Paul Harvey, News Commentator and Talk-Radio Pioneer Died Today at 90

Saturday, February 28, 2009

About Photo: November 9, 2005- President George W. Bush presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to legendary radio personality Paul Harvey, one of 14 recipients of the 2005 Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded.
White House file Photo
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Paul Harvey, the news commentator and talk-radio pioneer whose staccato style made him one of the nation's most familiar voices, died Saturday in Arizona, FOX News has confirmed. He was 90... [Mr.] Harvey died surrounded by family at a hospital in Phoenix, where he had a winter home, said Louis Adams, a spokesman for ABC Radio Networks, where Harvey worked for more than 50 years. No cause of death was immediately available…
FoxNews.com has more on Mr. Harvey HERE
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In Memory of…
AubreyJ………

AubreyJ’s Energy Update Report - February 28, 2009

Saturday, February 28, 2009

About this TV AD/Video: Our dependence on foreign energy must come to an end.
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The following is from an e-mail I received Friday by Mr. Pickens himself…

I wanted to make certain you've seen our new Pickens Plan ad. This one talks about how our dependence on foreign oil can have real national security repercussions.
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Just last month Russia cut off supplies of natural gas to Europe because they were in a price squabble with Ukraine. The Europeans had to beg Russia to turn the gas back on because it was the dead of winter and people were in danger of freezing to death.
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Here's the thing: Europe doesn't import nearly the same percentage of natural gas from Russia as we do oil from the Middle East, Africa and Venezuela. We are at real risk of being dictated to by foreign governments who don't like us very much because we continue to import almost 70 percent of the oil we use every day.
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Take a look at our new Pickens Plan ad and make sure you forward this to your family, friends and co-workers.
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-Boone

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Lots more can be found at the PickensPlan.com website
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AubreyJ………

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 133-09 February 28, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Brian M. Connelly, 26, of Union Beach, N.J., died February 26th in Adhamiya, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his vehicle was struck by an explosive device. He was assigned to the 40th Engineer Battalion, Task Force 1-6, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
For more information the media may contact the U.S. Army, Europe, public affairs office at 011-49-6221-57-5816/8694.

President Obama Gives Major Speech on Iraq

President Obama Gives Major Speech on Iraq
Plans Troop Pullout from Iraq of most of our combat troops by August 31, 2010
Friday, February 27, 2009

White House Photo
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"Let me say this as plainly as I can. By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end"
President Obama
. About photo: U.S. Soldiers assigned to 556th Signal Company, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division–Baghdad wait to board a transit bus on Camp Taji, Iraq, Feb. 23, 2009. The Soldiers are taking the bus to a staging area for redeployment back to Hawaii, concluding their 15-month deployment to Iraq.
DoD photo by Sgt. Jacob H. Smith, U.S. Army
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Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery

Responsibly Ending the War in Iraq

Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

Friday, February 27, 2009
Click HERE to read full Transcript of Speech
(Note: I will post the video as soon as one comes up)

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* FOXNews.com has the following report…
President Obama, declaring there is "renewed cause for hope in Iraq," on Friday announced his plan to end combat operations in Iraq by August of next year…
Read the full report at link below…
Obama Announces Plan to End Iraq Combat Missions by August 2010
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* Reuters brings us this report…
Republican Senator John McCain, who battled Barack Obama hard on the campaign trail on the Iraq war, said Friday he supports President Obama's plans to remove U.S. combat forces from Iraq over 19 months…
Read the rest at link below…
McCain backs Obama Iraq pullout plan
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* VOANews.com reports it this way…
U.S. President Barack Obama says he will withdraw all American combat troops from Iraq by the end of August 2010… Mr. Obama made the announcement Friday to Marines at Camp Lejeune, a U.S. military base in the southeastern state of North Carolina…The president says up to 50,000 troops could stay in Iraq for limited missions in training and combating terrorism, but that he intends to remove all troops from Iraq by the end of 2011…
Read their report in full at link below…
Obama Announces Iraq Exit Plan

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President Obama's Iraq Withdrawal Speech

