Scientists Fear 1Trillion Tons of Carbon Dioxide Injected into Atmospere will Raise Global Temperatues by 2 Degrees Celcius

Scientists have found that humans have just past the half-way point by letting "about 520 billion tons of carbon to the atmosphere."

These predictions were found in the lead editorial in the latest edition of the scientific journal, Nature which reports "at least 9 billion tonnes a year" and that: "If present trends continue, humankind will have emitted a trillion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere well before 2050, and that could be enough to push the planet into the danger zone. And there is no reason to think that the pressure will stop then. The coal seams and tar sands of the world hold enough carbon for humankind to emit another trillion tonnes — and the apocalyptic scenarios extend from there."

"Yet only a third of economically recoverable oil, gas and coal reserves can be burned before 2100 if that 2°C warming is to be avoided. Faced with this climate crunch, three news features ask: will cutting back on carbon be tougher than we think? Can we drag CO2 directly from the air? And could we cool the planet with a wisp of mist? The worst-case scenario is a world in 2100 that has twice the level of pre-industrial CO2 in the atmosphere." If we want to avoid that, the time for action is now, says Nature.

Wired Science reports: "What matters is the total amount of carbon that we release into the atmosphere, and focusing on that number as a budget can shape the way policymakers look at the problem, argues Myles Allen, lead author of one of the papers and a climatologist at the University of Oxford."

Myles Allen continued: “Reducing emissions steadily over 50 years is much cheaper and easier and less traumatic than allowing them to rise for 15 years and then reducing them violently for 35 years.”

The Nature editorial addresses the urgent necessity to reduce carbon dioxide being dumped into the atmosphere by calling political leaders to take immediate action: "Governments have a wide range of pollution-cutting tools at their command, most notably tradable permit regimes, taxes on fuels, regulations on power generation and energy efficiency, and subsidies for renewable energy and improved technologies. These tools can work if applied seriously — so citizens around the world must demand that seriousness from their leaders, both within their individual nations and in the international framework that will be discussed at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen this December."

The crux of the emissions problem lies with the carbon that has been released into the Earth's atmosphere causing an already dangerous problem that has initiated climate change with specific consequences presented by the world's poorest nations and will require cooperation between rich and poor nations.

Scientists working with the problem of climate change have determined a baseline for the changing of the atmosphere that has been determined to cause: "Dangerous change, even loosely defined, is going to be hard to avoid,” write Gavin Schmidt of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Science and David Archer, a geoscientist at the University of Chicago, in an accompanying commentary in Nature. “Unless emissions begin to decline very soon, severe disruption to the climate system will entail expensive adaptation measures and may eventually require cleaning up the mess by actively removing CO2 from the atmosphere.”

The Nature editorial continues by arguing that: "The latest scientific research suggests that even a complete halt to carbon pollution would not bring the world's temperatures down substantially for several centuries. If further research reveals that a prolonged period of elevated temperatures would endanger the polar ice sheets, or otherwise destabilize the Earth system, nations may have to contemplate actively removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Indeed, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is already developing scenarios for the idea that long-term safety may require sucking up carbon, and various innovators and entrepreneurs are developing technologies that might be able to accomplish that feat. At the moment, those technologies seem ruinously expensive and technically difficult. But if the very steep learning curve can be climbed, then the benefits will be great."

The Nature editorial also discusses possibilities that are: "More radical still is the possibility of cooling the planet through some kind of 'geoengineering' that would dim the incoming sunlight (see page 1097). The effects of such approaches are much more worrying than those of capturing carbon from the air, however. The cooling from geoengineering would not exactly balance the warming from greenhouse gases, which would cause complications even if the technology itself was feasible — something for which the evidence has been circumstantial, at best."

The obvious answer lies with: "Forcing emissions to decline will require changing the way the world uses fossil fuels. In Allen’s view, humans can pull a trillion tons of carbon-rich fossil fuels out of the ground and burn them with risks that have been deemed acceptable by most people. But it’s the second trillion tons of fossil fuels, largely in the form of coal and oil shale, that will determine how recklessly humans play with the climate system.

“From all the incredible arcane arguments that go on, in the end, it’s really a very simple question: what are we going to do with the second trillion tons?” Allen asked. The quantifiable nature of the problem lies with the the conundrum that: "ossil-fuel–reserve estimates vary. While it’s clear that there is a lot of coal and oil shale on Earth, there is intense debate over how much of that fossil fuel will be economical to mine. Allen’s group used the World Energy Council’s estimates, which show nearly 6 trillion tons of fossil fuels still left to be mined. Other scientists believe that fossil fuel reserves could be much lower."

In the meantime: "discussions about the possibilities offered by geoengineering could also lull the world's leaders into complacency" says the Nature editorial, "they lead them to believe that the technology will provide an escape hatch if the climate ever does reach a tipping point. This does not mean that the discussions should be avoided, but rather that the speculations need to be backed up with a solid body of research. Moreover, geoengineering research should be framed not as a hope for deus ex machina fixes to sudden global deterioration, but as a palliative cushion for the worst excesses of the peak years that are inevitable even after emissions start to be cut. A world slightly shaded from the Sun while its carbon levels are brought down by means of active capture would be a strangely unnatural place — but not necessarily a bad one, compared with the alternatives."

Methods to cool the Earth are desparately needed now in order to better inform climatologists of the exact nature of the problems they face. The Nature editorial distinguishes between "far-off goals" and "obscure short-term opportunities." The Nature opinion piece notes that: "In addition to cutting CO2 emissions, global leaders should curb the release of other substances warming the climate, notably methane and soot, also known as 'black carbon'. Tackling such pollutants will bring other benefits, too, such as reducing the respiratory problems associated with cooking over smoky fires and with high levels of tropospheric ozone."

The Nature editorial admits a sense of insurmountability when considering the global climate crisis; but sounds the call that: "there is still time left to act, and there is hope to be found in human ingenuity. Humans have a long history of finding new ways to tackle problems, and new ways to circumvent the worst. Without commitment from the highest levels, such ingenuity is likely to come to naught. But with such a commitment, and with a worldwide determination to make a serious cut in emissions, there is much that can usefully, and invigoratingly, be done."

