darwin. Exhibition runs June 15, 2007 - January 1, 2008. Tickets on sale now!

Adler is a proud participant of Chicago Science in the City. Chicago Science in the City is a compilation of two weeks of events designed to encourage Chicagoans to explore and experience the various fields of science.
Use your powers of observation to participate in a city wide science project. By counting stars in your neighborhood, you can help us to measure light pollution across the whole city of Chicago. Count the stars using Adler's Light Pollution Project Website.

"Navy Fear at Navy Pier 2007

October 5-8, 12-14, 19-21, 24-31

From One Extreme to Another! Fireworks every Friday at 9:00!

Click here for Navy Fear Discount coupons!

Here are some other Chicago Events in September, October and November
Festivals & Events
Bike Chicago 2007
Chicago's 94th Annual Christma...
Chicagoween 2007
Farmers Markets 2007
Holiday Sports Festival
Mayor Daley's Kids and Kites F...
Under The Picasso

Yes, there are no shortages of things to do this fall in Chicago.

Hillary VS Thompson?

The latest polls seem to show Thompson taking the lead from Giuliani.
Many pundits believe that this is due in large part to what will be a short lived "Bump" from the attention surrounding his late arrival into the ring.

Michael Tomasky, editor of Guardian America, in a resent interview stated,

"Social conservatives are convinced virtually to a person that Hillary is going to be Democratic nominee," he said. "They think Giuliani is the only Republican who's tough enough to stop her. He's a tough, sharp-elbowed New Yorker."

While there has been a fair amount of movement in the polls on the Republican side, Hillary seems to just move further out ahead.

I agree that Hillary is polarizing and has high negative numbers. She does, however have the advantage of already being put through the fires.

The "Bad" news about her is already out there. We are not going to learn all that much new about her. Giuliani and Thompson both still have closets that have yet to be opened. So you knows.....

As a Democrat - leaning voter, I sure wish MoveOn.org would stop "Helping" the Democrats so much. Their intention might be to get Democratic party elected, but some of the time I think they do more harm than good.www.urbaninsuranceagency.comhttp://urbannewsblog.blogspot.com

Led Zepplin Tour?

In Iraq, Follow the oil money

When planning the family Christmas vacation, Iraq was not on the short list of likely destinations. I can not remember turning over any product and seeing a stamp stating “Made in Iraq”. It is clear the Iraq has one and only one commodity to sell, and that’s oil.

When President Bush announced that "America will hold the Iraqi government to the benchmarks." One that was top of the list was the pledge "to give every Iraqi citizen a stake in the country's economy”. In Iraq that means “Iraq will pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis."

It has long been understood that Without a system for sharing oil revenues, there will never be an Iraq. The Palestinians would sooner give up Jerusalem then would the Sunni’s or Shiite give up their share of Iraq’s oil resources. So it was very upsetting to hear that the negotiations failed and even more so when it became clear that a factor in the collapse of the deal was a deal Hunt Oil of Dallas made with the Kurdish provincial government.

This deal does two things, one it confirms that those with “Inside information” believe that the surge has failed, and that any attempt to get any negotiation back on track, has just been made much harder.

For years, many people here in the States as well as in Iraq, have suspected that the Bush/Chaney team have, as a part of their plan, a desire to profit from control of Iraq’s oil. I for one, laughed this off as “Left-Winged” propaganda. To take a line from the Yippies at the 68 convention in Chicago, “The whole world is watching”. I questioned some of the wisdom behind the move into Iraq, but not the motive. But let’s look at a few things we know:

1. Ray L. Hunt is the chief executive and president of Hunt Oil.
2. Hunt is a member of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board
3. Ray Hunt, the current chair of the company, is also on the board of Halliburton
4. Ray Hunt has contributed $35,000,000.00 to form the Bush Library at MSU
5. Mr. Hunt is on the board of SMU. Southern Methodist University.
6. Mr hunt is on the Board of Trustess for the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation.
7. Haliburton Corp received $16.5 Billion in no bid contracts from Iraq war?
America has placed spent an amazing amount of “Blood and Treasure” in Iraq, I desperately want to believe that that sacrifices made were not in vane. I would love to see the Iraqi Government hit each of the benchmarks; but it seems as if the “inside money is betting the other way.

Larry Lubell
Larry@urbaninsuranceagency.com

Britney.... The Train Wreck Continues

Gonzales Resigns as Attorney General

"It has been one of my greatest privileges to lead the Department of Justice," Gonzales said, announcing his resignation effective Sept. 17.

President Bush despite ever growing criticism and demands from Republicans and Democrats both, that he be asked to leave, had defiantly stood by Gonzales.
Alberto Gonzales, was the nation's first Hispanic attorney general and had been President Bush’s personal lawyer and advisor since the beginning of George “W”s political career.

