Sam Spade's San Francisco

Armed robbers beat and stabbed the owner of a corner grocery store in San Francisco's Glen Park neighborhood late Friday night, and another store employee was kidnapped and later released, police reported.

About the photo: a tan-colored 2002 Toyota Sienna like the one being sought by police.

Paul Park, who owns Buddies Market at the corner of Chenery and Diamond streets, was getting ready to go home around 11 p.m. when he was confronted by three or four suspects who reportedly broke in through the rear door.

"The suspects beat and stabbed the store's owner, robbed the store of cash, and kidnapped an employee. The suspects escaped by stealing the store's van. The employee was released in Daly City," San Francisco police Capt. Denis O'Leary wrote in a crime alert he e-mailed to neighborhood residents and merchants.

He described the suspects as black males wearing dark clothing.

Park, who had been bound and gagged and was suffering from multiple stab wounds, managed to cross the street and seek help at Le P'tit Laurent, a French bistro.

"It was really scary, really terrible," said owner Laurent Legendre, who summoned police.

Park was in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital today. The name and condition of the employee who was kidnapped was not immediately available.

Park is known by neighbors as a hard-working businessman who puts in long hours at his mom-and-pop store.

The store's van, which was used in the getaway, is still missing. It is a tan-colored 2002 Toyota Sienna, with California license plate No. 4VHN307. Police ask anyone who spots the van to call 911.

Anyone with additional information about the crime is asked to call the SFPD robbery unit at during normal business hours or the operations center after hours at .

Story source: San Francisco Chronicle via San Francisco Crime blog.

Resources:
San Francisco Police Deptartment (SFPD)
SFPD 10 Most Wanted List
UCSF Police
SF State (SFSU) Police
San Francisco Sheriff's Office
California Highway Patrol (CHP) Golden Gate Division
California Attorney General - Department of Justice
San Francisco Police Commission
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) San Francisco Division Office
U. S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco
U. S. Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco
Mayor's Office on Criminal Justice
.

Scientists at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (England), are set to explore the world's deepest undersea volcanoes and find out what lives in a 'lost world' five kilometers beneath the Caribbean.

About the image: The Cayman Trough, or Cayman Trench, also called Bartlett Deep, or Bartlett Trough, is a complex transform fault zone which contains a small spreading ridge on the floor of the western Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Satellite image.

The team of researchers led by Dr Jon Copley is being funded by the Natural Environment Research Council to explore the Cayman Trough, which lies between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. This rift in the Caribbean seafloor plunges to a depth of more than 5000 meters below sea level. It contains the world's deepest chain of undersea volcanoes, which have yet to be explored.

The researchers are planning two expeditions over the next three years using England's newest research ship, RRS James Cook. From the ship, the team will send the United Kingdom's remotely-operated vehicle Isis and a new British robot submarine called Autosub6000 into the abyss.

The team will look for new geological features and new species of marine life in the rift on the seafloor. Geologist Dr Bramley Murton will use a whale-friendly sonar system to map the undersea volcanoes in unprecedented detail to understand their formation. At the same time, oceanographer Dr Kate Stansfield will study the deep ocean currents in the Cayman Trough for the first time and geochemist Dr Doug Connelly will hunt for volcanic vents on the ocean floor. These volcanic vents are home to exotic deep-sea creatures that will be studied by marine biologists Dr Jon Copley and Professor Paul Tyler.

"The Cayman Trough may be a 'lost world' that will give us the missing piece in a global puzzle of deep-sea life," says Dr Copley, a lecturer with the University of Southampton’s School of Ocean and Earth Science. Volcanic vents in the Atlantic are home to swarms of blind shrimp and beds of unusual mussels. But similar deep-sea vents in the eastern Pacific are inhabited by bizarre meter-long tubeworms. The researchers hope to find out whether creatures living in the Cayman Trough are related to those in the Pacific or the Atlantic – or completely different to both.

Before North and South America joined three million years ago, there was a deep water passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic. This means that the undersea volcanoes of the Cayman Trough could harbor a 'missing link' between deep-sea life in the two oceans. Finding out just what lives in the rift will help scientists understand patterns of marine life around the world.

"The deep ocean is the largest ecosystem on our planet, so we need to understand its patterns of life," says Dr Copley. "Deep-sea exploration has also given us new cancer treatments and better fibre-optic cables for the internet, both thanks to deep-sea creatures."

Working at depths of more than five kilometers will take England's deep-diving vehicles close to their limits. Isis is the UK’s deepest diving remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) reaching depths of 6,500 meters. The team will control Isis from their research ship to film the ocean floor and collect samples with its robotic arms.

Autosub6000, a new unmanned undersea vehicle built in Southampton, can dive to 6000 metres deep. Autosub6000 is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) – a robot submarine that can carry out missions on its own, without being remote-controlled. The team will launch Autosub6000 from their ship to survey the area and hunt for volcanic vents on the ocean floor.

"These undersea volcanoes lie within British seabed territory recognized by the United Nations," says Dr Copley. "We now have the technology to explore them." The public will be able to follow the progress of the expeditions through web pages updated from the ship. The team will also invite a school teacher to join them and share the scientific adventure with classrooms around the world.

