Still waiting on Councilman Atkins to respond regarding Gail Terrell!

On Monday I was scheduled to meet with District 8 council man Tennell Atkins.Unfortunately I was unable to attend so I went early and left question's with his assistant :

• Since the disbanding of the Mayor's Southern Dallas Task Force,
  moving forward, what is the future for Southern Dallas economically,
  fighting crime and new development?
  
•  After the corruption trials, what is your stance of your appointment
  of Gail Terrell to the Dallas Park and Recreation Board?
  
•  What's the single most important thing District 8 can do to help
  eradicate crime from Councilman Atkins' perspective?

can't wait to get responses!

meanwhile here is a little more action!

Missing” heat may affect future climate change

2010-10 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 15, 2010

“Missing” heat may affect future climate change

Contacts:

David Hosansky, NCAR/UCAR Media Relations
303-497-8611
hosansky@ucar.edu

Rachael Drummond, NCAR/UCAR Media Relations
303-497-8604
rachaeld@ucar.edu

BOULDER--Current observational tools cannot account for roughly half of
the heat that is believed to have built up on Earth in recent years,
according to a “Perspectives” article in this week’s issue of Science.
Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) warn
in the new study that satellite sensors, ocean floats, and other
instruments are inadequate to track this “missing” heat, which may be
building up in the deep oceans or elsewhere in the climate system.

“The heat will come back to haunt us sooner or later,” says NCAR
scientist Kevin Trenberth, the lead author. “The reprieve we’ve had from
warming temperatures in the last few years will not continue. It is
critical to track the build-up of energy in our climate system so we can
understand what is happening and predict our future climate.”

The authors suggest that last year’s rapid onset of El Niño, the
periodic event in which upper ocean waters across much of the tropical
Pacific Ocean become significantly warmer, may be one way in which the
solar energy has reappeared.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, NCAR’s
sponsor, and by NASA. A Science Perspectives piece is not formally
peer-reviewed, but it is extensively reviewed by editors of the journal.
Science had invited Trenberth to submit the article after an editor
heard him discuss the research at a scientific conference.

Trenberth and his co-author, NCAR scientist John Fasullo, focused on a
central mystery of climate change. Whereas satellite instruments
indicate that greenhouse gases are continuing to trap more solar energy,
or heat, scientists since 2003 have been unable to determine where much
of that heat is going.

Either the satellite observations are incorrect, says Trenberth, or,
more likely, large amounts of heat are penetrating to regions that are
not adequately measured, such as the deepest parts of the oceans.
Compounding the problem, Earth’s surface temperatures have largely
leveled off in recent years. Yet melting glaciers and Arctic sea ice,
along with rising sea levels, indicate that heat is continuing to have
profound effects on the planet.

Trenberth alluded to this mystery in a widely misconstrued e-mail in
which he wrote, “The fact is that we can’t account for the lack of
warming at the moment and it is a travesty that we can’t.” That message
was one of thousands of e-mails and other documents obtained without
authorization last year from the University of East Anglia’s Climatic
Research Unit and disseminated on the Web.

In their Perspectives article, Trenberth and Fasullo explain that it is
imperative to better measure the flow of energy through Earth’s climate
system. For example, any geoengineering plan to artificially alter the
world’s climate to counter global warming could have inadvertent
consequences, which may be difficult to analyze unless scientists can
track heat around the globe. Improved analysis of energy in the
atmosphere and oceans can also help researchers better understand and
possibly even anticipate unusual weather patterns, such as the cold
outbreaks across much of the United States, Europe, and Asia over the
past winter.

-----There’s more to climate change than warmer air-----

As greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere, satellite instruments
show a growing imbalance between energy entering the atmosphere from the
Sun and energy leaving from Earth’s surface. This imbalance is the
source of long-term global warming.

But tracking the growing amount of heat on Earth is far more complicated
than measuring temperatures at the planet’s surface. The oceans absorb
about 90 percent of the solar energy that is trapped by greenhouse
gases. Additional amounts of heat go toward melting glaciers and sea
ice, as well as warming the land and parts of the atmosphere. Only a
tiny fraction warms the air at the planet’s surface.