David Letterman Versus Dick Cheney

Nothing exposes the pulse of the nation's temperament more than the material that the late-night comedians are using to fuel laughter. Here is a sampler of recent jabs taken by David Letterman at former vice-president Dick Cheney

Here is Lettremn commenting on Cheney's criticism of Persident Obama's appearance at te summit of the Americas.

Here Letterman has fun with mocking the "Dick Cheney's lie count."

Here is an monologue by Letterman poking fun at "top ten things heard at Dick Cheneys Birthday Party."

Here, during an interview with former Bush press secretary Scott McClellan, Letterman expresses his opinions about Dick Cheney for his audience: "My feeling about Cheney and also Bush but especially Cheney is that he just couldn't care less about Americans. And the same is true of George Bush. And all they really want to do is somehow kiss up to the oil people so they can get some great annuity when they're out of office ... (Peeling off imaginary bills) 'There you go, Dick, nice job. There's a couple of billion for your trouble.' He pretty much put Haliburton in business and the outsourcing of military resources to private mercenary groups and so forth ... Is there any humanity in either of these guys?"

Letterman takes a political ad approach to enumerating reasons why Dick Cheney is "Just a Big Bad Bowl of Bad"

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In an early sketch, Letterman referers to Cheney as "More Machine than man."

Here is Letterman spoofing Cheney in 2006.

4/25/09 President Barack Obama Weekly Radio Address

Read the transcript of the weekly address.

President Obama; in remarking during his address stated: “To help build a new foundation for the 21st century, we need to reform our government so that it is more efficient, more transparent, and more creative."

The White House highlighted the president's announcment: "In his weekly address, President Barack Obama reiterated his call for fiscal discipline and outlined the steps his administration will take to eliminate waste and increase efficiency. First, the President called on Congress to pass PAYGO legislation. Next, the administration will create incentives for agencies to cut costs and identify savings. Third, the administration will establish a process for every government employee to submit their ideas on how their agency can save money and perform better. Finally, the administration will reach outside of Washington for ideas by convening a forum on reforming government for the 21st century later this year.

In discussing the Weekly Address the White House made the following remarks, entitled:

"Calling for Fiscal Discipline."

This week the President reiterates a theme that has been a hallmark of his career, namely that "old habits and stale thinking" will simply not help us solve the new and immense problems our country faces. Listing off several specific changes he intends to bring, he describes his guiding principle: "To help build a new foundation for the 21st century, we need to reform our government so that it is more efficient, more transparent, and more creative. That will demand new thinking and a new sense of responsibility for every dollar that is spent."

In commenting on President Obama's address; The New York Times made the following remarks: "Saying that the government must act “the same way any responsible family does in setting its budget,” President Obama called for Congress to pass legislation that would require lawmakers to offset any new tax cuts or spending increases with equivalent tax increases or spending cuts.

"The legislation, dubbed “PAYGO,” for "pay as you go," has become a rallying cry for fiscally conservative Democrats, who are pushing for it to be applied to the health care reform legislation that the White House is hoping will pass this year. But speaking in his weekly address to the nation on Saturday, Mr. Obama said that he wanted it applied more broadly.

“We need to adhere to the basic principle that new tax or entitlement policies should be paid for,” the president said. “This principle — known as PAYGO — helped transform large deficits into surpluses in the 1990s. Now, we must restore that sense of fiscal discipline.”P

"Mr. Obama has spent the first three months in office presiding over a huge burst of federal spending. His economic recovery bill will cost taxpayers $787 billion, and the government is pumping another $700 billion into the economy to keep shaky financial institutions stable. Now, the president is turning his attention to the other side of the budget equation: cutting the deficit.

“All across America , families are tightening their belts and making hard choices,” Mr. Obama said. “Now, Washington must show that same sense of responsibility.”

"But Mr. Obama’s efforts to show fiscal responsibility have so far brought derision from some budget analysts and many Republicans. On Monday, the president used the first Cabinet meeting of his presidency to challenge department heads and agencies to trim $100 million from their budgets over the next 90 days. Analysts said it was the equivalent of asking a family that spent $40,000 a year to cut $1 from its budget.

"On Saturday, Mr. Obama used his address to defend the effort and to return to the fiscal-discipline theme. While his initiatives to stabilize the economy may be driving up the federal deficit, he noted that he had also inherited a hefty deficit, estimated at $1.3 trillion this year, from his predecessor, former President George W. Bush. Mr. Obama also said his administration had “identified $2 trillion in deficit reductions over the next decade.”

"That $2 trillion figure, however, is widely scorned by budget analysts. Three quarters of the “reductions” Mr. Obama cited reflect assumptions that the nation would have as many troops in Iraq in 10 years as it does now, even though Mr. Obama has committed to a further drawdown of forces and Mr. Bush signed an agreement with Baghdad before leaving office that would result in the withdrawal of all American forces in three years.

"In his address, Mr. Obama also pledged to look for budget-cutting ideas “from the bottom up,” saying he would establish a process through which every government worker could submit ideas on how to save money. And he offered an incentive for workers to participate, saying he would meet later this year with those who came up with the best ideas."

Friday Funnies: An Interview with George Carlin

Christopher Hitchens and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Debate on God

EARTH DAY 2009: The American Public's Views of Global Climate Change

4/18/09 President Barack Obama Weekly Radio Address

Read the transcript of President Obama's weekly address.

The White House released the following information: "With the process of going through the budget line by line in full swing, the President uses his Weekly Address to give some examples, big and small, of how the Administration is working to cut costs and eliminate waste. The President also announces two new key appointments, Jeffrey Zients as Chief Performance Officer and Aneesh Chopra as Chief Technology Officer, who will be invaluable in streamlining the way government functions through efficiency and innovation."

Jeffrey D. Zients - Chief Performance Officer
Zients has twenty years of business experience as a CEO, management consultant and entrepreneur with a deep understanding of business strategy, process reengineering and financial management. He served as CEO and Chairman of the Advisory Board Company and Chairman of the Corporate Executive Board. These firms are leading providers of performance benchmarks and best practices across a wide range of industries. Currently, he is the Founder and Managing Partner of Portfolio Logic, an investment firm focused primarily on business and healthcare service companies.

