Eeyore's News and View

This to me is stupid, it makes as much sense as mandating corn based ethanol. Why when we are having trouble feed our families (and the world) would you purposely cut back on food production?
ABC: Judge Cuts Water to California Farmers to Save Endangered Fish
By Brad Wilmouth
Created 2009-03-31 10:29
On the March 28 World News Saturday, ABC gave rare attention to the plight of drought-stricken farmers in California who have been denied access to a major water supply by a judge citing the Endangered Species Act to protect a type of fish. During a story recounting the unusual level of problems facing these farmers – a recession coinciding with drought – correspondent Lisa Fletcher informed viewers: "And for the first time ever, farmers may be completely cut off from one of their sources of water. Farmers don't have access to this water that runs right through the center of their farmland. It is being allocated to the delta smelt, a little fish protected by the Endangered Species Act. Conservationists say the smelt are dying in the irrigation pumps, so a judge ruled they must be shut off for much of the growing season."
Fletcher then told of an almond farmer who is now forced to spend $600,000 digging his own well. Fletcher: "That hits almond farmers, like Shawn Coburn, particularly hard. Ninety percent of the nation's almonds come from this valley, and almond trees need a lot of water. ... So Coburn is spending $600,000 to dig a new well, and he hopes to buy himself some time."
The report ended with a soundbite of Firebaugh, California, city manager Jose Ramirez pleading for more water: "All our people want here is a job. That's all we want. You let the water flow, food will grow, and jobs will flow after that, and we're in business."
Below is a complete transcript of the story from the March 28 World News Saturday on ABC:
DAN HARRIS: In California, the problem is not too much wet weather, but not enough of it. A drought combined with the bad economy have delivered a one-two punch to the Central Valley, where much of the nation's food is grown. 100,000 acres went unplanted last year, and this year, it could be 750,000 acres. Economists say that will mean $1.5 billion in lost income and the elimination of 40,000 jobs. Lisa Fletcher is in California tonight.
LISA FLETCHER: In just a glance, you know something is very wrong.
PETE RAMIREZ, CROP DUSTER: It's like a desert. A couple of years ago, it was all farmland and everybody had a job.
THEDA LAWRENCE, MENDOTA: What are the people gonna do? How are they gonna eat whenever there's no farming?
FLETCHER: A quarter of the nation's fruits and vegetables are grown here in California's Central Valley. But the farmers here have been hit with two crises at the same time. They're in their third year of severe drought. And now, they must also cope with the worst recession in a generation. That has driven unemployment to staggering levels – 35 percent in some places, numbers that recall the Great Depression. And for the first time ever, farmers may be completely cut off from one of their sources of water. Farmers don't have access to this water that runs right through the center of their farmland. It is being allocated to the delta smelt, a little fish protected by the Endangered Species Act. Conservationists say the smelt are dying in the irrigation pumps, so a judge ruled they must be shut off for much of the growing season. That hits almond farmers, like Shawn Coburn, particularly hard. Ninety percent of the nation's almonds come from this valley, and almond trees need a lot of water.
http://frc4u.org/phpbb/index.php?action=post;topic=714.0;num_replies=0

First let me say, i'm glad the man was caught, but what does it say about your right to privacy? What does it say about your right to be left alone?
Google cheat view
A FURIOUS wife has called in divorce lawyers after spotting her husband’s car parked outside another woman’s house — on Google.
She saw the Range Rover while using the internet giant’s new Street View service to snoop on a female friend’s home.
The hubby had claimed he was away on business, but his missus recognised his motor immediately because of its blinged-up hubcaps.
The love cheat is not the only husband trapped by Google’s controversial new 360-degree photo search which covers 25 cities and towns throughout the country.
Top media lawyer Mark Stephens said: “I was talking about the Range Rover case when another divorce lawyer came up to say his firm was dealing with the same sort of thing. People are getting caught out on Google.
“I suspect the husband’s lawyers will claim it was an invasion of privacy that will cost him his marriage and Range Rover.”
Street View has triggered a stream of complaints from people caught on camera since its launch on March 20.
Google removed some images — including a man sheepishly leaving a sex shop. An office worker was also caught having a crafty cigarette by a No Smoking sign.
And yesterday The Sun told how a fleet of UFOs was spotted on Street View hovering over an East London bookies.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2350771.ece

