Scientists Explore Use Of Global Warming To Thaw Mars

Amazing, there are a number of scientists associated with space exploration within the U.S. that are exploring the mass use of creating global warming on Mars to thaw out the planet and to melt the global ice caps and other frozen areas in order to improve the temperature and hopefully create an oxygen-rich life supporting environment there.

Some possible plans call for mass fluorocarban generators to reduce the ozone level on the plant and allow more sunlight to raise the temperature and other plans to grow plants that will produce oxygen on a wide scale level. It is highly poosible that Mars can sometime be populated by humans and reduce the stresses on the Earth once the planet is made into an inhabitable planet that can support all types of life.

While much of this possible mission is still many years away, it is still highly likely that Mars may become a type of annnex for Earth and help to reduce stresses on the planet caused by industrialization.

Sam John Hooson, Jr 1929-2007

On Tuesday at about 1pm at our home, I faced something that I hoped I would never witness, the death of my father from an apparent severe stroke. After months of illness for unrelated colon illness, my father simply became very weak in the last few days and got up out of bed and died in the bathroom. Life has been very difficult caring for him recently due to all of his health needs which were nothing like his strong and hardworking nature all through his life. There was never a lazy bone in his body.

My father worked as a teenager for his father's hardware store, HOOSON's HARDWARE, and at the age of 16 took a job with FRED MEYER's BAKERY as a baker and spent 45 years in this occupation. He finally retire at the age of 64 after technology had speeded up production to over 100 loaves a minute and his knees were simply too worn out,even with various medical procedures, to keep up with this fast production level any longer.

My father was also a strong union man, and became a worker/safety inspector at his plant for his union, cutting down on workplace accidents and injuries. It was also this union membership that provided him an excellent wage, job security, and a great retirement package. Any American who does not have a union job absolutely needs to get one if they want to enjoy their share of the American dream. Many of America's most professional and highest paid workers are union members.

My father was also loyally devoted to his wife, Eileen, my mother, for what would have been 58 years of marriage this coming September. My mother is in shock and deeply heartbroken as I am. With so many broken homes nowadays, witnessing a lifelong love relationship that extended literally to "death due you part" is sometimes rarer these days. More good relationships like this as well as fathers as good as my father would go a long ways to healing and improving American society where many men do not take responsibilty as seriously as they should to their wife or family.

My father was also a prouud member of the U.S. Army and was stationed as a cook at a prisoner of war camp due to his experience in the food industry back in 1950 when he was drafted into the military as he planned to marry my mother.

My father always loved dogs, and his little dachshound buddy, Samuel Fudge, was right by his side throughout his illness and provided him an important source of friendship and love, besides his family. With no grandchildren as of yet between his three children, Sam III, Diane or me, Paul, a dog was the closest thing to a grandchild he ever had. Anyone touched to do so may make a donation to their local humane society or animal shelter and help to feed and care for homeless dogs and cats until they can find a loving home like our dogs and cats have done through the years.

God bless my father for being such a loyal, devoted, and very hardworker who did all that he could for his family and provided them a wonderful life. Cetainly God has to have a place in his paradise for such a wonderful man who was very friendly, but sometimes annoyed my mother by finding someone to talk to somewhere after he retired and could find the time to become more personable. But my father could always find a project to stay busy, and I often let him take the lead, but often acted in a supporting role to help him. Our last father/son project was only two months ago when he helped me assemble my motor scooter when it arrived on a wood pallet from the importer. His many, many, family, friends, neighbors and others who loved this great man will deeply miss him.

God bless you, dad. Please let me know what paradise is like somehow, if God gives you the time. You always said to me that experiencing death would be embarking on one last great adventure. One in which one would find out if there a hereafter and hopefully would meet God in paradise. I love you and already deeply miss you. I'll take good care of mother, your three homes, Samuel Fudge, and car for you. I promise.

Life will be mucher tougher here without you. But I'll cope somehow and try to be like you and roll up my sleeves and do right by you and make you proud. Please forgive any of my shortcomings in the past, when I sometimes did not measure up to your expectations. God bless you dad. I deeply love you. I promise I won't let you down.----Your loving son, Paul

Drew Carey Wins The PRICE IS RIGHT Jackpot!