Gonzales was condemned over the Justice Department's handling of warrantless wiretaps, as well as the firings of several U.S. attorneys for what many suspect was for political reasons at the request of Karl Rove.
Many of both sides of the Isle had demanded his resignation resulting from the inconsistent testimony he gave to congress over the botched handling of FBI terror investigations, the firings of U.S. attorneys and a general distrust in his integrity

A new definition of freedom

Like most people who have recently spent time in New York City, It is impossible not to notice that NYC is a much cleaner and more livable city. There was a time in the early 80s when New York seemed permanently type cast as post- apocalyptic nightmare of filth and decay.

Then came Rudy Giuliani.

Yes at times he was “Heavy-handed.” Yes he was frequently accused of being dictatorial, but it was hard not to notice that was a significant degree of competency to the man.
In the days immediately after 9/11, he was a shining example of how a leader should behave. Again he seemed competent, in control and strong, particularly in contrast to our president and Vice President, both who were literally and figuratively “In an undisclosed location.

So while I am willing to “Take my hat off to him” for some of his strengths, I can't help but be afraid of his tenancy to turn to autocratic rule.
Yesterday Rudy Giuliani defined Freedom in a manor that should scare the S#!t out of all Americans.

Freedom is not a concept in which people can do anything they want, be anything they can be. Freedom is about authority. Freedom is about the willingness of every single human being to cede to lawful authority a great deal of discretion about what you do."

Rudy, Thanks for cleaning the graffiti off the trains, and getting the landscaping done in Central Park; But I’m sorry, I have a very different understanding of Freedom.

No Money available to fix Bridges

No money to fix our bribges/ but money available for Iraq war


I came home yesterday evening turned on the TV, and was faced with the horrific pictures of the I35 Bridge in Minneapolis.
My heart goes out to all of those who lost loved ones, or were injured in the frightening collapse. Each of us has a mental list of things that scare us, for many of us, this now yet another concern to add to the list.

We have been told for years that the US Highway system is over 50 years old. We have been told that nothing lasts forever, and that for many years we have been “Putting band-aids” on serious structural flaws. But is the bridges that pose the greatest danger, as well as per mile, the greatest cost to replace.

Since Wednesday, we have all learned a lot more about the dangers that ageing bridges represent.
More than 70,000 bridges across the country are rated structurally deficient like the I-35W bridge , and engineers estimate repairing them all would take at least a generation and cost more than $188 billion.

For year we were told that that figure was too large to deal with, that now was not the time. In fact many just sort of threw up their hands, the way we do with stories of Social Security or Medicare running out of money. The idea is if you just don’t talk about it, maybe it will go away.

How are we ever going to come-up with $188 Billion.? Where can the US find those kinds of funds?

I have a good place to start the search…

Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, puts the final figure of the US involvement in the Iraq war at a shocking $1 trillion to $2 trillion dollars. This figure includes $500 billion in direct costs for the war and occupation and up to $300 billion in future health care costs for wounded troops.
Linda Bilmes, at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, has also projected the war’s costs, and has arrived at a similar estimate. Granted, these figures seem on the high side, but when was the last time anything government did came in at the “Low side” of an estimate.

Yes, $188 Billion is a big chunk of change, and of course it will run dramatically over budget. And replacing the $3.1 cut last year from federal education budget, and doubling the funds spent on “Home land security,” will require the reallocation of resources. If we add to that, a manned mission to mars reducing the number of people without health insurance, the truth is, it will still let come close to the costs associated with this war.

Just a little something to keep in mind the next time you drive over a bridge.

UrbanBlog
Larry@urbaninsuranceagency.com

Ms. Lohan is in a “Death Spiral”

Unlike some of the other tabloid princess, I really did believe Lindsey was serious about getting her self clean. Clearly beating addition it a lot harder than it looks.

I could understand someone like her falsely believing that she is somehow entitled to “Special- treatment.” That she is exempt from waiting in lines that are meant more us “Non- Celebrities”. However it is impossible for me to conclude that this mess, that she calls a life, is the product of her felling that she is “Entitled” to be this screwed-up.

Many people have commented that care about the laws, that she is living the way she wants to; and because she believes she can get away with it because of her wealth. It seems clear with each new drinking binge that this behavior is not the result of her desire to be above the law, but is the product of serious mental illness.

She is not doing this because she believes she can; but is acting this way because she in unable to stop.

Unfortunately, I have known people who fell into the grip of the addition monster. Some of them in time pull them-selves out of the monster’s clutches; it is with great sadness that I say a few did not. I have attended two funerals the result of friends inability to escape the pull. I have seen how had people have worked to break free. As one that is not predisposed to alcoholism, it would be easy for me to condemn, but I have seen too many good people struggle to kid myself into thinking this is easy.