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Breaking News, World News, aNews about the Economy

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AubreyJ………

Widows Stunned at Prosecution, Declined Plea Offer in Fragging Case

Widows Stunned at Prosecution…
Declined Plea Offer in Fragging Case
Thursday, February 26, 2009
.Official Portrait of LTG John R. Vines
US Army file Photo

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First of all I want to let you know how this case came to my attention.
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It was from a concerned young lady named Cathy Hughes who sent me the following email…
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I am writing to comment on your blog of January 13, 2006, and posted as below:

"Now how can you not help but to like this guy-- Army Lt. General John
R. Vines, Commanding General of Multinational Corps Iraq and the 18th
Airborne Corps??? Today when he was asked by a reporter about the
whereabouts of the enemy forces engaged during last year's fighting in
Anbar province...
General Vines calmly responded: "Many of them are dead."
Keep after them General... Keep after them......
AubreyJ........".

What you may or may not know is that on April 3, 2006, not even six
months after this blog, Army Lt. General John R. Vines rejected the
guilty plea of Staff Sgt Alberto Martinez in the fragging deaths of Lt
Louis Allen and Captain Phillip Esposito, who were killed in Iraq on
June 7, 2005. After three and a half years of postponements and other
issues, Staff Sgt Alberto Martinez was aquitted of all charges. He
was honorably discharged by the Army and now lives as a free man, I am
sure with all his benefits in place. Lt Louis Allen and Captain
Phillip Esposito left many wives, children, family and friends that
are devistated by this outcome. The death certificates of these fine
men list their deaths in the Non-Hostile category, which makes them
ineligible for the Purple Heart. In addition, Staff Sgt Alberto
Martinez repeatedly had threatened Captain Esposito before this
current crime was committed, and no mention of this guilty plea was
ever mentioned at trial. In fact, the guilty plea offer was signed by
Maj. Marc Cipriano and Maj. E. John Gregory, the lawyers for the
Martinez. An article in the New York Times noted Army regulations
permit them to sign such a plea offer only if they believe the client
committed the crime.

The families deserve answers in this case. Lt. Allen and Captain
Esposito are not collateral damage. They are not expendable. Neither
is anyone else serving our country with honor. They deserve protection
from those in the ranks who are devoid of such. I hope and pray that
you review your comments and retract them for they condone practices
that will keep all of our military in danger.

Sincerely,

Catherine Hughes

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I replied with the following email…
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Hello, Cathy…

Thanks for your letter.

Back in 2006, my main and only point in my post was to tell the troops and Lt. General John R. Vines, ‘Job well done in taking the fight to our enemies. How can you not like this guy for that’.

The things you bring up were not in the mix, as far as I knew… and until your letter… this is the first I have ever heard of it.

From everything I’ve heard in the past about Lt. General John R. Vines, he has had nothing but a reputable reputation. But no one is perfect and mistakes are made by everyone. Some much bigger than others…

I can not and will not retract my statements from my 2006 posting. I stand behind them and the troops 1000%. But I will check into the matter you have brought to me and will comment accordingly in a new, future Post.

Bottom line… If the General has done wrong… so be it. I will gladly help you in bringing out the facts.

Thanks again…
AubreyJ………
AubreyJ.org

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After I received Cathy’s email the other day, I asked a few Blogging friends about it and I thank them again for their help in this matter. And as I told Cathy... I would check into the facts in this case... and the following is all I could come up with. .

* NewsDay.com had this report on their website Feb. 22nd… It goes in part like this. …The offer was rejected by Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, now retired… Maj. John Benson, a prosecutor in the case who was not involved in the decision to reject the plea offer, says there was concern within the Army that Martinez might have been eligible for parole after 10 years despite having acknowledged murdering two officers…
Read this short report at link below…
Prosecution declined plea offer in 'fragging' case
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* LoHud.com had this report on Feb. 22nd… The widows of two Army officers killed in Iraq more than three years ago say they were not informed that the soldier acquitted in the killing of their husbands had made an earlier offer to plead guilty… Staff Sgt. Alberto Martinez was found not guilty Dec. 4 of two charges of premeditated murder by a military jury after a six-week trial at Fort Bragg, N.C. He was accused of setting off a claymore mine and grenades that killed Capt. Phillip Esposito, 30, of Suffern and 1st Lt. Louis Allen of Milford, Pa., in Tikrit in June 2005…
Read the full report at link below…
Widows stunned at offer of guilty plea in fragging case
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* Here's a few more articles I found on this matter by way of Google Search…