Former U.S. Marine and crew cut haired comic, Drew Carey has won the coveted spot to replace Bob Barker as the host of the PRICE IS RIGHT. This has to be the greatest gig ever for this great comic, who is something of a relative rarity in Hollywood, conservative leaning politically.

But Drew Carey is not all that very public about his political opinions, which he seems to more closely hold to himself. For being a former Marine, Carey is exceptionally loose and very easy to get along with. Producers of TV shows love just type of personality where some others who are difficult or prone to abuse of some substance are the worst types by comparison. And Carey seems free of any shortcomings and at ease as host who really enjoys any job that he does. Part of the fun of watching Drew Carey is watching him have fun working such as on WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY?

Carey is an excellent choice to host the PRICE IS RIGHT. He has one of the nicest personalities and is one of the funniest actors in Hollywood. He is certainly worth watching as host, and should be able to carry on the strong ratings of the PRICE IS RIGHT. CBS did good! The best of luck to Drew Carey.

Post Debate Review: Barack Obama Finally Gets Good Debate Marks From Viewers

Senator Barack Obama finally impresed many undecided viewers of Monday's CNN sponsored Democratic debate that featured questions sent in by YouTube viewers to post debate questions. This is the first time in any recent Democratic presidential debate that Obama has really been able to convey a strong sense of being at ease, in grasp of the issues, and able to present a clearer vision of the future that conveys hope to voters for a real sense of change, and that Obama has the strengths required to be president. In previous debates he appeared both young, and with little real experience that seemed to fall flat compared to Hillary Clinton whose strength only seemed to grow with each debate.

A softer version of Hillary Clinton did not seem to convey as much strength to some voters to many as in previous debates in which she clearly blew the others off the stage with a very strong performance. While the tougher version of Hillary Clinton seemed to rub some viewers wrong in past debates, the overall impression is that many voters seem to like that toughness, almost like Margaret Thatcher's "Iron Lady" image as someone that they feel secure with. For a woman candidate that may be a very important image to cultivate.

John Edwards performance was not as great. He exhibited a little nervousness and was not quite as impressive as was really needed to break out from the pack. At times he and the other male candidates with the exception of Obama appeared to hang on to the podium for dear life, or else Edwards was seen to put his hands in his pockets. Edwards won't move up the ladder on either Clinton or Obama with this particular performance, which could have been a lot better.

For Obama, the good news is that his performance seemed to finally match his hype and excellent fundraising levels. It's about time. This is the type of Obama that the public expected from all the hope and the hype. And for Clinton, it will be back to the drawing board for more image retooling, to draw a happy medium between a more personable nature and that tough image that makes voters feel more secure for anyone with ambitions to be president.

China's Flooding Problems Often A Result Of A Lack Of Land Planning And Over-Industrialization

In the last several years, China has experienced flooding that has left an estimated 20 million persons homeless, creating a serious, but often manmade, tragedy. Even some ranking members of the Chinese government are quick to admit that over-industrialization including the weakening of river banks by the over-removal of trees and foilage and the building of homes and industry way too close to river banks has weakened these river banks, and with the damage to these natural land barriers that contain rivers gone, river flooding disasters are becoming far more common.

Like an industrial society, China must understand the value of land planning and realize that certain environmental and land conservation efforts are vital to stemming the rising number of flooding disasters. Mankind often has far more control over preventing natural disasters like flooding than they realize. Careful land planning is essential to preventing serious disasters such as flooding.

Certainly China wants to continue it's recent role as one of the largest economies in the world. But some control and planning will prevent more environmental disasters in China that can be prevented by manmade means. The role of man to impact his environment is far greater than many realize.

Turkey's Islamist Victory Cements A Path Towards An Islamic Society In This Vital NATO Ally

Since the 1920's revolution in Turkey that upended centuries of the Ottoman Empire rule of Turkey, Turkey officially revamped it's image as a secular state that wanted to become a respected member of the modern world. Now with this weeken's landslide by the Islamist party candidates in Turkey, the role of Turkey as a key member of NATO and as a cornerstone state in the European Economic Union remains somewhat in question.