As an insurance agent specializing in Auto insurance, I have also taken calls from customers whose lives have been turned up side down, as the result of a drunk driver’s reckless disregard. While I am willing to cut her some slack, for the life of me I can not understand why she is driving?

She needs to have a full-time driver. Lindsay Lohan should not own an automobile and should never be in possession of car keys. She certainly has the financial means, and could even justify it based on the fact that as a celebrity, it might not be safe for her to travel without a bodyguard.

It is a shame, that she has no one in her life that is providing her the help and intervention she needs. It is clear that she requires treatment, it is also clear that she has made it inevitable that she is headed off to Jail.
Let’s hope she gets treatment while there.

Larry Lubell
Urban Insurance Agency

Stonehenge 5,000 year of myths and Legends

For most of us, the solstice does not carry the same religious significance today that it held back in the time of bronze-age man. However, there are still people who recognize Stonehenge as a place of worship and feel "Connected" to the Druids that are believed by some, to have been the creators of the circle.Today we still do pay tribute to the longest day of the year and the first day of summer,albeit for different reasons.

For those of us that live in cold weather cities, The idea of longer warmer days and shorter nights, is reason enough to celebrate. Schools are out for summer, it's a time for Bar-B-Q, beaches, and long walks.

In 21st century America, modern life has many ways of organizing our lives from School years, to Fiscal years, tax day. We are forever checking our watches and Blackberries for the time, yet we let the shortest or longest days of the year pass without a seconds thought.

People talk about never being able to count "All the stars vi sable in the sky;" I can't help but notice that in Chicago, even on a clear night, it's hard to see more than 7 stars. It's not because they're not out there, it is just the result of the massive "Glow" of the city lights. This was not the case in neolithic England. The sky was black. The stars were clear and bright, and devoid of competition for the peoples attention. There was no G.P.S. built into your cell phone. The alignment of the planets and stars, the waxing and waining of our moon; and path of our sun, told the time, the date, and provided the rhythm of their lives.

It was the very order, the center, the organization that tied their lives to the past and predicted the future. It's little wonder that their worship was tied to these cycles. It told them when to plant, when to harvest. Even today, in the dead of winter, we will take comfort in the fact that the days are getting longer. The knowledge that it's always darkest before the dawn, that spring is just weeks away.

While Stonehenge and the Solstice do not carry the same meanings, there is something universal about recognizing our connection to the past and our role in shaping the future.

It is our hope at Urban Insurance Agency that you enjoy and make good use of the longest daylight of the year.

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We have Lost the Iraq War!

As an American, I desperately wanted to see a stable, pro U.S. democratic government take hold in Iraq.
There is no disputing that such a government would be a stabilizing force in the region and a catalyst for change. A strong, safe, free Iraq would be an ally in the “War against terror” , as well as foil to Iran.

When President bush first took us into Iraq the justification given was to rid Iraq of “Weapons of Mass Destruction, and free the people from the tyrannical rule of Saddam. When the “Weapons” were not found, The justification changed . Bush explained the “Up-side” of a victory, Assured us that the people of Iraq wanted us to be there and their lives would be much better off then before our arrival.

True enough, Saddam was evil. The people of Iraq lived in mortal fear. His son’s were sadistic monsters, that used tyranny and torture to maintain Iraq as their personal thief Dom I can promised I did not shed a tear at the demise of any of them. While I was thrilled to se that bunch go, unfortunately we learned that there is something worse than Saddam, and that is Anarchy and civil war.

When president Bush and his team try to boost support for the war he warns us of what would happen if we lost- It is with great sorrow and regret that I’ve come to the conclusion that this is precisely were we find ourselves today.

Since the war began we have lost more than 3,515 of our troops, and more than 26,000 of them have been wounded. In addition to the US. Military, more and more of the work in Iraq is being done by “Private Contractors” according to new government numbers from the Labor Department, Casualties among the private contractors in Iraq are on to make 2007 into the bloodiest year yet for the civilians contractors. At least 146 contract workers were killed in Iraq in the first three months of the year, by far the highest number for any quarter since the war began in March 2003.

Over the past year we have seen an effort of Sunni’s to Target Shiite mosques, and in turn, Shiite’s attacking Sunni mosques. This has consistently resulted in further attacks, and an increased circle of violence. The resent bombing of the Golden Mosque in the town of Samarra, left its famous golden dome in ruins and pushed the region further down the road of self destruction. As predicted, soon after two Sunni mosques were bombed south of the capital, police said. One was destroyed and the other lost its minaret.