Aneesh Paul Chopra - Chief Technology Officer
Chopra serves as Virginia’s Secretary of Technology. He leads the Commonwealth’s strategy to effectively leverage technology in government reform, to promote Virginia’s innovation agenda, and to foster technology-related economic development. Previously, he worked as Managing Director with the Advisory Board Company, leading the firm’s Financial Leadership Council and the Working Council for Health Plan Executives.

Friday Funnies - The God and Devil Show

President Obama Talks About New Rail System.

The Human Brain and the God Spot

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Steve Connor reports in the March 10th issue of The Independent that: "A belief in God is deeply embedded in the human brain, which is programmed for religious experiences, according to a study that analysis why religion is a universal human feature that has encompassed all cultures throughout history.

"
Scientists searching for the neural "God spot", which is supposed to control religious belief, believe that there is not just one but several areas of the brain that form the biological foundations of religious belief.

"The researchers said their findings support the idea that the brain has evolved to be sensitive to any form of belief that improves the chances of survival, which could explain why a belief in God and the supernatural became so widespread in human evolutionary history.

""Religious belief and behavior are a hallmark of human life, with no accepted animal equivalent, and found in all cultures," said Professor Jordan Grafman, from the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, near Washington. "Our results are unique in demonstrating that specific components of religious belief are mediated by well-known brain networks, and they support contemporary psychological theories that ground religious belief within evolutionary-adaptive cognitive functions."

"Scientists are divided on whether religious belief has a biological basis. Some evolutionary theorists have suggested that Darwinian natural selection may have put a premium on individuals if they were able to use religious belief to survive hardships that may have overwhelmed those with no religious convictions. Others have suggested that religious belief is a side effect of a wider trait in the human brain to search for coherent beliefs about the outside world. Religion and the belief in God, they argue, are just a manifestation of this intrinsic, biological phenomenon that makes the human brain so intelligent and adaptable.

"The latest study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved analyzing the brains of volunteers, who had been asked to think about religious and moral problems and questions. For the analysis, the researchers used a functional magnetic-resonance imaging machine, which can identify the most energetically-active regions of the brain.

"They found that people of different religious persuasions and beliefs, as well as atheists, all tended to use the same electrical circuits in the brain to solve a perceived moral conundrum – and the same circuits were used when religiously-inclined people dealt with issues related to God.

"The study found that several areas of the brain are involved in religious belief, one within the frontal lobes of the cortex – which are unique to humans – and another in the more evolutionary-ancient regions deeper inside the brain, which humans share with apes and other primates, Professor Grafman said.

"There is nothing unique about religious belief in these brain structures. Religion doesn't have a 'God spot' as such, instead it's embedded in a whole range of other belief systems in the brain that we use everyday," Professor Grafman said.

"The search for the God spot has in the past led scientists to many different regions of the brain. An early contender was the brain's temporal lobe, a large section of the brain that sits over each ear, because temporal-lobe epileptics suffering seizures in these regions frequently report having intense religious experiences. One of the principal exponents of this idea was Vilayanur Ramachandran, from the University of California, San Diego, who asked several of his patients with temporal-lobe epilepsy to listen to a mixture of religious, sexual and neutral words while measuring their levels of arousal and emotional reactions. Religious words elicited an unusually high response in these patients.

"This work was followed by a study where scientists tried to stimulate the temporal lobes with a rotating magnetic field produced by a "God helmet". Michael Persinger, from Laurentian University in Ontario, found that he could artificially create the experience of religious feelings – the helmet's wearer reports being in the presence of a spirit or having a profound feeling of cosmic bliss.

Dr Persinger said that about eight in every 10 volunteers report quasi-religious feelings when wearing his helmet. However, when Professor Richard Dawkins, an evolutionist and renowned atheist, wore it during the making of a BBC documentary, he famously failed to find God, saying that the helmet only affected his breathing and his limbs.

"Other studies of people taking part in Buddhist meditation suggested the parietal lobes at the upper back region of the brain were involved in controlling religious belief, in particular the mystical elements that gave people a feeling of being on a higher plane during prayer.

"Andrew Newberg, from the University of Pennsylvania, injected radioactive isotope into Buddhists at the point at which they achieved meditative nirvana. Using a special camera, he captured the distribution of the tracer in the brain, which led the researchers to identify the parietal lobes as playing a key role during this transcendental state.

"Professor Grafman was more interested in how people coped with everyday moral and religious questions. He said that the latest study, published today, suggests the brain is inherently sensitive to believing in almost anything if there are grounds for doing so, but when there is a mystery about something, the same neural machinery is co-opted in the formulation of religious belief.

"When we have incomplete knowledge of the world around us, it offers us the opportunities to believe in God. When we don't have a scientific explanation for something, we tend to rely on supernatural explanations," said Professor Grafman, who believes in God. "Maybe obeying supernatural forces that we had no knowledge of made it easier for religious forms of belief to emerge."

President Obama's Speech on the Economy

Click here for President Obama's remarks:

David Stout and Peter Baker wrote for the New York Times{ "President Obama said on Tuesday that the battered economy was showing signs of recovery, but he warned Americans that more pain lies ahead and urged them to help build a foundation for a new, 21st century prosperity.

"Speaking just after a disappointing report on March retail sales made it clear that a sustained recovery is not yet at hand, the president delivered a speech that was part pep talk and part rebuke, not only for the once high-rolling members of the financial world but for politicians who he said had deferred tough decisions for too long.

“I want every American to know that each action we take and each policy we pursue is driven by a larger vision of America’s future,” Mr. Obama said in remarks at Georgetown University.

"The White House had previewed the event as a “major speech” on the economy, but Mr. Obama did not break new ground. He did, however, use the occasion to reaffirm his determination to do something about the rising cost of health care and, later, to shore up Social Security.

"The president seemed to guard against being tagged as a “liberal.” For instance, he defended his administration’s decision not to take over failing banks: “Governments should practice the same principle as doctors: first, do no harm.” And at another point, he invoked religious imagery.

"The president envisioned “a future where sustained economic growth creates good jobs and rising incomes; a future where prosperity is fueled not by excessive debt, reckless speculation and fleeing profit, but is instead built by skilled, productive workers; by sound investments that will spread opportunity at home and allow this nation to lead the world in the technologies, innovations and discoveries that will shape the 21st century.”

“That is the future I see. That is the future I know we can have.”