If Turkey drifts too far from the status of a modern secular state and increasingly becomes an Islamic religion influence state, then a sense of concern will only grow within NATO and the European Economic Union about whether this is indeed a real partner state. This could eventually impact the continued role of Turkey in both organizations if this drift towards Islam continues. Turkey is now in the role of a delicate balance. Can a government controlled by strong Islamists keep up enough appearances of a secular state, or will this government continue to grow the power of the Islamic elements and religious leaders?

For now relations within NATO and the European Economic Union will continue much as before. But at some point the brakes may start to go on as the type of civil liberties and freedoms with this secular state are chipped away and replaced with more and more Islamic laws and regulations.

Turkey could even emerge as something of a danger to Western interests if the slide towards Islam becomes too strong as well. All of this should give the leaders of Turkey pause to be sure that they continue the present secular state path or else endanger their role as the only main Muslim member state of both NATO and the EU.

HARRY POTTER Clashes With Israel's Religious Laws

While the seventh and probably final book in the ultrapopular HARRY POTTER series has raised a huge worldwide throng of buyers to purchase this final work by J.K. Rowling after it's post midnight release one minute after Friday ends, in Israel fans of this book will just have to wait.

In Israel, where Old Testament Jewish religious law is written into the religious states official laws, by law all bookstores and businesses are closed on the Sabbath. Ultraorthodox lawmakers even attempted to pressure the publisher of the latest HARRY POTTER book to delay the worldwide release because of the type of problems it might create in Israel where young buyers would want to rush to pick up the book just like the buyers in 93 more nations will. The book will be translated into many languages and distributed eventually in nearly every nation at some point.

Interestingly, there is an "American English" translation that does vary somewhat from the orginal version that is released in England.

But in Israel, it has been interesting to see that a clash of a modern cultural phenomenon has presented one of the strongest challenges ever to the officially encoded religious laws of the state. For the first major time, there is a strong modernistic trend towards a secularism that questions the role of religion in a state, even though the state is officially a Jewish religion state.

While this HARRY POTTER incident will pass, it will nonetheless inspire more businesses such as nightclubs and bars and grocery stores, etc. to begin to challenge the authority of the state to impose religious law on private business and enterprise, as many persons in Israel, especially the young, live a more secular existence.

Israel is also far different that other parts of the Mideast in it's open attitude towards it's public sale of alcohol, lack of laws restrictibg the sale of pornographic materials, sometimes fairly open prostitution, and other open society factors that seem to sometimes clash with the official religious nature of the state.

Will this officially religious state at some point become even more secular in nature? Maybe. Yet the more Orthodox in the Jewish faith still believe that Israel is the only government and state truly established by God and subject to his laws from the Torah. Their version of honoring the Sabbath restricts all work and business on that day, and many will walk to worship, rather than ride in a car.

Democratic Majority In U.S. House Slows "Fast Track" Trade Deals

In both the U.S. and South Korea, as well as South America, a growing chorus of concerns from workers is rising that Fast Track trade legislation are not good for all parties involved. The U.S. House under the new Democratic control has been more responsible to these concerns and has will not reauthorize this Fast Track, and will not ratify such new deals with Panama, Columbia, Peru and South Korea. In the future of any South American trade deals, worker's rights will have to have the same consideration of thise rights of investors, an important step forward to treating South American workers with dignity.

Not only has Fast Track deals hurt American jobs, but it has clearly worsened the economic standing of many living in states such as Mexico, creating a wave of economic refugees to the U.S. as wages dropped by about a third among farm workers.

Whether this vote by the House will really stand, or more trade deals will be made without t5he real consent of Congress remains to be seen. But at least Congress hoped to put the brakes on Fast Track deals that benefit only a few importers or manufacturers and create more problems for many more.

Overnight Pizza Sleep Over Was A Flop

The Iraq War is a very serious issue that the overnight pizza sleepover event in the U.S. Senate only degraded regardless of the side you're on with this war. It is very unfortunate that this event turned in political theatre at it's worst and did not move the discussion in any real direction of a conclusion to this conflict or answers for longlasting peace in the Mideast region.