Satellite measurements indicate that the amount of greenhouse-trapped
solar energy has risen over recent years while the increase in heat
measured in the top 3,000 feet of the ocean has stalled. Although it is
difficult to quantify the amount of solar energy with precision,
Trenberth and Fasullo estimate that, based on satellite data, the amount
of energy build-up appears to be about 1.0 watts per square meter or
higher, while ocean instruments indicate a build-up of about 0.5 watts
per square meter. That means about half the total amount of heat is
unaccounted for.

A percentage of the missing heat could be illusory, the result of
imprecise measurements by satellites and surface sensors or incorrect
processing of data from those sensors, the authors say. Until 2003, the
measured heat increase was consistent with computer model expectations.
But a new set of ocean monitors since then has shown a steady decrease
in the rate of oceanic heating, even as the satellite-measured imbalance
between incoming and outgoing energy continues to grow.

Some of the missing heat appears to be going into the observed melting
of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, as well as Arctic sea ice,
the authors say.

Much of the missing heat may be in the ocean. Some heat increase can be
detected between depths of 3,000 and 6,500 feet (about 1,000 to 2,000
meters), but more heat may be deeper still beyond the reach of ocean
sensors.

Trenberth and Fasullo call for additional ocean sensors, along with more
systematic data analysis and new approaches to calibrating satellite
instruments, to help resolve the mystery. The Argo profiling floats that
researchers began deploying in 2000 to measure ocean temperatures, for
example, are separated by about 185 miles (300 kilometers) and take
readings only about once every 10 days from a depth of about 6,500 feet
(2,000 meters) up to the surface. Plans are underway to have a subset of
these floats go to greater depths.

“Global warming at its heart is driven by an imbalance of energy: more
solar energy is entering the atmosphere than leaving it,” Fasullo says.
“Our concern is that we aren’t able to entirely monitor or understand
the imbalance. This reveals a glaring hole in our ability to observe the
build-up of heat in our climate system.”

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research manages the National
Center for Atmospheric Research under sponsorship by the National
Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or
recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

-The End-

Title
“Tracking Earth’s Energy”

Authors
Kevin Trenberth and John Fasullo

Publication
Science, April 16, 2010

On the Web:
Resources for journalists - find experts, visuals, and more:
www.ucar.edu/news

DOMESTIC TERRORISM: The Sovereign Citizen Movement

DOMESTIC TERRORISM The Sovereign Citizen Movement
04/13/10
Some examples of illegal license plates used by so-called sovereign citizens. Domestic terrorism—Americans attacking Americans because of U.S.-based extremist ideologies—comes in many forms in our post 9/11 world. To help educate the public, we’ve previously outlined two separate domestic terror threats—eco-terrorists/animal rights extremists andlone offenders. Today, we look at a third threat—the “sovereign citizen” extremist movement.Sovereign citizens are anti-government extremists who believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or “sovereign” from the United States. As a result, they believe they don’t have to answer to any government authority, including courts, taxing entities, motor vehicle departments, or law enforcement. This causes all kinds of problems—and crimes. For example, many sovereign citizens don’t pay their taxes. They hold illegal courts that issue warrants for judges and police officers. They clog up the court system with frivolous lawsuits and liens against public officials to harass them. And they use fake money orders, personal checks, and the like at government agencies, banks, and businesses. That’s just the beginning. Not every action taken in the name of the sovereign citizen ideology is a crime, but the list of illegal actions committed by these groups, cells, and individuals is extensive (and puts them squarely on our radar). In addition to the above, sovereign citizens: Commit murder and physical assault; Threaten judges, law enforcement professionals, and government personnel; Impersonate police officers and diplomats; Use fake currency, passports, license plates, and driver’s licenses; and Engineer various white-collar scams, including mortgage fraud and so-called“redemption” schemes. Sovereign citizens are often confused with extremists from the militia movement. But while sovereign citizens sometimes use or buy illegal weapons, guns are secondary to their anti-government, anti-tax beliefs. On the other hand, guns and paramilitary training are paramount to militia groups. During the past year, we’ve had a number of investigative successes involving sovereign citizens. A few recent cases: In Sacramento, two sovereign citizens were convicted of running a fraudulent insurance scheme. Operating outside state insurance regulatory guidelines, the men set up their own company and sold “lifetime memberships” to customers, promising to pay any accident claims against their “members.” The company collected millions of dollars, but paid out very few claims. More In Kansas City, three sovereign citizens were convicted of taking part in a conspiracy using phony diplomatic credentials. They charged customers between $450 and $2,000 for a diplomatic identification card, which would bestow upon the holder “sovereign” status—meaning they would enjoy diplomatic immunity from paying taxes and from being stopped or arrested by law enforcement. More In Las Vegas, four men affiliated with the sovereign citizen movement were arrested by the Nevada Joint Terrorism Task Force on federal money laundering, tax evasion, and weapons charges. The investigation involved an undercover operation, with two of the suspects allegedly laundering more than a million dollars from what they believed was a bank fraud scheme. More You can help. First, “be crime smart”—don’t fall for the bogus claims and scams of sovereign citizens. And second, if you have information on any suspicious activities or crimes, pleasecontact us.

