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 A worker makes adjustments before the inauguration ceremony of a solar thermal power plant in Alvarado Spain. The plant is the world's biggest solar power station
Spain overtakes US with world's biggest solar power station.
By Stephen Burgen in Barcelona
4:50 p.m. EDT, July 13, 2010
With the new La Florida plant, the nation's solar power production is now equivalent to output of a nuclear power station
has opened the world's largest solar power station, meaning that it overtakes the US as the biggest solar generator in the world. The nation's total solar power production is now equivalent to the output of a nuclear power station.
Spain is a world leader in renewable energies and has long been a producer of hydro-electricity (only China and the US have built more dams). It also has a highly developed wind power sector which, like solar power, has received generous government subsidies.
The new La Florida solar plant takes Spain's solar output to 432MW, which compares with the US output of 422MW. The plant, at Alvarado, Badajoz, in the west of the country, is a parabolic trough. With this method of collecting solar energy, sunlight is reflected off a parabolic mirror on to a fluid-filled tube. The heated liquid is then used to heat steam to run the turbines. The mirror rotates during the day to follow the sun's movement. The solar farm covers 550,000 square metres (the size of around 77 football pitches) and produces 50MW of power.
Protermosolar, the association that represents the solar energy sector, says that within a year another 600MW will have come on-stream and projects that by 2013 solar capacity will have reached 2,500MW.
The northern, though thinly populated, region of Navarra is already producing 75% of its energy from a range of renewables, including wind, solar, hydro and biomass. Spain's windfarms now produce around 20,000MW of electricity and on one day in November they accounted for 53% of demand. Last year, solar energy met 2.8% of demand out a total of 12.9% for all renewables. In March, the government announced a plan to increase the renewable share to 22.7% by 2020, slightly ahead of EU targets.
With an average of 340 days of sunshine a year in Spain, solar is more reliable than wind, and can go a long way towards weaning the country off gas-fired and ageing nuclear power stations. Spain is now the fourth largest manufacturer of solar power technology in the world and both solar and wind power technology exports have become valuable earners in a country with a weak manufacturing.
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 When preparing for a possible emergency situation, it's best to think first
about the basics of survival: fresh water,
food, clean air and
warmth.
-
Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at
least three days, for drinking and sanitation.
-
Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food.
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone
alert and extra batteries for both.
- Flashlight and extra batteries.
-
First aid kit
- Whistle to signal for help.
-
Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic
sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place.
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities.
- Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food).
- Local maps
Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:
- Prescription medications and glasses.
- Infant formula and diapers.
- Pet food and extra water for your pet.
- Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies,
identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container.
- Cash or traveler's checks and change.
- Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from
www.ready.gov
- Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding
if you live in a cold-weather climate.
- Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and
sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather
climate.
- Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts
water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an
emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular
household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or
bleaches with added cleaners.
- Fire Extinguisher.
- Matches in a waterproof container.
- Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items.
- Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels.
- Paper and pencil.
- Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children.
source: Ready.gov, Dept. of
Homeland Security
 Utah Officials Under Fire for Spanish-Language Prayer at July 4th Event
Utah Officials Under Fire for Spanish-Language Prayer at July 4th Event.
City leaders in the northern Utah town of Hyrum are under fire for allowing the closing prayer at a 4th of July program to be given in Spanish with English translation.
Since the decision -- which council members say was meant to accommodate the Spanish-speaking pastor asked to deliver the prayer -- Hyrum's City Hall has been inundated with angry e-mails demanding that council members resign, and even suggesting the council be deported to Mexico, Fox 13 reported.
"I do believe in freedom of speech, but I think there's a time and a place" for public pronouncements in Spanish, said Hyrum resident Darrin Smith. "It would have been better for Cinco De Mayo."
Council member Paul James stood by the prayer and said the ceremony was a patriotic tribute to America's Founding Fathers and veterans.
Though the city has also faced opposition for having any prayers at a public event, the program's organizer said they would continue the tradition next year -- but this time only in English.
 Pre-9/11 NYC Skyline
 Twin towers of the World Trade Center burning
HISTORY of NEW YORK
New Yorkers are rightfully proud of their state's many achievements and contributions. This synopsis is adapted from a brief history previously printed in the Legislative Manual.
Duke of York
New York harbor was visited by Verrazano in 1524, and the Hudson River was first explored by Henry Hudson in 1609. The Dutch settled here permanently in 1624 and for 40 years they ruled over the colony of New Netherland. It was conquered by the English in 1664 and was then named New York in honor of the Duke of York.
Independence
Existing as a colony of Great Britain for over a century, New York declared its independence on July 9, 1776, becoming one of the original 13 states of the Federal Union. The next year, on April 20, 1777, New York's first constitution was adopted.
