Gridlock News

In a virtual global economy, global project professionals are required to relocate to places where ever the client designates.  Sometimes it is quite difficult to up and move from place to place not to mention dealing with all the real estate decisions in a new marketplace.

Since most of the US real estate marketplace is in midst of an economic downswing, the global project managers must decide whether to look for houses for rent or apartments. In the short term, initial mortgage quotes might indicate that buying a house is not a good idea, not to mention a distraction from business projects.

National Relocation.com is the "go-to" portal for those who need to relocate.  It has a real estate channel with area information, home values and forms to fill out to connect agents with buyers and sellers.  Recently National Relocation.com launched a rentals section that property managers and the general public can list their properties for free.

This portal also has many other informational channels like foreclosures, agents, home inspectors, mortgage, movers and much more.  It is the consummate tool for the professionals relocating for jobs.

It seems just like yesterday when Clinton was defending campaign donations, and now Clinton defending campaign donations is back in the news. 

Bill Clinton's administration was hounded with allegations surrounding donations from various Chinese campaign donors, allegedly for quid pro  on everything from a stay in the White House to nuclear secrets and Boeing wing technology.

Now Hillary before she even enters the Oval Office is already turning out $23,000 to charity after receiving a donation from Norman Hsu.  Hsu may not be a Riyadi, but he is wanted in the State of California for Grand Theft and seems to enjoy sending campaign contributions to all sorts of Democratic candidates.

It would appear according to investigations conducted by the Wall Street Journal that Hsu sent donations to Clinton and other recipients through other individuals, like a mail carrier family in San Francisco.  Sounds a lot like the contribution machine of the former Clinton administration doesn't it?

Funny thing about politics, you can't choose your donors, but you can refuse them.  Instead, politicians are setup to take the money in and ask questions later.  In the meantime, they earn interest on that money, and they pump up their total contribution numbers, which makes them look more successful.

If campaigns worked like diets, Hillary would be bulimic instead of one of those people taking an obscure supplement like hydroxycut to reduce the intake.   One thing is for certain, there is no gridlock in the Clinton campaign when it comes to accepting a contribution!

Clinton Defends Campaign Donations

There are several suspects currently under investigation as a result of the Minneapolis I35 bridge collapse.  Investigators are looking at:

• The weight of resurfacing equipment and materials
• The original Bridge design weight calculations
• De-icing products used for the last 10 years that may have been corrosive  or more corrosive than suspected

The computerized system sprayed potassium acetate to reduce hard-to-see ice caused by extreme cold and moisture from a nearby waterfall.

According to the Minnesota Transportation Department, the de-icing chemical is less toxic and less corrosive than sodium chloride, which had been used previously.

De-icing system examined in bridge collapse | Reuters

It could be possible that a combination of all three suspects may have played a part.  For example, if the bridge could only hold so much weight and de-icing procedures weakened key areas that happened to hold extra weight from the construction materials and equipment, it could have triggered a triple witching effect that essentially pulled the tablecloth out from underneath unsuspecting travelers causing the bridge, cars and people to scatter into the river like dinnerware at a failed magic show.

So far these are all theories, but further analysis, modeling and testing will likely tell.

Details of the deal are not yet public, but SackVick.net and ESPN are reporting that Michael Vick has pled Guilty or accepted a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

There was some controversy if the deal actually happened, as Vick's spokesman was not notified in Atlanta until after the media had been notified.

That apparently has worked its way out of the cabinet hardware.  Vick will probably not show up in court until next week.  There is now lots of speculation over how long Vick will spend in prison.  So this saga with Michael Vick may be close to over at this point in time.

The real estate market is not the only market to see some constraints creeping into the economy, Police Departments around the country are starting to see problems in their supplies of bullets used to both arm their officers and train their officers.  There are several factors driving the shortage.

The Iraq war is using up large supplies of bullets first of all.

Second, the prices of metal is going up and police departments are busting their budgets as the price of lead, brass and other metals.

Some police departments are seeing short term shortages or backorders of bullets.  Others see the shortages expanding and expect to see bigger delays or shortages going into next year. 