> 1st Lt. Lou Allen's kin react to report on fragging case
> Army said no to guilty plea
> Cleared soldier's guilty plea was rejected
> After Guilty Plea Offer, G.I. Cleared of Iraq Deaths

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Hopefully by putting this Post up today, some of you will be able to run down some more info for us.
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Thanks to all and Kathy too…
AubreyJ………

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 129-09 February 26, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of four soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died February 24th in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle.

Killed were:
Capt. Brian M. Bunting, 29, of Potomac, Md. He was a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, assigned to the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Syracuse, N.Y.
Sgt. Schuyler B. Patch, 25, of Owasso Okla. He was assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 106th Cavalry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Kewanee, Ill.
Sgt. Scott B. Stream, 39, of Mattoon, Ill. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Effingham, Ill.
Sgt. Daniel J. Thompson, 24, of Madison, Wis. He was a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, assigned to the 715th Military Police Company, Melbourne, Fla.

For more information on Bunting, media may contact Mr. Eric Durr of the New York National Guard at (519) 786-4581.
For more information on Patch and Stream, media may contact Maj. Brad Leighton of the Illinois National Guard at (217) 761-3569.
For more information on Thompson, media may contact Lt. Col. Ron Tittle of the Florida National Guard at (904) 823-0166 or (904) 823-0168.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 125-09 February 25, 2009

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.1st Lt. William E. Emmert, 36, of Lincoln, Tenn., died February 24th in Mosul, Iraq, of wounds suffered when he was shot while participating in a local Iraqi Police function. The incident is under investigation.

He was assigned to the 269th Military Police Company, 117th Military Police Battalion, Murfreesboro, Tenn.

For more information the media may contact Mr. Randy Harris, Tennessee National Guard at (615) 313-0662.

#27- Haynesville Shale Updates - Post Date Tuesday, February 24, 2009

NOTE: This post moved on top today from its original post date - Scroll for newer post below

Haynesville Shale

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Large Natural Gas Deposit, Northwest Louisiana
UPDATES:
February 24, 2009

Photo Credit: AubreyJ.........
Wells of Past, 1967 - Grandfather’s Farm - Red Shute Plantation
Bossier Parish
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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Hello everyone. Hope you’re all doing well these days…

Before we get started off with this round of posts on the Haynesville Shale, I just wanted to comment on the news out today on the startup of the first time ever drilling of the Haynesville Shale inside the Shreveport city limits. That’s GREAT NEWS for Shreveport and the residence of. Not to mention all those property owners.

I for one would have to say to all the different Groups out there, in the City Limits that are still sitting on the fence with their mineral rights… ‘IF YOU SNOOZE -- YOU LOSE’.

It’s looking to me like the door is finally closing on the Lets make a Deal on your Mineral Rights. So if one doesn’t want to get in a position of being “Forced Pooled’, it’s probably time to start getting back together and see where you need to go with all of this. Good luck to you all too! I really mean that…

Now… Let’s get started off with this round of posts on the Haynesville Shale.