Source: National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. "‘Lost World’ Beneath The Caribbean." ScienceDaily 30 August 2008.

Resources:
Cayman Trough (Wikipedia)
Autosub6000
National Oceanograph Centre, Southampton
Jamaica (Wikipedia)
Jamaica
Cayman Islands
.

As 1,500 National Guard members arrived in New Orleans yesterday to support the city’s police department and assist in executing civil support missions, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced the activation of all available remaining Louisiana National Guard forces to assist with emergency operations in preparation for Hurricane Gustav.

About the photo: Members of the Louisiana National Guard’s 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team stage their vehicles next to the Ernest Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Aug. 29, 2008. The soldiers are activated for security missions in support of hurricane operations throughout the state. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael L. Owens, 241st Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

With the newly activated troops coming on board today, the total of Louisiana Guard members activated reaches 7,000.

Gustav, which grew to a Category 3 hurricane overnight (and is now reaching Category 5 status), is bearing down on western Cuba today with sustained winds of more than 120 mph, and is expected to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast late Sept. 1 or early Sept. 2.

The Guard troops who arrived in New Orleans yesterday will safeguard homes and businesses during evacuation and instill confidence in the citizens, state Guard officials said.

The state’s adjutant general assured residents of a response to Gustav that’s based on lessons learned three years ago, when back-to-back hurricanes struck the region.

“The Louisiana National Guard is fully prepared for a hurricane disaster and has improved reaction times, communication and equipment resources by learning from hurricanes Katrina and Rita,” Army Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau said. “Throughout the year, the Louisiana National Guard, in coordination with other state and local agencies has conducted numerous statewide emergency response exercises testing capabilities, and validating plans to improve overall efficiency and reaction time. These coordinated efforts were and continue to be crucial to our current success.”

As state forces in Louisiana have reached a full operational capability status, neighboring states are preparing assets in the event they are needed as well.

The Louisiana National Guard has requested additional aviation assets and personnel through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact -- a mutual-support agreement -- to assist with meeting potential mission requirements, with the Arkansas National Guard responding and moving into place.

Headquarters 1-114th Aviation Battalion of North Little Rock, Ark., is sending 44 personnel to Esler Field in Pineville, La., to fill in for Louisiana’s 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion of the 204th Theater Airfield Operations Group, currently deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Other neighboring states also have National Guard forces ready to deploy if additional support is needed, officials said.

story source: DefenseLink - (U. S. Dept. of Defense)

Vital resource for more information:
New Orleans Hurricane Gustav Breaking News Sources
.

2009 CALL FOR ENTRIES

Ocean lovers of all species find a second home on both sides of the screen at the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival (SFOFF), the first, largest, and most influential showcase of its kind in North America. Now in its sixth year, the festival returns February 19-22, 2009, to present more than 40 documentary, fictional, and animated films from around the world.

Themes range from marine science and industry to wildlife, conservation, coastal culture, exploration, adventure, and salt-water sports. (View the 2008 Film Program).

The four-day festival of films and events includes premiere film screenings, student programs, media arts, awards, lively discussions and revelry with filmmakers and ocean experts from around the world. SFOFF 2009 will attract over 4,500 ocean-minded enthusiasts to one of the most anticipated and inclusive ocean events of the year.

Film submissions are now being accepted

for the 6th Annual

San Francisco Ocean Film Festival

The festival welcomes all ocean-related entries including documentary, fictional, and animated short and feature length films. Films relating to the following themes will be considered:

• Ocean Sports (e.g. surfing, sailing, fishing, kayaking, swimming, scuba and free diving)
• Environmental Issues
• Marine Sciences
• Ocean Exploration
• Coastal and Island Culture and History
  

Accepted entries are eligible to compete for Awards in Adventure, Culture, Environment and Wildlife categories. Submit online through Withoutabox, or download the entry form below or from the website at oceanfilmfest.org.

Please download the Entry Guidelines for full information.

The general deadline is October 15, 2008.

• Download the Entry Guidelines [PDF]

• Download the Entry Form [PDF]

The Pickens Plan makes sense - lots of sense. Watch this video and see what you think.

T. Boone Pickens knows what he is talking about. He's an American with an American answer and I like it.

Here's T. Boone Pickens explaining his plan. In the 4 minutes and 49 seconds it takes to watch this video you may discover that you too think the Pickens Plan may very likely be America's best immediate response to the oil crisis.

As Pickens says, "We can't drill our way out of this problem!"

Here's the video:



More information:
PickensPlan.com

Watch this slide show of wind farm power generation here in Northern California:

Following last summer's record minimum ice cover in the Arctic, current observations from ESA's Envisat satellite suggest that the extent of polar sea-ice may again shrink to a level very close to that of last year.

See the map at right animated by following this link to the European Space Agency.

Envisat observations from mid-August depict that a new record of low sea-ice coverage could be reached in a matter of weeks. The animation above is a series of mosaics of the Arctic Ocean created from images acquired between early June and mid-August 2008 from the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) instrument aboard Envisat. The dark grey colour represents ice-free areas while blue represents areas covered with sea ice.

