Good morning, everybody! Kick off your Monday with Deputy Spokesperson for the State Dept. and my girl, Marie Harf along with Ann Curry, Robert Gibbs, Katy Kay, Young Sam Stein, Michael Crowley, Katy Tur, Andrea Mitchell, Chris Mathews, Bob Woodward, Luke Russert, Patrick Healy, April Ryan,Steve Schmidt, Mike Allen, Elise Vieback, Kasie Hunt, John McCormick, Evan Osnos and Tim Gunn. I cannot believe there was snow or slush on my car this AM. I did not see Meet the Press yesterday with Joe on the show. SNL looked funny Saturday night with the Rock Obama and the headline news going right at the real news again from this week. I guess Mika is out today and so what do we think will happen with regard to the Iran deal? The Tuesday Night deadline is looming any day now and according to Obama and whomever in that Admin, there will not be any more extensions. There have been two already and remember too, this deal is not an actual deal. It is a mere set up to make a deal come June.
I did not see that KY/ND game but I did see the replay of the final play. I like the way that the Final Four ended up this week. Kentucky and Wisconsin match up sweetly and Michigan State getting in to play Duke was/is fine. I forget the number one seed in that bracket but three of the four Number 1's made it to the finals.
Anyway, CNN reports that these Nuclear talks intensified Sunday between world powers and Iran, but key sticking points remained unresolved as the countries tried to reach a deal to curb Tehran's nuclear program ahead of a Tuesday deadline. As the negotiations entered their fourth day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the agreement coming together is worse than Israel's deepest fears.
The talks had hit a snag on Saturday, with diplomats describing Iran as refusing to budge, but as the French, German and Chinese foreign ministers arrived, the mood seemed more optimistic. The British and Russian foreign ministers were expected late Sunday. U.S. officials and Western diplomats described the negotiations as tough and intense, which was expected as the talks reached the endgame. They said the contours of a deal are becoming clearer, but they were unsure it could be reached. Two core issues are still unresolved: 1) Limits on Iranian research and development on advanced nuclear technology in the end years of the deal; and 2) The pace of lifting United Nations sanctions.
The U.S. officials stressed all of the elements were interrelated and nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to, comparing the final deal to a puzzle. But they indicated most of the other elements were solvable if those two major hurdles could be overcome. The speed of which U.N. sanctions could be lifted remains in dispute. Iran wants them lifted immediately after the deal goes into effect.
While diplomats say Iran could see unilateral sanctions relief in the areas of trade, oil and banking, sanctions adopted by the United Nations are more complicated. Many are related to proliferation and transfer of missile technology and are tied to certification by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, that Iran's nuclear program does not have a military dimension.
Iran: Sanctions and agreement don't go together. On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif made clear the issue of sanctions remains a stumbling block, saying he believes the world powers "have realized that sanctions, pressure and an agreement will not go together. It's only to translate that understanding and realization into the agreement that we are negotiating." U.S. officials said that all sides, including Iran, agree that sanctions would be lifted in phases over time as Iran confirms its compliance to the deal. But they acknowledge there is still disagreement on the actual formula.
Iran also wants the ability to continue to research and develop more advanced centrifuges while the deal is in effect. Those machines can enrich uranium much faster than its current machines. U.S. and European officials worry that could enable Iran to quickly produce enough uranium for a nuclear weapon. Diplomats say the first 10 years of the 15 year deal would have the most stringent restrictions, with others being relaxed over the next five.
"We will see if they are ready to swallow what we proposed," a Western diplomat said. "We are not asking them to do nothing, but they want to do more than we want them to do" referring to how much research the Iranians want to be able to still undertake. But the diplomat added, "after 15 years, they can do what they want." A senior Iranian diplomat told CNN on Sunday: "It's not fair to characterize the state of affairs as Iranian resistance on those issues. It can also be characterized as the other side's intransigence in the talks."
Diplomats said Iran has agreed to a cap of fewer than 6,000 centrifuges that it can operate to enrich uranium, a process that can lead to weapons-grade material. The figure is down from the 6,000 the sides were speaking about when the talks started on Thursday, but substantially more than the several hundred the United States had originally wanted. Iran currently runs about 10,000 centrifuges, but it has around 19,000 in its stockpile.