* Here’s an article I found posted up on the ShreveportTimes.com website this morning touching off on the future drilling within the Shreveport City Limits. It starts off like this... Drilling of Shreveport's first well in the Haynesville Shale natural gas formation will begin this week next to Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway… It's important to know that urban drilling is different," Joan Dunlap, vice president of Petrohawk Energy Corp., said during the company's news conference at the well site Monday afternoon. "I know there are a lot of issues associated with urban drilling… Petrohawk Energy crews have cleared out the pad site for the well at the end of the riverfront parkway near the start of the Jimmie Davis Bridge, she said...The announcement of the site had less to do with any outside factors than it did keeping the lease on the property active — it is the site of the former Hamel's Amusement Park, Dunlap said…
Read the rest at link below…
Drilling of Shreveport's first Haynesville Shale well to start this week
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* KSLA.com reports it this way…
Since its discovery back in April of 2008, the Haynesville Shale has already had a massive impact on the ArklaTex, bringing in millions of dollars in lease money and jobs for all the drilling. Now, the nation's hottest natural gas play has hit another milestone: the first urban drilling rig will soon appear within Shreveport city limits. Site work began on Friday with crews clearing out what was once an open field behind Hamel's park between Clyde Fant and 70th Street.
Read their report in full at link below…
Urban drilling arrives in Shreveport

>View their News Video HERE
Note: More to come, I’m sure, at above link late tonight/in morning so check back

> Also from KSLA is this report from Feb. 23rd…
Leasing has slowed down in the Haynesville Shale since the credit crunch came to a head, and the bottom fell out on natural gas prices, but it hasn't stopped all together…
Read the rest at link below…
Haynesville Shale still a hot topic for local residents
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* KTBS.com has it reported this way today…
Petrohawk Energy company has begun urban drilling for natural gas in Shreveport... After completing nearly 20 energy wells in rural areas of Bossier, DeSoto, Red River and Caddo parishes, Petrohawk has begun work on a test well on the Hamel family property near Clyde Fant Parkway and East 70th Street…
Read the rest at link below...
Petrohawk begins urban drilling in Shreveport

>View their News Video HERE

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POST UPDATE:
Wednesday, February 25, 2009

* KSLA.com has this report posted today. It starts off like this…
A major lease-broker in the Haynesville Shale confirms they will not be negotiating with groups anymore. It's not good news for many of the dozens of neighborhood organizations that have formed over the past several months in search of better lease terms… Monday night KSLA News 12 reported that the East 80 Oil and Gas Leasing Coalition has run into a roadblock in their attempts to negotiate with Chesapeake Energy: they've been told the company's leasing broker, Twin Cities Development, will only deal with individuals…
Read the rest at link below…
Twin Cities confirms "no group negotiations" policy.

> Also from KSLA is this article, with News Video…
Neighbors of the first urban drilling operation in Shreveport say they were surprised to wake up Friday to the sights and sounds of a construction site drilling operation outside their back doors… "Friday morning, my neighbor called me and said, 'Look out your window,' and I said, 'What the Hell!'…
Read the rest at link below…
Neighbors disturbed by new drilling rig next door

>View their News Video HERE

.* I’ll be updating this post again in the next day or so, SO CHECK BACK! *

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* Links of Interest *
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* City of Shreveport website...
Shreveport Shale

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* ShreveCentre Coalition
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* Greater Springlake Area Neighbor
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* Louisiana Office Of Conservation Home Page

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* Louisiana Office Of Conservation 2008 Schedule of Public Hearings

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* Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Home Page

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* Louisiana Department of Natural Resources - Haynesville Shale
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* Louisiana Oil & Gas Association

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* National Association of Royalty Owners

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* Geology.com: Homepage

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* Geology.com: Haynesville Shale: News, Map, Videos, Lease and Royalty Information
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* Geology.com - Natural Gas Royalty Estimate
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* Photo Galleries by the Shreveport Times Haynesville Shale

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* Interactive Map by the Shreveport Times of Gas Wells in Caddo, Bossier, DeSoto and Webster
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* Shreveport Times...
Playing the Haynesville Shale
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* KSLA.com...
Oil & gas companies drilling in the Haynesville Shale
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* KTBS.com...
(Has lots of informative links and News Videos)
* Haynesville Shale
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* Cherokee Horn Production LP
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* Chesapeake Energy Corporation

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* Twin Cities Development, LLC
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> At the following TwinCitiesDev.com link, you can click on various parts of the rig (indicated by numbers) and read or listen to part descriptions...
Parts of a Drilling Rig described
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> At the following TwinCitiesDev.com link, you can you can learn how the Fracing Process makes it possible to release gas from deep below the surface...
Fracing Process

Requires QuickTime Player
Click HERE for Free QuickTime Player Download
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> At the following TwinCitiesDev.com link, you can watch how horizontal drilling increases production rates while reducing the impact to the surface...