By the way, any rumors that Senator David Vitter(R-Louisiana) needed to move many beds into the Senate chambers to accomodate the many women in his life are not true.

Bush Administration Ramping Up Al Qaeda In Iraq Fears Beyond The Real Threat Level

Certainly the terrorist Al Qaeda organization is no-good at all. This organization has contributed nothing more than death to many, many civilians only to advance their extremist religious and political values. In Iraq, this organization has proven the most deadly to civilians there, hoping to fan further sectarian fighting and tensions. This organization has proven itself far less lethal to most American troops, due to security measures except for many smaller roadside bomb attacks. It is the "soft" targets in Iraq such as civilians that are most vulnerable to such a dastardly terrorist organization.

Now the Bush Administration will have the American public believe that this weak terrorist organization is somehow planning a spectacular attack in the U.S., when they seem to be logistically unable to mount even large scales attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq. Once again, it is like the "boy crying wolf" from the Bush Administration who are cheapening the serious need for homeland security and caution to aid their failing Iraq War policy.

Certainly the public must keep their eyes open to prevent any future terrorist plots here. But more likely those plots would be planned in Pakistan or another nation where Al Qaeda functions more freely than Iraq. In a great many ways, this latest scare by the Bush Administration just seems like another desperate way to keep the U.S. involved in Iraq by claiming a danger far greater from Al Qaeda than they have so far been proven capable of.

NY Firefighter's Union Ad Against Giuliani Proves That "Swift Boating" Ads Will Again Prove To Be A Big Factor In 2008

In 2004, the success of the unusual attack ads on John Kerry by the "Swift Boat Veterans For Truth", which made a number of very vague, and often unfactual attacks, proved to be so successful, that it surely emerge again in 2008. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended restrictions on many of these type of ads will also help.

A new ad by a NY Firefighters union atacking Rudolph Giuliani appears to be the first of a new generation of "Swift Boats" inspired ads designed to bring down a candidate. Probably decisions by Giuliani related to NY firefighter's wages, pensions and other matters probably inspired this more than anything. But it is an attempt to bring down Giuliani's "9/11 image" that his campaign has been grooming.

It is probably safe to say that the "Swift Boats" type ads will be a major factor in the 2008 election, and used by all sides thanks to the recent Supreme Court decision that has given these type of negative ads a clear green light to procede at full speed. Whether these ads really educate voters, or simply "tar and feather" unfairly politicians with vague, often false, smears, will also be highly open to debate as well.

Christian Automobile Repair Charity Needs Your Help

In Vancouver, Washington a small Christian automobile charity that provides free or low cost auto repair work or even replacement automobiles to those whose cars are too worn out vitally needs your help right now. The CARpenter's Garage is a unique Christian run business in that it provides a vital service to the poor who cannot afford to pay for needed auto repairs as well as provide regular paid service work to the public who have regular financial means.

In the last year, this organization gave away as much as $100,000 in automobiles to poor persons whose cars were too worn out to repair as well as provided thousands and thousands of dollars of free or even very low cost sliding scale work, parts and many, many manhours of labor to the poor of Vancouver, Washington.

If you'd like to help out this very worthy organization, then donations can be sent to: Dare To Live:P.O. Box 2495, Vancouver, Washington 98668 or you can call 360-696-4009 for more information. Any donation check to this Christian charity should be made out to: CARpenter's Garage.

While horses or other primitive travel may have been popular in the days of Jesus, this wonderful organization provides vital help to the modern society built on the need for motorized transportation so that the poor can drive to work or school, or even live in their car if they are homeless.

In order to stay in their building and continue to provide this charity service, $60,000 in donations are vitally needed right now by CARpenter's Garage. A very small amount to continue this important service for the poor of SouthWestern Washington. If there is any way you can help this charity, then God will certainly bless you in many ways by helping this wonderful organization. So please help them out if you can.

Surprise, Surprise, Iraq's Government Fails To Meet Benchmarks

Who could have seen this coming? Iraq's woefully dysfunctional government that is dominated by Shiite religious extremists and violent Shiite militia organizations such as the Badr and Wolf Brigades that only contributes to the sectarian violence in Iraq, rather than prevents it, has failed to meet many important "benchmarks" for progress.