U.S. officials maintain the number is abstract, because there will be other restrictions on the levels of enrichment and type of centrifuges Iran can operate, which they believe will extend the time Iran would need to have enough fissile material produce a nuclear weapon -- known as the "break-out time" -- to at least a year. On Monday, a senior State Department official said negotiators had not yet decided anything about the disposal of fissile material. There had been word previously that Iran might export it to Russia, but an Iranian negotiator, Abbas Araqchi, told journalists Sunday that Iran had not agreed to it. "The export of stocks of enriched uranium is not in our program, and we do not intend to them abroad. ... There is no question of sending the stocks abroad," he said.
Israel: 'Fulfilling our deepest fears'. Netanyahu voiced alarm at the emerging deal. After meeting with visiting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, Netanyahu said, "this agreement as it evolves is fulfilling our deepest fears and even worse." "In parallel to the gathering for this dangerous agreement, the proxies of Iran in the Middle East are carrying out a wide occupation of Yemen," he said. "The Iran-Lausanne-Yemen axis is very dangerous to mankind and needs to be stopped."
The parties are seeking agreement on the basic parameters of a deal before March 31. A comprehensive deal including technical annexes is supposed to be concluded by June 30. Tuesday is seen as a critical milestone to the U.S. negotiators, who are trying to thwart a threat from Congress to impose additional sanctions without the framework. That could prompt Iran to withdraw from the talks and scuttle the chances of a deal altogether.
But even if a pact is reached, it is unclear what form it would take. U.S. officials say they will need to publicize something that quantifies Iran's commitments before submitting it to Congress. But U.S. and Western diplomats say that Iran is looking simply for an "understanding" of what has been agreed to before a formal accord is reached. CNN's Jim Sciutto contributed to this report.
Andrea Mitchell says that this thing can easily fall apart tomorrow. The Russian representative was late today and yesterday and is also leaving early today. I guess there are more important things on his plate today and tomorrow. Now, will the POTUS do a deal for the sake of it? Michael Crowley says no and I agree. Congress will be all over a bad deal. The Congress will be all over any type of a deal. Let alone a bad one. If we 'bend over backwards' just to make some deal for the hell of it, that would be an awful miscalculation. I have to assume that (John) Kerry and this administration is too smart for that to happen. I have to hope for that to be the case.
Some news BTW, broke with regard to that Plane Crash from last week. I am confused about what they are saying about the Pilots. Here is the time line that some media outlet posted and that CNN also posted yesterday. The sounds recorded on one of the "black boxes" recovered from downed Germanwings Flight 9525 firms up investigators' theory that the co-pilot locked the captain out of the cockpit and then crashed the plane.
"For God's sake, open the door!" Capt. Patrick Sondenheimer screamed as he banged on the cockpit door, pleading with the co-pilot.
Thirteen minutes later, the plane slammed into the French Alps.
The audio from the plane's cockpit voice recorder has not been released, but the German newspaper Bild published Sunday what it claims is a summary of the transcript from the recording.
CNN translated Bild's report -- which the newspaper says is based on the 1.5 hours of audio that was on the cockpit voice recorder -- but cannot independently verify the information.
France's accident investigation agency, BEA, told CNN that the agency is "dismayed" by the voice recording leak to Bild.
Martine Del Bono, a spokeswoman for the agency, said the leak could not have come from a BEA agent. She said the agency considers the report mere "voyeurism."
According to Bild's report, Sondenheimer told co-pilot Andreas Lubitz that he didn't manage to go to the bathroom before takeoff. Lubitz tells him he can go anytime.
Lubitz is believed to have locked the pilot of Flight 9525 out of the cockpit before putting the plane on a rapid descent into the mountains, French authorities have said.
The flight took off 20 minutes late. After reaching cruising altitude, Sondenheimer asked Lubitz to prepare the landing.
Once that's finished, Lubitz again tells the captain he "can go anytime."
There is the sound of a seat being pushed backward after which the captain says, "You can take over."
At 10:29 a.m., air traffic radar detects that the plane is starting to descend.
Three minutes later, air traffic controllers try to contact the plane and receive no answer -- shortly after which an alarm goes off in the cockpit, warning of the "sink rate," Bild reported.
Next comes the banging.