Revolutionary War
In many ways, New York State was the principal battleground of the Revolutionary War. Approximately one-third of the skirmishes and engagements of the war were fought on New York soil. The Battle of Saratoga, one of the decisive battles of the world, was the turning point of the Revolution leading to the French alliance and thus to eventual victory. New York City, long occupied by British troops, was evacuated on November 25, 1783. There, on December 4 at Fraunces Tavern, General George Washington bade farewell to his officers.
The First Government of New York State
The first government of New York State grew out of the Revolution. The State Convention that drew up the Constitution created a Council of Safety which governed for a time and set the new government in motion. In June 1777, while the war was going on, an election for the first governor took place. Two of the candidates, Philip Schuyler and George Clinton, were generals in the field. Two others, Colonel John Jay and General John Morin Scott, were respectively leaders of the aristocratic and democratic groups in the Convention. On July 9, George Clinton was declared elected and he was inaugurated as Governor at Kingston, July 30, 1777. Albany became the capital of the State in January 1797.
The First Capital of the New Nation
Alexander Hamilton was a leader in the movement which ended in the development of the Federal Constitution, and he was active in its ratification. New York City became the first capital of the new nation, where President George Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789.
The Empire State
In following years, New York's economic and industrial growth made appropriate the title "The Empire State," an expression possibly originated by George Washington in 1784. In 1809, Robert Fulton's "North River Steamboat," the first successful steam-propelled vessel, began a new era in transportation.
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, greatly enhanced the importance of the port of New York and caused populous towns and cities to spring up across the state. The Erie Canal was replaced by the Barge Canal in 1918; and the system of waterways was further expanded by the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Overland transportation grew rapidly from a system of turnpikes established in the early 1880s to the modern day Governor Thomas E. Dewey New York State Thruway. By 1853, railroads, that had started as short lines in 1831, crossed the state in systems like the Erie and New York Central.
Statue of Liberty
Located in New York harbor, the Statue of Liberty was formally presented to the U.S. Minister to France, Levi Parsons on July 4, 1884 by Ferdinand Lesseps, representing the Franco-American Union.
The cornerstone was laid in August 1884 and the Statue of Liberty arrived in June 1885, in 214 packing crates. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty on October 28, 1886, when the last rivet was put into place.
During the nineteenth century, America became a haven for many of the oppressed people of Europe, and New York City became the "melting pot." The Statue of Liberty (dedicated in 1886 in the harbor), with its famous inscription, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," was the first symbol of America's mission
United Nations
The international character of New York City, the principal port for overseas commerce, and later for transcontinental and international airways, has been further enhanced by becoming the home of the United Nations, capital of the free world. Here the people of all nations and races come to discuss and try to solve the world's problems in a free and democratic climate.
New York Stock Exchange
As one of the wealthiest states, New York made tremendous strides in industry and commerce. The New York Stock Exchange, founded in 1792, has become the center of world finance. Diversified and rich natural resources, together with unmatched facilities for transport, produced a phenomenal growth in manufacture and industry. Research and inventive genius have been extensive, especially in the field of electronics, power and the peaceful and productive use of atomic energy.
Center for Art, Music, and Literature
New York City also became a leading national center for art, music and literature, as exemplified by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Opera Company, and large publishing houses.
National Leaders
The state has supplied more than its share of national leaders, beginning with Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the treasury; and John Jay, the first chief justice. Aaron Burr and George Clinton served as vice presidents. Martin Van Buren, Chester A. Arthur and Grover Cleveland went from New York politics to the presidency. In the 1900s, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt achieved the presidency; and Nelson Rockefeller served as vice president. Governors Charles E. Hughes, Alfred E. Smith and Thomas E. Dewey all were candidates for the presidency.
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks (often referred to as 9/11, pronounced nine-eleven) were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and many others working in the buildings. Both buildings collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D.C. There were no survivors from any of the flights.
2,974 victims and the 19 hijackers died in the attacks. The overwhelming majority of casualties were civilians, including nationals of over 90 different countries. In addition, the death of at least one person from lung disease was ruled by a medical examiner to be a result of exposure to dust from the World Trade Center's collapse.
The 9/11 attacks had immediate and overwhelming effects upon the American people. Many police officers and rescue workers elsewhere in the country took leaves of absence to travel to New York City to assist in the process of recovering bodies from the twisted remnants of the Twin Towers. Blood donations across the U.S. also saw a surge in the weeks after 9/11. Not only were New Yorkers united during this horrific tragedy but all of America and the entire world shared their pain.
 An oil-covered pelican struggles on Louisiana's East Grand Terre Island on Thursday.
Spill 'is worst US eco-disaster' - Photos of Dying Birds Put New Focus on Oil Spill
(June 4) -- Week after week, information about the BP oil disaster has gushed from every media outlet. The 24/7 live video, interviews, official briefings, photos, maps, computer animations -- all accompanied by endless commentary in print, online and on the air -- were starting to turn into little more than background noise.
Then came Charlie Riedel's pictures of the birds.