Horizontal Drilling Process

Requires QuickTime Player
Click HERE for Free QuickTime Player Download
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* Brammer Engineering

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* Gas Leases - You’re sitting on a Gas Mine - This link is full of info you need to know before signing an Oil/Gas Lease Contract

Click it out at link below...

Gas-Lease.org
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* Haynesville Shale Landowners Inc.
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* Ark-La-Tex Association of Professional Landmen
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* American Association of Professional Landmen.

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* Past Post *

> Sunday, May 4, 2008...

Playing the Haynesville Shale - Large Natural Gas Deposit in Northwest Louisiana

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> Sunday, May 11, 2008...

#1 Haynesville Shale Updates - Sunday, May 11, 2008

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> Thursday, May 15, 2008...

#2 Haynesville Shale Updates - Thursday, May 15, 2008 thru Tuesday, May 20, 2008

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> Wednesday, May 21, 2008...

#3 Haynesville Shale Updates - Wednesday, May 21, 2008

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> Thursday, May 29, 2008...

#4 Haynesville Shale Updates - Thursday, May 29, 2008

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> Thursday, June 5, 2008...

#5 Haynesville Shale Updates - Thursday, June 5, 2008
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> Thursday, June 12, 2008...

#6 Haynesville Shale Updates - Thursday, June 12, 2008
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> Wednesday, June 18, 2008...

#7 Haynesville Shale Updates - Wednesday, June 18, 2008
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> Thursday, June 26, 2008...

#8 Haynesville Shale Updates - Thursday, June 26, 2008
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> Sunday, July 06, 2008...

#9 Haynesville Shale Updates - Sunday, July 06, 2008
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> Monday, July 14, 2008...

#10 Haynesville Shale Updates - Monday, July 14, 2008
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> Monday, July 21, 2008...

#11 Haynesville Shale Updates - Monday, July 21, 2008
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> Tuesday, July 28, 2008...

#12 Haynesville Shale Updates - Tuesday, July 28, 2008
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> Tuesday, August 05, 2008...

#14 Haynesville Shale Updates - Tuesday, August 05, 2008
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> Monday, August 11, 2008...

#15 Haynesville Shale Updates - Monday, August 11, 2008
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>Monday, August 18, 2008...
#16 Haynesville Shale Updates - Monday, August 18, 2008
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>Tuesday, August 26, 2008...
#17 Haynesville Shale Updates - Tuesday, August 26, 2008
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>Monday, September 08, 2008...
#18 Haynesville Shale Updates - Monday, September 08, 2008
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>Tuesday, September 16, 2008...
#19 Haynesville Shale Updates - Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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>Tuesday, September 18, 2008...
#20 Haynesville Shale Updates - Tuesday, September 18, 2008
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>Wednesday, September 24, 2008...
#21 Haynesville Shale Updates - Wednesday, September 24, 2008

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>Wednesday, October 01, 2008...
#22 Haynesville Shale Updates - Wednesday, October 01, 2008

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>Tuesday, October 14, 2008...
#23 Haynesville Shale Updates - Wednesday, October 14, 2008

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>Thursday, October 30, 2008...
#24 Haynesville Shale Updates - Thursday, October 30, 2008

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>Wednesday, January 28, 2009...

#25 Haynesville Shale Updates - Wednesday, January 28, 2009
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>Sunday, February 15, 2009...

#26 Haynesville Shale Updates - Sunday, February 15, 2009…

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AubreyJ.........

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 120-09 February 24, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died February 23rd in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked their unit using small arms fire. They were assigned to the 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Killed were:
Cpl. Michael L. Mayne, 21, of Burlington Flats, N.Y.
Spc. Micheal B. Alleman, 31, of Logan, Utah
Pfc. Zachary R. Nordmeyer, 21, of Indianapolis, Ind

For more information the media may contact the U.S. Army, Alaska, public affairs office at (907) 384-1542.