Sondenheimer begs Lubitz to let him in. Passengers then begin to scream, according to the transcript obtained by Bild.
Another three minutes pass. A loud metallic bang is heard at 7,000 meters (almost 23,000 feet).
A minute and half later and 2,000 meters (about 6,500 feet) lower to the ground, an alarm says "Terrain -- pull up!"
"Open the damn door!" the pilot says.
It's 10:38, and the plane is at 4,000 meters (about 13,000 feet). Lubitz's breathing can still be heard on the voice recorder, according to Bild's report.
Two minutes later, investigators think they hear the plane's right wing scrape a mountaintop.
Screams can be heard one final time.
'Unbelievable' leak
Cockpit recordings are some of the most sensitive and closely held parts of aviation crash investigations. They're never officially released, according to CNN aviation reporter Richard Quest.
Quest called it "unbelievable" that the black box audio would be leaked in this manner.
Communications between air traffic control and a plane's cockpit can be downloaded privately, but that's less common in Europe than it is in the United States.
An edited and redacted version of the transcript is usually published in part of a final report on an incident.
Although search teams have recovered the cockpit voice recorder, the flight data recorder remains missing. That device could reveal crucial details about what happened during the final moments of the flight.
What authorities know
Jean Pierre Michel, lead investigator for the French inquiry, said on Saturday that investigators are not ruling out any scenario with respect to the crash out at this point.
But French authorities have said that Lubitz appeared to have crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 deliberately into the Alps on Tuesday as it flew from Barcelona, Spain, toward Dusseldorf, Germany, with 150 people on board.
Much attention has focused on Lubitz's state of mind since then, with suggestions that he may have had mental health issues.
Lubitz, 27, passed his annual pilot recertification medical examination in summer 2014, a German aviation source told CNN.
An official with Lufthansa, which owns Germanwings, said that the exam only tests physical health, not psychological health.
The official also said that the company was never given any indication Lubitz was depressed, and that if he went to a doctor on his own, he would have been required to self-report if deemed unfit to fly.
A Dusseldorf clinic said he'd gone there twice, most recently on March 10, "concerning a diagnosis." But the University Clinic said it had not treated Lubitz for depression.
The speculation about Lubitz' mental state is based on a letter found in a waste bin in his Dusseldorf apartment.
The note, which was "slashed," said Lubitz was not able to do his job, city prosecutor Christoph Kumpa said Friday.
The fact that investigators found "ripped, recent medical leave notes, including for the day of the offense, leads to the preliminary conclusion that the deceased kept his illness secret from his employer and his professional environment," prosecutors said.
Germanwings corroborated that assertion, saying it had never received a sick note from Lubitz.
Anxiety, burnout and depression
A handful of publications, citing unnamed sources, have reported that Lubitz suffered from various psychological maladies.
CNN has not been able to confirm these reports.
Lubitz suffered from "generalized anxiety disorder," and from severe depression in the past, Le Parisien newspaper reported Sunday, citing sources close to the investigation. In 2010, Lubitz received injections of antipsychotic medication, the paper said.
He was also prescribed a medication that influences neurotransmitters, but it's unclear when that happened, according to Le Parisien.
The newspaper said investigators found a handful of pills in his apartment in addition to two sick notes, which forbade him from working from March 16 to March 29.
The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported Friday that Lubitz suffered from mental illness and kept his diagnosis concealed from his employer.
A subsequent report from the Times on Saturday, citing two officials with knowledge of the investigation, said Lubitz sought treatment before the crash for vision problems that might have put his career at risk. However, an official with Lufthansa, said that if Lubitz had vision problems, they would have been discovered during his pilot recertification medical examination.
Authorities have not ruled out the vision problems could have been psychosomatic, according to the Times.
Citing an unidentified senior investigator, German newspaper Die Welt said that Lubitz suffered from a severe "psychosomatic illness" and that German police seized prescription drugs that treat the condition. Lubitz suffered from a "severe subjective burnout syndrome" and from severe depression, the source told the newspaper.
News reports also stated that antidepressants were found during the search of his apartment.
Investigators are expected to question his relatives, friends and co-workers as they try to pin down what could have prompted the co-pilot to steer a jetliner full of people into a mountainside.