Charlie Riedel, AP
An oil-covered pelican struggles on Louisiana's East Grand Terre Island on Thursday.On Thursday, the veteran Associated Press photographer captured images on a Louisiana beach that reawakened public outrage about the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico as no words could. His photos from East Grand Terre Island showing dead and dying seabirds covered in brown sludge are stunning, horrifying, heartbreaking and unforgettable. (Boston.com showcased eight of Riedel's most striking photos on its blog The Big Picture.)
In one especially haunting shot, a brown pelican flails at the water's edge. Its oil-soaked wings are outstretched. Its head is raised with one glazed eye staring into Riedel's camera lens and its beak agape, as if crying out for help -- or perhaps sounding an alarm.
"This is the real face of the oil spill," the blogger known as Bayou Child wrote in a post linked to the photos late Thursday night. "My sister Jeri and I will be cleaning birds tomorrow and Saturday; gonna try to write a blog post about it if I'm not too wrecked. Can't sleep, thinking about it. I will never forget these pictures."
Former USA Today photo editor Matt Mendelsohn was among many who were struck by Riedel's picture of a bird so heavily encased in oily goo that it looked like "some mutated prehistoric creature." In an AOL News op-ed today Mendelsohn predicted the image would be "the one that everyone will remember for decades to come."
Oil Spill's Toll on WildlifeCharlie Riedel, AP6 photos A bird is mired in oil from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on Thursday. The bird was found at East Grand Terre Island, La. Oil from the spill, which began April 20, has affected wildlife throughout the gulf.
Oil Spill's Toll on Wildlife
A bird is mired in oil from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill on Thursday. The bird was found at East Grand Terre Island, La. Oil from the spill, which began April 20, has affected wildlife throughout the gulf.
Charlie Riedel, AP
Hullabaloo blogger Digby's reaction to the pictures included a reference to "A Clockwork Orange."
"Remember the scene where Alex was forced to watch violence with his eyes propped open? I'd think maybe all those people who gleefully chanted 'drill,baby,drill' as a tribal chant would benefit from a little of that aversion therapy."
Watch CBS News Videos OnlineRiedel's picture are indeed hard to look at, but they must be seen. The same goes for videos like this one from CNN that caught the attention of the AOL News Surge Desk.
CBS also aired scenes of a pelican waddling ashore dripping globs of oil and a smaller sludge-covered bird being knocked over by waves.
On Fox News on Thursday afternoon, correspondent Steve Harrigan reported from Grand Terre Island standing near a dying pelican.
"The brown pelican, of course, is the state bird of Louisiana. Up until a year ago it was on an endangered species list here. It's just recently been taken off that endangered species list. It may have to go back on," Harrigan noted. "If you're looking for a symbolic picture, the state symbol of Louisiana choking to death on oil from the BP spill, it would be harder to find a stronger one than that."
Anchorman Shepard Smith appeared stricken by the images in Harrigan's report and mentioned that many news crews have said BP has tried to make it hard for them to get pictures of the worst damage. Mother Jones reported Wednesday that the company "is apparently barring cleanup workers from sharing photos of dead animals that have washed ashore."
A BP spokesman told the New York Daily News the oil giant is not trying to hide the environmental damage from the Deepwater Horizon rig disaster. But it does want you to see different pictures of what's going on along the Gulf Coast. They're featured in a commercial BP started running Thursday. (Click here to watch video.)
The ad -- starring embattled CEO Tony Hayward -- includes photos of workers cleaning beaches and washing a bird.
A frame grab from BP's ad apologizing for the spill shows workers cleaning a bird."To those affected and your families, I am deeply sorry. The gulf is home for thousands of BP's employees and we all feel the impact. To all the volunteers and for the strong support of the government, thank you." Hayward says in the minute-long spot. "We know it is our responsibility to keep you informed. And do everything we can so this never happens again. We will get this done. We will make this right."
Ads in major newspapers including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The Washington Post carry the same message.
The commercial is the work of a political consulting firm run by Democrat Steve McMahon and Republican Alex Castellanos, according to CNN. BP wouldn't say how much it cost, but one public relations firm estimated it was around $50 million.
That kind of money can pack a big punch. But in this case, a $50 million campaign is no match for the emotional impact of a few iconic pictures.
Filed under: Nation, Top Stories, The
 Theodore Roosevelt, 1919
"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...
There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
--Theodore Roosevelt, 1919
 The Scouting movement was founded in 1907 by Lord Robert Baden-Powell, a lieutenant-general in the British Army who was a hero of the Boer War in 1899.
The Future Of The Boy Scouts: Being Prepared
As the Boy Scouts of America celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, it represents a unique and unflinchingly stable cultural institution, a Norman Rockwell painting largely suspended in time.
The Scouts take pride — a special brand of ultra-sincere Boy Scout pride — in repeating the same oath and earning many of the same merit badges as more than 100 million Scouts since 1910.