Photo for the Day - February 24, 2008

* Photo for the Day *

From foreground, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Patrick Higgins, of 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, surveys a village as Spc. Aaron Trapley and Sgt. Gary Fordyce provide sniper overwatch and Sgt. Nicholas Gauthier provides security during a foot patrol near Forward Operating Base Mizan, Afghanistan, February 23, 2009.
DoD photo by Sgt. Christopher S. Barnhart, U.S. Army/Released

On Ground Updates: Iran in Iraq - February 23, 2009

On Ground Updates
Iran in Iraq
Iran Continues Smuggling Weapons To Iraq
Monday, February 23, 2009
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Well here’s a topic we haven’t touched on for many months now. But YES! Iran is still messing around with/in Iraq and with us…
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* WorldTribune.com brings us the following report and it starts off like this…
The U.S. military has reported that Iran continues to smuggle weapons to Shi'ite insurgents in Iraq… Officials said the U.S.-led coalition has found rockets, bombs and other weapons in Iraq that were recently manufactured in Iran. They said the coalition has failed to block the flow of weapons from Iran to Iraq… "We have found many Iranian-made munitions with a manufacture date as late as 2008," Col. Philip Battaglia, commander of the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, said…
Read the rest at link below…
Iran's continued weapons smuggling to Iraq seen as bid for deal with West

File image of DVIDS/DoD video still
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AubreyJ………

Dem Lawmakers To Italy On Your Dime

Lawmakers To Italy On Your Dime
Taxpayers foot bill for Pelosi, Dems

We thank Amy Proctor at Bottom Line Up Front for bringing the above News Video to our attention today. Be sure to click this one out. Unbelievable…

AubreyJ.........

Photo for the Day - February 23, 2009

* Photo for the Day *Iraqi Soldiers delivered household goods to citizens in Maymunah, Feb 20th
Read the story behind the photo at link below…
Iraqi Soldiers Deliver Needed Food, Supplies to Maysan Province
Photo by Christopher White, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 118-09 February 23, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Mark C. Baum, 32, of Telford, Pa., died February 21st in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered earlier that day when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms fire in Mushada, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
For more information the media may contact the Pennsylvania National Guard at (717) 861-8468.

Obama’s Wars- Afghan/Pakistan, Iraq - February 22, 2009

Obama’s Wars-
Afghan/Pakistan, Iraq
Sunday, February 22, 2009
.
Hello Everyone…

Today I will start off a new round of Posts that I call:
“Obama’s Wars- Afghan/Pakistan, Iraq”
Hope you enjoy!

A U.S. Army soldier talks to Afghan elders in Bagram, Afghanistan, Feb 15th.
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Prentice C. Martin-Bowen
...
I’ll start today’s post off with this short note and a photo essay:
Pentagon officials recently told President Obama that they need a minimum of $83 billion more for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan through the end of this fiscal year which ends on September 30th. If I am correct, this is on top of what Congress has already approved for this year which is around $65.9 billion in emergency wartime spending…
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AFGHANISTAN TODAY: A PHOTO ESSAY
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Let’s see what the MSM has been reporting of late…