Link

Notice of Public Hearing North Texas Fusion Center Community Forum

Learn more about how your info is collected and stored!

Monday, April 26, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

North Texas Fusion Center Community Forum

Texas Impact and the Dallas Peace Center are hosting a community forum to provide the public an opportunity to engage with senior law enforcement officials about fusion centers in Texas.

A fusion center is a technology-based policing initiative—a system that allows law enforcement entities to share a wide range of policing information with neighboring jurisdictions as well as state and federal law enforcement agencies. Funding for fusion centers comes from Department of Homeland Security grants, and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds (ARRA) are available to these entities as well. Members of the community within a fusion center’s scope are often uninformed about the center’s processes, or harbor serious fears about the mechanics of such systems.

Joining in the forum are representatives from the ACLU of Texas; Lon Burnam, Executive Director of the Dallas Peace Center and State Representative for House District 90 in Fort Worth; and staff from the Metro Operations Support and Analytical Intelligence Center (MOSAIC) of Dallas and the North Central Texas Fusion System of Collin County.

At Northaven United Methodist Church, 11211 Preston Rd., Room 237/239. 

Secretary Napolitano Announces Enhancements to Protect Federal Facilities

Release Date: April 12, 2010

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

New ISC Standards and Improved Information Sharing for FPS Will Strengthen Security

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced two enhancements to federal facility security—initiatives that further strengthen the Department’s ability to protect thousands of government buildings across the United States one week prior to the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing.

The DHS-led Interagency Security Committee (ISC) released new standards establishing baseline physical security measures for all federal buildings and facilities—bolstering protection against terrorist attacks and other threats based on ongoing risk assessments.

“Protecting our federal facilities against evolving threats requires setting and implementing robust, risk-based security standards,” said Secretary Napolitano. “These standards leverage over a decade of collaboration and research by experts across the federal government to establish adaptable security measures that will better secure our federal infrastructure.”

ISC was created on Oct. 19, 1995—six months after the Oklahoma City bombing—to enhance the quality and effectiveness of efforts to secure and protect the more than 300,000 civilian federal facilities across the United States. The committee, led by the DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection, includes high-level security representation from 45 federal agencies.

The standards announced today include the Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities, which establishes comprehensive standards to address site, structural, interior and system security, as well as security operations and administration; and the Design-Basis Threat Report, designed to inform these customizable standards with current threat-based intelligence.

The Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities also provides for the customization of security measures to address unique risks at every U.S. building and facility occupied by federal employees for non-military activities—ensuring the flexibility necessary to adapt to the circumstances surrounding individual facilities.

The Design-Basis Threat Report complements the Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities by utilizing timely and reliable intelligence information, Intelligence Community reports and assessments, and current crime statistics to help calculate estimated risks to federal facilities and appropriate levels of protection.