Current ice coverage in the Arctic has already reached the second absolute minimum since observations from space began 30 years ago. Because the extent of ice cover is usually at its lowest about mid-September, this year's minimum could still fall to set another record low.

Each year, the Arctic Ocean experiences the formation and then melting of vast amounts of ice that floats on the sea surface. An area of ice the size of Europe melts away every summer reaching a minimum in September. Since satellites began surveying the Arctic in 1978, there has been a regular decrease in the area covered by ice in summer — with ice cover shrinking to its lowest level on record and opening up the most direct route through the Northwest Passage in September 2007.

The direct route through the Northwest Passage - highlighted in the image above by an orange line - is currently almost free of ice, while the indirect route, called the Amundsen Northwest Passage, has been passable for almost a month. This is the second year in a row that the most direct route through the Northwest Passage has opened up.

Read the rest of the story from the source, The European Space Agency via Environmental News Network (ENN)

.

The U.S. Coast Guard is testing Arctic waters — feeling out what sort of military presence might be needed along Alaska's northernmost coastlines.

The operation, Arctic Domain Awareness, a 16-day mission based in Barrow during July and August, gave the Coast Guard an opportunity to research the ever-changing sea ice, coastline, waters and risks associated with patrolling the region.

Coast Guard officials said maritime travel is increasing because of melting ice, creating potential new trade routes in the region. Russian and Canadian fishing vessels pushing international boundaries are also a concern.

“There are other facts, the presence of cruise ships in Barrow, the presence of potential oil exploration and oil lease sales. It's the presence of the potential for general ship movement through the Bering Straight,” said Rear Adm. Arthur Brooks, Commander of the 17th Coast Guard Division in Alaska.

“We are really doing a test bed to learn what do we need to do, how we should we do it and what resources will it take to do what we need to do for Americans in the Arctic,” Brooks said.

“There are ships that are coming through here from every flag you can imagine,” said Richard Glenn, vice president of Arctic Slope Regional Corp. “There's activity offshore that is unprecedented and there is our continuing dependence on the natural resources for our life.”

North Slope Borough Search and Rescue Director Pat Patterson said he is glad to see the Coast Guard in Barrow. The rescue group does about 300 medical rescues a year with its small fleet of planes and a helicopter.

Read the rest of the story from the source, The Alaska Star newspaper

Story Resources:
USCG D17 Auxiliary website
USCG D17 (main USCG website)
Overview of Coast Guard operations in Alaska
The Alaska Bear, online magazine of USCG D17
Units within USCG D17 (includes list of cutters and air stations)
Unified Command: USCG and State of Alaska
Alaska Journal of Commerce: USCG Exploring Arctic Base

Other Coast Guard reports from Sam Spade's San Francisco:

U. S. Coast Guard's 218th Birthday - Happy Birthday from San Francisco!

Big Changes for the U. S. Coast Guard

USCGC Bertholf - Great Video!

Coast Guard D11 San Francisco Changes Command

USCG Ocean Rescue - See Video Here

Coast Guard and Wizard's Keith Colburn Join Forces

Cal Maritime's Golden Bear Aids Coast Guard in Daring Sea Rescue

Coast Guard Gets Fifth HC-144A Ocean Sentry Aircraft

USCGC Morgenthau Gets New Commander in Singapore

USCGB Eagle Meets USCGC Bertholf in San Francisco - Historic Photo!

Coast Guard's Waesche - 2nd National Security Cutter - is Christened

USCGC Berthold Comes Home to Alameda for First Time

SemperPeratus.com - lots of Coast Guard links and information

Learn more about the United States Coast Guard here!

.

Hurricane Gustav, New Orleans and Louisiana State news sources and emergency contacts. Links and contact info here!

Scroll down for a complete list of updated emergency contacts.

New Orleans is in grave danger. Gustav is growing and may make landfall as a Category 4 and possibly even Cat 5!

New Orleans Police, the Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana National Guard are evacuating New Orleans. This comes almost precisely three years after Katrina devastated the city.

The City of New Orleans evacuation order includes:

• NO shelters of last resort will be located in the City of New Orleans. Everyone must leave.
• Citizens should not take the risk of remaining in the city. This is a mandatory evacuation. Everyone must leave the city.
• The State of Louisiana has deployed 1500 Louisiana National Guardsmen to assist.
  

Gustav hit Jamaica on Thursday after leaving 67 people dead in Hispaniola.

The Louisiana National Guard is in full operational status (read: Louisiana National Guard in Full Operation Status).

Here are a variety of sources where you can get current and fast-breaking news coming out of New Orleans, the State of Louisiana, the military and the Coast Guard. Please use the envelope icon immediately below this article to send this report and links via email to whomever you wish.

NOLA.com (online news for the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper)
New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper contact and resource page
WWL-TV CBS-4
WDSU-TV
NBC-6
WGNO-TV ABC-26
National Hurricane Service (NOAA)
HurricaneTrack.com
New Orleans Storm Surge Risk Map
DailyWireless.com - communication news in and around New Orleans HurricaneGustavResources blog
Louisiana Office of Public Health
Louisiana Governor's Office
Louisiana Emergency Services
Louisiana Dept. of Hospitals - Emergency News
Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana State Police
New Orleans Police Dept
City of New Orleans - official city website
Gulf Coast Offshore Oil Platform Maps
U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Command, New Orleans
Rear Admiral Joel Whitehead, USCG D8 CMDR
USCG Air Stations, Search & Rescue Stations and Sector Offices - New Orleans Area
New Orleans Fire Department
Louisiana National Guard.