Lubitz had a girlfriend, a teacher at a school in Dusseldorf not far from his apartment, according to German media.
Who was co-pilot Andreas Lubitz?
'This is a man whose life is totally broken'
Dozens of people attended a remembrance ceremony Saturday for the victims of the crash at a church in a nearby town, Digne-les-Bains, France. Most of the people on the plane were from Germany and Spain.
Relatives of the victims and local residents also gathered Saturday afternoon by a simple stone memorial set up near the crash site, in the village of Le Vernet. Flowers have been laid there, in the shadow of the snow-covered peaks of the French Alps.
The mayor of one local community said he had seen Lubitz's father on Thursday evening, describing him as "a man in deep distress."
"We get the impression that that man is bearing the whole weight of the disaster on his shoulders," Bernard Bartolini, the mayor of Prads-Haute-Bleone, said Saturday.
"I can tell that this is a man whose life is totally broken," Bartolini said. "He had so much emotion in him."
'Open the Damn Door' with people yelling in the background is chilling to hear. Phillip Bramley (a Victims Father/Relative) states that it is irrelevant what has happened and that we need to concentrate to make sure that it never happens again. That's a great attitude and it is actually starting to hail on Katy Tur.
I also missed 60 Minutes but when I was at the bar (Iron Hill Brewing Company), it looked intriguing (I saw the highlight of it). And, yes Bill (Karins), how long is it going to be winter time? This is ridic. More showers throughout the East and part of the Midwest this AM and then the rest of the country is rather nice. He does say by April 1 or in two days, we should get some warm weather but there was total frost on my car this morning. I gasped out loud when I saw it. And Phiuk Me, my other work I was trying to get done just got thwarted by their scheduled maintenance. Damn. Looks like it is only going to be you and me for a bit but I’ve been waiting with bated breath for nearly a week for and because President Obama is expected to make a decision any moment on whether to allow Shell to drill in the Arctic this summer — a move that could mean game over for our climate. Honestly, let’s stop Arctic drilling before it starts. If we want to avoid an irreversible climate tipping point, we’ve got to leave Arctic oil underground. But Shell is so keen to drill for Arctic oil that it’s willing to put our futures in jeopardy. Last time Shell attempted Arctic drilling, it caused two major accidents with its gargantuan drill rigs — and still the company is eager to start again. Millions of us are fighting back. What we’ve seen over the past few weeks is extraordinary. Here in the U.S., thousands of you have been making phone calls to the White House, asking Obama to reject Shell’s drilling permits. In Seattle, hundreds of of local residents have given passionate testimonies to keep Shell from using the Port of Seattle as a home base for its Arctic drilling operations. And in the middle of the Pacific, 6 courageous volunteers are aboard a Greenpeace ship, the Esperanza, following closely as Shell carries its drill rig up North.
I can’t stress enough how critical this moment is for the future of our planet. Please make a gift today. If Shell pumps oil in the Arctic, the federal government’s own study shows that there’s a 75 percent chance of a large spill. 75 percent! Arctic conditions are simply too dangerous, and a spill would be next to impossible to clean up. And the chance of climate disruption from burning this oil? 100 percent. Let’s stop Shell from destroying our planet. Together. Thanks for hearing that oiut.
Morning Papers: So far a few deaths from that blast in NYC have been reported. H.P.'s Carly Fioina says that her chance of running in the GOP primary is above 95%. She did well at CEPAC but she actually always does well. I am not sure why she had the reputation. Maybe because she was a female Executive. She is very smart. AP reported that before the Edward Snowden leak, NSA mulled over ending that phone listening program. The WAPO reports that there may not be relevance to how much time parents spend with kids. They state that its the quality of time and not the quantity of time. Well Duh. Its both and/or all encompassing and what works in one family may not work in others and visa versa, but what else? Anything? 60 Minutes had the leader of Syria on to discuss the Syria and USA relationship. Plus, it seems like they poached that curing of cancer report and story using certain diseases to do it from the VICE show.
I guess Syria and Al Assad are the lesser of evils if you will, in that Middle east region.
I had crazy dreams this weekend. They were exhausting. I did not more running around in my dreams than I do in real life.