Senate Legislation Would Federalize Cybersecurity
Rules for Private Networks Also Proposed
By Joby Warrick and Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, April 1, 2009; A04
Key lawmakers are pushing to dramatically escalate U.S. defenses against cyberattacks, crafting proposals that would empower the government to set and enforce security standards for private industry for the first time.
The proposals, in Senate legislation that could be introduced as early as today, would broaden the focus of the government's cybersecurity efforts to include not only military networks but also private systems that control essentials such as electricity and water distribution. At the same time, the bill would add regulatory teeth to ensure industry compliance with the rules, congressional officials familiar with the plan said yesterday.
Addressing what intelligence officials describe as a gaping vulnerability, the legislation also calls for the appointment of a White House cybersecurity "czar" with unprecedented authority to shut down computer networks, including private ones, if a cyberattack is underway, the officials said.
How industry groups will respond is unclear. Jim Dempsey, vice president for public policy at the Center for Democracy and Technology, which represents private companies and civil liberties advocates, said that mandatory standards have long been the "third rail of cybersecurity policy." Dempsey said regulation could also stifle creativity by forcing companies to adopt a uniform approach.
The legislation, co-sponsored by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) and Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), was drafted with White House input. Although the White House indicated it supported some key concepts of the bill, there has been no official endorsement.
Many of the proposals were based on recommendations of a landmark study last year by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Currently, government responsibility for cybersecurity is split: The Pentagon and the National Security Agency safeguard military networks, while the Department of Homeland Security provides assistance to private networks. Previous cybersecurity initiatives have largely concentrated on reducing the vulnerability of government and military computers to hackers.
A 60-day federal review of the nation's defenses against computer-based attacks is underway, and the administration has signaled its intention to incorporate private industry into those defenses in an unprecedented way.
"People say this is a military or intelligence concern, but it's a lot more than that," Rockefeller, a former intelligence committee chairman, said in an interview. "It suddenly gets into the realm of traffic lights and rail networks and water and electricity."
U.S. intelligence officials have warned that a sustained attack on private computer networks could cause widespread social and economic havoc, possibly shutting down or compromising systems used by banks, utilities, transportation companies and others.
The Rockefeller-Snowe measure would create the Office of the National Cybersecurity Adviser, whose leader would report directly to the president and would coordinate defense efforts across government agencies. It would require the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish "measurable and auditable cybersecurity standards" that would apply to private companies as well as the government. It also would require licensing and certification of cybersecurity professionals.
The proposal would also mandate an ongoing, quadrennial review of the nation's cyberdefenses. "It's not a problem that will ever be completely solved," Rockefeller said. "You have to keep making higher walls."
Last week, Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair told reporters that one agency should oversee cybersecurity for government and for the private sector. He added that the NSA should be central to the effort.
"The taxpayers of this country have spent enormous sums developing a world-class capability at the National Security Agency on cyber," he said.
Blair acknowledged there will be privacy concerns about centralizing cybersecurity, and he said the program should be designed in a way that gives Americans confidence that it is "not being used to gather private information."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/31/AR2009033103684_pf.html

Verizon Wireless sees Kindle-type e-readers coming
April 1, 2009 - 6:35pm
By PETER SVENSSON AP Technology Writer
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Amazon's Kindle might soon be getting new competitors in the market for electronic-book devices.
Tony Lewis, who heads an initiative within Verizon Wireless to provide access to non-phone devices, said Wednesday that five companies have approached Verizon about wireless connections for e-readers.
"You're going to see a lot of e-readers out there," Lewis said. "The interest level is tremendous."
Lewis wouldn't say which manufacturers Verizon has been talking to. But he hinted that they are looking at entering parts of the e-book market that the Kindle doesn't focus on, like college textbooks.
Amazon.com Inc. launched the second version of the Kindle a month ago. It uses Sprint Nextel Corp.'s wireless network to provide near-instant access to a store with 100,000 books.
So far, the Kindle's main competitor has been Sony Corp.'s Reader. It has the same type of screen, meant to imitate the look of paper, but lacks wireless access. Instead, books are loaded by connecting the device to a computer.
"We'd love to have Sony on there," Lewis said, refusing to confirm if the company had been in touch. He spoke at a cell phone trade show that started Wednesday in Las Vegas.
AT&T Inc., the second largest wireless carrier after Verizon Wireless, has also been talking to e-reader manufacturers, said Ralph de la Vega, the company's head of consumer services. Since AT&T's network is more similar to ones used overseas, it could support international e-book readers, he noted. The Kindle can download books only in the U.S.
Just like Verizon Wireless, AT&T is looking for ways to expand the uses of its wireless network beyond cell phones to generate additional revenue.
Verizon Wireless is a joint venture between Verizon Communications Inc. of New York and Vodafone Group PLC of Britain.
http://wtop.com/?nid=108&sid=1639098