They still wear rolled-up neckerchiefs, pledge to be "morally straight" and, yes, learn to tie sturdy, reliable knots at a time when a lot of teenage boys want nothing more than to slurp 64-ounce sodas and play "Grand Theft Auto."
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. The BSA provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness.
For nearly a century, the BSA has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. The Boy Scouts of America believes — and, through nearly a century of experience, knows — that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society
The Boy Scouts also continue to insist that Scouts profess a belief in God and that gay men and women not serve as adult leaders.
Critics loudly condemn these positions — and many Scout leaders in New York would prefer to talk about anything else — but the Boy Scouts continue on their trail.
They believe that scouting's century-old commitment to character, citizenship and personal fitness is part of the American story and strong enough to endure changing times.
The Boy Scouts' national membership has been on a steady decline. But in the Lower Hudson Valley, where academics and sports dominate many boys' lives, membership is quietly growing. Leaders, parents and the boys themselves say scouting's emphasis on the outdoors is a perfect antidote to childhood obesity and video-game obsession. Some also like that scouting, while challenging to the individual, is less competitive than youth sports.
Almost everyone hails scouting's very traditional focus on giving back to the community and developing the character of moldable boys and young men.
A 'Rockwell' history
British Lt. Gen. Robert Bayden-Powell founded the scouting movement in England in 1907. The Scouts expanded to the U.S. in 1910. President William Howard Taft agreed that year to be honorary president, a tradition continued by every president through Barack Obama.
Scouting became the nation's most prominent youth program. Norman Rockwell began illustrating covers for "Boys Life," the Scouts' magazine, in 1913 and illustrated the Scouts' annual calendar from 1925 to 1976.
The Girl Scouts of the USA, which got going in 1912, grew in tandem with the Boy Scouts.
Individual Boy Scout troops are chartered by community-based organizations, giving every troop strong local ties. In the Westchester-Putnam and Hudson Valley councils, about half the 569 Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs are chartered by religious congregations: mostly Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and United Methodist churches.
Most others are chartered by service clubs such as the American Legion, the Elks, the Lions and Rotary Clubs.
Scouting has continued to focus on boys learning and doing as they earn traditional merit badges for fitness, citizenship, swimming, first aid and many other areas.
The Boy Scouts reached a peak membership of 4.9 million boys in 1972. Their place in youth culture has been shrinking ever since, with more boys staying indoors, especially in the digital age. Membership fell to 3.4 million in 1999 and 2.8 million in 2009.
Scouts face criticism
Nationally, the Boy Scouts have had to endure harsh criticism over controversial policies and periodic scandals related to sex abuse.
A 2000 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the Boy Scouts, as a private group, could bar gay adults from being troop leaders drew condemnations from many groups.
In a statement, the national Scouts said: "The safety of the young people currently in the Scouting program has never been in question during these legal proceedings. The case focused on a discussion about what society and the BSA knew about child abuse approximately three decades ago. This is a long-standing societal issue that every youth-serving organization must address."
The Boy Scouts do adapt to the times in limited ways. Scouts can now work toward merit badges, for instance, in cinematography, nuclear science, theater, disability awareness and other modern concerns. For the 100th anniversary, the Scouts are promoting the popular game of "geocaching," where GPS navigation devices are used to track down hidden items
The Scouts work to Better the Community
John Hanos of Boy Scout Troop 97, New City, built a display case for his local library for his Eagle Scout project. He believes in setting good examples and having a positive attitude. The 17-year-old senior at Clarkstown High School South has been doing good deeds around his community for as long as he's been working towards becoming an Eagle Scout, almost 10 years. The Eagle Scout is the highest level you can achieve in the Boys Scouts.
As his Scoutmaster said, "John is consistently demonstrating the key elements of the Scout Oath and the Scout Law - the guiding principles by which all Scouts should conduct their lives.
Overview of Boy Scouts of America
Mission
The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
Scout Oath
On my honor I will do my best
to do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
to help other people at all times;
to keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.
Scout Law
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
Delay in Obama Administration Recognition of Eagles Scouts Rankles Many - First President to not sign Eagle Scout Certificates and now, Picks Talk Show Over Boy Scouts
July 27, 2010
Obama turns down an invitation to speak at the Boy Scouts' 100th anniversary Jamboree to travel to New York to sit down with the ladies of 'The View'
President Obama will make history as the first sitting president on a daytime talk show when he visits with the ladies of "The View." But he'll be missing out on another historic occasion -- the Boy Scouts' Jamboree marking the group's 100th anniversary, right in the president's backyard.
The Jamboree kicked off this week at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia, where organizers had invited the president to speak to the 45,000 scouts in attendance. All three of Obama's predecessors have made it to one Jamboree while in office.
But the president will instead be traveling Wednesday to New York for a taping of the ABC show, as well as Democratic fundraisers and a stop in New Jersey. The talk show appearance comes as campaign season moves into full swing, but also amid efforts to cap the Gulf oil spill for good, contain the damage from an unprecedented leak of Afghanistan war documents and battle Arizona over its immigration law -- set to go into effect Thursday. Obama also has an out-of-town event planned for Friday in Detroit.