While president Bush pleaded in a written statement for calm.

"Violence will only contribute to what the terrorists sought to achieve by this act,'' in Washington. "I ask all Iraqis to exercise restraint in the wake of this tragedy."

Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr: said no rival Sunni Arab could have been responsible for the bombing, calling the bombing a "cursed American-Israeli scenario that aims to spread the turmoil and plant the hatred among the Muslim brethren." The only enemy of Iraq is the occupation and therefore everyone must demand its departure or a timetable of its occupation."

Our brave young men and woman are loosing their lives to protect people that in ever increasing numbers do not want us there. This is a war without winners: therefore it is a war that we can not win.

Larry Lubell

http://www.lowpricedcarinsurance.com/

Paris, out of Jail on "House Arrest"

While I'm not a big Paris Hilton fan, And, as an Insurance Agent, I have contempt for drunk drivers, I'm glad to see her out of jail.
She never should have been put there in the first place. She spent more time in Jail, than you or I would for the same offence. Now I see she is going to be placed on "House arrest" wearing an ankle bracelet for 40 days.
I liked the earlier offer of no Jail time Loss of driving privileges for one year, and being forced to wear a device that monitors your blood alcohol level, and not be allowed to drink for one year.That sentence would have done more to protect the public, teach her a lesson, and maybe help "Clean her up". I see that kind of arrangement as a win win.

Did Paris get celebrity justice? YES, tougher than the average person would have recieved.

In this country's court system, it is a great help to be "Rich" but a bad thing to be famous. Rich people can afford the best lawyers and research teams. But famous people, are "Made Examples of"Let's just hope the court takes away her license for a long time, and her parents finialy step-up and get this girl the help she needs.

Larry@urbaninsuranceagency.com http://urbannewsblog.blogspot.com/
Posted at 2:19PM on Jun 7th 2007 by Larry Lubell

Two More Kids Dina Lohan she has the opportunity to screw-up.

With Lindsay Lohan checking in rehab yet again, this time for a reported OxyContin, addiction, her mother Dina Lohan seems to be using this as an opportutity to propel her own career forward by pushing some “Reality Show” based on her life.

Wow, what a creative concept, yet another “Train Wreck” of a family shamelessly paraded across cable. Not content to have just one child in dire straights, Dina Lohan now want to sacrifice 14-year-old Ali and 11-year-old Cody, to the gods of fame.
It is hard enough making it through puberty; deal with peer pressures, and academic challenges, without parasitic photographers lying in wait to capture each mistake.

You would think a parent seeing a picture of their drug addicted, downward spiraling daughter,
Playing with knifes, would send her running for the help of a psychiatrist, not to a media lawyer to try a get a T.V. Deal.

Lindsay, is not of the legal drinking age. Yet she gets served at every star-studded- club she enters. If this was my child, I would go to every bar, club, and disco in L. A., hand them a picture of Lindsay Lohan, and say” This is my daughter, she is under age, if you seared her one ounce of liquor, I will sue you, and make it my life’s work to get your liquor license pulled.
With parents like Michael and Dina, and friends like Paris and Britney; it’s no wonder she is in rehab.

Paris, Heiress to the Hilton Fortune, reports to Prison

.

I am sure when Richard Hilton and Kathy Richards first enroled their daughter Paris into the exclusive The Dwight School, it never dawned on them that she would later find her-self doing jail time.
But that is exactly where Ms. Hilton finds her self today.

"I am trying to be strong right now," she told reporters on the red carpet. "I'm ready to face my sentence. Even though this is a really hard time, I have my family, my friends and my fans to support me, and that's really helpful."

In, what I’m sure was an attempt to “Prove” how stars can’t get away with anything in his court, Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer ruled that she would not be allowed any work release, furloughs or use of an alternative jail or electronic monitoring in lieu of jail.
This, in spite of the fact that a Non- celeberty would almost never serve a single day under the same situations.

One thing that is clear, Kathy Richards- Hilton, needs to spend a bit less time shopping and a bit more time being a parent.
Larry Lubell Can be contacted @ Larry@UrbanInsuranceAgency.com
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Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton Roommates in Jail?

There are no shortage of parents dismayed by the plethora of poor “Role models” popular couture parades in- front of our kids each day. From the sports star accused of rape, to the Hip Hop performer arrested on weapons charges or assault. Recently it seems that a week does not go by with out some celebrity being arrested for Drunk Driving (DUI).

In recent months MEL GIBSON, Tracy Morgan, Ty Pennington, Busta Rhymes and Mike Tyson all managed to get arrested on DUI charges. Lane Garrison has just been charged with vehicular manslaughter, after a December fatal car crash in Beverly Hills left one of his three teenage passengers dead.