Quick breads a delight
Easy treat to bake for self or gift
Whenever I stick a pan of quick bread in the oven, I never know whether I am going to enjoy it myself or wrap it up as a gift. Often I do both, for a home-baked quick bread is a flashy, evocative treat.
Delightful aromas waft across my kitchen as I stir the batter with a medley of spices: cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, mace, fresh and ground ginger, grated lemon and orange peel, and crushed seeds such as cardamom and coriander.
Coriander seeds' lemonlike flavor perks up the old traditional Southern lemon tea bread. Cardamom, too, adds a heady aroma to quick breads.
These easy-to-do breads owe their name to the fact that they are leavened with baking powder or baking soda and not yeast, so there's no need to sit and wait for the bread to rise before baking. No kneading is required, either. Stir up the batter and stick it in the oven and bake until golden and delicious - real quick.
The breads should be baked on the lowest shelf of the oven, where the heat is the highest, and in small loaves for better and faster baking. You can always count on the top of the loaf to crack - well, most times - because the crust browns before the center of the bread has finished rising. As the center expands, the loaf cracks, creating its beauty mark.
When I bake these breads, I turn them around in the oven halfway through the baking - or if I'm baking two pans at the same time, I switch the position of the pans. That's another down-home trick that works.
Jamaican banana bread
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus another tablespoon for coating the nuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup coconut, grape-seed or light peanut oil, or a mixture of all three
3/4 cup light brown sugar, preferably crystallized sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
3 or 4 tablespoons dark rum or lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan or a 6-cup ring mold or cake pan, and dust lightly with flour. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and set aside.
Combine the eggs, oil and sugar in a large bowl, and beat vigorously with a wire whisk or an electric hand mixer for a few minutes until well blended. Add the mashed bananas, rum or lemon juice, and allspice, and beat until just smooth.
Stir in the flour and leavening, mixing only until blended. Coat the walnuts all over with the 1 tablespoon flour and stir into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and shake the pan gently to settle the batter.
Set the filled pan in the middle of the oven on the lower shelf and bake the bread for about 55 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, but still moist. When done, set the pan of bread on a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Then turn the bread out of the pan and serve warm, if desired.
Molasses tea bread
3/4 cup vegetable oil, such as grape-seed, peanut, corn or coconut, or a mixture of the oils
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup dark or robust molasses
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 or 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger or 2 to 3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 to 2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/4 cups unbleached flour, plus another tablespoon for coating the nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Easy-to-make quick breads such as Jamaican banana bread are leavened with baking powder or baking soda so there's no need to wait for the bread to rise.
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 1/2 tablespoons crystallized sugar such as Sugar in the Raw, or more if desired
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan, dust lightly with flour, shake out excess, and set aside.
Combine the oil, eggs, molasses, sugar, ginger, allspice and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, and beat vigorously with a whisk or hand-held electric mixer until well blended.
Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add the flour and buttermilk alternately to the molasses mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition. Sprinkle the walnuts or pecans all over with the 1 tablespoon flour and then stir into the batter, mixing well.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and shake gently to settle the batter. Set the pan in the center of the hot oven on the lower rack. Bake the bread for 10 minutes and then scatter the top of the loaf evenly with the crystallized sugar.
Bake the molasses bread for 45 to 50 minutes longer, or until it is brown and puffy and a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean but a little moist. Don't overbake the bread and dry it out; it should be moist.
Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a metal spatula around the edge of the bread and turn out the bread onto a rack or board lined with a tea cloth or sheet of wax paper. Then turn the bread upright and serve warm, if desired.
Lemon coriander bread
4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, plus another tablespoon for coating the nuts
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup mild-flavored nut or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons crushed coriander seeds, lightly toasted if desired
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or pistachios
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter and then dust lightly with flour 2 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans, or 2 8-by-2-inch cake pans, or 2 6-cup ring molds.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and set aside. Stir the lemon juice into the buttermilk and set side.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, crushed coriander seeds, lemon peel and eggs. Using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the mixture on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Quickly, using a large spoon, add the flour and milk alternately to the bowl. Then beat the batter briskly with the spoon for about 30 seconds, scraping the bowl as needed.
Toss the chopped nuts with the 1 tablespoon flour and stir into the batter, mixing well but gently.
Pour the batter into the buttered pans, dividing evenly between the two. Shake the pans to level the batter. Place the pans on the lower shelf of the hot oven. Don't allow the pans to touch.
Bake the breads for 40 minutes and then insert a metal tester or toothpick into the center of the breads to test for doneness. If the tester comes out clean but moist and the breads are golden brown, they are done. If not, bake 5 or so minutes longer, and test again, watching carefully.
When done, remove the breads from the oven and cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn the breads out of the pans and onto the wire rack and serve warm, if desired.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/apr/01/quick-breads-a-delight/