> The SundayHerald website has the following article posted up on their website today and it starts off like this…
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In announcing the deployment of 17,000 additional soldiers to Afghanistan, Barack Obama fulfilled two campaign promises at once. The two brigades - one army, one marine - were previously headed for Iraq. Diverting them signaled that the slow withdrawal from that "dumb war" has begun. The question now must be whether it is any smarter to send them into the graveyard of empires.
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Although Obama declines to use the term "war on terror", his foreign policy manifesto has consistently identified Afghanistan's south-eastern frontier as the crucial battleground in a global conflict. Sending reinforcements made good on his word…
Read this article in full at link below…
Thousands of troops diverted to fight Taliban in Obama’s new war strategy
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> LATimes.com brings us the following report and it starts off like this… Just sending more troops can't solve such tough problems as getting militants to lay down arms and allies to send more soldiers, and eliminating extremist havens…
Read the report at link below…
Obama's biggest challenges in Afghanistan
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* Also from the Los Angeles Times we find this article…
About 10,000 more U.S. troops may be sought to counter the insurgency in the south, in addition to 17,000 ordered this week by Obama, Gen. David McKiernan says…
Click it out at link below…
More troops may be needed in Afghanistan, U.S. commander says
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> Telegraph.co.uk has the following report…
Defense chiefs believe the 8,300 troops currently serving in the south of the country need to be bolstered by an extra battle group of between 1,500 and 1,800 men within a year.
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The deployment will push the Britain's Armed Forces to the very limit of its fighting capability and will raise fears that the entire operation has now fallen victim to "mission creep".
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It is understood that the Army's top generals have given their support for the plan and are now awaiting approval from the Treasury and other areas of government.
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The so-called "mini-surge" has been ordered in a direct response to a decision by President Barack Obama to send an extra 17,000 combat troops to counter the growing threat posed by the Taliban…
Read the full report at link below…
10,000 British troops to be fighting Taliban in Afghanistan within 12 months
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> CENTCOM had the following Press Release on their website…
A recent Afghan National Army Commando mission in the Balkh province proved that Afghanistan’s military is gaining the support of the country’s communities.
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Commando’s of the Afghan National Army’s 209th Corps and Coalition Forces met with villagers near Mazar-e-Sharif Monday to provide information about the role the elite Afghan soldiers play in the defense of Afghanistan. The young men of the community showed an outpouring of interest in the Commandos.
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After seeing a Commando poster, two young men approached the elite soldiers and took it a step further by stating their intent to join the ranks…
Read the rest at link below…
Elite Afghan soldiers elicit a sense of nationalism
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> AFP put this article up on their website this afternoon and it starts off like this… The government of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province will provide 30,000 rifles to the residents of rural areas in a bid to counter Taliban militants, a statement said Sunday…
Read the rest at link below…
Pakistan's NW govt to arm people against militants
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> DoD had this news article posted on their website back on Feb 20, 2009…
Obama: Bilateral Cooperation Critical to Enduring Mission in Afghanistan

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Russian Trace in US Base Closure?

About this News Video: Some analysts say that it is no coincidence that the US airbase in Kyrgyzstan was closed after the country had received a huge assistance package from Russia. Original posting date: Feb 19, 2009
This News Video posted on YouTube by RussiaToday
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Doubts Raised over Swat Sharia Deal - 21 Feb 09

About this News Video: Fighters with the Pakistani Taliban have agreed to a ceasefire in the Swat valley, under the condition that Islamic law be implemented in the region… Al Jazeera's Imran Khan reports from Islamabad, where many fear that the agreement could come at too high a price…
News video posted on YouTube by AlJazeeraEnglish
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AubreyJ………

DoD Identifies Army Casualties

No. 115-09 February 22, 2009
DoD Identifies Army Casualties

The Department of Defense announced the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Killed were:
Staff Sgt. Jeremy E. Bessa, 26, of Woodridge IL, died February 20th, in Khordi, Afghanistan, when his military vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device followed by small arms fire attack by enemy forces.

Master Sgt. David L. Hurt, 36, of Tucson, AZ, died February 20th, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, from wounds received during the same incident.

They were assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.
For more information media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at (910) 432-6005; (910) 689-6187 after hours, or visit (http://news.soc.mil).

Photo for the Day - February 22, 2009

* Photo for the Day * MOUNTAIN COLORS

U.S. Army Capt. Michael Riha, left, re-enlists Spc. Rodriguez on top of Ghar Mountain at Kabul Military Training Center in Kabul, Afghanistan, Feb. 6, 2009. The soldiers assigned to Delta Security Force made the early morning climb to re-enlist four soldiers.
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. James D. Sims

President Obama’s Weekly Video Address - February 21, 2009

Following from the White House Blog
Saturday, February 21st, 2009

The quickest and broadest tax cut ever

.White House photo by Pete Souza.

