Intel on the outside are now on the inside of OLPC

No sooner has Lord Patel posted about the PC laptop / notebook power shift to the East and the way AMD have a prime position on the One Laptop per child Project (OLPC) than Intel make a volte face and have joined up on the MIT project. (Pic Negroponte at Davos with his OLPC)

In May this year, Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of OLPC, said the silicon giant "should be ashamed of itself" for efforts to undermine his initiative - their Chairman called it a "$100 gadget"

Negroponte accused Intel of selling its own cut-price laptop - the Classmate PC - below cost to drive him out of markets in the developing world.

Will Swope of Intel told BBC Online

"What happened in the past has happened," "But going forward, this allows the
two organisations to go do a better job and have a better impact for what we are
both very eager to do, which is help kids around the world."

Negroponte said: "Intel joins the OLPC board as a world leader in technology, helping reach the world's children. Collaboration with Intel means that the maximum number of laptops will reach children."

AMD were tight lipped and said ...""Intel's apparent change of heart is welcome, and we're sure they can make a positive contribution to this very worthy project for the benefit of children all over the world." More at NYT

We don't predict the future here. We just grasp at the straws in the wind.

The American Dream .. a car that doesn't leak

What sells cars ? Sex, size, seating capacity, cup holders, colour, price, fuel efficiency, loyalty ? Whatever it is, no-one wants a car that leaks.

Sealing systems don't excite many folks but they sure get Sam Jyawook excited.

Regularly receiving GM best supplier awards at Thona, Sam Jyawook left to start Jyco Industries in Dexter , Michigan.

He saw the wave and he jumped.

Previously car / door, / engine compartment seals used EDPM technology which was introduced in the 80's, it was a plastic open celled compound , called ethylene propylene diene monomer which was the eventual product of petroleum distillates and they contain 18 additives.

Seals have to meet very demanding requirements to combat a huge range of contaminants, dust, grit, grime, liquid over a long product lifetime. They should not bloom and go white - which EPDM doesas a result of UV light exposure, they must have just the right Coefficient of Friction - too little and the seal won't work, too much and you need Arnold Schwarzenegger to open the trunk, they must last , they must keep their colour, gloss and smooth surface... and help to get just the right car door closing slam sound.

So Sam and Jyco introduced TVP - thermoplastic vulcanizate which is a closed cell composite of EPDM and polypropylene and at 1% absorption is virtually moisture proof and contain 3 additives and have typically 20-30% mass than their EPDM equivalent.

Not does it only outperform and outlast EPDM but it cost less to manufacture, uses less energy and produces less waste.

"The average EPDM extrusion line is 400 feet long and draws 250,000 watts of energy. Our TPV lines are 100 feet long and use one-third of the energy. EPDM lines average around 15% scrap on a good day, none of which is recyclable. Jyco's TPV lines average 4% scrap, all of which is recyclable.

EPDM processing emits volatile organic compounds. TPV emits no VOCs, and produces less carbon dioxide."

Jyco now sells TPV parts to OEMs around the world through their plants in China, Belgium, and Mexico - probably better sealing than you have on any door or window in your house.

..and Sam is again a three-time recipient of the GM Supplier of the Year Award

This is a super American success story ... next time when you are bowling along in a rainstorm, in your 6, seat, 9 miles per gallon, 3 ton , 5 litre SUV and the rain doesn't come in and the sound outside doesn't drown your stereo or the kids DVD .. think of Sam and how he made the world a slightly better place.

...you can of course really piss off the salesman when you buy your next one, with questions about the merits of TPV over EPDM, the coefficient of friction and tight bond injection-molded corner molding technology using TPV foam extrusions for glass run channel and primary body seals.

..or you could just leave it to your wife to choose the colour.

Biofuels plc - all that is green is not golden

Lord Patel advised readers that on Friday 30 June 2006, Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, MP., the Prime Minister visited the Biofuels Corporation to open their Seal Sands plant -Teesside 1 where he met Mike Buzzacott BA. FCCA the Chairman and accountant who took over in March this year after 34 years at BP and was Group VP Petrochemicals.

Well there was a lot of happy talk about bright prospects... that have gone horribly sour in 12 months.

Now one year later the Company have put out a note for their Investors and shareholders on proposed re-structuring of the group .. and notification of an EGM on the 23rd July at 10.30 am when Investors will need to accept liquidation or under terms proposed in which Barclays effectively write off a debt of £40Mn they will take 94% of a new holding company (Newco) which will run the company.

Mike Buzzacot who 12 months ago was glad handing the PM says ..."The Board has concluded that ,given the existing financial structure..... The Board has accordingly succeeded in agreeing the terms of restructuring with Barclays ... unanimously recommended by the Board"

The Board explain that problems with the plant design (they are currently claiming against the suppliers Energea Umwellttechnologie GmbH for a "potential claim in respect of design deficiencies) higher vegetable oil prices, lower biodiesel prices - depressed by US biofuel production subsidies, and the high $/£ exchange rate have impacted plant operation, sales and profitability.


Fixed Assets are boooked at £34 Mn. with Liabilities of £96 Mn. and shareholders with negative £62 Mn and trading losses last year of £32 Mn.


Following the restructuring the Company (Biofuels plc) will own 6% of what is left and the shares will cease to be traded on the AIM market.

Poor old Tony, as soon as he walked away the share price started dropping.

One of the Directors leaving is Clare Spottiswoode CBE well known as Director General of OFGAS where she had a spat with US smooth but tough guy Richard Giordano, when she demanded BG be split so that it no longer had an interest in restricting access to gas pipes to keep its retail prices high - now of course making Centrica an assailable target for GAZprom.

Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are apparently much impressed with this forceful lady and Downing Street and the Treasury asked her for advice over the then head of head of the telecoms regulator, David Edmonds about the take up of Broadband services. (Why do they so like tough lady cookies ? Sally Morgan, Anji Hunter, Carole Chaplin, the simply beautiful Lady Amos, Ruth Turner, Shriti Verdara , Baroness Scotland, Tessa Jowell, Patricia Hewitt ...mother figures or repressed homosexuals ?) - at the time she was also a Director of British Energy.

Claire Spottiswoode has also been a Director of Booker plc and when appointed to Biofuels was deputy Chairman at British Energy, a Director of Oslo based Petroleum Geophysical Services, and Chairman of Economatters a subsidiary of Crisil the Indian Credit Rating Agency ,director of Tullow Oil and Advanced Technology (UK). - un surprisingly she also Chairman of a Children's Nursey aptly called Busy Bees.

EconoMatters is the holding company of Gas Strategies Consulting Limited, Alphatania Limited, Overview Conferences Limited and Gas Matters Limited and was founded by Ms. Clare Spottiswoode Chairman, James Ball President and Chief Mentor, and David Ledesma Managing Director and Chief Executive who sold out to CRISIL on December 17th 2003.

They publish the excellent review journals for the gas industry Gas Matters, Gas Matters Today, LNG Focus and GasMatters Online - at the time Lord Patel, an avid reader felt Mr Ravimohan made a very shrewd move and got a bargain....and he also represented the vision of the emerging Asian energy players.

If you want to be well informed on Natural Gas / LNG / Energy matters these are essential reading - try this round up on the global LNG market and current / future demand and supply trends.

as a taster..