Sunday Afternoon (31-AUG-08) Update:

New Orleans is being evacuated once again, as Hurricane Gustav lumbers towards the Gulf Coast. Everyone from the U.S. military to the British Royal Navy to Blackwater is gearing up to respond.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin tells the New York Times that "with 1,500 to 2,000 National Guard troops coming to New Orleans, the city would have twice as much law enforcement protection as it had in the days after Hurricane Katrina. In all, 7,000 members of the Louisiana National Guard were mobilized Friday." Coast Guard Air Force units based in Florida are on standby. U.S. Northern Command has set up a command post for the military response at England Airpark, in Alexandria, La. And they've begun airlifting up to 16,000 people from New Orleans to Nashville, Tenn.; San Antonio, Texas; Louisville, Ky.; and Ft. Smith, Ark. Additional staging areas have been set up at Fort Rucker, Ala., and Fort Benning, Ga., Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., Columbus Air Force Base, Miss., and Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss.

U.S. Navy ships like the USS Bataan have been told to stand by for possible disaster relief missions. Canada has sent one of its four enormous transport planes, Boeing C-17 Globemasters, "to the region to assist with medical evacuations," according to Canwest News Service. And Canadian Forces medical personnel [are headed to Louisiana to] conduct a mass evacuation and assist U.S. medical personnel with any medical issues over there." Even the British military is "Royal Navy Warship HMS Iron Duke and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Wave Ruler have now arrived in the vicinity of the Cayman Islands, ready to render assistance if required in the wake of Hurricane Gustav," according to Cayman Net News.

But perhaps the most startling call for forces comes from Blackwater, the controversial prviate security contractor. The firm -- which famously patrolled New Orleans after Katrina -- is "compiling a list of qualified security personnel for possible deployment into areas affected by Hurricane Gustav," according to an e-mail obtained by R.J. Hillhouse.

Blackwater is looking for current sworn law enforcement officers, with "arrest powers" and "armed status (must indicate Armed and/or Semi Auto. Revolver only not accepted)."

Story Source: Wired.com's Danger Room blog

Contact:

Blackwater USA

American Red Cross

.

Are your workers independent contractors or employees? The answer can have a profound impact on how much tax you pay as a small business owner. Knowing whether your workers are or are not employees will affect the amount of taxes you must withhold from their pay. It will affect how much additional cost your business must bear, what documents and information they must provide to you, and what tax documents you must give to them.

Employers who misclassify workers as independent contractors can end up with substantial tax bills as well as penalties for failing to pay employment taxes and failing to file required tax forms. Workers can avoid higher tax bills and lost benefits if they know their proper status.

Both employers and workers can ask the IRS to make a determination on whether a specific individual is an independent contractor or an employee by filing a Form SS-8, Determination of Worker Status for Purposes of Federal Employment Taxes and Income Tax Withholding, with the IRS.

Generally, whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor depends upon how much control you have as a business owner. If you have the right to control or direct not only what is to be done but also how it is to be done then your workers are most likely employees. If you can direct or control only the result of the work done, and not the means and methods of accomplishing the result, then your workers are probably independent contractors.

Three broad characteristics are used by the IRS to determine the relationship between businesses and workers - Behavioral Control, Financial Control, and the Type of Relationship.

Behavioral Control covers facts that show whether the business has a right to direct or control how the work is done through instructions, training, or other means.

Financial Control covers facts that show whether the business has a right to direct or control the financial and business aspects of the worker's job.

Type of Relationship factor relates to how the workers and the business owner perceive their relationship.

Knowing the proper worker classification can be critical to your business. Don’t guess. Act now to make certain you know for sure.

You can learn more about the critical determination of a worker’s status as an Independent Contractor or Employee at IRS.gov by selecting the Small Business link. Additional resources include IRS Publication 15-A, Employer's Supplemental Tax Guide, and Publication 1779, Independent Contractor or Employee. Both of these publications and Form SS-8 are available on the IRS Web site or by calling the IRS at (800-TAX-FORM).

Remember that for the genuine IRS Web site be sure to use .gov. Don't be confused by internet sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov. The address of the official IRS governmental Web site is www.irs.gov.

Links:

• Contractor vs. Employee
• Publication 1779
• Publication 15-A

The U.S. Coast Guard is participating in the rescue of four people aboard a trimaran sailboat that ran into trouble in the Pacific Ocean approximately 150 miles west of Point Reyes.

The Coast Guard received a report at about 7 a.m. Wednesday that "Defiance", a sailboat en route from Honolulu to Sausalito, was taking on water.

About the image: USCGC Midgett (WHEC-726). Click to enlarge in a separate window.

The Coast Guard contacted a container vessel from Mexico for assistance and dispatched Coast Guard Cutter Midgett from Seattle to help the boaters.

