Friday, May 24, 2013
China Rising - Made in China
China's economic role in the world is growing at a record pace, and it is also now a key player in world politics .The country has no doubt become a global manufacturing giant, but how will it deal with issues on the home front such as increase in pollution and water shortages? Although it has been confronted with tough environmental problems, efforts are being made to solve these. In the final episode of this series, through a range of interviews from Africa, the EU, the US, and China, we find out how it is positioning itself as a major global player.
Skagit River Bridge ~ SURVEILLANCE Video: Washington Bridge Collapses Caused by Truck Crash - May 23, 2013
SURVEILLANCE Video: Washington Bridge Collapses Caused by Truck Crash - May 23, 2013
MOUNT VERNON, Washington (Reuters) - A bridge that collapsed in Washington state and sent two cars plunging into the Skagit River, raising concerns about the safety of the nation's aging infrastructure, was knocked down by a truck that crashed into at least one girder, officials said on Friday.
The truck, after the accident, rumbled across the bridge safely before a portion of the structure gave way, sending a car and pick-up into the frigid river on Thursday evening, along with a mass of concrete and steel. Three people were rescued.
RELATED
Rescue operations after I-5 bridge collapses over river
Raw Video: Washington state bridge collapse
Span of highway bridge sits in the Skagit River
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While no one was killed, the collapse of the steel truss bridge built in 1955 prompted renewed calls from lawmakers in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere for greater investment in the nation's aging infrastructure.
But Washington state officials said preliminary indications were that the bridge, which was inspected twice last year, was not structurally deficient and fell because of the impact from the truck striking its support beams.
"We had a collision between a very heavy vehicle traveling at probably not a small amount of speed crashing into not just one but probably multiple girders, and it failed," Governor Jay Inslee told an afternoon press conference in Mount Vernon.
Officials say the bridge, 55 miles north of Seattle, was not among the spans listed by the state as "structurally deficient," which in some cases relates to bridges that cannot carry their intended traffic loads.
But the privately run National Bridge Inventory Database listed the bridge as "functionally obsolete," widely defined by public officials as not built to current standards and demands.
"Based on our inspecting, the bridge is not structurally defective," said Lynn Peterson, state secretary of transportation. "We do take hits on almost every one of our bridges. This is just bad luck where and how it was hit."
KEY ARTERY
She said there were a number of bridges along Interstate 5 in Washington state rated lower than the bridge that collapsed.
A new bridge that suffered a similar blow would have likely reacted the same way, Washington State Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jan Katzenberger said.
U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigators were on the scene of the collapse, which occurred on the four-lane Interstate 5, the principal highway between Seattle and Vancouver, Canada.
The NTSB said its members would inspect the 1,111-foot (339-meter) Warren Truss bridge, which links Mount Vernon and Burlington, including its substructure, deck and superstructure. Underwater inspections would also be conducted, the agency said.
David Goldberg, a spokesman for the nonprofit policy group Transportation for America, said that the bridge's status as "functionally obsolete" did not necessarily mean that it needed to be replaced but that it might not accommodate modern needs.
"A lot of these older bridges are carrying much more traffic, and heavier traffic, than was envisioned when they were built," Goldberg said.
"There is no redundancy built in for the key structural elements. So if something happens - being struck by a vehicle or watercraft, a slight tremor, or vibrations from the traffic - it could set off a chain reaction that brings it down," he said.
The truck driver, identified as 41-year-old William Scott, made it across the bridge and pulled his vehicle to the side of the road after the accident. He has not been arrested and was cooperating with authorities.
Truckers must obtain a permit from the state Department of Transportation to carry an oversize load. The driver also receives a proposed route from the state, Washington State Patrol spokesman Sergeant Kirk Rudeen said.
The Fall of the British Empire ~ What Lessons for America
The fall of the British empire shows just how fast the tables can turn.
The US needs to return to peace and compassion. It has become the monster that is claims to fight against so is divided and crumbling. The only way for it to stand again is to return to the values of the past... pre 1920's , It has destroyed the very democracy it claims to uphold in the world. Via hidden enemies of democracy within the Administration and Corporate world.
The US needs to return to peace and compassion. It has become the monster that is claims to fight against so is divided and crumbling. The only way for it to stand again is to return to the values of the past... pre 1920's , It has destroyed the very democracy it claims to uphold in the world. Via hidden enemies of democracy within the Administration and Corporate world.