"In Barcelona , Mohamed Hassan Marican said that “LNG demand is expected to grow to 375 million tonnes by 2015” – an average of 10%/year – while “current forecasts indicate LNG production capacity will grow at about 8%/year until 2015, almost doubling the current volume”.

However, Marican introduced a note of realism by going on to point out that there have been few new project launches in recent times. Contrary to expectations at the start of 2006, the only green-field liquefaction project to reach final investment decision last year was Peru LNG. Moreover, several projects currently under construction are facing substantial delays.

“There are now serious concerns,” said Marican, “that there will be a supply crunch by 2010”.

You don't see that in the City Pages... now go and read about New Zealand's recently introduced energy / carbon tax - the world's first. it is not the only answer, it isn't the complete answer but ot sure as hell beats the fucking crazy carbon trading scheme the gamablers and munni jugglers of Europe are forcing down our throats.

Gordon Brown - Tales from the Attic

This is a funny old piece written nearly a year ago... Tom Bower added an Exocet or two in May
On (re) considering the New Labour project the following quotation - which our librarian had trouble unearthing (joke!) ,seems apposite. Especially when forced by the BBC to see that smug cunt Cambell almost continuously on our screens, and in our ears this week.

‘...revolutions are not won by enlisting the masses. Revolution is a science for the few who are competent to practice it. It depends on correct organisation and above all, on communications.’

Robert Heinlein The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress

Bob Allen, Sunshine State cocksucker and lawmaker -

WTF is it with these guys ? This overweight lawmaker from Florida is State Rep. State Rep. Bob Allen . Co-Chairman for Sen. McCain's presidential committee. (presumably now ...er...ex - co Chairman)

He offered a cop (he didn't know it was a cop) in a public toilet in the Veteran's Memorial Park on East Broad St. in Titusville (20 miles from his home where he lived with his wife Beth and child) US$20 bucks if he would let him suck his cock.

Unremarkable. Small time politician with time on his hands misbehaves in public toilet, could happen to anybody .... but ..

HOUSE BILL 1475 Sponsor: Rep. Bob Allen (R-Merritt Island). Entitled : Lewd or Lascivious Exhibition: This bill broadens the scope of Section 800.04 of the Florida Statutes. That section specifically addresses "lewd or lascivious exhibition," including public masturbation. HB 1475 broadens the scope of 800.04 to include lewd acts committed in the presence of those of any age, not just those under the age of 16, as the existing law specifies. HB 1475 does not mention 800.03 at all, but it increases the penalty for lewd acts under 800.04

Bill HB1475 Died in Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety on Friday, May 04, 2007 4:12 PM

After his arrest Bob, who gets an A-rating from the Christian Coalition, said it was a "gross mistake" and a "big misunderstanding."

On his House web page, Allen's listed recreational interest is "water sports."

Pic - wonder if they both know that Jeff Gannon chappie who used to hang out round the Press room at the WH ?..my he had a BIG misunderstanding judging by the pics.

HOUSE BILL 1475 Sponsor: Rep. Bob Allen (R-Merritt Island). This bill broadens the scope of Section 800.04 of the Florida Statutes. That section specifically addresses "lewd or lascivious exhibition," including public masturbation. (ugh !) HB 1475 broadens the scope of 800.04 to include lewd acts committed in the presence of those of any age, not just those under the age of 16, as the existing law specifies. HB 1475 does not mention 800.03 at all, but it increases the penalty for lewd acts under 800.04

The bill-which would add punitive weight to the law-died in Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety (?) 5/4/2007.

But he has friends amongst the law enforcers .. 2 weeks ago, the Florida Police Benevolent Association named Bob their "Representative of the Year" for 2007 (not for the first time) for sponsoring a bill creating a separate collective bargaining unit for state troopers.

"He's always been a big supporter," said Matt Puckett, the PBA's deputy director. "He carried the water for us."

OK there are these sad inadequates about who don't seem to be getting the treatment they need or deserve, why do they enter public service... do they seek the public humiliation ..is that the kicker ?

Toni Fabuloso has asked to leave early, the image of a cop's cocksucker carrying the water for them, who lists watersports as his hobby proved to be too much.

Go here to see how well Fred Thompson ,President United States 2008-12 is doing in FL.



This is a nice pic of Bob Allen in action watched by his fellow State Senators , the lady with the enrapt gaze and the paper cup on the left is Rep. Marti Coley (R) who worships at the House of God

Terrorism - it takes guts to fight it

The Chicago Tribune reported this week that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff had been consulting his guts and he had a feeling that ,"the U.S. would be attacked again."

We don't yet have a colour code (brown maybe ?) in the Homeland Security Advisory System that is directly associated with the state of the Homeland Security Secretary's guts... but maybe extortionists and protection racketeers could take a lesson .... "Mighty fine nation you have here folks ... but I got a feeling in my guts that something REALLY nasty could happen...."

Whilst the state of Chertoff's abdominal discomfort is a pretty unusual not to say uncommon way of predicting hugeterristattacksonthisgreatnation, perhaps it's on a par with Reagan consulting his wife's astrologist. Perhaps we need a daily reading on the Chertoff Gaviscon meter of the state of the Chertoff bowels.

What's up for us next week .... A chicken being taken into the White House and being slaughtered so that Dick and Karl can read the entrails for George ... hey don't laugh.

Here in Limey land we are one step ahead of the US (as ever) and our head of terrism who is called Peter "Lunch Pail" Clarke and operates under the secret soubriquet of The Sphincter of the Yard - this now explains the origin of this hitherto puzzling pseudonym - Peter Clarke is also examining his guts (we'll spare you the details) and hey Folks !!!

IT WORKS

Early this summer he warned us that there would be more terrists attacks...

" The threat from Irish dissident republican terrorism continues to be of great concern to us " Peter Clarke 16th December 2002 BBC ...oooops that's one he prepared earlier.

AND

There were more ...er... well.. half arsed terrist attacks.

SECRET & CONFIDENTIAL

The secret weapon of both the UKUS Terrist policy is the combined state of Clarke and Chertoff's guts.

Ron Paul - " staged terror attack"

Republican presidential candidate, Texan Rep. Ron Paul, appeared on the Alex Jones Radio Show and was asked to comment on Cindy Sheehan's comments that that the U.S. is in danger of a staged terror attack or a provocation of an enemy similar to the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964 before the Vietnam War.

He responded by saying that the country is in "great danger" of the U.S. government staging a terrorist attack or a Gulf of Tonkin style provocation, as the war in Iraq continues to deteriorate.

The Texas congressman offered no specifics nor mentioned President Bush by name, but he clearly insinuated that the administration would not be above staging an incident to revive flagging support. Listen here

Senator Vitter - Jeane squeezes him in and Jack Burkman pops up

Someone has been very industrious at the Times Picayune and traced the time of 5 calls by Jeane Palfrey to Senator Vitters phone - and what he was doing at the time.

Call No 5:57 p.m. on Tuesday Oct. 12, 1999, a Tuesday. Vitter participated in three House roll call votes that day, beginning at 7:45 p.m.

Call No 2 6:36 p.m.,on On Monday, Sept. 18, 2000, Vitter joined 376 colleagues at about that time in voting to approve the District of Columbia and United States Territories Circulating Quarter Dollar Program Act. The roll call began at 6:30 p.m., according to House records, and ended at 6:39.