The container vessel reached the sailboat at about 1 p.m., followed by the Midgett, which arrived at about 6 p.m.

The Midgett determined that the vessel was salvageable and seaworthy, and is escorting the boat toward Monterey, where it is expected to arrive sometime today.

With more boaters expected on the water this holiday weekend, the Coast Guard is reminding the public to reduce risk factors, including by having a working VHF-FM radio and emergency position-indicating radio beacon on board.

Source: MercuryNews.com

Also see: U. S. Coast Guard Facts, Links, Photos

Official Cutter's Link: USCGC Midgett (WHEC-726)

Other Coast Guard reports from Sam Spade's San Francisco:

U. S. Coast Guard's 218th Birthday - Happy Birthday from San Francisco!

Big Changes for the U. S. Coast Guard

USCGC Bertholf - Great Video!

Coast Guard D11 San Francisco Changes Command

USCG Ocean Rescue - See Video Here

Coast Guard and Wizard's Keith Colburn Join Forces

Cal Maritime's Golden Bear Aids Coast Guard in Daring Sea Rescue

Coast Guard Gets Fifth HC-144A Ocean Sentry Aircraft

USCGC Morgenthau Gets New Commander in Singapore

USCGB Eagle Meets USCGC Bertholf in San Francisco - Historic Photo!

Coast Guard's Waesche - 2nd National Security Cutter - is Christened

USCGC Berthold Comes Home to Alameda for First Time

SemperPeratus.com - lots of Coast Guard links and information

Learn more about the United States Coast Guard here!

.

Six sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington received nonjudicial punishments for a shipboard fire in May that caused $70 million in damage and injured 37 crewmembers, the Pacific Fleet command said Thursday.

About the photo: USS George Washington. Click on image to enlarge in a separate window.

Four sailors were found guilty of violating a lawful order and hiding hazardous materials in direct violation of the aircraft carrier’s safety regulations, said Lt. Cmdr. John Filostrat, spokesman for the Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Two noncommissioned officers were found guilty of negligence and dereliction of duty for not properly supervising the workspace, Filostrat said.

The Pacific Fleet refused to release the names and ranks of the sailors disciplined, citing privacy concerns. Filostrat said details of the punishments are an "internal matter" of the George Washington and would not be released.

"All appropriate administrative and disciplinary actions have been completed," he said. "No courts-martial are being convened."

The Navy said the May 22 fire appears to have been started by unauthorized cigarette smoking near improperly stored oil containers.

Source: Stars and Stripes

Also see: Fire Aboard USS George Washington Delays USS Kitty Hawk

.

Life is complex enough without con artists trying to separate you from your hard earned dollars. It can be very costly if you become a victim of a scam that trades on the image or the mission of the IRS. Everyone should be vigilant in protecting personal, financial and tax information.

The IRS has these tips to avoid falling prey to con artists.

Watch your personal and financial information very closely, particularly during electronic transactions. The IRS is among a growing group of government agencies and corporations whose names and Web sites are being copied by imposters posing as employees conducting official business and seeking your personal information. Be aware that the IRS does not use e-mail to initiate contact with taxpayers about their accounts. Do not open links in unsolicited messages claiming to come from the IRS.

Not all scams come by way of the Internet or email. The telephone is a low-tech source of scams. Do not give away personal information to callers claiming to be from the IRS unless you have verified the caller’s identity. You can confirm an IRS contact by calling .

Thieves can use stolen personal data to access your financial accounts, run up charges on credit cards or apply for new loans. With a stolen identity a con-artist might try to use your Social Security Number to intercept your refund or falsify employment records, leaving the IRS with the impression that you did not report all of your income.

Some con artists earn their living by preparing false, and illegal, tax returns. Make certain that all of the information on your tax return is accurate since you are responsible for its content regardless of who prepares your return.

Dishonest return preparers, promising unreasonably large refunds, can cause many headaches for you. Such preparers attract new clients by promising large refunds while skimming a portion of the inflated refunds and charging high fees for preparation services. Choose carefully when you hire a tax preparer. As the saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

In contrast to shady tax preparers, some con artists openly tell you that you do not have to pay taxes. Be wary of anyone who encourages you to side-step your responsibility to file an income tax return or to pay the proper amount of tax due.

Some promoters make outlandish claims that taxes are not legal, that wages are not income, that a voluntary tax system means you can choose not to file or pay and that income tax returns violate your protection against self-incrimination or the right to privacy. Often these promoters will use techniques that are strikingly similar to any other con-artist to charge a high fee to share their “secrets” with you. Such arguments are false and have been repeatedly rejected by the courts. You may end up paying for this mistake twice, first when you pay for the bad advice and second when you are faced with a higher tax bill plus penalties and interest.

For more information about these and other tax scams visit the IRS Web site at IRS.gov.

Remember that for the genuine IRS Web site be sure to use .gov. Don't be confused by internet sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations instead of .gov. The address of the official IRS governmental Web site is www.irs.gov.

We've all been stunned by images showing the dramatic retreat of mountain glaciers. Yet few of us have given much thought to what happens next.