Could it be that this dysfunctional government that can't even provide clean drinking water, keep electric lights on all day long, or has an Interior Ministry that is run by violent militia members who terrorize colleges and kill the professors is the wrong sort of government for Iraq?

American lives continue to be lost for a government that is a complete failure in Iraq. About the only thing the U.S. can do is to support a coup to overthrow this government, and end democratic elections for the near future, and allow an umbrella of secular based government role model National List partners under the leadership of Ayad Allawi to rule Iraq, and stop the violence, clean up the corruption, disband the militias, stop Al Qaeda, get the lights on, provide clean drinking water, open up schools and health clinics, and create a modern investment based economy in Iraq. The U.S. or any nation needing Iraq's oil, then would be free and safe to invest in exploiting this asset as the revenue would go to building a new and better modern Iraq, and not the primitive, almost prehistoric sectarian conflict state now in power.

The current government of Iraq is the problem. It needs to be changed if the U.S. intends any measure of success in Iraq.

Lady Bird Johnson

With the passing of Lady Bird Johnson today, America lost a great 1960's personality who was one of first great environmental champions who sought to beautify America among other leadership things. While John Kennedy was all about image, he was mostly unable to achieve many of his goals, but with a wave of public support as well as sympathy, President Johnson was one of the greatest presidents of all time with new programs under his Great Society and War On Poverty programs. Medicare, Medicaid, and many other programs got their start under LBJ. And these programs improved life for millions. But it was the continued war in Vietnam that destroyed his presidency.

Lady Bird Johnson and LBJ achieved the most for this country since FDR. They were great leaders for America and highly underrated by both the public at the time and by the historians. But both impacted the lives of many Americans and raised up African Americans and others from poverty and the ghetto.

Lady Bird Johnson remained interested in the news and current events until her death. Like her husband, they were both great leaders who impacted society for the best at the time. A great woman.

Dealing With The Illness Of Two Parents

I hope the readers of PROGRESSIVE VALUES will stick around, as I've been dealing with the illness of two parents and I've been spending a lot of time at the hospital recently or providing care. My father collapsed in my backyard last week, and needed to be hospitalized for the second time in a just month. And my mother has serious ongoing health issues as well.

I'll make every attempt to be back again on a daily basis with compelling features as well as some interesting products and CD/movie reviews as well to round things out. Please remain a loyal reader and still with me as I try to cope with the bad stuff going on at home, dealing with two ill parents. Thanks so much, and God bless you.

Not Your Typical July 4, Fireworks

Yesterday, while walking along a beach in Florida with her dog, a woman noticed a large barnacle covered object, a torpedo from a WWII submarine. She notified authorities who brought in Navy explosives experts who found the torpedo still active and detonated it on the beach because of the extreme danger if it was moved.

Such is the bitter legacy of war. Long after wars are over, forgotten landmines kill or maim. Lost unexploded bombs endanger lives. Farmers in Belgium discover an average of two to three unexploded shells and bombs every day since WWII while working their fields.

War not only takes many lives during the actual conflict, but continues a danger for years as unexploded weapons continue to surface. In the case of the "Florida torpedo", this deadly bomb missed it's ship and instead continued to float in the ocean for over 60 years until washing ashore.

Since the end of the Vietnam War for example, 38,000 people in Vietnam have been killed and another 100,000 wounded by unexploded French, American and Vietnamese shells, bombs and booby trap devices.

Whatever Happened To Civility?

A very and disappointing thing happened to me this week when I was the subject of some highly personal attacks on another website by a blogger and some commenters who were not simply content just to disagree with my opinions about Ann Coulter after I condemned her comments on ABC's GOOD MORNING AMERICA by Coulter jokingly encouraging the assassination by terrorists of a major presidential candidate. I thought this Coulter comment was extremely meanspirited and was especially sick, and compares with her other murder or death comments for other public figures that Coulter launches like handgrenades every so often.