Call No 3 5:06 p.m. on Thursday Oct. 26, 2000, Vitter voted in all 10 roll calls that day, starting at midmorning and ending well after dark. Palfrey's phone call came during a 21-minute recorded vote in which Vitter joined most of his GOP colleagues in approving the Small Business Investment Act.

Call No 4 4:39 p.m. on Sunday Feb. 11, 2001

Call No 5 3:06 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2001, (Mardi Gras) more than two hours before Vitter voted in the day's only House roll call. What is of interest is that George Dubya Bush addressed Congress that day ...

"The last time I visited the Capitol, I came to take an oath on the steps of this building. I pledged to honor our Constitution and laws. And I asked you to join me in setting a tone of civility and respect in Washington. I hope America is noticing the difference, because we're making progress. Together, we are changing the tone in the Nation's Capital. And this spirit of respect and cooperation is vital, because, in the end, we will be judged not only by what we say or how we say it, we will be judged by what we're able to accomplish."

Who knows perhaps that made him really horny that night.

Probably the only conclusion to draw is he got horny in the late afternoon and mostly on a Tuesday. This is a pic claimed to be of Wendy Cortez (AKA Wendy Yow) that the Times Picayune finger as a US$300 a trick whore who featured for some time with Vitter lengthy story here with her unsavory ex lover spilling the beans (?).

Danny one of the architects of the dcphonelist site explains his motivations here ...their database now holds contains 4434 numbers which made multiple calls of more than 1 minute to Ms Palfrey’s service.

Citizens For Legitimate Government has received information that Senator David Vitter is in the Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans.

Citizens For Legitimate Government has received information that Senator David Vitter is in the Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans. 13 Jul 2007

They also report that Republican political operative/pundit, John (Jack) M. Burkman Jr. Principal J.M. Burkman & Associates, Arlington, VA phone number appears in the database of phone records of the 'DC Madam.' From the phone logs: 15th January 2006 18:44 1.00

Apparently he has appeared previously in questionable terms ..



The GOP strategist and conservative talking head who used to be seen on the cable news shows a lot more often before his MySpace sleazery was exposed, is also on the DC Madam's phone list. He is also the same John "Jack" Burkham who was a lobbyist for James Dobson's Family Research Council to lobby for good Christian family conservative values.(He is the creep who propositions girls on My Space and offers them $$$ if they’ll just come to the Mayflower Hotel and let him... err... you know.)

Wonkette has a story Friday June 16th 2006 about Mr Burkman and his encounters with girls from My Space and clips from their site - now private. He was famously the guy who said ..

On MSNBC’s Scarborough Country, Republican strategist Jack Burkman, echoing right-wing pundit Ann Coulter, whom he was defending, declared that “within hours of those [World Trade Center] towers going down,” the wives of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks “were ready to make money and exploit this tragedy!”

Wonkette had another story same day with a photo of his business card...." he was offering to pay for our room and give us a thousand dollars if two of us would fuck him. oh, jack burkman. his card is my DC souvenir."

Update Saturday 14th 12.00EST Margie Burns (describes herself as a journalist) has some details / e-mails with / to / from Jeane and the history of Jeane selling a property in Florida from the realtor who dealt with her.

Metropolitan Police advertise for Terrorists

Ever wondered why Peter Clarke, the Sphincter of the Yard and Terrist Chief at the Met is so well informed .. well so have we...now we know why

It seems reasonable to assume when you are so shite at finding them yourself you might as well advertise for help.

West African narco / people trafficking attracts US presence in Guineau Bissau

Those readers who read recently about USAFRICOM and the re-alignment of US military interests in Africa / Europe will be fascinated to see another small but significant development on US interests in the Dark Continent in one of the poorest countries in the world.

On the 7th July the United States reopened a diplomatic office in Bissau in Guineau Bissau. Washington closed its diplomatic mission in Bissau more than 10 years ago, shortly before a brief civil war erupted.

The re-opening is claimed to be related to the rise in narco - trafficking via West Africa of South American drugs from Colombia, Venezueala and other nearby countries. Opium and heroin from Afghanistan is also reaching North America by this route.The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC )knows of more than 50 seizures of drugs in the past two years in Guinea Bissau alone.

Diplomatic relations with the the former Portuguese colony were conducted via the neighbouring Sengalese Embassy. Janice Jacobs, the United States ambassador to Senegal, in opening the office said ,"“Reopening this office paves the way for the reopening of a U.S. Embassy in Guinea-Bissau,” Claud Young, a spokesman for the United States Embassy in Dakar, Senegal said opening the diplomatic liaison office was part of a five-year program to return to a full diplomatic presence in Guinea-Bissau.(Dakar was the scene of action (The purpose of 'Operation Menace' was to persuade the Governor General that French West Africa should join de Gaulle) for 3 days in late September 1940 when a force of Free French led by Gen. de Gaulle and UK ships attempted unsucessfully to take Dakar from the Vichy Government and their newly appointed Governor General Pierre Boisson)it was a defeat upon which historians have generally drawn a discreet veil.)The force was composed of 31 British and 4 French vessels, 2,400 French and 4,270 British troops. In retribution the French opearting out of Toulon bombed Gibraltar.

Senegal was the he only sub-Saharan nation to send a contingent to participate in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The First Lady Mrs Bush visited Senegal on a 4 nation trip to West Africa at the end of June 2007.

Washington challenged the country’s government last month over its firing of a police chief who won international praise for tackling Latin American cocaine traffickers.

An imopoverished country of some 1.5 million existing on cashew nuts and fishing in it's island crowded littoral they are burdened with debt,high level corruption, violence and many public workers have not been paid for months.

7 smugglers , men from Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela and a French woman were arrested in Senegal(NYT) last week after finding more than 2,400 kilograms (1 tonne) (street value US$200 Mn.)the biggest seizure of it's kind in West Africa. Along with the drugs and men airline tickets from tickets from Rio de Janeiro to Bissau were also found.

This followed a large seizure the previous week - more seriously a haul of 600kg of cocaine was seized in Bissau last September but mysteriously vanished after being stored in the treasury.

Former Guinea-Bissau Prime Minister Aristides Gomes said he had ordered the drugs to be burnt , However The Magistrates' Union said the correct procedures had not been followed and expressed concerns about the government's alleged role in the drugs' trade.

Seven top officials, including former ministers and police commanders, have been arrested but remain uncharged.

There have recently been large cocaine seizures in Ghana and Sierra Leone. 49 kg of cocaine was intercepted by Burkina Faso’s authorities on the border with Mali in April 2007. Very often this is associated with people trafficking into Europe as well. In May 2007, Mauritanian authorities discovered 630 kg of cocaine in an abandoned aeroplane near the airport in Nouadhibou, 500 km north of the capital Nouakchott.

**** There is a fascinating eye witness account of the debacle at Dakar by a young Australian seaman ...well worth reading.