London Murder of Soldier is a Consequence and Feedback Loop of Middle East Mass Murders by UK & US Governments
The London Woolwich murder was a direct consequence and feedback loop resulting from continual murder and abuse of people in the Middle East by Western governments. This was confirmed by the announcement of the attacker on a video just after he had killed the young soldier.
These consequences and feedback loops from government actions without vision and wisdom, fueled by an insatiable lust for power and control regardless of cost, suffering and loss of life, are beginning to feed back like an accelerated tsunami at the Western government perpetrators and their populations, with hatred and resentment naturally gathering momentum in response to the crimes against humanity by the West in their continual destruction, warmongering and virtual genocide across the Middle East, and a continuance now moving further into Africa, like an aggressive cancer, in the form of Africom (another word for NATO) creating further hatred, suicide bombings and retaliations, as the US and Western war machine rampages its way wherever it can, fueled by an urgency to usurp China in the region, and greed, money, land grabs, gold, uranium, minerals and strategic positioning.
Imagine a scenario whereby Middle Eastern countries were taking over and bombing the United States and UK, killing up to 1 million innocent women, ‘suspects’ and children, and almost daily terrorizing people with Drones and soldiers on the ground. Imagine an occupation of the USA and UK, causing chaos and bloodshed on a daily basis. Imagine how US and UK citizens would feel if Syrian, Iraqi, Afghan soldiers were kicking their doors down on a daily basis and destroying their culture, heritage, peace, family life and stealing their land and oil, with Predator Drones overhead watching them daily, dropping bombs on their families and friends who were simply suspects. How would we feel our innocent family, brothers, fathers and friends in Guantanamo, were being tortured and abused daily, how would we feel?
Imagine US and UK citizens having birth defects from hundreds of tons of depleted uranium nuclear weapons used on them causing cancers and birth defects for generations, and contamination from the uranium nuclear dust in the country for 4.5 billion years. Imagine how angry US citizens would be if these other countries were murdering and hanging our elected governments, and do we think that there would be retaliation by US citizens towards the Muslim world? And towards people of the Middle East? Like they are to us?
So let us not be surprised that people are attacking British soldiers in revenge (horrific though it is) because it is very likely that US or UK citizens would do the same or even much worse to Muslim soldiers if they were killing US and UK citizens, our families, our children, our history, happiness, our infrastructure, and our very future. Let us put our arrogant, superior, Western selves in someone else’s shoes and ponder these things before we wave our flags and vote for our governments who are murdering and torturing innocent people. – Jason Liosatos. www.jasonliosatos.com
These consequences and feedback loops from government actions without vision and wisdom, fueled by an insatiable lust for power and control regardless of cost, suffering and loss of life, are beginning to feed back like an accelerated tsunami at the Western government perpetrators and their populations, with hatred and resentment naturally gathering momentum in response to the crimes against humanity by the West in their continual destruction, warmongering and virtual genocide across the Middle East, and a continuance now moving further into Africa, like an aggressive cancer, in the form of Africom (another word for NATO) creating further hatred, suicide bombings and retaliations, as the US and Western war machine rampages its way wherever it can, fueled by an urgency to usurp China in the region, and greed, money, land grabs, gold, uranium, minerals and strategic positioning.
Imagine a scenario whereby Middle Eastern countries were taking over and bombing the United States and UK, killing up to 1 million innocent women, ‘suspects’ and children, and almost daily terrorizing people with Drones and soldiers on the ground. Imagine an occupation of the USA and UK, causing chaos and bloodshed on a daily basis. Imagine how US and UK citizens would feel if Syrian, Iraqi, Afghan soldiers were kicking their doors down on a daily basis and destroying their culture, heritage, peace, family life and stealing their land and oil, with Predator Drones overhead watching them daily, dropping bombs on their families and friends who were simply suspects. How would we feel our innocent family, brothers, fathers and friends in Guantanamo, were being tortured and abused daily, how would we feel?
Imagine US and UK citizens having birth defects from hundreds of tons of depleted uranium nuclear weapons used on them causing cancers and birth defects for generations, and contamination from the uranium nuclear dust in the country for 4.5 billion years. Imagine how angry US citizens would be if these other countries were murdering and hanging our elected governments, and do we think that there would be retaliation by US citizens towards the Muslim world? And towards people of the Middle East? Like they are to us?