Now the first study to look at how life invades soil immediately after mountain glaciers melt has an answer. Primitive bacteria step in to colonize the area, enrich the soil with nutrients, and even cement the ground, preventing landslides, say researchers who have studied the process in the Peruvian Andes.

A few studies have looked at the types of plants that colonize mountain valleys that were previously covered in ice. But before plants move in there is usually a period, which at high latitudes and altitudes can last several years, during which the newly uncovered soil appears totally barren (see picture, right).

To investigate what is happening during this period, Steve Schmidt of the University of Colorado and colleagues examined the soil at the retreating edge of the Puca glacier in the Peruvian Andes. Between 2000 and 2005, they sampled the top 10 centimetres of ground that was revealed as the glacier moved uphill at a rate of 20 metres per year.

Read the rest of the story at NewScientist.com

Resources:

Steve Schmidt, Ph.D., University of Colorado

The Schmidt Lab, University of Colorado

Glaciers and Clacial Warming; Retreating Glaciers

Retreat of Glaciers Since 1850

Retreating Glaciers Spur Alaskan Earthquakes

Fast Melting Glaciers from Rising Temperatures Expose Millions in Himalaya to Devastating Floods and Water Shortages

Scientists: Greenland Glaciers Retreating

Columbia Glacier Retreating

Cyanobacteria

Oregon State University scientists have completed a new analysis of an earthquake fault line that extends some 200 miles off the southern and central Oregon coast that they say is more active than the San Andreas Fault in California.

The Blanco Transform Fault Zone likely won't produce the huge earthquake many have predicted for the Pacific Northwest because it isn't a subduction zone fault. But the scientists say an earthquake of magnitude 6.5 to 7.0 is possible, if not probable in the near future, and their analysis suggests that the region may be under some tectonic stress that potentially could affect the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

Results of the study were just published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

During the past 40 years, there have been some 1,500 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater along the Blanco Transform Fault Zone, and many thousands of smaller quakes. The Blanco fault is the boundary between the Juan de Fuca and the Pacific plates. As the Juan de Fuca plate moves to the east, it is subducted beneath the North American plate at the rate of about 1.5 inches per year. But as it moves, it must break free of the adjacent Pacific plate.

This slippage causes the numerous earthquakes, according to John Nabelek, an associate professor in OSU's College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences and one of the authors of the study. When the earthquakes that relieve stress do not account for predicted motion rates, he added, it raises questions.

Read the rest of the story at Science Daily

Resources:

San Francisco's Approaching Tsunami

ABAG (Association of Bay Area Governments) Tsunami Page

Cascadia Megathrust Earthquakes

USGS Pacific Northwest Tsunami Facts

Cascadia Subduction Zone Info, USGS

Cascadia Subduction Zone Strain Monitoring

72-Hours.Org - San Francisco Office of Emergency Services

San Francisco Fire Department NERT
.

China has lifted its general block on the iTunes store after apparently figuring out how to block access to just Songs for Tibet without shutting the whole store down.

The iTunes store went dark in China last week after word spread that the album, whose proceeds will be used for "peace initiatives and Tibetan cultural preservation projects important to the Dalai Lama," was for sale there. Traceroute queries appeared to confirm that China's authorities, who are very sensitive to pro-Tibet anything, simply shut down Apple's music store to prevent local access to the the one album.

Even though iTunes is back on up in China, Songs for Tibet (iTunes link) still cannot be purchased there, according to SFGate. Apple accepts the vast majority of albums submitted for distribution through iTunes, so its inclusion of the album during the Olympics was most likely not intended as a barb. However, Apple did promote the album prominently within the store.

Some (okay, just David Wolf and this guy) see this as a deliberate provocation of China. They say that if Apple wants to expand into that country's potentially lucrative market, it had better play by Chinese rules and censor content so that the Chinese government doesn't have to.

Read the rest of the story at Wired.com's Listening Post

Also read:

• China Blocks Access to iTunes Store
• Composer Says Beijing Olympic Committee Ripped Him Off
• China Blocks LiveJournal
• The Great Firewall: China's Misguided — and Futile — Attempt to Control What Happens Online

.

Here is a Pentagon Channel report on the Georgia relief efforts being carried out by the Coast Guard Cutter Dallas. The video includes an interview with the Commanding Officer of USCGC Dallas (WHEC 716)

About the photo: USCGC Dallas



Also see: U. S. Coast Guard Facts, Links, Photos

Other Coast Guard reports from Sam Spade's San Francisco:

U. S. Coast Guard's 218th Birthday - Happy Birthday from San Francisco!

Big Changes for the U. S. Coast Guard

USCGC Bertholf - Great Video!

Coast Guard D11 San Francisco Changes Command

USCG Ocean Rescue - See Video Here

Coast Guard and Wizard's Keith Colburn Join Forces

Cal Maritime's Golden Bear Aids Coast Guard in Daring Sea Rescue

Coast Guard Gets Fifth HC-144A Ocean Sentry Aircraft

USCGC Morgenthau Gets New Commander in Singapore

USCGB Eagle Meets USCGC Bertholf in San Francisco - Historic Photo!

Coast Guard's Waesche - 2nd National Security Cutter - is Christened

USCGC Berthold Comes Home to Alameda for First Time

SemperPeratus.com - lots of Coast Guard links and information

Learn more about the United States Coast Guard here!