Tax cuts for the very,very rich - how it works... and where some of the money goes

This very happy looking chap with his wife is Stephen A. Schwarzman, he is Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Blackstone Group LP in 1985 and the Chairman of the board of directors of its general partner, Blackstone Group Management L.L.C. (who paid him US$400Mn last year) his colleague and co-founder Peter G. Peterson is Chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Stephen was George Bush's room mate at Yale and joined the sinister Yale Skull and Bones sceret society in 1969 simultaneously. He is married to Christine Hearst, an intellectual property lawyer at Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman who, unusually, has kept the name of her second husband, Austin Hearst, father of her 2 children ( She is a daughter of Peggie Mularchuk of Hicksville, L.I.) grandson of the legendary newspaper tycoon Randolph Hearst.The wedding was solemnised by both Rabbi Bertram Siegel and Rev. Sam Matarazzo, a Roman Catholic priest on November 5th 1995.


At his 60th Birthday party on 13th February (total cost US$6 Mn) this year Rod Stewart provided the entertainment - and was allegedly paid US$1 Mn for the gig. (just days after the Blackstone US$39 Bn. purchase of Equity Office Properties in what was the largest leveraged buyout ever.

Last month these guys and their partners sold some of their share of Blackstone to the public and the public paid up US$3.7Bn - give or take the off US$100 Mn. for the flock of lawyers, accountants and PR / Press reptiles who were on hand to do the deal.

Whew ! That's some tax to pay on that pay day ... well yes the partners will initially pay (give or take the odd mill ... a whopping US$ 553 Mn. that's the going rate of 15% on Capital gains (reduced to that rate by his old room mate President Bush in one of his essential tax cutting moves) . Ouuuch!!!!!

But tax lawyers point out that the documents outlining the deal suggest that that tax will be returned to those taxpapers and some US$200 Mn. more ....How ?

Well , the trick is that that US$3.7 Mn. represents intangible assets - Goodwill for which the sellers (because they put this into a seperate entity called a "blocking company" - because it blocks paying tax) can make deductions for the "loss" of that goodwill.

Blackstone can deduct 35 %, based on the corporate tax rate for depreciation, of the value of $3.7 billion in good will, or $1.3 billion. Because the partners told investors they have the right to 85 percent of that amount, that means they have $1.1 billion worth of deductions.

The rub is of course that this tax is only repaid over 15 years, so that the deduction of US$1.1 Mn the partners can make on the US$3.7 Mn works out at in today's dollars US$751 Mn (ish, ish because those pesky lawyers, etc will take a pourboir you can bet)

So hey Presto , this precious prestidigitation means the partners recover US$198 million more than they paid in taxes. (751 - 571)

To reap those savings from the deductions, Blackstone needs to funnel income into that blocker corporation.

So Blackstone directs to the "blocker" corporation the annual fees it receives from investors for managing their money, which is 2 percent of the assets they manage - more than US$850 million last year, far more than the amount needed to write off the good will.
... and the effective tax the partners will have paid is approximately 5%.

Similiar tax structures have been used when the Fortress Investment Group went public in February (Goldman Sachs lead underwriter) , Kohlbreg, Kravis Roberts and Och-Ziff Capital managment identify virtually identical strategies for tax shrinking in their preliminary disclosure documents for their forthcoming floats.

It is of course all perfectly legal.

PS http://www.ipnetwork.com/ was formed by Christine Hearst Schwarzman, as she now calls herself, she founded and named herselfchairman of a new business, IPnetwork.com, which described itself as“the premier licensing and event sponsorship Website” and “the onlineleader in transaction, management and information services for the licensing,event sponsorship and intellectual property communities.” Just as the Internet bubble was poised to pop, she raised $20 million in financing for the venture,*** which she promised would, among other things,help Web site owners avoid copyright infringement litigation.“All of Schwarzman’s friends invested, but it went pfft in the bubble,”says an observer of the financial world. (Michael Gross 740 Park: The Story of The World's Richest Apartment Building (Broadway Books):)

A Whois produces this ....
Registrant:

The Blackstone group , 345 Park Avenue, NEW YORK, NY 10154
Domain Name: IPNETWORK.COM
Administrative Contact , Technical Contact :
Domain, CHS

admin@schwarzman.com

345 Park Ave, New York, NY 10154,US
Phone: 212-583-5000
Record expires on 13-May-2013 - Record created on 25-May-1999

Database last updated on 26-Feb-2007

*** IPnetwork.com, the premier licensing and event sponsorship Website, announced today the initial closing of its $20 million second round of financing. The round was led by Communicade, the Internet investment arm of Omnicom Group Inc., the global advertising, marketing and interactive media giant. Other investors include Chase Capital Partners, Merrill Lynch, Fenway Partners, LGT Capital Management, and Wharton Capital Holding Corp., as well as additional investments from Sir Ronald Grierson and previous investors TL Ventures, Craig McCaw, Reed Hundt, Jay Alix, Jon Moulton of Alchemy Partners and Chris Brody of Vantage Venture
Partners.

Perhaps not a business venture that Stephen will brag about - one imagines that Ron Grierson ex GEC , Craig McCaw, Reed Hundt, Jay Alix, Jon Moulton and Chris Brody might, with hindsight take a rather sour view of their investment.

Christine also hit the headlines in August last year, at a St. Tropez party held by Denise Rich the semi estranged wife of Marc Rich Tax exile, (pardoned by Bill Clinton) held a party abord her husband's Rich's sleek, 145-foot yacht, "Lady Joy," 300 luminaries disembarked to the old port, where an actual merry-go-round had been de-horsed and converted into a rotating dance floor surrounded by go-go girls in cages. Pole-dancing under the flashing lights - principal dancer was Christine - which much amused huisaband Stephen and fellow travellers the beautifully bronzed George Hamilton, Anne Hathaway, Rena Sendi, Terry Allen Kramer and Serena Boardman. P.M. Lounge emcee Unik handed the mike to Sean Combs , who rapped over his new record with James Brown.

PC Power slipping East - getting bigger, better, cheaper

Big changes are happening in the notebook / laptop PC market , totally dominated by Far East manufacturers, which presages the first tectonic shifts in major chip suppliers and trends in OS design and future PC markets.

Hon Hai Precision Industries (who own FoxConn) were mentioned here in April as they have been looking to expand their production into Vietnam - where it was noted that Compal Electronics Inc, the world’s second-largest laptop contract manufacturer, (customers include Dell, Compaq, HP, Fujitsu-Siemens) and a major mobile phone manufacturer have been considering a US$2- 2.5 Billion investment in the northern province of Vinh Phuc since early last year.

Now it appears that further consolidation of notebook / laptop PC manufacturing is taking place and Hon Hai who commenced PC manufacturing in 2004 are to merge with Quanta the world's largest manufacturer (they claim 33% of the glbal market under almost all brands available) - which as they are both big users of AMD microprocerssors must surely be boost for them and bad news for Intel. (The Chairmen of both companies are also very good friends)

Lord Patel's spies report that Taipai based Hon Hai (with massive investements on the Chinese mainland) have agreed /signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Quanta Computer Inc where 51 year old president Michael Wang (co founder in 1988) has just mysteriously departed - or even gone on a long holiday / sabbatical... leaving evrthing in the hands of his co-founders Barry Lam, chairman, who as reassigned responsibility for manufacturing to C.C. Leung, another co-founder and vice-chairman.

Hon Hai, said to be the world's largest electronic component manufacturers have worked Quanta for many years and are major suppliers of LCD screens for their lap tops.

There were rumours in December of a tie up which were denied but this time it seems to be a done deal.