Two important takeaways from the President's Weekly Address this morning.
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#1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will start having an impact as soon as a few weeks from now, in the form of the quickest and broadest tax cut in history:
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"Because of what we did, 95% of all working families will get a tax cut -- in keeping with a promise I made on the campaign. And I’m pleased to announce that this morning, the Treasury Department began directing employers to reduce the amount of taxes withheld from paychecks -- meaning that by April 1st, a typical family will begin taking home at least $65 more every month. Never before in our history has a tax cut taken effect faster or gone to so many hardworking Americans."
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#2, once the economy has recovered and we’ve laid the groundwork for a sustainable future, the President is committed to taking on the massive deficits we inherited:
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"That work begins on Monday, when I will convene a fiscal summit of independent experts and unions, advocacy groups and members of Congress to discuss how we can cut the trillion-dollar deficit that we’ve inherited. On Tuesday, I will speak to the nation about our urgent national priorities, and on Thursday, I’ll release a budget that’s sober in its assessments, honest in its accounting, and that lays out in detail my strategy for investing in what we need, cutting what we don’t, and restoring fiscal discipline."
Read the full transcript HERE

. [Watch this week’s video address below]

About this week’s Video Address: President Obama announces that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will start having an impact as soon as a few weeks from now, in the form of the quickest and broadest tax cut in history.
Video posted on YouTube by whitehouse
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AubreyJ………

On Ground Updates: Israel - February 21, 2009

On Ground Updates: Israel
Katyusha Rocket Fired from Lebanon Saturday Morning Lands near Home in Israel's Western Galilee Region
Saturday, February 21, 2009
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File photo by Dan Bronfeld, IDF Spokesperson

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YNETNews.com brings us this troubling news today and it starts off like this… A Katyusha rocket fired from Lebanon Saturday morning landed near a home in Israel's western Galilee region. Three members of the family residing in the home sustained mild injuries in the attack, and two more suffered from shock. The wounded were treated by Magen David Adom paramedics and then evacuated to a hospital in Nahariya. The structure was damaged… Security sources in Lebanon said a second Katyusha landed in Lebanese territory. They said the rocket fire emanated from the area of Mansouri, south of Tyre, and that Israel responded by firing at least six artillery shells into southern Lebanon…
Read the full report at link below…
Katyusha hits Galilee community; 3 lightly hurt
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JPOST.com reports it this way… Two and a half weeks after United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon discovered five rockets ready to be launched toward Israel, a Katyusha rocket slammed into the western Galilee near the town of Ma'alot on Saturday morning, lightly wounding three people…
Read the rest at link below…
Katyusha hits Galilee, 3 people hurt
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FOXNews.com has the following news this morning and it starts off like this… U.S. officials are furious with the United Nations for its role in Hamas' attempt to enlist U.S. Sen John Kerry to transfer a letter from the Palestinian militant group to President Obama during Kerry's trip to the Middle East, an official source told FOX News… The incident also has raised security concerns over how much Hamas knew about Kerry's travel plans… Kerry turned the letter over to the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem on Friday, saying he was unaware that it was from Hamas until hearing about the letter in media reports, including on the BBC. He told FOX News on Saturday that he will not be visiting Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal during his trip to Syria on Saturday. He is scheduled to meet with Syrian President Bashar Assad…
Read the full report at link below…
U.S. Officials Outraged at U.N. Over Hamas Letter to Obama
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* Just in case you’ve missed it... Here’s a heartwarming music video, in honor of the IDF soldiers and the residents of South Israel…
Click it out at link below…
Music Video: Our Hearts Are With IDF Soldiers In Gaza
Great, GREAT work, Mr. Chatukah. I know the people of Israel and all of those of IDF thank you for your wonderful work on this project.

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AubreyJ………

DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty

No. 113-09 February 20, 2009
DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Timothy P. Davis, 28, of Aberdeen, Wash., died February 20th near Bagram, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla.
For further information related to this release, please contact the Air Force Special Operations Command public affairs office at (850) 884-5515.