Brazilian Blackout effects Millions

A massive power failure in Brazil affected Ten of millions of people in Brazil and Paraguay on Tuesday.  The problems were due to issues with transmission lines that linked to the Itaipu dam.

The blackout effected the cities of Rio de Janerio and Sao Paulo the largest cities in South America. Hitting the southeastern Brazil highly urbanized area. Six states were impacted including Bel Horizonte and Sao Paulo states.

In Addition, the entire nation of Paraguay  was hit with the blackout.

Transportation was in chaotic. Trains stopped. People was abandon rail cars  to return to the surface in both Sao Paulo and Rio.

A spokesman with the operator of Itaipu Dam first blamed the dam. Later the spokesman blamed transmission lines.

“The most likely hypothesis is that there was some sort of accident that affected one or more points in the transmission system,” the operator said in a statement. “This accident probably provoked others, a phenomenon that is known as the domino effect.”

Edison Lobao, Brazilian Energy Minster told reporters in Brasilla the Brazilian Capital the cause unknown at this time. Lobao said,”atmospheric problems, an intense storm, may have contributed to or caused the transmission lines to Itaipu to shut down.”

Brazil CBN Radio says Rio de Janeiro state Governor Sergio Cabral has order additional police for safety purposes.

Reuters

FCC is Crafting The New Rules on Net Neutrality

Today, the FCC began make the new rules of “Net Neutrality”. Net Neutrality is the governmental rules that opens the internet to all groups with the same access as major providers instead of prohibiting or favoring certain kinds of internet traffic.  These rules will keep phone and broadband firms from abusing their power  against small and medium players.

By a vote of 3 to 2 the FCC board approve the changes. Republicans opposing the move,

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said the new rules are needed that broadband subscriber have access to all legal web sites and services.

“Internet users should always have the final say about their online service, whether it’s the software, applications or services they choose, or the networks and hardware they use to the connect to the Internet,” Genachowski said.

Republican commissioner Robert McDowell doesn’t believed that the broadband company have been engaging in anti-competitive behavior .

“I do not share the majority’s view that the Internet is showing breaks and cracks, nor do I believe that the government is the best tool to fix it,” he said.

The rules should be finished by this winter and vote to adopt the rules by next summer.

Reuters has more.

Senate Bill Would Give the White House Control of the Internet

CNET Reports a new senate bill that would grant the President of the United State power to control and disconnect private computers in a time of  an emergency. This has set alarm bells to go off by internet and civil liberties groups.

There is also a revised version of the bill S.773 by Senator Jay Rockerfeller(D-West Virginia) which allow the white house to seize control over private sector  computer networks during a cybersecurity emergency.

Senate bill 773 would allow the president to “declare a cybersecurity emergency” relating to “non-governmental” computer networks and to what ever it take to protect the nation.  The bill has provision to create a federal certification in Cybersecurity professionals.

First Amendment advocates were  alarmed of the provisions think the redraft, while improved, remains troubling due to its vagueness,” said Larry Clinton, president of the Internet Security Alliance,  their members includes Verisign, Verizon, Nortel and Carnegie-Mellon University.

“It is unclear what authority Sen. Rockefeller thinks is necessary over the private sector. Unless this is clarified, we cannot properly analyze, let alone support the bill.”

A spokesperson for Senator  Rockerfeller declined to comment. A source that is aware of the bill compare what President Bush did immediately after 9/11 terrorist attacks by stopping air traffic. The senate source  says the government is concerned about an attack to the electrical grid via a broadband connection.

This comes on a the heels of a statement by President Obama in May where he announces that the government in not prepared  to handle these attacks. The White House  still has not hire a cybersecurity officer and a cyber security aid stepped down in less than three month on the post.

Meanwhile The Free speech advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation says the project has raised eyebrows in the legislation. Lee Tien, a senior staff attorney with the in San Francisco. “As soon as you’re saying that the federal government is going to be exercising this kind of power over private networks, it’s going to be a really big issue,” he says.

The most controverisal part of proposition is section 201 which permits the president to “direct the national response to the cyber threat” if necessary for “the national defense and security.” Also the administration to map out private network to be critical country and  the these entities “shall share” with the federal government.