I like to excuse the media as having no influence on actual conduct. But maybe I'm wrong. I was subject to highly personal attacks as outrageous as Coulter herself could have penned on one website. Maybe, Coulter and others like her have so coarsened up the airwaves and culture that civility is now on life support. Coulter and others like her have turned street level politics into a professional wrestling tirade of extreme trash talk and a gutter of meaness and venom.

In the real world, senators and congressmen are friendly rivals who wine and dine with other, and party loyalty is not really a big thing. But at the street level, a few highly partisan souls act as though party loyalty is the same as support for a football, basketball or baseball team, and carry this to a fantical extreme. I think this is a sign of sickness. I say get a life.

Government is only a system to determine how schools and streets lights are paid for. But some fanatics develop strange extremist passions where party loyalty is everything, and shouting down your opponent with the worse possible insult is highly valued. Where did all of lack of civility come from? Only a few years ago someone like an Ann Coulter who jokingly encourages terrorists and assassins would be banned from the public airwaves. Comic Jackie Mason was banned from the airwaves for years after a controversy that pales compared to Coulter's remarks. Only recently, radio comic, Don Imus lost his 40 year career over a tacky little racial joke. But Coulter, and others like her, whose humor is much like those who shout fire in a crowded theatre just to get a laugh, only continue to pollute the airwaves. Where did society go so wrong?

Maybe social critics like William Bennett are right. American society has become too coarse and is in a state of decline and America is a dying society while the nations in Asia are booming by comparison. Go on Ann, tell your coarse jokes where no bounds of decency need be respected, and millions learn to imitate your style of nonthinking and rampant insult tossing.

Hasbro And General Motors Both Hope For A TRANSFORMERS Thunderbolt Surge

With a new block buster movie that should inspire a big boom in toys for kids, Hasbro is banking on the TRANSFORMERS movie to boost their toy sales of this popular product line like a thunderbolt. General Motors also is banking on increased auto sales with a tie-in promotional campaign as these popular 1980's toys are now making a nostalgia comeback to buyers now old enough to buy real cars and trucks.

These toys were inspired from Japanese toys that date back to the 1970's, and many Japanese TRANSFORMERS-type toys exist. On the Web, Big Bad Toys is a leading speacialist in new and vintage TRANSFORMERS-type toys.

Hasbro has had a up and down history with the G.I. JOE action figure line. During times of peace, this line of products sells well, but as the U.S. gets bogged down in long quagmires like Vietnam and Iraq, where no end is in sight, then a public reaction begins to build against war toys, and sales often wane as the G.I. JOE toys begin disappearing from store shelves as the public begins a outcry against war toys.

TRANSFORMERS seem immune to such public pressures, instead trading on Sci Fi and a love for action not connected to a war weary public whose buying patterns can turn on a dime like the up and down market for G.I. JOE toys.

CREEPSHOW III Is Great Fun

Just when the CREEPSHOW franchise looked as dead as a few of the corpses in the series, the series blazes back in great form with a very entertaining new DVD that just hit the videostores. Unlike some of the overdone gore of SAW and similiar gross-out films, CREEPSHOW goes in for the laughs with creepy tales where morality goes horriby wrong and bad consequences come down the line eventually to the guilty. This new CREEPSHOW film manages to maintain a spirit much much like the 1950's comics like TALES FROM THE CRYPT and other outrageous horror comics of this age before Congress and the Comics Code existed.

CREEPSHOW III, may not compare to the first installment from way back in 1982, and have big-time recognizable stars, but it seems better than the hasty 1987 CREEPSHOW 2 in many ways. In DVD form, the crystal-clear picture also adds to the sheer enjoyment of this film as a great guilty pleasure.

Some of the best segments include a girl's life seriously impacted by a TV remote control in strange ways, a loser whose life is brought to ruin after he acquires a strange radio on the street, and a murderous prostitute. All of the stories take on very weird unexpected twists and turns that you will never expect and is as good and as much fun as the old TALES FROM THE CRYPT series that HBO used to market, and is in fact a product of HBO.

If you love the old 1950's horror comics, then you'll love this very good horror flick in the same vein(get it). CREEPSHOW III is way cool fun! Rent a copy, or better yet, buy a copy today for your DVD collection today. Highly Recommended +++