There seems to be a new trend, with young woman celebrities behaving as bad or worse, than their male counterparts. With the woman, there appears to be less violence, but a greater degree out self-destruction. Despite being super-rich powerful, beautiful and famous, many of these young stars are absolute “Train Wrecks”. From drug arrests, to being caught in “Home sex tapes”, they seem unable to go a month without taking some step further down the road toward personal disaster. Take a look at a few of the current headlines:

Lindsay Lohan has reportedly decided to check back into rehab
after a holiday weekend in which she was booked on suspicion of DUI after crashing her car in Los Angeles
Coke Found in Lohan DUI Investigation
·


Brandy the Grammy-winning R&B artist, maybe Up For Manslaughter Charge After Death Crash
"Laguna Beach" star Jessica Smith has just been released from an Orange County jail, after being charged with two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence....

Paris' shrink claims that Hilton is "emotionally distraught and traumatized" from the May 4 hearing where she was sentenced to 45 days in jail for breaking probation in her DUI bust

Anneliese van der Pol, co star of the Disney hit series "That's So Raven" has pleaded no contest to DUI after being arrested for driving with a staggeringly high .19 blood-alcohol level.

Nicole Richie, Nicole was spotted once again driving through L.A., just a few weeks after her 2nd DUI arrest.

California law, requires a mandatory sentence of five consecutive days in county jail as well as a one year license suspension for anyone twice-convicted of DUI .If Richie is convicted of DUI as a result of Monday's arrest, the judge must impose a jail sentence.

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2004, 16,694 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes. With statistics like that, it is imposable not to take the reckless actions of these stars seriously.
Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and non-fatally injure someone every two minutes (NHTSA 2006).Occurrence and Consequences
There are serious consequences for being convicted of DUI. Those can include, loss of driving privileges, large fines, you will end up needing an SR22 insurance policy, and just possibly jail time.
Here at urban insurance Agency, we have been helping people get the insurance they need to comply with the secretary of State’s requirements, and get their license back. We have many companies that provide SR-22 insurance; so we can get you insured at the lowest rates. But remember most states are tightening up their rules and increasing the penalties for those caught drinking and driving.
PLEASE, for the safety of all on the road. DO Not Drink and Drive.

When it comes to driving, do not let Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan, be your role model.

Larry Lubell Can be contacted @ Larry@UrbanInsuranceAgency.com
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Loch Ness Monster Found?

At the opening of the 21st century, we find mankind living in a great age of science. Even in the “Reddest- area” of the “Reddest State”, people look to meteorologists to tell them the path of the hurricane. We expect scientists to make accurate predictions, rather than burn them at the stake, as a witch. If we see a flying car, we are more likely to call a stockbroker to try to “Get in on the ground floor of a hot new product” than to call an exorcist assuming the car is possessed. This leads me to the question,” Why are There are some Conspiracy theories that refuse to die. Be it the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, UFO’s , Kennedy Lone Gunman Theory or the Templar Knights.

It was CNN in Scotland that yesterday aired video of what Nessie watchers say is possible footage of the supposed mythical creature beneath Scotland's most mysterious lake.

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this jet black thing, about 45 feet long, moving fairly fast in the water," said Gordon Holmes, the 55-year-old a lab technician from Shipley, Yorkshire, who took the video Saturday.

No matter how many studies are done,without finding any evidence for a 45 foot Mesozoic reptile, who’s demise, evidence shows, was at the K-T extinction, at the end of the Cretaceous Period – there will always be those that will believe it’s is hiding at the bottom off the Loch.
I would LOVE to find out that Nessie is real, but I tend to be one of those people that find the likelihood of a PLESIOSAUR Alive and well and living in Scotland a bit on the remote side.
Yet the sightings keep occurring. .
The Loch Ness monster is back - and there's video. A man has captured

·
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Roswell Report, US AIR FORCE

Part 2, Roswell
The U.S. Air Force, in an attempt to “Once and for all” put an end to speculation that they have Alien corpses in a freezer somewhere, issued a report named

Air Force News Special ReportRoswell Report: Case Closed

The conclusions are:Air Force activities which occurred over a period of many years have been consolidated and are now represented to have occurred in two or three days in July 1947."Aliens" observed in the New Mexico desert were actually anthropomorphic test dummies that were carried aloft by U.S. Air Force high altitude balloons for scientific research.The "unusual" military activities in the New Mexico desert were high altitude research balloon launch and recovery operations. Reports of military units that always seemed to arrive shortly after the crash of a flying saucer to retrieve the saucer and "crew," were actually accurate descriptions of Air Force personnel engaged in anthropomorphic dummy recovery operations.Claims of "alien bodies" at the Roswell Army Air Field hospital were most likely a combination of two separate incidents:
) a 1956 KC-97 aircraft accident in which 11 Air Force members lost their lives; and,
) a 1959 manned balloon mishap in which two Air Force pilots were injured.
This report is based on thoroughly documented research supported by official records, technical reports, film footage, photographs, and interviews with individuals who were involved in these events. > More details

Well, not so fast…
No matter how many studies are done,without finding any evidence supporting such theories, – there will always be those that will believe that the government has successfully covered up what would be the biggest find in the history of man.