Quanta are designers and manufacturers for the US$100 - One Laptop per Child Project (OLPC) with an initial order for 1 million units announced in February this year (made in Changshu, China) - and prospects of 10 million within 2 years. For more information on this Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT) inspired project to develop a US$100 US$175 laptop — a technology that could revolutionize how we educate the world's children, (go to to their website.) ...and of course a nascent market for PC users in the next decade which the Dells, HP's Apples might well have some difficulty in breaking into.

Craig Barrett, Intel's chairman, who said, "I think a more realistic title should be 'the $100 gadget'" back in December '05 when Advanced Micro Devices was chosen as the processor supplier is no great supporter of this project and Bill Gates, no less slammed it at the World Economic Forum in Davos in February this year - but then they had refused an offer of a free Windows OS (open source version of Windows CE) and plumped for Linux.... But OLPC announced a US$3 Windows OS would be available to run on the machine.... maybe. MS had announced "Windows for the Poor" ...

The Student Innovation Suite will feature Windows XP Starter Edition, Office Home and Student, Microsoft Math 3.0, Learning Essentials 2.0 for Office and Windows Live Mail, and will be available in selected countries where governments pay for students' PCs in the second half of the year. The suite will be extended in 2008 to countries defined as low or middle income by the World Bank.

Will Hon Hai be assembling even more notebooks / laptops in Vietnam ?

Take note what Lord Patel reported about Hoya the Japanese company that makes 80% of the glass disks that are used in 80% of the world's hard disks ..

“We choose Vietnam to transfer our high-value added lenses bases and laboratories globally here for the country’s attractive business environment and a good supply of well-educated workers." said Gerald Bottero, president and CEO of Hoya Vision Care ... which is a remark that people in the UK seeking inward investment might consider carefully.

As Lord Adonis the unelected twat who is responsible for the state of UK education who can simultaneously say UK education is improving when 20% of children at 11 are funtionally innumerate should take note of.But he fucking won't.

PS. Toshiba launched their AMD powered Satellite series laptops in June - they dropped AMD in 200 amid claims in an AMD lawsuit against Intel that Toshiba had received a "very substantial" payment from Intel.

Like other PC vendors, Toshiba was receiving "market development funds" from Intel worth about $25 million to $30 million per quarter and those would have been jeopardized if it used AMD chips, the lawsuit alleged. The case between AMD and Intel continues.

This week AMD reported major price cuts (up to 20%) on its range of microprocessors - eg Athlon 64 X2 6000+, which runs at 3GHz, fell to $178 from $241 and its AMD 64 X2 5600+, to $157 from $505, according to its latest price list.

Trade gossip says Intel will be announcing price cuts on July 22nd.

PPSThe Swiss-based chip maker ST Microelectronics (The result of the 1987 merger of SGS Microelettronica of Italy and Thomson Semiconducteurs of France net revenues of US$9.85 billion - 2006 ) is shutting 3 plants for 6 inch wafer manufacture ,Carrollton, Texas, an 8 inch fab in Phoenix Arizona,plus a plant in Ain Sebaa, Morocco. It has already shifted most of its 6 inch production to Singapore (ST was the 3rd biggest semiconductor supplier in China in 2005.) ....4,000 soon to be ex-employees,will be offered transfers or “transition-based incentives”.

ST still has wafer plants in Agrate Brianza (Italy), Catania (Italy), Crolles (France), and Rousset (France) - they are the world’s leading supplier of ICs for TV set-top boxes (STBs), and has shipped a cumulative total of more than 400 million MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 decoder chips – used worldwide in STBs, digital television sets (DTV) and DVD players... more profitable than microprocessors and is well placed to meet the growing demands for satellite and cable TV growth in India and China.

For those interested this chart compares the stock market performance of AMD with ST over the last 12 months.

Friday 13th - Oil touches US$77 a Barrel - Gold ends US$666 / oz

At mid day EST it appears that we were right that this was not Conrad Black's day. He has been found guilty by a 9 woman, 3 man jury, which deliberated 12 days, on 4 of 13 charges (but not the racketeering charges) - particularly those relating to cover up and obstruction of justice.

Conviction on three mail fraud charges carry maximum penalties of five years each and fines of up to $250,000. The far more serious charge of obstruction of justice carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and/or a fine of US$250,000.

Potentially, Black faces 35 years in prison and a US$1-million fine.

All the staff here send their condolences adn support to his beautiful, fragrant and charming wife, Lady Black whose wonderful columns under her professional name of Barbara Amiel contained such disdom, style and deep analysis of the many problems we face in this war torn and divided world.

As he will appeal he will no doubt be released on bail....into the arms of his glamorous young wife.... who will be shocked by the news that the Conservative Party in the House of Lords have removed the Whip from him.

Burnley BNP Bombers - 2nd Jury cannot agree on a verdict

At the end of a 9 day re trial Ex-BNP local election candidate and bus driver Robert Cottage (49) and dentist David Jackson (62) were again found not guilty of plotting to make bombs intending to endanger life. This second jury was faced with the same evidence that the first jury considered in February this year.

The jury of 7 men and 4 women at Manchester Crown Court spent only a day and half deliberating before returning to tell Mrs Justice Swift they were unable to reach a verdict.

The CPS have said it will not seek a re-trial.

In a paradoxical end to a very curious case, Cottage, who had pleaded guilty will be remanded and sentenced within 4 weeks and Jackson was released to enjoy his recent retirement from dentistry.

Jeane Palfrey, DC Madam and the Numbers Racket - Volume increases

Skilluminati have a site which is a useful entry point for chasing whoring pols., generals, academics etc.,

dcphonelist is an easy to use new site that is transcribing all the numbers into a huge database - this enables the user to test any number (which say a suspicious spouse may wish to check) , there is also on line access to test the number against AT&T e.g ..

770 617-9966 from Atlanta Ne, GA, appears 218 times, first occuring on October 10th, 2005 at 2:19pm and most recently on January 12th, 2006 at 3:53pm.

Brainsturbator has a forum used by a band of truthseekers, gold diggers and people wit nothing bettre to do than expose these infantilist clients seeking "sexual fantasy" as Madame Jeane delicately phrases it.

Politico has a story behind the story that Hustler owner / publisher Larry Flynt actually triggered off Senator Vitters attempt to retain his reproductive powers ahead of his wife's attempt at amateur genito -urinary surgery by blabbing.

"It's déjà vu for many on Capitol Hill who lived through Flynt's first,successful 1998 sex-scandal bounty hunt, conducted at the height of the sex-driven impeachment drive against President Bill Clinton. With a promise of millions but a payout of less, Flynt managed to expose the sexual promiscuity of former House Judiciary Chairman Henry Hyde of Illinois, former impeachment prosecutor Bob Barr and -- his biggest catch of all -- the almost-Speaker Bob Livingston, another Louisianan, ...."

Curiously it was Bob Livingstone's resignation that let Senator Vitter into Washigton politics -
the wheel turns ...

This time Larry is using the same tactic and once again offering a million-dollar payoff to anyone who can provide documented evidence of "illicit intimate relations with a congressman, senator or other prominent officeholder."

Dan Moldea, an investigative journalist and author who worked with Flynt in 1998 is back on the job again leading a team working with Ms. Palfrey in ploughing the numbers.