"But the near future will bring “more job loss, more foreclosures and more pain before it ends,” Mr. Obama said. Underscoring his point was a Commerce Department report showing that consumer spending on a wide array of goods declined in March, reflecting a general spirit of uncertainty as well as continuing job losses.

"The president said, as he has repeatedly, that the recently enacted stimulus plan, the efforts to strengthen the banking system and attempts to rescue the flagging American auto industry have all borne fruit, demonstrated in part by an increase in home-mortgage refinancing and more lending by small businesses.

“This is all welcome and encouraging news, but it does not mean that hard times are over,” Mr. Obama said, warning that 2009 will be a difficult year, and that no one should expect a return to full prosperity soon.

"As the president spoke, the Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke told an audience at Morehouse College in Atlanta that there were “tentative signs” that the decline in the economy was slowing.

"President Obama called on Americans to take the long view. “There is no doubt that times are still tough,” he said. “By no means are we out of the woods just yet. But from where we stand, for the very first time, we are beginning to see glimmers of hope. And beyond that, way off in the distance, we can see a vision of an America’s future that is far different than our troubled economic past.”

"Realizing that vision will require a new regulatory structure, one based on 21st century needs rather than an outdated financial buccaneer ethic, the president said. It will also require work on deep, complicated issues like health care and energy, he said.

"As Mr. Obama spoke inside Georgetown’s Gaston Hall, a small group of abortion opponents demonstrated outside against the presence at a Catholic university of a president who supports abortion rights. Using a bullhorn, the protesters could sometimes be heard faintly in the back of the hall during the president’s speech. (There have been similar protests at Notre Dame, where the president is to speak at commencement exercises on May 17.) Mr. Obama, alluding to a parable at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, said he saw a new America whose foundations are built not on sand but on rock, “proud, sturdy and unwavering in the face of the greatest storm.”

“We will not finish it in one year or even many,” he said, “but if we use this moment to lay that new foundation, if we come together and begin the hard work of rebuilding, if we persist and persevere against the disappointments and setbacks that will surely lie ahead, then I have no doubt that this house will stand and the dream of our founders will live on in our time.”

Are you Right-Brained or Left-Brained?

What if all the spinning just gives vierers motion sickness?

Happy Easter 2009

HAPPY HOLIDAY TO ALL FROM KOAN!

4/11/09 President Barack Obama Weekly Radio Address

The White House announced: "In his weekly address, President Barack Obama praised the agreement of the G-20 nations to act together as a turning point in this global economic slump. With the American economy inextricably linked to the global economy, global coordination is needed to restore lending, spur job growth, reform financial regulation and ultimately fix our economy. The President also discussed his meetings with Chinese President Hu, Russian President Medvedev, and America’s NATO allies."

The White House also mentioned in President Barack Obama's Weekly Radio Address: "This week the President discusses the multitude of problems and opportunities before the world through the prism of Passover and Easter: "These are two very different holidays with their own very different traditions. But it seems fitting that we mark them both during the same week. For in a larger sense, they are both moments of reflection and renewal. They are both occasions to think more deeply about the obligations we have to ourselves and the obligations we have to one another, no matter who we are, where we come from, or what faith we practice."

"The Associated Press added: "President Barack Obama invoked Christian and Jewish holidays on Saturday to urge nations to confront together the challenges he saw firsthand during last week's marathon trip to Europe.

"Obama said no single nation can solve the problems stemming from the financial meltdown, climate change and nuclear weapons. Fresh from his first trip overseas as president, Obama asked Americans _ and a global audience _ to focus on areas of common interest instead of differences.

"These are challenges that no single nation, no matter how powerful, can confront alone," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. "The United States must lead the way. But our best chance to solve these unprecedented problems comes from acting in concert with other nations."

"Obama pointed to his London meeting with leaders of the G-20 nations _ a gathering that represented 85 percent of the global economy _ where he pressed for increased regulation and economic stimulus. He also noted his attendance at the NATO summit in France to discuss strategy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as his speeches against nuclear weapons in the Czech Republic and about faith divisions in Turkey.

"All are big-picture priorities for the young administration and most have general support among Obama's U.S. constituents.

"With all that is at stake today, we cannot afford to talk past one another. We can't afford to allow old differences to prevent us from making progress in areas of common concern," Obama said. "We can't afford to let walls of mistrust stand. Instead, we have to find _ and build on _ our mutual interests. For it is only when people come together, and seek common ground, that some of that mistrust can begin to fade. And that is where progress begins."
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"Obama used the eight-day trip to highlight his ambitious foreign policy agenda, including starting negotiations with Russia about reducing nuclear stockpiles. Such talks, announced alongside Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, would be the first talks in years and are part of Obama's pledge "to free the world from the menace of a nuclear nightmare."

"Taken as a package, Obama said, his agenda in Europe should be the common goals among people of faith during holy days of Easter and Passover.

"These are two very different holidays with their own very different traditions. But it seems fitting that we mark them both during the same week," Obama said. "For in a larger sense, they are both moments of reflection and renewal. They are both occasions to think more deeply about the obligations we have to ourselves and the obligations we have to one another, no matter who we are, where we come from, or what faith we practice."

Go here for President Obama's prepared remarks

Is America a Christian Nation or is it going Through a Process of Becoming a Nation Which Truly Separates Religion from the State of Government?

Is there a crisis of belief among Christians in the United States? Is our nation based on a set of Christian beliefs or on a system which separates church from state.?

Today, the propaganda system of the right ideological wing of American politics which drives a Republican for the "correct" direction of our nation in the future uses a perspective that disguises itself behind the shadows of a supposed set of Christian foundations for the creation of the United States of America.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Christian tradition that is broadcast over the airwaves and in evangelical churches and mega-churches provide nothing more than a set of lies intended to persuade the gullible that the United States of America is a creation of God and not of men.

Numerous polling firms have shown that America is becoming less interested in defining itself as a Christian nation than it is interested in dealing with the problems based in reality which confront our nation. Faith-based solutions for many Americans have lost their appeal as the path to a better country.

Christian religion is being exposed as a creation of authoritarian principles whose sole purpose is to control the thoughts and rights of American citizens under a Republican/Big Business/Evangelical conservative cabal of ideologues whose only "faith" is their shared intention to seek political power and control over the direction intended by the founders of the United States of America.