The language has changed but it doesn’t contain any real additional limits,” EFF’s Tien says. “It simply switches the more direct and obvious language they had originally to the more ambiguous (version)…The designation of what is a critical infrastructure system or network as far as I can tell has no specific process. There’s no provision for any administrative process or review. That’s where the problems seem to start. And then you have the amorphous powers that go along with it.”

More on CNET News

Democrats Divided on Obama Care: Pelosi Says She has Votes; Blue Dog Democrat Says No She Don’t

If you are a democrat, today message from the Speaker of House of Representative Nancy Pelosi is good news However, if the word from so-called “Blue Dog” Democrat like Rep. Mike Ross(D-AR) the speaker needs check her numbers.

Pelosi believes that she has to votes to pass the health care reform bill.

“I have no question that we have the votes on the floor of the House to pass this legislation,” Pelosi told reporters.

But Congressman Ross doesn’t think so “No, I don’t think they have the votes,” Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., said,

Ross the bill as it stand is still too expensive and does not curb medical costs. “We’re speaking for a silent majority within the Democratic caucus,” he said. “The American people want us to slow down and they want us to get it right.”

ABC News Political Punch blog by Jake Tapper

World Leaders Back Obama’s Plan to Reduce Polutions

On Wednesday, World Leader including British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel came to an agreement to reduce the world carbon output by 80%  by December 2050 . The accord happened during the G-8 Summit in L’aquilla, Italy.

The agreement will prevent the rise of the world’s temperature rising 3.6 degrees.

The move was to put pressure on the developing countries including China, Mexico and India. The Chinese leader  Hu Jintao was opposing the cut in greenhouses gases.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told reporters,“Today in Italy we have laid the foundations for a Copenhagen deal that is ambitious, fair and effective. The change from where we were two, three, four years ago is significant. The world has now agreed that the scientific evidence on climate change is compelling,” he said.

The Times of London has more.

Tragedy in D.C: Nine people died in Metro Subway Disaster

Nine people died and more than 80 people are injured when two subway trains collided in on Washington’s Northeast side Monday.  The incident  took place on Metro’s  Red Line  on the Fort Totten stop. One train had stopped at a signal, while a second train didn’t stop smash in the stopped train killed the train operator in the second train and eight others. The Red Line was heading from Maryland to Union Station during evening rush hour.

The accident left subway piled up on each other. Rescue workers used heavy equipment to get people out from wreckage.

Today National Transportation Safety Board, are investigating the cause of the accident.  Speculation centers around the computer system. The thinking is that the train  safety program did not  stop the second train which collided into the first train killing 9 and injuring eighty, even though the driver applied the emergency brake.

The Train operator has been identified as Jeanice Mc Millian 42  of Springfield,VA has been Metro since 2007.

Debbie Hersman, investiator with the NTSB says she not sure if the emergency brake was activated, however the button was pushed.

NTSB officials reconmended that Metro replace the aging series1000 trains which would not able withstood a crash.  The warning was not heeded, which  the NTSB was “Uncceptable”.

Today, Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation the transit agency for the DC said all trains are running but they are operated  manually. In addition service on the Metro’s Red Line have been curtailed. Three Red Line stops were closed until further notice: Brookland-CUA, Fort Totten and Tacoma Metro stations. However, Yellow and Green Line  Fort Totten service remains and Metro is providing shuttle service in place of  line trains running on the Red Line.

Meanwhile Maryland Area Rail Commuter Service  announced better known as MARC  stopped its Brunswick Line  service which tracks are near the Metro Train Red Line.

Washington Times

Yahoo News

WMATA(Metro)

North Korea’s is at it again…Testing Nuclear Bombs and Missiles

Boy What a week and its Wednesday; and Kim Jung Il has been a busy little bee. On Monday, North Korea tested an underground nuclear weapon in defiance against the world along with firing two missiles.  The world quickly and roundly denounced the actions. President Obama,  has said to The US and the west must stand up against North Korea actions. Obama called the test dangerous and a threat to it’s neighbors.

The Obama Administration wants to get involve to stopping North Korea in nuclear weapons making through  Six Party talk which involves China, Russia, Japan, The United States, South Korea to engage The North on its nuclear Ambition. North Korea say they not interested in re-starting the talks.