.

(San Francisco, CA, August 27, 2008)—Today, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community lost an iconic leader and a beloved friend. Del Martin, 87, passed away in San Francisco. Martin was one of the nation’s first and most visible lesbian rights activists who dedicated her life to combating homophobia, sexism, violence, and racism. Martin’s many contributions to the LGBT movement will resonate for decades to come.

About the photo: Del Martin, left, and wife Phyllis Lyon

“Today the LGBT movement lost a real hero,” said Kate Kendell, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “For all of Del’s life, she was an activist and organizer even before we knew what those terms meant. Her last act of public activism was her most personal—marrying the love of her life after 55 years. In the wake of losing her, we recognize with heightened clarity the most poignant and responsible way to honor her legacy is to preserve the right of marriage for same-sex couples, thereby providing the dignity and respect that Del and Phyllis’ love deserved.”

Martin began working as an activist after receiving her degree in journalism from the University of California at Berkeley. While working on a newspaper in Seattle, Martin met her partner Phyllis Lyon and the two began working on behalf of lesbians in their community. Martin and Lyon have devoted their lives to working towards LGBT equality, healthcare access, advocacy on behalf of battered women, and issues facing elderly Americans. Their many contributions over the past five decades helped shape the modern LGBT movement.

In 1955, Lyon and Martin were among the founders of the Daughters of Bilitis, the first lesbian rights organization. In 1956, they launched “The Ladder,” the first lesbian newsletter, which became a lifeline for hundreds of women isolated and silenced by the restrictions of the era. Del Martin was the first openly lesbian woman elected to the board of the National Organization of Women (NOW), and in 1971, encouraged the board to pass a resolution stating that lesbian issues were feminist issues. In 1995, Martin and Lyon were named delegates to the White House Conference on Aging by Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. In 2004, Lyon and Martin became the first same-sex couple to be married in the state of California, and subsequently became plaintiffs in the California marriage case, helping to ensure that the fundamental right to marry under the California Constitution belongs to all couples, including same-sex couples.

“Del lived her life with great compassion, wit, tenacity, generosity, and valor,” said The Honorable Donna Hitchens, founder of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “She inspired thousands of us to be more courageous and energetic than we thought possible. When faced with moments of fatigue, laziness or weakness, one had only to ask—‘What would Del and Phyllis do?’ While she will be greatly missed, her legacy will be cherished forever.”

Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were married in California on June 16, 2008 after 55 years together.

“Ever since I met Del 55 years ago, I could never imagine a day would come when she wouldn’t be by my side. I am so lucky to have known her, loved her, and been her partner in all things,” Lyon said. “I also never imagined there would be a day that we would actually be able to get married. I am devastated, but I take some solace in knowing we were able to enjoy the ultimate rite of love and commitment before she passed.”

Gifts in lieu of flowers can be made to honor Del’s life and commitment and to defeat the California marriage ban through NCLR’s No On 8 PAC at www.nclrights.org/NoOn8.

To read the official Del Martin obituary from NCLR please click here (.pdf)

Resources:

San Francisco Chronicle article

Bay Area Reporter (B.A.R.) article

NCLR Press Release and Obituary

LGBT Journalists Hall of Fame - Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon

Lyon-Martin Health Services

No on Prop 8

The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. Del Martin was very close to NCLR and enthusiastically supported the organization as Phyllis continues to do.

http://www.nclrights.org/

.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a military branch of the United States involved in maritime law, mariner assistance, and search and rescue, among other duties of coast guards elsewhere.

One of the seven uniformed services of the United States, and the smallest armed service of the United States, its stated mission is to protect the public, the environment, and the United States economic and security interests in any maritime region in which those interests may be at risk, including international waters and America's coasts, ports, and inland waterways.

USCG has a broad and important role in homeland security, law enforcement, search and rescue, marine environmental pollution response, and the maintenance of river, intracoastal and offshore aids to navigation (ATON). It also lays claim to being the United States' oldest continuous seagoing service. The United States Coast Guard has about 40,150 men and women on active duty.

The Coast Guard's motto is Semper Paratus, meaning "Always Ready".

The Coast Guard's roots lie in the Revenue Cutter Service, which was founded on August 4, 1790 as part of the Department of the Treasury. An act of the U.S. Congress created the Coast Guard in 1915, with the merger of the Revenue Cutter Service and the United States Lifesaving Service. The United States Lighthouse Service was merged into the Coast Guard in 1939. The legal basis for the Coast Guard is Title 14 of the United States Code, which states: "The Coast Guard as established January 28, 1915, shall be a military service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times." Upon the declaration of war or when the President directs, the Coast Guard operates under the authority of the Department of the Navy. The Coast Guard later moved to the Department of Transportation in 1967, and on February 25, 2003 it became part of the Department of Homeland Security.

As members of a military service, Coast Guardsmen on active and reserve service are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and receive the same pay and allowances as members of the same pay grades in the other four armed services.

Learn more about the USCG and the Guard in San Francisco:

U. S. Coast Guard's 218th Birthday - Happy Birthday from San Francisco!

Big Changes for the U. S. Coast Guard

USCGC Bertholf - Great Video!