Knowing the benefits of outsourcing there is probably a team hard at work right now in Bangalore hitting those dials.

Jeane Palfrey's 46 lb little black book of telephone numbers yields secrets - bloggers claim mastermind of 9/11 - he fucked over NORAD and the FAA

Jeane Palfreys telephone records are available in a more acceptable / readable / downloadable form here ***** and here - scanned records - see sample Sprint Jan - August 2006.

Do a reverse lookup (AnyWho AT&T)on the phone numbers to find out who owns them.

Stop Press 11.50EST 12th July 2007 using the above link for reverse lookup - on any number - returns an Error 404 page - now why would that be when it worked so well last night ?

Several sites are claiming / confirming that Deadeye Dick the sharpshootin Veep, the guy who shoots lawyers - he has previously been fingered, keeps creepingcropping up as a user - but this will be explained as services provided by Halliburton for clients.. Ho. Hummmmmm.

In NOLA, WLTV have run a story from a woman, Jeanette Maier who says for years she and her family ran a prostitution ring, often referred to as the Canal Street brothel – a $300 an hour family business the feds shut down five years ago.

Tuesday night from her west bank home, Maier said in the 1990s she met David Vitter at different events where her girls were working - see the video of her interview with WLTV here.

***** Lord Patel got Toni Fabuloso to check a few off this site ...and well well well, 202 828 5800 shows up as Bracewell & Patterson Llp. 2000 K St. NWWashington, DC 20006 and directs you to 34 lawyers direct - and Bracewell & Patterson are now Bracewell & Giuliani - whose partner Mr Mark Markusey is the personal lawyer of previously fingered Harlan "Shock and Awe" Ullman. Link to story about Harlan who when asked about the reports he wasa client said "it was beneath contempt".

President says "Fuck YOU ...and the Constitution"

President Bush ordered his former White House counsel,friend, companion, stayer over at Crawford and the Gubernatorial Mansion in Austin, Harriet Miers, to defy a congressional subpoena and refuse to appear tommorrow before a House panel investigating the sacking of U.S. attorneys.

Ms. Miers, " has absolute immunity from compelled congressional testimony as to matters occurring while she was a senior adviser to the president," White House Counsel Fred Fielding wrote in a letter to Miers' lawyer, George T. Manning.

Iraq / Afghanistan - the cost of a Dead Soldier is less than a Dead Officer

An article on Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles at the Globalsecurity.org site revealed this fascinating piece of accountancy / analysis and military calculus ...

Research by the Math and Statistics branch of the Naval Safety Center incicates that the financial costs associated to casualties should be adjusted upward no less than 250% from its current 1988 baseline to account for the real dollar costs of care and replacement. Adjusted enlisted casualties average $500,000 dollars while officers, depending upon their military occupation range from US$1 Mn. to US$2 Mn. each.

This means the average light tactical vehicle with one officer and four enlisted personnel is protecting 2.5 million dollars of the DOD's budget. This $2.5 million is real O&M dollars. The argument that "we can't afford armored vehicles" is specious. The opposite is true, at 2.5 million dollars of precious cargo each, the Corps cannot afford UN-armored vehicles.

Elswhere it says,"Current operations have proven that USMC unarmored ground vehicles are unsuitable to support combat operations."

Update - see comments. UK Channel 4 in Thursday 12th July showed a film of a Guradian correspondents experience witha Stryker brigade in Baghdad. This still shows them dragging a body from a car at which they had just shot to stop the car.

The driver was dead.

The narrative of thwe soldiers in the film - who had done 15 months service in Iraq represented much the same views as those in the Nation article.

UK Government are fucking lying again about CIA rendition, the Chagossians and Diego Garcia

The UK Foreign Office have consistently lied about the campaign of the paramilitary wing of the CIA's rendition program and the involvement of the UK and especially the use for this program of the island of Diego Garcia. Pic shows the latest lying cunt Bill Rammell meeting Tzipi Livni Israeli Foreign Secretary and wannabe PM who shares so much with our Foreign Secretary.

House of Commons Hansard; column 1222W, Questions to the Rt. Hon. Jack Straw, UK Foreign Secretary, 21.06.2004

Mr. Straw : “The United States authorities have repeatedly assured us that no detainees have at any time passed in transit through Diego Garcia or its territorial waters or have disembarked there and that the allegations to that effect are totally without foundation. The Government are satisfied that their assurances are correct.

Ho.Ho.Ho.

House of Commons Hansard 26 Oct 2006 : Column 2067W

Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the agreement covering the United States use of facilities at Diego Garcia allows the US to hold and interrogate non-US and non-UK nationals without notification to the UK Government. [96769]

Dr. Howells: Under the 1966 Exchange of Notes between the US and UK, non-US and non-UK nationals who are not serving members of the US military cannot be detained without notification to the Government.

Moreover, there is no US facility for foreign detainees on Diego Garcia. The only civilian detention centre is at the small UK-run police station.

The US authorities have repeatedly given us assurances that no detainees, prisoners of war or any other persons in this category are being held on Diego Garcia, or have at any time passed in transit through Diego Garcia or its territorial waters or airspace. This was most recently confirmed during the 2006 US/UK Political Military Talks held in London on 17 and 18 October.

Ho.Ho.Ho.

Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Secret detentions and illegal transfers of detainees
involving Council of Europe member states: second report
Explanatory memorandum*
Rapporteur: Mr Dick Marty, Switzerland, ALDE Thursday 7 June 2007


Page 13 iv. The evolution of specific “black sites” in the HVD programme

Para 70. There are two more specific locations to be considered as “black sites” and about which we have received information sufficiently serious to demand further investigation; we are however not in a position to carry out adequate analysis in order to reach definitive conclusions in this report. First we have received concurring confirmations that United States agencies have used the island territory of Diego Garcia, which is the international legal responsibility of the United Kingdom, in the “processing” of high-value detainees. It is true that the UK Government has readily accepted “assurances” from US authorities to the contrary, without ever independently or transparently inquiring into the allegations itself, or accounting to the public in a sufficiently thorough manner.

Second we have been told that Thailand hosted the first CIA “black site,” and that Abu Zubaydah was held there after his capture in 2002. CIA sources indicated to us that Thailand was used because of the ready availability of the network of local knowledge and bilateral relationships that dated back to the Vietnam War.

"Ghost Plane"

Investigative journalist and author of "Ghost Plane" showed that the CIA operated Gulfstream N379P flew from Washington via Athens to the British Indian Ocean territory of Diego Garcia, the logs show. It is the first time that the British-owned territory, where the US has a large airbase, has been linked to the controversial CIA flights.

All this relates to the dispossessed Chagossians who were evicted from their native lands by a Labour Government 40 years ago led by Jim Callaghan (although stitched up previously between Harold Wislon and Pres. Johnson) involving a deal over the so called "Chevalining" of the Polaris missiles which he concealed from his party. Lord Chalfont another unelected Minister in a Labour Government was the architect of this squalid deal.

"

The 1966 Exchange of Notes between the UK and the US provides that the islands of the british O)cean territories including Diego Garcia shall be available to meet the defence needs of both Governments for an initial period of 50 years, i.e. until 2016, and continuing thereafter for a further period of 20 years unless terminated by either Government at the end of the initial period"

After decades of legal action the Chagossians finally received the right of return recently :-

Liberal peer Lord Avebury said “The highlight of my week was attending the Court of Appeal to hear the judgment handed down in the case of the Chagossians. The Court declared that the two Orders in Council which evicted the Islanders forty years ago were unlawful (and constituted an abuse of power on the part of the executive government) and refused the government leave to appeal to the House of Lords.”