On Tuesday, North Korea restarted it nuclear reactor  that is used  for Nuclear weapons and set off another series of missiles. If that not enough South Korea is joining the US and Japan to inspects North  ships in international waters against the North. North Korea has threat retaliation against South Korea.

Political observers see this as a test of  Obama’s skills in international affairs, The administration will press China to pressure North Korea to get out of  building nuclear weapons.

Secretary Hillary Clinton, contacted her counterparts in Japan and South Korea on Monday and working on strong diplomatic reaction to the North Korea Nuclear test.

Breitbart.com

Obama to Increse CAFE Standards in American Cars

Starting in 2012 and by 2016 All cars in the United States will averaging 35.5  miles per gallon. Passenger cars will be set at 39 miles per gallon,  smaller (light) trucks mpg will be set at 30 miles per gallon.

But this comes at a huge price figuratively and literally. The average price of car will jump $1,300  says the Obama Administration.  But non-government analysts  say the the cost of a new car will climb dramatically.  Meanwhile the size of cars and trucks must shrink per government mandate. Large vans, large trucks,  S.U.V. will be phased out.

Opponents don’t like what the feds are doing.

“The government is now designing our cars. It’s out of the hands of vehicle manufacturers,” said auto industry consultant Larry Rinek.

What’s worse car safety levels will decrease.  A National Highway Safety Board Administration recently found some small cars tested were heavily damaged or destroyed  in a head on collision with other small, mid size and large cars. Including the brand new Smart four two in a video of the test which aired on Fox Business show the Smart bounced like a beach ball practically destroying the car.

Why in the World would we the American people want to give up safety and shell out money for a government design and and controlled  car company. What a mess. By the way,Washington don’t try to convince me to buy  from Government Motors is patriotic I won’t buy it. I ll stick with Ford thank you.

By the way I don’t think the White House or Congress will give up their cars for smaller versions; Do You? I don’t think so.

AP via My Way News

Reuters via Yahoo News

FAA is licensing Aircaft Mechanics That Can’t read English

From WFFA’s “News 8″ in an investigation piece that blows your mind and making sure your life and health insurance premiums are paid up. The Federal Aviation Administration  is licensing airline mechanics who don’t (or can’t) read English. Companies are hiring the mechanics knowing full well of this and hiring them well below the salary of the aircraft mechanics. And possibly endangering the flying public. Sound familiar (can you say illegals!)

In addition,  The FAA repair facility in San Antonio would issue the FAA mechanics exams in Spanish. While the English mechanics must not only read English but to write in English in the Repair log books. The FAA has overlooks ( basically turn a blind eye to passenger safety.) whats going on.

This cracks me up! I used to read job classifieds that required a command of the English language. College Professors said that much to me. And yet from warehousing jobs to high tech employment,  transportation careers to science job positions are throwing away common sense for cheap and easy profits to our potential peril. This is utter madness.

Hey folks raise your hand if you love this. Huh? Huh?  I didn’t think so.

H/T: Drudge Report

Vice President Al Gore show how easy to be green: He earns over $100 Million.

For Former Vice President Al Gore its easy being Green. Gore goes from $2 million in 2000 to $100 million thanks to His books, his Academy Award winning film adaptation of his best seller “An Incontinent Truth” audio books, speaking engagements. Nothing wrong with making money but Gore told Representative Marsha Blackburn(R-TN)  during a House of Representatives hearing that the money he earns from environmental issues goes into a trust. That’s not true:

From Green Hell Blog: Gore said this,”But every penny that I have made, I have put right into a non-profit, the Alliance for Climate Protection, to spread awareness about why we have to take on this challenge. And Congresswoman, if you’re, if you believe the reason I have been working on this issue for 30 years is because of greed, you don’t know me.”

Well that’s obvious Mr. Vice President

According to this March 2008 Bloomberg.com report says otherwise: Gore used $35 million to invest in hedge funds

Gore invested the money with Capricorn Investment Group LLC, a Palo Alto, California, firm that selects the private funds for clients and invests in makers of environmentally friendly products, according to a Feb. 1 securities filing. Capricorn was founded by billionaire Jeffrey Skoll, former president of EBay Inc. and an executive producer of Gore’s Oscar-winning documentary film on global warming.

So much for that  all 100% non profit trust fund.

Thanks to Gateway Pundit and Free Republic