 One of the largest royal refineries in the US burned yesterday in Pascagoula Mississippi, a small city located in Jackson County.  The play seems to be under control according to recent reports but it is still billowing smoke high into the sky.  The plant has the capability of processing 330,000 barrels a day, and it's not known yet how secure the damages or what type of impact it might have on processing capability and supplying the US demand for gasoline.

Chevron, located just east of the city in Jackson County, is one of the largest refineries in North America, producing some 330,000 barrels of crude oil a day.

SunHerald.com : Chevron battles fire, fears

As we all know, if there's no gasoline, there's no gridlock.  Gridlock of course is not the goal, but it's always the result.  The fire raged as the stock market bounced back after the Federal Reserve stepped in today to alleviate pressures on liquidity.

On a different day, the impact on gasoline and oil production in the United States and the rest of North America might have sent pressures on oil prices driving the price up.  Fortunately for gasoline consumers, the markets were going through.  Can to having the colon cleanse and didn't notice this small tragedy on a day where tragedies proliferated throughout the news from Peru to Utah to Iraq and beyond.

The Federal Reserve cut the discount rate (not the more important Federal Funds Rate, which is already at 5.25%).  The cut took place this morning before the stock market opened and as the stock market opened it leapt up 150 - 250 points.  Its actually bouncing around now as I watch the news and type.

The fix is seen as a superficial fix to help reduce investors fears like a teenager looking to reduce fears about an acne outbreak by applying extra skin care products.

This reduction of the lending rate to banks does not put more money back into the market.  It doesn't reduce the gridlock of credit taking place around the US.  It doesn't bail out any financial institutions, investors or home owners struggling to pay their bills.

Karl Rove is tendering his resignation and leaving the Bush Administration.  His resignation will be effective August 31st, 15 days before the Surge Report is due to be presented to the country.

Rove has fallen probably even further than George Bush.  He will be remembered for masterminding the Bush campaign in 2000 and somewhat for the 2004 campaign.  He will also be remembered for losing the 2006 campaign for Republicans in Congress and for his alleged involvement in firing  Justice Department attorneys, outing Valerie Plame and many other scandals. 

No More Incumbents Blog - Working to insure natural term limits by removing all incumbents from office. » Karl Rove to Rove his Way back to Texas - Good Bye White House

Senator Joe Biden (D-Delaware) has introduced an interesting bill that promises to redefine the way the government looks at drug and alcohol addiction.  The redefinition is important as it changes the perspective from addiction being a choice and by extension criminal to one of a mental disorder that should be treated like many other disorders of the human organs and systems.

The United States is losing the self imposed war on drugs because we have chosen to define an enemy that doesn't exist. We have been chasing a demon essentially that is in reality an aspect of our consciousness. The Reagan administration followed several decades of government orders in this direction and capped it off by going to war against drugs, which in retrospect is similar to going to war against mental illness or a war on cancer or a war on aids. Locking people with cancer up in prison is not going to stop cancer. Sending people with Aids to a modern day leprosy colony will not cure nor stop aids. The same holds true for trying to fight a war against an addiction.

This fundamental shift in direction is definitely necessary if we ever hope to help people that need addiction treatment. Its interesting that Joe Biden, a candidate for the Democratic primary would choose this time to sponsor such a bill. Its actually interesting because he seems to be taking a step towards fixing something that has been broken in Government for many years as opposed to spouting platitudes at a fund raising convention.

I35W collapsed this evening into the Mississippi in Minneapolis taking rush hour traffic and constructions workers crashing down.  It was the middle of rush hour and the bridge and interstate were gridlocked with rush hour traffic.

The bridge was cited last year for having fractures in some of the girders.  Road surfacing construction was taking place at the time of the collapse.

The Department of Homeland Security is monitoring the collapse but initial indications have not indicated that terrorism may be the problem.

Unlike the 2002 collapse of a portion of the bridge on I40 over the Arkansas river, this bridge suffered a total collapse.  The I40 collapse resulted from a barge striking the bridge and the span of the bridge was much shorter.  Fourteen people died in that collapse.

So far 3 people are reported dead in Minneapolis and dozens more injured with searchers still attempting to pull people out of the water and out from underneath the bridge.  Total collapse of bridges in the United States have historically resulted from corrosion and fatigue over the last 50 years.  This bridge was over 40 years old.