Countless millions of dollars ave been poured into a phalanx of quasi-political and religious organizations such as Focus on the Family to name the group that Ken Blackwell speaks for in the video above in order to demonize any attempts to change or disrupt the power structure that has formed between the Republican Party, certain elements of Big Business and the Evangelical movement. This unholy alliance which uses God and religion as a tool to pacify the masses has dominated the politics of our nation since the 1970s and bases its political birthright on the sanctified politics of Ronald Reagan.

With political support for the belief in America as a Christian nation on the wane, the question becomes how will the coalition of Republican politics; Big Business interests; and Evangelical charlatans reassemble their base of control and influence?

This writer believes that the only way to create such a comeback is for two occurrences to take place. First the creation and canonization of a political figure who can create a cult of followers much as Ronald Reagan must take place. Such a figure would then be positioned to lead the country out of an artificially created threat to the United States.

Much as the exterior Communist threat and the interior threat posed by leftist counter cultural individuals was used in the 1960s and the 1970s; much as the threat of an international terrorism fostered by a non-Christian religion of fanatics was used in the late 1990s up until 2008 to create panic among the masses and thus afford an easier means of maintaining power and control in place.

The right wing ideologues only chance to regain power and control will be to create an outside threat to the continued "security" of the nation played up by right wing ideological elements of the mainstream press; both in print and media to distribute propaganda and misinformation that our nation has been infiltrated through our "pourous" national borders to create mayhem and destruction of the "American" way of life only to be defeated by an all powerful and pious leader from the right wing of American ideological leaders will be suficient to re-establish the re-ascention of a Republican/Big Business/Evangelical conservative cabal of ideologues whose only "faith" is to seek political power and control over the direction intended by the founding fathers of the United States of America.

Animation of the Northern Hemisphere Shows Gamma Ray Sources of Greater Than 300 Million Electron Volts Taken by the Fermi LAT

The mission of the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope is to monitor: "...gamma-ray radiation, the most energetic form of radiation, billions of times more energetic than the type of light visible to our eyes. What is happening to produce this much energy? What happens to the surrounding environment near these phenomena? How will studying these energetic objects add to our understanding of the very nature of the Universe and how it behaves?"

According to Wired Science Blog: "The Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope has been orbiting Earth and scanning the sky for high-energy gamma ray photons since last summer, and its first 87 days of observations are now combined into less than four minutes in this time-lapse video."

The Official Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope under the auspices of the Goddard Space Flight Center further explains the mission of Fermi by elaborating that: "With Fermi, astronomers will at long last have a superior tool to study how black holes, notorious for pulling matter in, can accelerate jets of gas outward at fantastic speeds. Physicists will be able to study subatomic particles at energies far greater than those seen in ground-based particle accelerators. And cosmologists will gain valuable information about the birth and early evolution of the Universe."

Goddard provides further background information: "For this unique endeavor, one that brings together the astrophysics and particle physics communities, NASA is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Energy and institutions in France, Germany, Japan, Italy and Sweden. General Dynamics was chosen to build the spacecraft. Fermi was launched June 11, 2008 at 12:05 pm EDT."

"Mission Objectives

* Explore the most extreme environments in the Universe, where nature harnesses energies far beyond anything possible on Earth.
* Search for signs of new laws of physics and what composes the mysterious Dark Matter.
* Explain how black holes accelerate immense jets of material to nearly light speed.
* Help crack the mysteries of the stupendously powerful explosions known as gamma-ray bursts.
* Answer long-standing questions across a broad range of topics, including solar flares, pulsars and the origin of cosmic rays."

The sky's background is blue in color and the flashes of red circular patterns represent gamma-ray sources.

“The movie shows counts of gamma rays seen by Fermi’s LAT, and each frame shows the gamma rays collected in one day,” said presenter Elizabeth Hays, an astrophysicist on the Fermi team. Only gamma rays with energies greater than 300 million electron volts -- or 150 million times more than that of visible light -- are shown. Brighter colors indicate greater numbers of detected gamma rays and thus the locations of bright gamma-ray sources"

The photo below shows Enrico Fermi

Scientists Think New Explanation for Massive Past Extinction of Life During Permian-Triassic Period Could Have Significant Contemporary Ramifications

Nearly a quarter of a billion years ago, the most massive extinction in Earth's known history took place in which scientists have estimated that nearly 90% of all of the plant and animal life on the planet were extinguished.

For decades, numerous possible explanations for the great extinction have gained favor only to fade away to be replaced by other theories. "Previous explanations included volcanic eruptions and asteroid strikes that could have shrouded the planet in dust, or the oceanic release of atmosphere-choking methane hydrate."The most accepted explanation for the extinction have been centered huge volcanic eruptions in the Siberian region of our planet

Recently, however, a new explanation for the massive extinction has been proposed by "German and Russian climatologists" who "say that toxic gases emitted by giant salt lakes ... could have caused" what researchers have commonly referred to as the Permian-Triassic extinction.

What led the German and Russian climatologist researchers to their conclusion that: "the emissions of salt seas in southern Russia," the researchers realized that "the Zechstein Sea — a France-sized, hyper-saline inland ocean located in what is now Central Europe — could have emitted enough chlorine gas to cause mass plant die-offs, triggering a chain reaction of ecological catastrophe."

The researchers estimated that their theory might have significantly important consequences for a similar, contemporary disaster to strike the Earth: "The size and evaporation rates of modern salt seas are expected to increase as the planet warms. The researchers don't expect that our seas will cause another extinction event, but say their toxic effect is underestimated by climate modelers."

According to Wired Science Blog; "Earth may be in the midst of the greatest extinction ever, according to a new mass extinction scoring system."

Istanbul Technical University researchers have theorized that: "If unchecked, the current extinction threatens to be the greatest killer of all time."

The Istanbul scientists have devised a system that: "attempts to quantify those periods when more than half of all species disappeared. In addition to the current mass extinction, this has happened at least five times: the End Ordovician, Late Devonian, End Permian, End Triassic and End Cretaceous. The latter -- marking the end of the Age of Dinosaurs -- receives the most attention, but scientists have been unable to decide which extinction was most significant."