That is another story that broke over the weekend BTW, which is that Hilary wants to keep Bill at certain lengths during the election process. She will use him when they need to do which is what Obama did after Clinton gave Willard (Mitt Romney) the great advice on how to deal with himself (Romney) during that first debate. Which he won big over this current POTUS but that is Bill for you guys. He is a great speaker that does do some very questionable things for his party. But again, he is more of an asset than a liability that I guess if you can keep him quiet during that process, until you need the guy, that could be the best of both worlds for the Dem's and for that campaign.
Ah yes. Marie Harf is on now and she is in Switzerland to handle press for our Admin during the Iran deal talks with the media. But she says that Iran story is not true. The latest one that says that Iran had backed away in some way. She says that the writers got this story and report wrong. She says that there was no break down in those meetings and that the report about what to do with the current stock pile Iran has in hand (export it or destroy it within that country) is still being negotiated. She says the key is to get rid of it. Joe is a crack up today. He says for her to say hi to the Russian representative when he shows his face at these meetings. From what I hear now is that we are saying that its in the Iranians hands and the people from Iran feel that its in our hands. That to me is another way of saying or setting us up for the fall when there is no deal after tomorrow.
Anyway, they have Patrick Healy on to discuss the Hilary campaign. The New York Times did some report about how not repeat the 2008 issue and how for him (Bill) to stay on message.
I kind of agree though with this Patrick Healy guy and with Robert Gibbs in that much of Bill's beauty is when he goes 'off script' but then again, he has also screwed up some issues by acting that way. I say that he is one of the better political speakers ever and so how do you look that gift horse in the mouth so to speak? I say this is huge non story and I feel its people creating drama.
What else? Cool. Mika's dad (Zbigniew Brzezinski) is on next to discuss the potential for a Iran deal.
BTW, Its freezing rain out now as we speak.
Actually, this Rock O Bama skit on SNL is hilarious. Joe says it was indeed a good SNL the other night.
Chris (Mathews) makes great points that Obama is looking towards his legacy and that a bad deal with Iran will not work in a positive way for him. I also get why Joe thinks that many Presidents like to do these types of big deals in their last year or after 7 or so years of being in office. Plus, he (Chris Mathews) says that people like Chuck Schumer and Diane Feinstein must answer to their groups of supporters that are for Israel and that even the Dem's should be able to help keep it (Iran Deal) in check. I hope we do not get a bad deal per se. I would rather have none at this time, rather then to see these leaders to make a stupid deal. They (meaning the US in particular) can't come off seeming like they are being forthcoming and giving either so its going to be smoke and mirrors to deal with too. Even (Ronald) Reagan went from the cold war guy to doing that Nuke deal with the Russian leader at that time.
And, hang on here because I agree with that content Joe is saying that he wrote for Politico about the two failed admin's since 2000. I will find that article to post here. I can't find it but Bush Jr. acted badly after 9/11 and I also agree that Obama over did the way to handle the Bush Jr. years. Plus, I will add that by Obama doing healthcare day one so to speak, was a bad miscalculation for him as the POTUS. That honestly blew it but overall and from where we sit today, what Joe says in that article i think, is what I wanted to articulate but never could figure out the words to do it. Again though, I feel that we have had two Presidency's that were borderline failures with Bush Jr. reacting top 9/11 (overreacting to it by attacking Iraq), and then we have Obama that over compensated when he over reacted to the Bush Jr. extremes (Dick Cheeney really but you know what I am trying to say now). I have to repeat that over and over because that is how I have felt about the 00's and about the POTUS' but I just never knew how to piece it together. I wonder if that article is even out yet. I think Joe said it was written today. You know what is funny? Obama has said that a lot of Middle east leaders 'must go." Including Al Assad. Including Gaddafi. Including Mubarek. What a debacle. That is the best way to describe the Middle East today besides saying it is a confusing mess. Its been a debacle that yes, started with the Bush Jr./Dick Cheeny admin and then it was made more of a mess after the Obama admin (well during it) did whatever he is trying to get done.
I think Mika's dad is up next. He will shed the best light about that region.