The new standards will undergo a 24-month validation period of field testing and implementation by the federal security community. The ISC will publish final editions of the standards following this period.

The Physical Security Criteria for Federal Facilities supersedes physical security standards in the ISC Security Standards for Leased Space, ISC Design Criteria for New Federal Office Buildings and Major Modernization Projects, and the 1995 DOJ Report.

In addition, DHS’ Federal Protective Service (FPS) today announced the next deployment phase for the new Risk Assessment and Management Program (RAMP)—a computer-based tool that enhances access for FPS Inspectors to information about security threats and risks associated with more than 9,000 facilities owned and leased by the General Services Administration (GSA).

“Our Inspectors and Protective Security Officers provide law enforcement and security services to more than one million tenants and daily visitors to GSA-owned and leased federal facilities throughout the United States,” said FPS Director Gary W. Schenkel. “RAMP makes our work processes more efficient by reducing the time FPS Inspectors spend on repetitive, manual tasks and allowing them to focus on threat awareness and customer service.”

RAMP is a secure and comprehensive computer-based tool developed by FPS to improve and standardize collection and management of information at every step of the federal facility security planning and oversight process. The system allows FPS Inspectors to access, review, revise and upload facility information using ruggedized mobile computers on a single platform and produce complete reports at any time and location.

A critical component of RAMP’s development was a series of town hall meetings between the FPS workforce and leadership, which provided a forum for FPS personnel and stakeholders to assess the effectiveness of the program in the field, provide recommendations to improve RAMP, and lay the groundwork for additional enhancements to future iterations of the program.

To date, 750 rugged mobile computers have been issued for field operations; more than 56,000 documents, images and other files related to federal facility protection have been entered into RAMP; and more than 1,000 inspections have been conducted using the system.

For more information, please visit www.dhs.gov/isc or www.dhs.gov/fps.

Texas Stadium demolished

Texas Stadium demolished: "Texas Stadium is nothing but a memory -- and a huge mess.

The longtime home of the Dallas Cowboys -- known for the
giant hole in its roof, 'so God can watch his team,' according to
local lore -- came tumbling down early Sunday in a planned
demolition.


"

Bomb Damages U.S. Consulate in Mexico, No Injuries

Bomb Damages U.S. Consulate in Mexico, No Injuries

Update | Anyone saw Gail Terrell lately?| Allen McGill? | City Of Dallas

                  The Daily Phalanx

• On April 2, 2010 ,Allen McGill(Gail Terrell husband) was sentenced to 2 year's in a federal penitentiary for his role in a shakedown scheme of real estate developer's orchestrated by himself,Don Hill,DeAngelo Lee,Darren Reagan,unindicted co-conspirator Gail Terrell,and many others.This investigation was billed as the largest PUBLIC CORRUPTION case ever in City Of Dallas history.       

     (*)Note unindicted co-conspirator Gail Terrell still serves on the Dallas Park and Recreation board(District 8)!

Posted by Coloring Outside the Lines | 1 hour ago

"@Brandon Reed: Gail Terrell is on the Park Board because Councilman Tennell Atkins appointed her. Perhaps the citizens of District 8 who want a transparent, ethical government in the Southern Sector should contact Mr. Atkins and ask him to appoint a replacement. It's his choice who he appoints -- and it reflects on his character."

• So Monday ,as a representative of the The Daily Phalanx,(i)will sit down with District 8 council member Tennell Atkins ,to get clarity as to why she(Gail Terrell) continues to serve  on the Park and Rec Board!

April 2 McGill sentencing U.S. Department of Justice press release:

click

old post for more info

follow us on

Facebook

Islamic Charity Wins Case Against Unlawful Wiretapping

Islamic Charity Wins Case Against Unlawful Wiretapping: "By Madhuri Dey
San Francisco, Apr 2, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The judge in a court in the United States has ruled that the wiretapping program carried out by the National Security Agency was against the law. While the ruling finds favor with many of the critics of the policy, it also refuted one of the key programs [...]"