The researchers multiplied: "the number of organismal groups that went extinct with the time it took, they arrived at a metric called "greatness." According to this, the dinosaur-ending End Cretaceous event, possibly caused when asteroid strikes or volcanic explosions sheathed the Earth in ash, was twice as great as any previous extinction.the number of organismal groups that went extinct with the time it took, they arrived at a metric called "greatness." According to this, the dinosaur-ending End Cretaceous event, possibly caused when asteroid strikes or volcanic explosions sheathed the Earth in ash, was twice as great as any previous extinction... The Permian extinction event,.. placed third on the researchers' rankings -- and it still encompassed the loss of 96 percent of Earthly life."

Wired Science Blog explains that: "According to the researchers, the current global die-off combines elements of both the End Cretaceous and the Permian. The global dominance of humans "represents a virtual Pangea formation," and human activities are a "global annihilating agent" comparable to any asteroid."

With regards to the current wave of extinctions occurring Wired Science Blog explains; "The International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimates that 800 plant and animal species have gone extinct in the last 500 years, with more than 16,000 currently threatened with extinction -- and those lost or threatened organisms come the from mere 41,000 species so far assessed by science. More than a million have been described but remain unstudied."

Wired continues: "The most troubling figures, however, come not from the total species lost but the rate at which they're vanishing: 1,000 times faster than usual. But even that alarming rate may be too conservative. According to a paper recently published in Nature, modeling errors led scientists to grossly underestimate the survival chances of threatened species."

"The older models could be severely overestimating the time to extinction," said University of Colorado ecologist and Nature study co-author Brett Melbourne to the Guardian. "Some species could go extinct 100 times sooner than we expect."

New New York Times/CBS News Poll Shows Growth in Confidence and Optimism Among Americans About Economic Upturn and Nation's Direction Under Obama

The latest New York Times/CBS News poll shows that: "Americans have grown more optimistic about the economy and the direction of the country in the 11 weeks since President Obama was inaugurated, suggesting that he is enjoying some success in his critical task of rebuilding the nation’s confidence."

Republican attacks and the efforts of a new administration under tremendous pressure to succeed have not had a deleterious effect on the leadership abilities of President Obama as: "Americans said they approved of Mr. Obama’s handling of the economy, foreign policy, Iraq and Afghanistan; fully two-thirds said they approved of his overall job performance."

The president's optimistic reception did not extend to Republican politicians as: "just 31 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of the Republican Party, the lowest in the 25 years the question has been asked in New York Times/CBS News polls."

In summarizing some of the results; The New York Times: "found that 70 percent of respondents were very or somewhat concerned that someone in their household would be out of work and looking for a job in the next 12 months. Forty percent said they had cut spending on luxuries, and 10 percent said they had cut back on necessities; 31 percent said they had cut both.

The New York Times also determined: "For all that, the number of people who said they thought the country was headed in the right direction jumped from 15 percent in mid-January, just before Mr. Obama took office, to 39 percent today, while the number who said it was headed in the wrong direction dropped to 53 percent from 79 percent. That is the highest percentage of Americans who said the country was headed in the right direction since 42 percent said so in February 2005, the second month of President George W. Bush’s second term."

The New York Times predicted that: "With the poll finding that an overwhelming number think the recession will last a year or more, Mr. Obama may find he has a deep well of patience to draw on. The poll found that he shoulders virtually none of the public blame for the economic crisis: 33 percent blame Mr. Bush, 21 percent blame financial institutions, and 11 percent blame Congress."

The New York Times continued to discuss it's findings: "By more than three to one, voters said they trusted Mr. Obama more than they trusted Congressional Republicans to make the right decisions about the economy. And by more than two to one, they said they trusted Mr. Obama to keep the nation safe, typically a Republican strong suit. Nearly one-quarter of Republicans said they trusted Mr. Obama more than Congressional Republicans to make the right decisions about the economy."

The New York Times delved into the nation's political divisions to explain that: "The poll showed signs of continued political division: 57 percent of people who said they voted for Senator John McCain in November said they disapproved of Mr. Obama’s performance. While Mr. Obama’s budget proposal enjoys the support of 56 percent of Americans over all, sentiments splinter along party lines: 79 percent of Democrats said his budget had the right priorities, compared with 27 percent of Republicans."

The New York Times pointed out several reservations that Americans have with President Obama's policies: "Even as Americans strongly support Mr. Obama, they do not necessarily support all of his initiatives. For example, 58 percent disapprove of his proposal to bail out banks. But the percentage of respondents who said they thought it would benefit all Americans, rather than only bankers, jumped from 29 percent in February to 47 percent now, signaling that the White House might be making progress in changing perceptions of the plan."

"And as Mr. Obama has proposed a vast expansion in spending and programs, 48 percent of Americans said they preferred a smaller government providing fewer services, while 41 percent preferred a bigger government with more services."

"Americans remain concerned about the growing national debt being passed on to future generations," according to the survey "but in the face of the current economic troubles, they are divided over whether it is necessary to increase debt. Forty-six percent said the government should not incur further debt, but 45 percent said the government should spend money to stimulate the economy even though it would increase the budget deficit."

As far as Americans view of Wall Street and his increase in tax rates on people in the highest income brackets the poll showed: "Amid evidence of a surge of populism in response to abuses on Wall Street, respondents said by more than two to one that Democrats cared more about the needs of people like themselves than Republicans did. Seventy-one percent of Americans said Mr. Obama cared more about the interests of ordinary people than about large corporations."

"Mr. Obama’s push to increase income taxes on people making over $250,000 a year was supported by 74 percent of respondents. When presented with the possibility that taxing those in the higher income bracket might hurt the economy, 39 percent of those polled still backed the plan.

Friday Funnies -- "How to be a good Creationist - In 5 easy steps"

This young lady produces a hilarious retort to "how to be a good creationist." She explains that creationists who receive the "just one good proof" of evolution do so through one of the following means: "See no evidence; hear no evidence; spout Bible verses 'Till the truth goes away.'We are given 5 statements to remember for those who want to be a good creationist: 1."Evolution is only a theory; 2."God did it; 3."Fine tuning and the weak; 4."Science from the Bible" 5."Deny science." The young lay also suggests to creationists to "Just call science "gibberish" and that will do. In summary she explains: you must not be able to explain what evolution is; you must not be able to provide a line of evidence for evolution; you must not be able to give any evidence for speciation; you must not be able to define the second law of thermodynamics and explain its relevant to the process of natural selection; and last you must not allow yourself to think in any manner but in a circular manner.