This, despite our elected officials dismal success at keeping secrets. President Reagan cold not keep the Iran- Contra connection under wraps, and Clinton had no success hiding a certain blue dress. From Nixon’s problems with Watergate to J. Edgar Hoover’s cross dressing, it appears that the people in government seem to have a less than stellar success rate at maintaining info locked away.


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Kennedy Lone Gunman Theory Challenged

There are some Conspiracy theories that refuse to die. Be it the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, UFO’s or the Templar Knights. One of these enduring, albeit, far more realistic theories centers around the Kennedy assassination.

Lyndon B. Johnson established The Warren Commission, on November 29, 1963, to investigate the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The commission got it’s name from Chief Justice Warren who headed the investigation.


The report found that “Lee Harvey Oswald was solely responsible for the assassination of Kennedy and that the commission could not find any persuasive evidence of a conspiracy—either domestic or foreign—involving any other person(s), group(s), or country(ies)”.
The Single Bullet Theory often credited to a Warren Commission staffer named Arlen Specter (now a Republican US Senator), states that a single bullet, known as " "CE399 ", was responsible for all of the non-fatal wounds to both the President and then Governor John Connally. It was then a second bullet That caused the fatal head wound to Kennedy.


The Warren Commission, instead of putting “Closure” on the assassination, became a lightning rod for criticism and a catalyst for conspiracy theorists.


Wikipedia lists several of the most common 4 Conspiracy theories.


4.1 CIA and Anti-Castro Cuban Exile conspiracy
4.2 LBJ conspiracy
4.3 Mafia and Hoover conspiracy
4.4 Organized Crime and the CIA conspiracy
4.5 Soviet Bloc conspiracy
4.6 Roscoe White
4.7 Cuban conspiracy
4.8 Israeli conspiracy
4.9 Death threats on Irish visit
4.10 Alleged connections of George H. W. Bush


Over the years, the majority of Americans have been critical of the Warren report, yet were also unwilling to believe most of the conspiracy theories. Personally I have seen little reason to believe that our government is even capable of carrying off such a large “Cover-up.” Let Watergate stand as an example of how difficult it is for our leaders to hold on to secrets. It’s not that government officials are too honest to try, they are just too inept to pull it off.

So imagine my surprise to read today that the lone gunman theory was under atttact from a team of researchers including a former top FBI scientist. William Tobin, a metallurgist that worked for the FBI Lab, said new chemical and statistical analyses of bullets from the same batch used by Oswald suggest that more than two bullets could have struck the president. "Evidence used to rule out a second assassin is fundamentally flawed," the researchers said in their article.
"If the assassination (bullet) fragments are derived from three or more separate bullets, then a second assassin is likely."

The team in addition to Tobin, includes Cliff Spiegelman, professor of statistics at Texas A&M and an expert in bullet-lead analysis, and William D. James, a research chemist with the Texas A&M Center for Chemical Characterization and Analysis (CCCA). It is their conclusion that the bullets fragments could show that more that just two shots hit the president and John Connally.

The paper currently is available online at http://www.imstat.org/aoas/next_issue.html.

Maybe there are reasons why some Conspiracy theories that refuse to die. Maybe we should look harder for Nessie, or storm the gates at AREA 51.


Larry Lubell
Urban NewsBlog
http://www.urbaninsuranceagency.com/

Just in time for Summer

After months of a long dark winter, it’s great to see leaves back on the trees, birds singing and flowers in bloom. But just about when I’m ready to burst in to a chorus of “Here Comes the Sun, out comes a report warning us about the danger of Melanoma.

I have turned back the “Tanning” years ago; the days of eight hours on a beach coated in baby oil have been replaced with a few hours wearing suntan lotion with SPF 15. Instead of hearing “Wow what a dark tan” I get comments like “Have you been outside lately you seem to have A Healthy glow.” I can even say that free from the burden of keeping a tan, I have freed up time to just enjoy the weather.