Speaking of (Andreas) Lubitz, I had seen and heard somewhere that his girlfriend had broken up with him and then I heard that his eye sight was bad and that could have potentially held him back from becoming a full fledged pilot. I maintain that is no reason to kill 150 people. And, like I said last week that if you are depressed and suicidal, go do it yourself. Why include 150 other people in your issue? Is that how mentally whacked people get because that is a fine line between being depressed and being an out and out killer. Where is that line drawn and how is it drawn in the worlds of mental behavior? Because again, to kill yourself by killing 150 people is more than depression to me. And, thank whomever's god that this guy did not live a day in my shoes because he would have some real shit to be depressed about but then again, I have the mentality that unless you kill me, I get stronger from whatever negative I have to face every day. I also have too much to prove to want to die before it. And, ironically, negatives if you will that you face, make humans stronger and maybe those are my points for the likes of how I deal. To gain a name or to become a household name for diabolical crap you pull makes no sense to me. To kill people and to become popular because of killing other people is counter productive and counter intuitive in my eyes. It makes no sense to me to want to involve any other humans in your own mess. That just makes no sense to me. I run from people if and when I have shit to deal with and I deal my myself for better and worse. I only include other people when I have to do it. That is a weird dichotomy for me to wrap my head around but anyway, i hope to get to some concrete world affairs next.
I am back able to rant here and do my real work. I just uploaded 20 more songs to Audio Micro. What a job I have in life. The entertainment world is so glamorous today. I paper push and watch uploads while doing data entry more than I did when i worked at Warner doing it. Maybe having that last gig at Warner was a pre cursor for me to know that if it happens on that large scaled level, that it is OK for me to deal with it at my own company.
Finally, Dr. (Zbigniew) Brzezinski is on now saying that if there is some movement on the Iranian nuclear issue, it would slow things down while not changing anything immediately. He also says that if there is no deal, we will have a mess on our hands. Which we already have that mess on our hands. As far as how that type of a deal would affect its neighboring countries, we know that answer. Even the UAB and other small countries are setting themselves up now with Nukes. I think they will stop it with a deal in place and I feel its them posturing but still, it is happening today. I honestly had no clue we were potentially getting ourselves into another war with Iran. Not another one with Iran. I mean in another war. So if this deal fails, are we potentially doing another war? I hope not. Or, does he mean an Israeli / Iranian war? Remember that again, this is not a deal that is getting done to implement starting after tomorrow. This is a deal to make a deal before June ends. This deal sets the tone for the overall deal and then they would have to implement it over the next few years. I also had no clue that Egypt was a negative issue for us (USA). I think we need to separate issues but again, I thought they are great allies for us in that region. Israel and Egypt I thought were also getting along in the broad schemes of those life styles. The problem now is Yemen. The problem we have is with Pakitsan. The problem we have is with the Turks. Those are the main negative issues to me. I think they are more negative issue wise than Iran but then again, I am me and I must hope that our world leaders know what the hell they are doing priority wise.
Steve Schmidt and Mike Allen are on now. Star Studded today. Mike Allen is talking about Scott Walker and his Super Pac. I actually agree with Steve Schmidt in that (Scott) Walker must remember that during a primary run or run at the POTUS, that there never any bad questions. And, that there are only bad answers. (Scott) Walker has had some bad answers and some non answers quite frankly, over the last two months. If Jeb Bush loses New Hampshire, he will lose the primary race. The only thing Jeb has is NH. He wont win Iowa. He needs to seriously win in New Hampshire. As far as Ted Cruz and his chances in that primary race, I agree with Luke (Russert). It is a long shot and Ted Cruz does flip flop a lot although that contradicts what I said about him after he was on the show within the last week or so. Joe just said it too with regard to his (Ted Cruz) stance on immigration which he has flip flopped on three times now. Ran Paul lies and he will be easy to catch when he does lie again.
I think that is about time for me to do my USPS run. I sold 180 DVDs this weekend or Saturday and Sunday at a sale I had at the vending Lot (www.Sunset-Vending.com). What a week so far and its only Monday ay 8AM/9AM.
Evan Osnos and Tim Gunn. This Evan Osnos China discussion seems great. Its just way over my head. I know nothing about that country. Which is all the more reason for the likes of me to read his article in the New Yorker. Tim Gunn is one my favorite humans. I used to watch Project Runway all of the time. I have no fashion sense whatsoever so this another segment that went over my head. That woman BTW, that is married to Harvey Wienstein that was on the show and that did All-Stars maybe, is one of the hottest women (I forget her name but she may have run Willamena for however long or I dunno. I think Willamena is a modeling agency and I know she ran some fashion magazine) on this planet. And, it gives me hope that f my company breaks in future years, I, like (Harvey), Wienstein may be able to get the hottie that is worldly and cool. It also seems like Tim has a book coming out or maybe its in stores already by today.