President Obama Continues Impressive European Summit Performance

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"N THE FIELD: The G20 summit opened in London on Thursday with more than 20 world leaders. Russian papers hailed Obama-Medvedev meeting as triumph."

"As the G20 Economic Summit gets underway in London, President Barack Obama took time to sit down with the leader of South Korea. Obama said South Korea remains a great ally and friend of the U.S"

"In a candid moment before answering a question about global sentiment toward the U.S. during the G20 Summit, President Obama offered his condolences to CBS News' Chip Reid, whose father passed away shortly after he arrived in London for the summit"

"Barack and Michelle Obama held a private meeting at Buckingham Palace Wednesday with England's Queen Elizabeth II."

"The difference between Obama's perception of the US role in the world versus George W. "Was He Really President Once?" Bush.

"President Obama got right to work on the first day of the G20 summit in London, England. He discussed a nuclear truce with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Chip Reid reports."

According to the excessively liberal New York Times: "In his debut on the international stage, President Obama presented himself as the leader of an America that can no longer go it alone, and as abiding by the protocol of a global new deal."

It was a performance that ranged from mediating behind closed doors — Mr. Obama personally intervened in a spat between the French and Chinese leaders — to a carefully calculated news conference in which he reached deep into history, showed contrition for the failings of Wall Street, and forecast a road the world could no longer travel. Gone are the days, from Pax Britannica to Pax Americana, when Britain and the United States made the rules that others followed."

“If there’s just Roosevelt and Churchill sitting in a room with a brandy, that’s an easier negotiation,” Mr. Obama said during his hourlong meeting with the international news media, during which he called on reporters from India and China to ask him questions. “But that’s not the world we live in, and it shouldn’t be the world that we live in.”

"After more than 11 hours of meetings, Mr. Obama emerged Thursday from his first summit meeting with a handful of modest concrete commitments. He did not get much of what American officials had been hoping for, notably failing to persuade other countries to commit to more fiscal stimulus spending."

"But he, along with the other world leaders present, did get a more forceful and detailed blueprint for a global recovery than a similar gathering 86 years ago, when an earlier generation failed to take collective action to counter the Great Depression. “By being willing to accommodate European leaders on the need for better regulation of financial markets and emerging market leaders on their desire to have less protectionism,” said Eswar S. Prasad, a former China division chief at the International Monetary Fund, Mr. Obama “has certainly guided the G-20 leaders to a positive outcome.”

“All in all, not a bad day’s work,” Mr. Prasad added."

"Mr. Obama’s own assessment? “Well, I think I did O.K.,” he said, when asked by a reporter during a news conference to rate his performance."

"In a premiere diplomatic tour that has already been scrutinized for every blemish, Mr. Obama has, thus far, gotten some not-so-good reviews — several European news outlets complained that he seemed aloof — and some raves. (President Nicolas Sarkozy of France called him “very helpful.”)"

"Mr. Sarkozy was referring to Mr. Obama the mediator. For a tense hour on Thursday, Mr. Sarkozy and President Hu Jintao of China were going back and forth about tax havens. In a large conference room at the Excel Center, surrounded by 18 other world leaders, the two men sniped at each other, according to officials in the room."

"Mr. Sarkozy wanted the big communiqué produced by the Group of 20 to endorse naming and shaming global tax havens, maybe even including Hong Kong and Macao, which are under China’s sovereignty. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Hu was having none of it. He appeared angry that Mr. Sarkozy was effectively accusing China of lax regulation, and that the French leader was asking China to endorse sanctions issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a club of wealthy nations that Beijing has yet to join."

"According to accounts provided by White House officials and corroborated by European and other officials also in the room, Mr. Obama escorted both men, one at a time, to a corner of the room, to judge the dispute. How about replacing the word “recognize,” Mr. Obama suggested, with the word “note?”

"The result: “The era of banking secrecy is over,” the final communiqué said. “We note that the O.E.C.D. has today published a list of countries assessed by the Global Forum against the international standard for exchange of tax information.” Hong Kong and Macao did not appear on the list."

"It was not a Middle East peace accord. But Mr. Obama had his first moment as a statesman."

"For the news conference that followed, Mr. Obama took pains to project a cheerful, humble image to a world still alternately enraged and befuddled by a financial crisis that originated with American subprime loans. He called on reporters from other countries — “foreign,” he said, before adding with a grin that they were foreign only to him. He bantered, dispensing with his propensity to filibuster and lecture.

"Answering a question from a reporter from China, Mr. Obama managed to acknowledge that he had to care most about how American workers and companies were affected by globalization, while still making the argument for why globalization was in America’s best interest."

“Look, I’m the president of the United States. I’m not the president of China,” Mr. Obama said. Then he added, “It is also my responsibility to lead America into recognizing that its interests, its fate, is tied up with the larger world.”

"Mr. Obama said that if America neglected or abandoned poor countries, “not only are we depriving ourselves of potential opportunities for markets and economic growth, but ultimately that despair may turn to violence that turns on us.”

“Unless we are concerned about the education of all children and not just our children, not only may we be depriving ourselves of the next great scientist who’s going to find the next new energy source that saves the planet, but we also may make people around the world much more vulnerable to anti-American propaganda.”

"In a rare show of emotion from the international press, many in the room stood up and cheered after Mr. Obama was done."

"If Mr. Obama gauged that crowd just right, he also had a few gaffes. The Obamas gave Queen Elizabeth II an iPod loaded with songs and videos — this after weeks of grief from the British press over the 25 DVDs that the couple gave Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain when he visited Washington. (The Browns gave the Obamas an ornate penholder made from the timber of a Victorian antislave ship.)"

"And Michelle Obama, during the meeting with the queen, touched her, raising already high-brows over on this side of the pond. Buckingham Palace protocol says that commoners must not touch the queen, a dictate that foreign leaders in the past have ignored at their own peril. When Prime Minister Paul Keating of Australia did the same thing back in 1992 the newspapers here called him the “Lizard of Oz.”

"But so high is the adulation that has been heaped on the Obamas from the normally caustic British press since their arrival that newspapers here said it was a sign of how well Mrs. Obama got along with the queen. In Mrs. Obama’s defense, the queen did touch her first, putting her arm around her as the two looked down at their feet, presumably talking about shoes."