However, strangely, the government can still petition the House of Lords direct for leave to appeal. Lord Avebury has tabled two questions to the Lords, one asking if the government intended to do this and the other asking “Her Majesty’s government whether they will take measures to facilitate the return of the Chagos islanders and to create a trust fund to help revive the economy of the Chagos Islands.” on the 4th June he was answered by ;

Lord Triesman (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office) (another un-elected Minister)

The Foreign Secretary (then la Beckett) will consider the 23 May judgment of the Court of Appeal carefully and has in this regard asked officials for further advice. The Foreign Secretary reserves the right to petition the House of Lords to grant permission to appeal, as she is entitled to do within one month. The Government's policy in relation to the British Ocean Territory therefore remains the subject of possible ongoing legal proceedings and it would be inappropriate to comment further.

Jeremy Corbyn MP spoke in the House of Commons on Wednesday 7th July 2007 ( all of which is essential reading to understand the history of this case - and probably the best true debate held un der this NU labour shower) during which he asked

" ....and that we have a right to know exactly what is happening on Diego Garcia, which is, under the terms of the colonial order, sovereign british teritory. Are there any prisoners on Diego Garcia? Is it being used for the sort of vortex of American justice such as occurs in Guantanamo Bay ? I am assured that it is not. I want to hear that assurance again today and it would be much better if there were an independent inspection of what is going on."

Alex Salmond, King of Scotland, joined in the debate to add ..

"Every Foreign Office Minister, up to and including current Ministers, and every Foreign Office staffer who has been involved in the story over the past 40 years should hang their heads in shame at what has been done to these defenceless people."

he also added that ..

"The Washington Post, for example, claims that prisoners are held on Diego Garcia for "rendering" before being transferred to Camp X -Ray (Guantanamo) ".

Tan Dalyell contributed and reminded everyone that George Brown when Foreign Secretary (and b riefly sober) had quoted Woodrow Wilson in 1918 at the Paris conference..

"Peoples and Provinces are not to be bartered about from sovereignty to sovereignty as if they were chattels or pawns in a game".

But he was referring to the Falkland islanders at the time added Tam.

Tam he also reminded the House of Robin Cook and his ethical policy who had when faced with the 2000 Court of Appeal decision that the Chagossians could return said ..

"I have decided to accept the Court's ruling and the Government will not be appealing.
The work we are doing on the feasibility of resettlement of Ilois now takes on a new importance. We started feasibility work a year ago and are now well under way with phase two of the study."

Cook went walking in Scotland and died a premature and unexpected death. There are a few who believe his resignation over the Iraq war and attitude to the occupation of Diego Garcia precipitated his murder.

Bill Rammell, a loathsome, overweight and under educated toady acting as Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office in answer to the debate would give no answers or categorical assurances and said ..

"Due to the fact that settlement is not feasible, the Government decided after long and careful consideration—that was genuinely the case—to legislate to prevent it. Equally, however, legislation to restore full immigration control over the entire territory is also necessary, and I do not absolve ourselves from responsibility for this so as to ensure and maintain the availability and effective use of the territory for defence purposes for which it was constituted and set aside in accordance with the UK's treaty obligations entered into almost 40 years ago."

After a change of Government and Foreign Secrtary, the UK Government / Foreign Office on Monday 25th June 2007 asked the House of Lords for permission to appeal against last month's High Court judgement saying the Chagossians should be allowed to return.

Climate Change - More Heat than Light in discussion on solar magnetic flux and temperature record

Much is being made of the report in the Journal of the Royal Society by Mike Lockwood (see pic) and his -pals at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire and and Claus Froehlich of the World Radiation Centre in Davos, Switzerland in debunking the recent book by Nigel Calderwood about the effect of cosmic rays in cloud formation and consequent effects on the Earth's climate.

"The temperature record is simply not consistent with any of the solar
forcings that people are talking about," said lead author Mike Lockwood (see pic) at the
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire... which is correct but only for the last 20 years or so of observations.

"They changed direction in 1985, the climate did not ... [the
temperature] increase should be slowing down but in fact it is speeding up."

Well this is nothing new and Sam Solanki at the Max Planck who works with NASA , showed some years ago how the apparent near historical record of eqivalence between the sun's activity and Earth's temperature parted company in the early 80's -data sequence covers 150 years. See banner Click to enlarge or go here for more.

Global temperatures appear to have accelerated recently and are going up by 0.2 degrees per decade and the top 10 warmest years on record have happened in the past 12 years. The major problem is that the UN IPCC climate panel, caliming to draw on the work of 2,500 scientists, said this year it was "very likely" human activities were the main cause - the implication that this is due to emission of carbon dioxide as a result of burning fossil fuels whilst widely accepted , does not resolve or explain why the apparent effects of solar changes over centuries shows such an apparent congruence and then a sudden disconnect in the 80's. The data raises more questions than it resolves.

To suggest that the causes of recent climate change is a resolved question and is not the subject of considerable debate and discussion is dishonest.

The role of the Royal Society in this tendentious and tedious attempt to force public opinion is blatant and it would appear politically motivated - no wonder there are those who see it as a bold attempt to snaffle research funds.

There are a complex of factors affecting the climate, and especially temperature and it's rate of change at any time and anywhere on the globe, the sun evidently has the principal role in providing the initial source of heat - Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere has been identified as acomponent since Ahrrenius in the 20th century.

The way this single factor theory in climate change is peddled is not scientific - the unqualified acceptance and re-gurgitation by the press is a further dishonesty.

Edited highlights from the Press releases here at New Scientist - We now realise at Patel Towers that Lockwood (see pic) is associated with Southampton University (natural habitat of the Media Lens deaf to argument Global Warmongers).

Lockwood (see pic)tells the New Scientist ..
"The upshot is that somewhere between 1985 and 1987 all the solar factors that could have affected climate have been going in the wrong direction. If they were really a big factor we would have cooling by now," . He adds that he wishes he knew why the Sun's activity had changed in this way.

Well this was described previously and the apparent change in the sun's internal activity is a puzzle to more than Lockwood and has been for several years.

That a study of the last 20 years of climate change is in geological time a fraction of a second and to extrapolate backwards or forwards on the basis of this brief period cannot be sustauined as an argument. ... he attempts by ignoring the whole available sequence of data for the previous 140 odd years to confuse the issue and the gullible and possible uninformed reader - ie politicians and Newspaper Editors.

"The findings debunk an explanation for climate change " says the New Scientist - they highlight the complexity and the many unknowns that affect change globally.



Here is the data that NS have put online but this is clear and can be easily read
The caption is theirs.

Solar activity (a: sunspots, b: solar cycle, c: magnetic field, d: cosmic rays, e: solar irradiance cf: the Max Planck data) made a U-turn around 1985; meanwhile, global temperatures continued to rise (f) (Image: Lockwood / Fröhlich)

Senator Vitter IS Charlie Brown - on the Senate Floor

Surely someone can do something with this ..