But while the Jamboree lasts until next Tuesday, the president is sending his regards via a videotaped message.
Boy Scouts of America spokesman Deron Smith said the organization knew Obama's invitation would hinge on his schedule and found out two months ago that he would not be able to attend.
"It just depends on his schedule," he said, adding that "there's always a spot" available for the president during the Jamboree. Obama also serves as honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America.
The White House said Tuesday that the fundraisers, not the TV appearance, prevented the president from attending.
"We were always going to be out of town that day," Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer told FoxNews.com in an e-mail. "It was never canceled."
First President to not sign Eagle Scout Certificates
by David Alan Coia
02/15/2010
U.S. presidential recognition has been a traditional part of the inspiration for many Boy Scouts striving to attain Scouting’s coveted Eagle rank. The rigors of becoming an Eagle are such that only 4 to 5 percent of all Boy Scouts per year (52,000) attain the rank, a Boy Scouts of America spokesman said. Universities, employers -- including the U.S. military, church and civic leaders -- and many others recognize the value an Eagle Scout delivers to them and to society. Delayed recognition of Eagles by the Obama Administration, however, has many Scouts and Scoutmasters believing that it does not support Scouting.
Scouts and Scoutmasters say they have not seen Eagle certificates or recognition letters signed by the President, leading many to believe that the Obama Administration does not support Scouting.
“No Eagle recognition letters have been received this year from the President,” said Richard Meyers, assistant Scoutmaster for troop 162 in Arlington County, Virginia, who attained his Eagle rank in 1957 during the Eisenhower presidency. HIs certificate was signed by President Eisenhower.
Meyers made the observation at a Chain Bridge District 2010 Life-to-Eagle Seminar held Jan. 30 during a snowstorm at the Charles Wesley United Methodist Church in McLean, VA. The seminar is held to help Scouts who have attained Scouting’s Life rank prepare for their last hurdles to Eagle. He made the statement to help manage the expectations of prospective Eagles who might delay their Courts of Honor pending the receipt of recognition letters from public officials. Recognition typically comes when an Eagle Scout invites the President and other public officials to his Court of Honor, the ceremony during which the rank is conferred.
In many cases, public bodies and officials ranging from local town councils to U.S. senators send their congratulations without any solicitation on the part of the Scout. The Alexandria, Virginia, City Council issues proclamations to recognize Eagle Scouts, an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 131 said.
Scouting ideals, in addition to preparedness, are embodied in the Scout Law, which Scouts repeated at every meeting: “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty brave, clean and reverent.”
André Towner, Scoutmaster for Troop 505 in Arlington County, said his troop manned first aid stations, helped direct traffic, and passed out fliers and flags at President Obama’s inauguration in January 2009. Towner said his Scouts were especially excited about the possibility of recognition from the President Obama. Unfortunately, it came late for one Eagle and never for the other. Nor does the President’s signature appear on the Scouts’ Eagle rank certificates.
Troop 104, Arlington, the County’s oldest Scout troop, and one of the few Troops in the country to be continuously chartered for 94 years or more, is in a similar situation. “Eight of our scouts achieved Eagle rank during the last year, but the first scout who sent an invitation through the White House Web site on April 11 did not received a response,” said Scoutmaster Robin Stefan. (The Boy Scouts of America, incorporated on Feb. 8, 1910, celebrates its Centennial this year.) A second Troop 104 Scout tried unsuccessfully to use the Web to contact the White House, Stefan explained.
“The President and First Lady are supportive of Scouting and are proud to serve as the honorary chair of the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of America, respectively,” Deputy White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest wrote in a February 9 e-mail.
“The President has mailed more than 13,000 letters to Boy Scouts in the last year congratulating them on attaining the rank of Eagle Scout,” Earnest said, adding that the President’s signature has been appearing on Eagle Scout certificates since late last year.
“President Obama’s signature does appear on the Eagle certificates, Michele Bisceglie, director of communications and information for the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). He is the honorary president of the organization, she said. John Gottschalk, chairman of the Omaha World-Herald Company, is the current BSA president, a voluntary, two-year position.
“The BSA works with the current administration to facilitate the [certificate] signing process and with each new President there is typically a delay,” BSA National Spokesperson Deron Smith said in a February 5 email statement made in response to a telephone query to BSA Marketing and Communications Director Stephen L. Medlicott in Irving, Texas. Smith is a vice president with the Edelman Southwest public relations firm.
Those signed certificates, however, have not been getting to all Eagle Scouts.
Five Scouts of Troop 116 associated with the First Presbyterian Church in Cheyenne, Wyoming, have recently achieved Eagle rank, according to the Frontier District office in Cheyenne. However, Scoutmaster Kevin Yarbrough while reviewing certificates for the new Eagles during a February 8 telephone interview said that none of the certificates bore a signature or stamp from the President. Yarbrough said his own Eagle certificate, obtained in 1985, bears the signature of President Ronald Reagan.