A report out today in

tells us that even wearing sunscreen does little to protect us from the deadliest form of skin cancer. There has been no proof that sunscreens protect against melanoma The recommendation of Stephan Lautenschlager of the Outpatient Clinic of Dermatology at Triemli Hospital in Switzerland is to “Instead, wear sunblocking clothing or stay out of the sun altogether”

"Wearing sun-protective clothing and a hat and reducing sun exposure to a minimum should be preferred to sunscreens," Lautenschlager said. People tend to sunbathe for social reasons, he said. "Nevertheless, sunscreens should not be abused in an attempt to increase time in the sun to a maximum."

While reading the article, I had a mental image of a couple walking along the beach, covered in sunscreen, him wearing “surf-Boarding shorts and a T-shirt, she dressed in a thin short-sleeved sundress. Not clothes designed for swimming or a day on the beach, but at least seasonally appropriate.
I has a little taken back by his recommendation of what he considered proper summer attire.

“The best clothing for sun protection is tightly woven, thick garments made of denim, wool or polyester, not cotton, linen or acetate, he said. Dry material or clothes that have shrunk after washing are denser and better at blocking UV rays than wet, stretched or bleached clothing”.

Could you imagine how poor the ratings for Bay Watch would have been if Pamela Anderson was filmed in an all wool suit, hat, gloves and Zinc oxide. That would have brought her career to a screeching halt.

The article however failed to mention the dangers associated with wondering out on to a crowded beach dressed in protective garb traditionally associated with a Christmas sleigh ride. Aside from heat stroke, you run the likely risk of being pelted with rocks, and or having the
S#!T kicked out of you by a group convinced your some sort of “Weirdo.”

Maybe, once again, moderation is the answer. There must be a way to be out on a beautiful summers day without wearing a wardrobe purchased at a NASA surplus sale.

www.urbaninsuranceagency.com


Urban NewsBlog
Larry Lubell

Epee Fencing: Windy City Epee Fall Event Results

Epee Fencing: Windy City Epee Fall Event Results

Senseless Killing of 32 Students and Teachers

I, like all people with a heart, feel sick over the senseless killing of 32 innocent students and teachers at Virginia Tech. I can not imagine the pain that the families and loved ones are experiencing. I can never fully comprehend how one person is able to cause such suffering.

My earlier thought was that How could anyone have guessed that this quite student had that much rage and such a careful put to kill all in his sights. However the more I read the clearer it becomes that not only were there warning signs, there were virtual Neon signs pointing to the danger this man represented.

It was more than a year ago that Cho Seung-Hui was accused of stalking two female students. According to the Virginia Tech Web Site,The first was Nov. 27, 2005, Cho contacted a female student through phone calls and in person. The student notified the Virginia Tech Police Department, and declined to press charges. However, Officers spoke with Cho concerning this matter, and the investigating officer referred Cho to the University disciplinary system. The second time that a stalking incident occurred was Dec. 12, 2005, Cho instant messaged a second female student. She made a complaint to Virginia Tech Police. In both instances there was never any direct threat made. Later that day police received a call from an acquaintance of Cho’s who was concerned that Cho might have been suicidal. Officers again met with Cho and talked with him at length. Virginia Tech Police Chief Flinchum said. they considered the messages "annoying," not threatening,Cho was however asked to speak to a counselor, after meeting with Cho, the counselor was so concerned that a temporary detention order was obtained and Cho was taken to, Carilion Saint Albans Behavioral Health Center. a mental health facility.

If that was not sufficient warning signs, his teachers began getting repeated complaints from others students in his classes. One of his teachers, poet Nikki Giovanni, said her students were so rattled by Cho's behavior, that some stopped coming to class altogether. Students complained of him taking pictures of them with his cell phone,and the violent nature of his writings. Ms. Giovanni called security to check on her room. She eventually threatened to quit if he wasn't removed from her class.

"I know we're talking about a youngster, but troubled youngsters get drunk and jump off buildings," she said. "There was something mean about this boy. It was the meanness - I've taught troubled youngsters and crazy people - it was the meanness that bothered me. It was a really mean streak that was intimidating,"

Lucinda Roy, a co-director of creative writing at Virginia Tech, said she tutored Cho after he was removed from class. She said she tried to get him into counseling starting in late 2005 but he always refused. She became so concerned that she went repeatedly to university officials, and when told they could do nothing, she went to the Virginia Tech Police regarding Cho and his course writing assignments.

"He was so distant and so lonely," she told ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday. "It was almost like talking to a hole, as though he wasn't there most of the time. He wore sunglasses and his hat very low so it was hard to see his face."

So the question is, how was a person with such a detailed history of mental illness able to go into a gun store and in the same day buy a 9mm Glock semi-automatic and a second gun, extra clips and a large quantity of ammunition?