26th June 2007
... or maybe the soud when Wendy trims his undercarriage with the kitchen scissors ?

Joyce Mujuru coronation due, Mbeke heads the Anschluss as Rand Monetary Area is re-defined

When French President Jacques Chirac had his Franco African summit in February this year he invited Joyce Mujuru not Mugabe ostensibly becauseof the European Union (EU) travel ban on him. Zimbabwe said it was Mugabe or no one.

This deliberate and public snub of Mugabe represents a marked change from the last France-African summit in France in 2003, when Chirac controversially waived the EU travel ban to allow Mugabe to attend.

It is evident that since SA Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka met President Mugabe in February 2006 that close negotiations have been developing between ZANU / MDC about some form of transition.

Following this leaders from ZANU PF and the two MDC factions held separate talks with South African government officials in March this year . Vice President Joyce Mujuru held crisis talks over Mugabe’s leadership with her South African counterpart Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. By a strange coincidence the two Secretary Generals of the MDC factions, Tendai Biti and Welshman Ncube were also in town and met the SA government. They met in the Westcliffe Hotel and Joyce stayed in Room 301 the Presidential suite.

No details of their discussion have ever been released other than Biti and Ncube are said to have met the SA government as one group and Mujuru on her own.

Highly-placed sources, named but not able to be identified,have apparently told The Zimbabwean that Mbeki had already suggested the plan to the ruling party and both factions of the MDC.

The reality is that 40% of electricity there comes from South Africa; Zimbabwe owes it hundreds of millions of rands. The lion’s share of trade between the two countries in South Africa's favour too; then there’s the soft loans, the investment and expertise. Zimbabwe will crumble even further without South Africa - it adds up to a lot of commercial and political leverage.

Now today we learn that Tomaz Salamao, executive secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), has a proposal that the Common Monetary Area (CMA) should include Zimbabwe.The CMA now has South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland. SADC leaders have mandated Salamao to find an economic solution to the Zimbabwe crisis, and President Thabo Mbeki a political solution.

Mbeki has persuaded Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF party and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change to start substantive negotiations today for a just political dispensation to enable free and fair elections to be held, probably around March next year. Hmmmm.

Though the smaller countries have their own currencies and central banks, these are a form of national window dressing in practice, there is a common currency, the Rand. The other currencies are pegged to the rand at par, and CMA monetary policy essentially emanates from Pretoria.

Salamao's proposal,is therefore that the rand will simply replace the Zimbabwe dollar, which is now virtually worthless, with inflation running at around 5 000% and the real exchange rate to the US dollar now somewhere in the region of 250 000.

Publicly there is talk is of selling this to Mugabe and it being explicitly conditional on Mugabe accepting the sort of fundamental political reforms which are to be negotiated in the Zanu PF and MDC dialogue in Pretoria.

For Zimbabwe to join the CMA currency union it would have to bring not only financial indicators such as interest rates into line with the CMA, but also fiscal indicators such as external debts and deficits. These are the implicit constraints in national policy-making which any country accepts on entering a currency union.

Would Mugabe surrender de facto sovereignty? No.

Mbeke is maybe publicly stating that he is hoping that a delayed election (probably rigged) would soften the blow. It won't and Mbeke knows it.

On Friday, April 20, 2007 Lord Patel forecast Mbke's Anschluss, and it is evident that Vice President Joyce Mujuru (however unsavoury - and boy is she unsavoury) is the chosen leader and has been groomed for the latter day role of Seyss-Inquart .

It may be likened to Kohl offering equivalency of the Ost Mark to the D mark. It is effectively a take over, an annexation ... an Anschluss. Naturally a variety of startled voices will be heard .. a sort of muted Stresa Front, but the real politik will take over and life will go on, the Chinese will accede and the bastards like Hoogstraaten and Prince Harry's girlfriends Daddy will make out like bandits as commercial life returns and the sanctions are dropped.

Mugabe ? He will be presented with a choice, a decent retirement - perhaps in Libya - Pyongyang - Peking ? Or he will have a swift and silent illness / heart attack. Unlike Schuschnigg who survived terrible imprisonment and ended up in St Louis teaching and died in 1967. Seyss Inquart was hanged at Nuremburg.

The role of David Triesman and Mr Boateng in all this ? Hmmmmmm.

Mark Hoban - looking after the taxpayers money ?

Mr Darling has been kept busy no doubt assembling the information to the following Parliamentary questions which are down for written answer today - the replies should make interesting reading - but it is unlikely they will.

26
Mr Mark Hoban ( CON Fareham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what mechanisms were put in place in his Department prior to March 2003 to estimate the likely cost of military operations in Iraq.
(148895)
27
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the value-for-money of expenditure on (a) military operations and (b) reconstruction in Iraq.
(148896)
28
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was allocated in the 2004 Spending Review to be spent on reconstruction in Iraq, broken down by (a) the Department to which it was allocated and (b) (i) capital and (ii) resource spending.
(148897)
29
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what procedures his Department has in place for assessing the amount to place in the Special Reserve each year to cover the cost of operations in Iraq.
(148898)
30
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department made before the 2003 Budget of the cost of the (a) war and (b) reconstruction in Iraq in each of the subsequent five financial years.

He also is keeping the Chancellor's fellow Scot, dour Des Browne busy...

53
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) his Department's final bid to HM Treasury for resources in the 2004 Spending Review and (b) the final settlement letter from HM Treasury setting out his Department's expenditure limits for the period covered by the Review.
(148892)
54
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's estimate was in March 2003 of the cost of operations in Iraq in each of the subsequent five financial years.
(148893)
55
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on operations in Iraq from (a) its annual Delegated Expenditure Limits for resource spending, (b) its annual Delegated Expenditure Limits for capital spending and (c) by drawing down expenditure from HM Treasury's unallocated special reserve in each financial year since 2002-03.

Curious that Mr Hoban varies between "military operations" , "operations"
and "war" not to mention "reconstruction" which will allow transcendent levels of confusion to arise over allocation of "capital" and "revenue spending" by Sir Humphrey.

Perhaps he simply wants not an accurate answer but just to bluster a bit to show how concerned he is about the housekeeping of UK PLC....hence another Question directed eslewhere ..

43
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the salary range is for each pay band of civil servants in the Cabinet Office.

Mr Hoban also has 8 questions to the Minister of Health on costs etc., of mind numbing complexity.

..and a further 3 ..

97
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what the expenditure of each of the research councils was on hospitality and entertainment in each year since 1997.
(148913)
98
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what the projected (a) total budget and (b) administration costs of each of the research councils is for (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-10.
(148914)
99
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what the (a) total expenditure and (b) total administration cost of each of the research councils was in each year since 1997.

Nor forgetting a further 3 ..

103
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what bodies his Department consulted in or before March 2003 on the likely cost of the reconstruction of Iraq in the event of military action being taken against that country.
(148904)
104
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his Department's estimate was in March 2003 of the cost of reconstruction in Iraq in each of the subsequent five financial years.
(148905)
105
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham):To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much his Department has spent on reconstruction in Iraq in each financial year since 2002-03.

Which makes one wonder if this paragon of industry in the Asking Questions department has any involvement in the curious question ...

8
N Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale):To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will set up an inquiry into the accounts of the Stuffed Shirt Company following its liquidation.
(148617)