Scott Arrington, representing the Circle 10 Council in Dallas, TX, said that President Obama’s signature began appearing on Eagle certificates there seven to 10 days ago.
Towner said BSA officials have told him that his Eagle Scouts could attain certificates with the president’s signature, but they would be required to pay for replacement certificates and postage.
Earnest did respond to a question about when the administration began sending recognition letters, but offered to look into specific instances of Scouts who have contacted the White House, but who have not received the letters.
“Any letter sent to local or national leaders is handled by individual Scouts and leaders,” BSA spokesman Smith said. “We are unaware of any such letters not being issued or when the practice began, as sending a letter would really be at the discretion of the letter’s recipient. However, I can say that Scouting has long enjoyed the support of local and national leaders.”
April 23, 2010
By: Sean Lengell
Some 3 million middle-class Americans will be required to pay a penalty for not getting health insurance under the Obama administration's new health care law, raising questions about the president's willingness to break a campaign promise by increasing taxes on some families earning less than $250,000.
A Congressional Budget Office analysis released Thursday said the average cost of the penalty will be slightly more than $1,000 apiece in 2016.
Republicans chided the Obama administration for hurting middle-class Americans.
"The president and his supporters in Congress are celebrating the benefits of health reform, but they also have an obligation to acknowledge the other side of the coin," said Sen. Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee. "There's a price for not participating, and people will pay it."
Mr. Grassley added that the penalty is nothing more than a tax and breaks the president's campaign pledge not to raise taxes for those making less than $250,000 a year.
But Rep. Pete Stark, California Democrat and chairman of the House Ways and Means health subcommittee, said Republicans are exaggerating the extent of the penalty, adding that out of a population of 277 million people less than 1.5 percent will pay this assessment in 2016.
"Americans can opt to pay the penalty rather than purchase health insurance, but it is their choice," Mr. Stark said. "There is no penalty for people whose insurance would cost more than 8 percent of their income."
Democrats argue that the mandate and the penalties are necessary parts of a massive overhaul designed to expand coverage to millions who now lack it.
"The new law will make health insurance affordable for everyone, and CBO's analysis confirms that the vast majority of uninsured Americans will find health care affordable and choose to participate," said White House spokesman Nick Papas.
About 95 percent of Americans will have coverage under this law in 2016, compared with 83 percent today, Mr. Stark said.
"If Republicans really cared about expanding health coverage, they would have worked with us on health reform or introduced a bill that would have reduced the number of uninsured," he said.
The health care reform legislation, signed into law by President Obama last month, requires that most U.S. residents obtain health insurance and imposes a financial penalty for being uninsured.
Almost 4 million total Americans will have to pay the penalty when the plan is implemented in 2016. About 3 million of those people will have incomes below $59,000 for individuals and $120,000 for families of four, the CBO says. Another 900,000 people who must pay the fine will have higher incomes.
Americans who don't get qualified health insurance will be required to pay penalties starting in 2014, unless they are exempt because of low income or religious beliefs, or because they are members of American Indian tribes. The penalties will be fully phased in by 2016.
The CBO estimates that about 21 million non-elderly residents will be uninsured in 2016 but that the majority of them will not be subject to the penalty.
The government will collect about $4 billion a year in fines from 2017 through 2019, the report says.
Attorneys general in more than a dozen states are working to challenge the mandate in federal court as unconstitutional.
 Crysol Polanco, 4, of White Plains holds a small toy that could be a choking hazard.
Popular toys found on danger list
Journal News - Dec. 3, 2009
Dangerous and toxic toys are still easy to find on store shelves
A new report is cautioning holiday shoppers to be on the alert of Toxic Toys.
Popular items such as a Thomas the Tank Engine railway, a LeapFrog musical table and a Fisher Price learning phone were among the toys to make the 24th annual New York Public Interest Research Group watch list.
Parents are always asking, ‘Is this safe for my child?' “ said Katherine Briganti, a junior at Purchase College and a NYPIRG consumer advocate. ”This list enables consumers to find safe toys for the children in their lives and learn all about recalls and hazards they should avoid while shopping this holiday season.“
In the past two decades, NYPIRG safety reports have led to corrective action on more than 130 toys, the group said. Yet three children died in 2008 after choking or asphyxiating on a toy or toy part. That number was up to at least 196 children between 1990 and 2008, according to the report.
”Even one death is definitely too many,“ said Roger N. Drew, NYPIRG project coordinator at Purchase College. ”The reason there has been an improvement is because of the 24 years of these reports. There have been so many recalls of dangerous toys that might not have happened otherwise.“
”I appreciate them doing this. The problem would be a lot worse without it,“ said Patricia Amanna, director of The Children's Center at Purchase College, SUNY, where the results were presented Wednesday. ”If you look at these toys, they look innocent. There's no way to tell if these toys are safe or not.“
NYPIRG's ”Trouble in Toyland“ report focused on three types of hazards: toys that may cause children to choke, excessively loud toys and toys containing toxic chemicals.