If there was ever a example of a person that should have been asked to wait 5 days for a background check, this is the one. Clearly the blame falls on the head of Cho Seung-Hui, he was the sick individual that carried out this way of terror. That said the system must do a better job of protecting us from this kind of bloodshed. He was a ticking bomb, a lot of people knew it, to steps to warn and get the guy the help he clearly needed, but the system let us all down. The school let him stay, the police had no power to hold him and the Virginia laws allowed a man with a track record of violent writings, stalking charges and obvious mental illness buy a stock pile of weapons.

Is Global Warming a Military threat?

Is Global Warming a Military threat?

For years it seemed easy to paint those people screaming about global Warming as a bunch of “liberal, tree-hugging, Latte drinking, Volvo driving, extremests. The truth be told, there are quite a few in the enviormental movement that fit that description. So it was with special interest that I read about the report being issued by a number of retired military leaders addressing Globan Warming as a major security threat.

In an article By SETH BORENSTEIN (AP) he quotes Bush's former Middle East envoy, Gen. Anthony "Tony" Zinni, as saying : "It's not hard to make the connection between climate change and instability, or climate change and terrorism."

"We will pay for this one way or another," wrote Zinni, former commander of U.S. Central Command. "We will pay to reduce greenhouse gas emissions today, and we'll have to take an economic hit of some kind. Or we will pay the price later in military terms. And that will involve human lives. There will be a human toll."

"Everybody needs to start paying attention to what's going on. I don't think this is a particularly hard sell in the Pentagon. ... We're paying attention to what those security implications are, stated " Gordon Sullivan the former U.S. Army chief of staff. He goes on to say that "Climate change exacerbates already unstable situations,"
The report looks at the geo-political fall-out that will likely occure when Global warming causes rivers to dry-up, resources that nations depent on, be come in short supply. Terry Root a Stanford scientist who contributed work for a report on the effects of global warming, added

"We're going to have a war over water," Root said. "There's just not going to be enough water around for us to have for us to need to live with and to provide for the natural environment."
I think it is important to point out that this report “Assumes” global Warming, rather than offering any new data to answer whether Global Warming is Fact or Fiction. It is clear that the number of reports, documents, photos and data supporting a warming global climate grows each year, as do the number of once skeptical, now on board, scientists. Even many of the once loudest voices challenging the “Green House effect” have reluctantly acquiesced, and now speak in terms of uncertainty. They say thing like “the changes will Not be as quick “ or “Not as severe”. Interestingly, this is coming at the same time that some in the scientific community are questioning some of the scientific procedures and objectivity of some of the data being used to in their world “Prop-up the theory of man-made climate change.
In Geology class you study natural boundaries such as Rivers and mountains, in a political science class you will put out a map and discuss national boarders. Science might tell us that the amount farm land might remain level in a particular set of conditions, but a military strategist will remind us that it matters if the resource moves from one country to the next.

5,000,000 “Missing” White House Emails?

By Larry Lubell

The plot, or depending on your point of view, the smoke is thickening in the case of the firing of the eight federal prosecutors. Each day there seems to be some development that calls into question the statement made by Gonzales and the White House concerning the prosecutor’s dismissals.

I am reminded by the scene from Casablanca when Claude Reines “ states that “He is shocked, Shocked, to find gambling going on here” as he secretly pockets his gambling chips. Look, both parties play politics. Both are guilty of padding the payrolls with people they believe will be loyal, and or support their views. You would think by this time the politicians would realize that it’s usually the cover-up that does them in, not the original action.

In this case, Alberto Gonzales has great latitude in the hiring and firing of the federal prosecutors under his jurisdiction. Clinton replaced all of them in one fell swoop. The only thing is, once you hire them, you have to respect their independence. The accusation is that the administration did not, and replaced them for not aggressively enough going after democrats.

If it was me, I would feel far more comfortable explaining firing employees based vague terms like “Quality,” “Time-Management” “Administrative temperament,” than trying to explain missing emails, contradictory statements and paper trails.

Two questions come to mind over the White House’s recent statement regarding the emails requested by congress.
How do you loose over 5,000,000 email?
Do you really believe that congress or the American people are stupid enough to believe they got “lost”?

Karl Rove, who seemed “In the clear” in the Valerie Plame case, now finds him self again being called before special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, now for a 4th time before that Grand jury. Rove’s return has created great anxiety among White House officials and the Republican Party that Fitzgerald may be preparing to bring indictments against Rove and other high-ranking administration insiders.

Robert Luskin, Rove's lawyer, when asked why didn't the Rove e-mail surface earlier? said “It's because an electronic search conducted by the White House missed it because the right "search words" weren't used”. (The White House and Fitzgerald both declined to comment.)

It seems clear, at this point, that Gonzales and White House officials are just weaving their own web that will in the end ensnare them; While the spider sits and waits.

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