So let us not be surprised that people are attacking British soldiers in revenge (horrific though it is) because it is very likely that US or UK citizens would do the same or even much worse to Muslim soldiers if they were killing US and UK citizens, our families, our children, our history, happiness, our infrastructure, and our very future. Let us put our arrogant, superior, Western selves in someone else’s shoes and ponder these things before we wave our flags and vote for our governments who are murdering and torturing innocent people. – Jason Liosatos. www.jasonliosatos.com
POLICE STATE - Cops Fine Man $500 For Laughing
Man fined $500 for LAUGHING in his home | Laugh Cost 500 Dollars Man fined $500 for LAUGHING in his home | Laugh Cost 500 Dollars Man fined $500 for LAUGHING in his home | Laugh Cost 500 Dollars
To get thrown in jail because you laughed too loud in your own home sounds, well, laughable. But that's reportedly what happened to Robert Schiavelli, who was issued two tickets for laughing too loud out his window and disturbing his neighbor. Cops responded to the scene and determined that, indeed, Robert's chortling was disturbing -- hence the summons, which could get him a $500 fine and up to 30 days in jail. Robert doesn't think it's a laughing matter. But when you hear the details -- it's not so funny.
Robert and his neighbor, Daniel O'Hanian, have apparently had a long-standing feud, which Robert claims stems from his neighbor doing some unneighborly-like things, such as calling Robert, who suffers from seizures and neurological impairments, a "retard" and making fun of him.
So according to Robert, his defense is to laugh off his neighbor's taunts. And apparently he does this so loudly that his neighbor complained.
Police gave out tickets for "disturbing the peace" on two occasions because Robert's guffawing could be heard across the driveway and in his neighbor's home. When asked about the complaint, O'Hanian's wife says, "The police investigated and found there was cause. I think the police can answer all your questions. I think the police did what they thought was best."
I tend to agree with the neighbor. I don't know what the source of their feud is, and if O'Hanian, who wouldn't respond, really is being a terrible neighbor and making fun of Robert, but I do know cops don't normally issue a noise summons -- let alone two of them -- without hearing a lot of noise. There's "laughing off your neighbor" and then there's "laughing to annoy your neighbor," and I suspect that's what Robert was doing.
Just because you are in your own home doesn't mean you can do whatever you want and disturb the peace in whatever way you want. We all have to live on the same planet, you know.
I'd also suggest these guys have a good laugh together and settle their differences -- I've read about too many neighborly arguments that end up in tragedy, not comedy.
To get thrown in jail because you laughed too loud in your own home sounds, well, laughable. But that's reportedly what happened to Robert Schiavelli, who was issued two tickets for laughing too loud out his window and disturbing his neighbor. Cops responded to the scene and determined that, indeed, Robert's chortling was disturbing -- hence the summons, which could get him a $500 fine and up to 30 days in jail. Robert doesn't think it's a laughing matter. But when you hear the details -- it's not so funny.
Robert and his neighbor, Daniel O'Hanian, have apparently had a long-standing feud, which Robert claims stems from his neighbor doing some unneighborly-like things, such as calling Robert, who suffers from seizures and neurological impairments, a "retard" and making fun of him.
So according to Robert, his defense is to laugh off his neighbor's taunts. And apparently he does this so loudly that his neighbor complained.
Police gave out tickets for "disturbing the peace" on two occasions because Robert's guffawing could be heard across the driveway and in his neighbor's home. When asked about the complaint, O'Hanian's wife says, "The police investigated and found there was cause. I think the police can answer all your questions. I think the police did what they thought was best."
I tend to agree with the neighbor. I don't know what the source of their feud is, and if O'Hanian, who wouldn't respond, really is being a terrible neighbor and making fun of Robert, but I do know cops don't normally issue a noise summons -- let alone two of them -- without hearing a lot of noise. There's "laughing off your neighbor" and then there's "laughing to annoy your neighbor," and I suspect that's what Robert was doing.
Just because you are in your own home doesn't mean you can do whatever you want and disturb the peace in whatever way you want. We all have to live on the same planet, you know.
I'd also suggest these guys have a good laugh together and settle their differences -- I've read about too many neighborly arguments that end up in tragedy, not comedy.
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