Coast Guard D11 San Francisco Changes Command

USCG Ocean Rescue - See Video Here

Coast Guard and Wizard's Keith Colburn Join Forces

Cal Maritime's Golden Bear Aids Coast Guard in Daring Sea Rescue

Coast Guard Gets Fifth HC-144A Ocean Sentry Aircraft

USCGC Morgenthau Gets New Commander in Singapore

USCGB Eagle Meets USCGC Bertholf in San Francisco - Historic Photo!

Coast Guard's Waesche - 2nd National Security Cutter - is Christened

USCGC Berthold Comes Home to Alameda for First Time

SemperPeratus.com - lots of Coast Guard links and information

Learn more about the United States Coast Guard here!

.

The Life of Joe Biden.

The following timeline was prepared by Politico.com

Nov. 20, 1942 — Joseph Robinette Biden is born to car salesman Joseph R. Biden Sr. and Catherine Eugenia Finnegan in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

1953 — Moved to Claymont, Delaware with parents and three siblings.

1961 — Graduated from Archmere Academy in Claymont. Was a standout athlete but stuttered and was reluctant to speak publicly, despite fascination with politics.

1965 — Graduated from University of Delaware, majoring in political science and history.

Aug. 27, 1966 — Married New York native Neilia Hunter after meeting her two years earlier on spring break trip in the Bahamas.

1968 — Graduated from Syracuse University School of Law. Begins work as in Wilmington law firm and as a public defender. Admitted to Delaware bar a year later.

Nov. 1970 — Elected to New Castle Town Council at 28.

Nov. 1972 — Just short of his 30th birthday, Biden narrowly defeats Republican incumbent J. Caleb Boggs to become the fifth-youngest senator in history.

Dec. 18, 1972 — While Biden is in Washington, his wife and three children are involved in a car crash while Christmas shopping not far from their home in Delaware. Neilia and young daughter Naomi are killed. Two sons, Beau and Hunter, are critically injured but survive after lengthy hospitalizations.

Jan. 5, 1973 — Sworn in as senator at his sons’ bedside.

Jan. 1975 — Appointed to Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

June 17, 1977 — Married Jill Tracy Jacobs, a teacher from Delaware, following a two-year courtship. The couple have a daughter, Ashley, born in 1981.

Nov. 1978 — Easily defeats Republican James H. Baxter Jr. for reelection.

Nov. 1984 — Easily defeats Republican John M. Burris for reelection.

June 9, 1987 — Announces presidential candidacy at Wilmington’s train station, vowing to reverse Reagan-era policies.

Sept. 1987 — Accused of plagiarizing speech by British Labour leader Neil Kinnock. Later claims he had often used the quote with attribution and simply forgot to credit Kinnock on the day he was videotaped. Days later it’s discovered that he plagiarized a law review article in a class paper as a Syracuse law student. Biden also falsely claims he graduated in the "top half" of his class when he finished 76th in a class of 85.

Oct. 23, 1987 — After a contentious set of confirmation hearings chaired by Biden, the U.S. Senate rejects the Supreme Court nomination of Robert H. Bork.

Nov. 1990 — Wins reelection to U.S. Senate with 63 percent of the vote.

Oct. 1991 — Biden presides over the confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas, drawing criticism from Democrats for his performance.

Sept. 13, 1994 — President Clinton signs the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, a massive anti-crime bill Biden helped write. The so-called Biden Crime Bill included the Violence Against Women Act, authored by Biden.

Nov. 1996 — Wins reelection to U.S. Senate with 60 percent of the vote.

June 2001 — When Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords leaves the Republican Party, Biden becomes chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He loses the position when the GOP retakes the Senate in the 2002 elections.

Sept. 2002 — Biden and Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, co-author an alternative version of the Iraq war resolution that would have restricted the President’s war-making authority. It fails.

Oct. 11, 2002 — Biden votes to authorize the use of force in Iraq.

Nov. 2002 — Wins reelection to U.S. Senate with 58 percent of the vote.

Aug. 11, 2003 — Biden announces he will not run for president in 2004, saying his odds would be too much of a “long shot.”

Jan. 4, 2007 — With the swearing in of the new Congress, Biden returns to his position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Jan. 31, 2007 — Begins his candidacy for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination amid a field already crowded with high-profile candidates.

Jan. 3, 2008 — Drops out of presidential race after placing fifth in the Iowa caucuses, winning only 1 percent of the vote.

Aug. 23, 2008 — Joins Barack Obama on the Democratic ticket.

Resources:
Politico.com The Life of Biden
Contact Joe Biden (from Delaware Democratic Party)
Senator Joe Biden - Senate website
Joe Biden Biolgraphy & Info (from the Washington Post)
Joe Biden biography (from Wikipedia)
Wilmington, Delaware (from Wikipedia)
Obama-Biden Campaign Headquarters
Democratic National Convention, Aug 25-28, Denver, Colorado

The following video message from Joe Biden was made available on Sunday, August 24th, and I want to share it with you here. It runs 3 minutes and 9 seconds. Here it is:



For more information go to: Meet Joe Biden
.