As a rule, NYPIRG advises shoppers to avoid toys or toy parts that can fit into a toilet paper tube, since these may cause children to choke. The group also warns against toys that seem too loud, saying 15 percent of children ages 6-17 show signs of hearing loss.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has set new regulations to limit children's exposure to toxic chemicals, and it has helped. Yet new research shows popular items may still be dangerous.
The Consumer Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Toys, available at www.HealthyStuff.org, tested more than 700 new children's products for the presence of chemicals such as lead, mercury and arsenic. NYPIRG representatives then took the findings and shopped locally for the items, including children's jewelry , race cars, footballs and stuffed animals.
A new tool helps shoppers identify harmful products. Consumers can sign up for hazard alerts and report potentially harmful products at www.toysafety.net.
This is a beautiful tribute to War Veterans.
The elderly parking lot attendant wasn't in a good mood!
Neither was Sam Bierstock. It was around 1 a.m., and Bierstock, a Delray Beach , Fla. eye doctor, business consultant, corporate speaker and musician, was bone tired after appearing at an event.
He pulled up in his car, and the parking attendant began to speak. "I took two bullets for this country and look what I'm doing," he said bitterly.
At first, Bierstock didn't know what to say to the World War II veteran. But he rolled down his window and told the man, "Really, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you."
Then the old soldier began to cry.
"That really got to me," Bierstock says.
Cut to today.
Bierstock, 58, and John Melnick, 54, of Pompano Beach - a member of Bierstock's band, Dr. Sam and the Managed Care Band - have written a song inspired by that old soldier in the airport parking lot. The mournful "Before You Go" does more than salute those who fought in WWII. It encourages people to go out of their way to thank the aging warriors before they die.
"If we had lost that particular war, our whole way of life would have been shot," says Bierstock, who plays harmonica. "The WW II soldiers are now dying at the rate of about 2,000 every day. I thought we needed to thank them."
The song is striking a chord. Within four days of Bierstock placing it on the Web, the song and accompanying photo essay have bounced around nine countries, producing tears and heartfelt thanks from veterans, their sons and daughters and grandchildren.
"It made me cry," wrote one veteran's son. Another sent an e-mail saying that only after his father consumed several glasses of wine would he discuss " the unspeakable horrors" he and other soldiers had witnessed in places such as Anzio , Iwo Jima, Bataan and Omaha Beach . "I can never thank them enough," the son wrote. "Thank you for thinking about them."
Bierstock and Melnick thought about shipping it off to a professional singer, maybe a Lee Greenwood type, but because time was running out for so many veterans, they decided it was best to release it quickly, for free, on the Web. They've sent the song to Sen. John McCain and others in Washington . Already they have been invited to perform it in Houston for a Veterans Day tribute - this after just a few days on the Web. They hope every veteran in America gets a chance to hear it.
GOD BLESS EVERY veteran...
and THANK you to those of you veterans who may receive this !
Click HERE to hear the song
Click HERE for Video Tribute to those who are serving the front lines narrated by Oliver North
 NO VACANCY: Obama Not Welcome
AP. Feb. 19, 2010 — LAS VEGAS -- Oscar Goodman, the mayor of Las Vegas, is turning down an invitation to meet with President Obama.
As KTNV reports, Goodman said he has "other things to do quite frankly for my constituents here in Las Vegas who rely on me to do the right thing as a mayor."
Mr. Obama is heading to Las Vegas Thursday for a private fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee. On Friday, he will remain in the city for an economic town hall and speech to the city's chamber of commerce.
Goodman, an independent who used to be a Democrat, has been a harsh critic of Mr. Obama in the wake of the president's two comments urging Americans not to waste money in Las Vegas.
President Barack Obama is known for having a way with words, but some lawmakers from Nevada wish he would pipe down about trips to Sin City.
After sparking a firestorm of criticism from Nevada's elected officials for suggesting that people saving money for college shouldn't blow it in Las Vegas, Obama told U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in a letter that he wasn't saying anything negative about Las Vegas.
It was the second time since taking office that Obama singled out Las Vegas as a potential example of spending excessively.
"I was making the simple point that families use vacation dollars, not college tuition money, to have fun," Obama said, according to the letter released by Reid's office. "There is no place better to have fun than Vegas, one of our country's great destinations."
Obama said he always enjoys his visits to Las Vegas.
A White House spokesman referred to Obama's letter to Reid and said the administration had no further comment.
Perception and reputation are sensitive issues for Sin City as it struggles to find footing amid a two-year meltdown of foreclosures, bankruptcies and unemployment. Tourism is the Silver State's backbone, and several lawmakers said they were shocked that Obama singled out Las Vegas again after commenting last February that bailed-out banks shouldn't go to Las Vegas using taxpayer money.