President Obama's first European Trip a Rousing Success

President Obama started his day at the G20 Summit by meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street. The President and Prime Minister Brown will host a news conference later in the day.

IN THE FIELD: US President Barack Obama urged G20 countries meeting on Thursday to focus on common ground to resolve the global financial crisis. This comes as British PM Gordon Brown warned that the summit would entail tough negotiations.

Speaking in a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, President Barack Obama said Russia and the United States have "a broad set of common interests."

IN THE PAPERS: the French president Sarkozy has threatened to walk out on the G20 if the US refuses a deal to tighten global regulation. The Russian president Medvedev calls for the introduction of a world superanational reserve currency to replace the dollar. Obama and Brown call for united actions.

The first ever eye-to-eye meeting between Dmitry Medvedev and Barack Obama has shown there are signs of thawing in Russia-US relations, and that the two states are ready to push the reset button

Peter Cook of Bloomberg News with the update as President Obama is set to take press questions today.

CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk on competing interests at the G20 Summit

"In his first full day in Europe, President Obama conceded Wednesday that the United States had “some accounting to do” for failures that led to the world’s financial crisis, even as he tried to brush past heavy pressure from Germany and France to accept global financial regulations that could reach well inside American borders."

"Speaking on the eve of a summit meeting here to address the financial crisis, Mr. Obama acknowledged that regulatory failures in the United States had a role in the meltdown, but he urged world leaders to focus on solutions rather than on placing blame. He also cautioned that the United States was unlikely to return to its role as a “voracious consumer market,” and he urged other nations to do more to revive growth in their home markets."

"Despite calls for unity from Mr. Obama and the British prime minister, Gordon Brown, the host of the Group of 20 meeting that will formally begin Thursday, a rift intensified over Anglo-American calls for greater fiscal stimulus spending and French and German demands for more intrusive global regulation of financial institutions."

"While President Nicolas Sarkozy of France did not repeat an earlier threat to walk out of the conference — “I just got here,” he joked — he made it clear he would reject an agreement that puts off stringent new regulations on banks, tax havens, and hedge funds."

“The decisions need to be taken now, today and tomorrow,” he said. “This has nothing to do with ego. This has nothing to do with temper tantrums. When it comes to historic moments, you can’t circumvent them.”

"Mr. Sarkozy added that tougher regulation — he has called for a “global regulator” that would be able to reach inside the borders of the United States and other large nations to deal with international financial firms — is “nonnegotiable.”

“The compromise has to come from all countries around the world,” he said. Saying he trusted Mr. Obama, Mr. Sarkozy said he did not want to point fingers about the crisis. But then, in a verbal jab he has used before, he added, “The crisis didn’t actually spontaneously erupt in Europe.”

"Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany rejected Mr. Obama’s plea for other nations to follow America’s lead and pledge greater fiscal spending to stimulate their economies. She said more spending was not worth debating. “That is not a bargaining chip,” she said, adding, by contrast, “Regulation is something that is in everyone’s interest.”

"By the time Mr. Obama ended his evening at Buckingham Palace and a working dinner for the leaders assembling here — representing a group as diverse as the established European powers and Japan to Indonesia, India, Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands — it appeared likely that countries would divide into two or three camps."

"The United States, Britain and Japan will push for more immediate stimulus and “systemic risk” regulators that mostly operate within national borders; Germany and France will push the opposite position, probably with some support from the Czech Republic."

"That leaves China and Russia, among others, to exploit the division to play a significant role, though if tradition holds the major differences are likely to be smoothed out in wording in a final communique that each country interprets differently."

"Mr. Obama and Mr. Brown used a joint news conference earlier in the day to emphasize that differences with France and Germany were “vastly overstated.”

"Mr. Brown argued that the world had learned the hard lessons of a similar summit meeting here in 1933, which ended in failure. That outcome will not be repeated, Mr. Brown argued."

"Mr. Obama also met for the first time with President Hu Jintao of China, the nation that is essentially being asked to bankroll much of the upward of $2 trillion in deficits the United States will run up this year to finance its recovery package, bailouts for Wall Street and Detroit, and two wars."

"But in a meeting that American officials described as “businesslike” Mr. Hu apparently said nothing about previous Chinese cautions that the country would have to be convinced that the United States had a long-term plan to bring down its deficits before it invested more heavily in American securities."

"In essence, the United States is pressing Europe and other nations to spend more now — when a coordinated stimulus could do the most good. But over the long term, Mr. Obama appeared to be preparing the world for a reshaped global economy in which the United States no longer was the ultimate export market for the world’s established and emerging powers."

"Speaking alongside Mr. Brown after the two men met, Mr. Obama warned against returning the United States to the habits of the past decade, and the twin trade and budget deficits they created."

“The United States will do its share,” he said, “but I think that one of the things that Gordon and I spoke about is the fact that in some ways the world has become accustomed to the United States being a voracious consumer market and the engine that drives a lot of economic growth worldwide. And I think that in the wake of this crisis, even as we’re doing stimulus, we have to take into account our own deficits.”

"He said he and fellow leaders had an “enormous consensus” on the need to take bold steps to revive growth, and urged them to focus on what they can achieve at home. “If there is going to be renewed growth it can’t just be the United States as the engine, everybody is going to have to pick up the pace,” he said.

"But Mrs. Merkel and Mr. Sarkozy laid out a different argument: that the United States had only now begun to understand the cost of poorly regulated free-market capitalism, and must now bow to the European model. “The foundation for this new financial architecture must be laid now,” Mrs. Merkel said. “That is why we seem to be so tough.”

"The German chancellor, who is scheduled to met Mr. Obama one-on-one this weekend, rejected attempts to link the American and British demands for fiscal stimulus programs to the French and German agenda on regulations. Although Germany did carry out a reasonably large stimulus package this year, it has not agreed to one for 2010."

"Mr. Sarkozy said France had made a gesture to the United States by rejoining the command structure of the NATO alliance, and he implied that the United States needed to make a similar gesture in the regulatory arena."

Helene Cooper reported from London and Alan Cowell from Paris. Matthew Saltmarsh contributed reporting from Paris and Julia Werdigier and Mark Landler from London.