"When times are tough, you tighten your belts," Obama said, according to a White House transcript of his appearance Tuesday at a high school in North Nashua, N.H.
"You don't go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage," Obama said. "You don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you're trying to save for college. You prioritize. You make tough choices."
The comments quickly sparked a flurry of reaction in the Silver State, which supported Obama in the 2008 election. Nevada had an unemployment rate of 13 percent in December.
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said during a hastily called news conference that Obama is no friend to Las Vegas and would not be welcomed here if he visits.
"I'll do everything I can to give him the boot," Goodman said. "This president is a real slow learner."
Goodman and others are worried that Obama's words will discourage visitors from coming to Las Vegas and depress the industry further.
"Enough is enough!" Democratic Congresswoman Shelley Berkley said in a statement. "President Obama needs to stop picking on Las Vegas and he needs to let Americans decide for themselves how and where to spend their hard-earned vacation dollars."
Nevada's tourism has been hit hard during the past two years as consumers everywhere tighten leisure spending and companies spend less on meetings and conventions.
Reid, one of Obama's closest allies, issued a statement headlined "Reid to Obama: 'Lay off Las Vegas"' and was unusually blunt in his reaction.
"The President needs to lay off Las Vegas and stop making it the poster child for where people shouldn't be spending their money," Reid said. "I would much rather tourists and business travelers spend their money in Las Vegas than spend it overseas."
Sen. John Ensign, a Republican, complained that Obama "failed to grasp the weight that his words carry."
"Once again he has threatened the struggling economy of Las Vegas," Ensign said, recalling what he characterized as Obama's "irresponsible" comment in February 2009.
Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons and Rep. Dean Heller, both Republicans, and Democratic Rep. Dina Titus also disparaged the president's remarks, while Republican candidates hoping to unseat Reid this year called for an apology.
One year ago, Obama commented during a town hall meeting in Elkhart, Ind., that corporations shouldn't use federal bailout money for trips to Las Vegas, the Super Bowl or corporate jets. Tourism and casino officials said the comment hurt the city as companies canceled meetings in Las Vegas and rescheduled them elsewhere.
Obama later said during a May 2009 trip to Nellis Air Force Base outside of Las Vegas that it was nice to get out of Washington and "there's nothing like a quick trip to Vegas in the middle of the week."
Goodman said he thought Obama had a "psychological hang-up" of using Las Vegas as an example of excessive spending, and that this time, an apology wouldn't be enough.
"He has to step up right away and say, you know, he wasn't thinking," Goodman said. "Sometimes when he's not using his monitors and reading what he says, he doesn't think. And this is one of those times he didn't think, and he should straighten out the record because he's been here, he knows Las Vegas is a great place."
 Obama Immigration Suit Shocks Brewer
AP - July 28, 2010
Arizona Governor vows Immigration Fight is "Far From Over". Gov. Brewer urges a federal judge to reject the Obama administration's suit against its new law, says the federal government is to blame for 'crushing burden'
Gov. Brewer says she will take the case 'all the way to the Supreme Court' after federal judge grants partial injunction on state's immigration law.
Gov. Jan Brewer said President Obama is trying to prevent Arizona from protecting its citizens with the Justice Department suit, one of seven seeking to have the new law blocked before it goes into effect July 29.
A federal judge on Wednesday blocked some of the toughest provisions in the Arizona illegal immigration law, putting on hold the state's attempt to have local police enforce federal immigration policy.
Though the rest of the law is still set to go into effect Thursday, the partial injunction on SB 1070 means Arizona, for the time being, will not be able to require police officers to determine the immigration status of anyone they stop or arrest.
U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton also struck down the section of law that makes it a crime not to carry immigration registration papers and the provision that makes it a crime for an illegal immigrant to seek or perform work.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, reacting to the ruling, said the "fight is far from over" and vowed to take the case "all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary."
"The bottom line is we've known all along that it is the responsibility of the feds," Brewer told The Associated Press. "They haven't done their job so we were going to help them do that."
The Mexican government praised the judge's decision. Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa told reporters that the injunction was a "first step in the right direction."
In all, Bolton struck down four sections of the law, the ones that opponents called the most controversial. Bolton said she was putting those sections on hold until the courts resolve the issues.
The ruling said the Obama administration, which sought the injunction, is likely to "succeed on the merits" in showing the above provisions are preempted by federal law.
"The court by no means disregards Arizona's interests in controlling illegal immigration and addressing the concurrent problems with crime including the trafficking of humans, drugs, guns, and money," the ruling said. "Even though Arizona's interests may be consistent with those of the federal government, it is not in the public interest for Arizona to enforce preempted laws."
A number of provisions will still go into effect as the case is litigated. Arizona will be able to block state officials from so-called "sanctuary city" policies l
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