Regardless of it all today, Please stay in touch and Please have a great week!
I did not see that KY/ND game but I did see the replay of the final play. I like the way that the Final Four ended up this week. Kentucky and Wisconsin match up sweetly and Michigan State getting in to play Duke was/is fine. I forget the number one seed in that bracket but three of the four Number 1's made it to the finals.
Anyway, CNN reports that these Nuclear talks intensified Sunday between world powers and Iran, but key sticking points remained unresolved as the countries tried to reach a deal to curb Tehran's nuclear program ahead of a Tuesday deadline. As the negotiations entered their fourth day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the agreement coming together is worse than Israel's deepest fears.
The talks had hit a snag on Saturday, with diplomats describing Iran as refusing to budge, but as the French, German and Chinese foreign ministers arrived, the mood seemed more optimistic. The British and Russian foreign ministers were expected late Sunday. U.S. officials and Western diplomats described the negotiations as tough and intense, which was expected as the talks reached the endgame. They said the contours of a deal are becoming clearer, but they were unsure it could be reached. Two core issues are still unresolved: 1) Limits on Iranian research and development on advanced nuclear technology in the end years of the deal; and 2) The pace of lifting United Nations sanctions.
The U.S. officials stressed all of the elements were interrelated and nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to, comparing the final deal to a puzzle. But they indicated most of the other elements were solvable if those two major hurdles could be overcome. The speed of which U.N. sanctions could be lifted remains in dispute. Iran wants them lifted immediately after the deal goes into effect.
While diplomats say Iran could see unilateral sanctions relief in the areas of trade, oil and banking, sanctions adopted by the United Nations are more complicated. Many are related to proliferation and transfer of missile technology and are tied to certification by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, that Iran's nuclear program does not have a military dimension.
Iran: Sanctions and agreement don't go together. On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif made clear the issue of sanctions remains a stumbling block, saying he believes the world powers "have realized that sanctions, pressure and an agreement will not go together. It's only to translate that understanding and realization into the agreement that we are negotiating." U.S. officials said that all sides, including Iran, agree that sanctions would be lifted in phases over time as Iran confirms its compliance to the deal. But they acknowledge there is still disagreement on the actual formula.
Iran also wants the ability to continue to research and develop more advanced centrifuges while the deal is in effect. Those machines can enrich uranium much faster than its current machines. U.S. and European officials worry that could enable Iran to quickly produce enough uranium for a nuclear weapon. Diplomats say the first 10 years of the 15 year deal would have the most stringent restrictions, with others being relaxed over the next five.
"We will see if they are ready to swallow what we proposed," a Western diplomat said. "We are not asking them to do nothing, but they want to do more than we want them to do" referring to how much research the Iranians want to be able to still undertake. But the diplomat added, "after 15 years, they can do what they want." A senior Iranian diplomat told CNN on Sunday: "It's not fair to characterize the state of affairs as Iranian resistance on those issues. It can also be characterized as the other side's intransigence in the talks."
Diplomats said Iran has agreed to a cap of fewer than 6,000 centrifuges that it can operate to enrich uranium, a process that can lead to weapons-grade material. The figure is down from the 6,000 the sides were speaking about when the talks started on Thursday, but substantially more than the several hundred the United States had originally wanted. Iran currently runs about 10,000 centrifuges, but it has around 19,000 in its stockpile.
U.S. officials maintain the number is abstract, because there will be other restrictions on the levels of enrichment and type of centrifuges Iran can operate, which they believe will extend the time Iran would need to have enough fissile material produce a nuclear weapon -- known as the "break-out time" -- to at least a year. On Monday, a senior State Department official said negotiators had not yet decided anything about the disposal of fissile material. There had been word previously that Iran might export it to Russia, but an Iranian negotiator, Abbas Araqchi, told journalists Sunday that Iran had not agreed to it. "The export of stocks of enriched uranium is not in our program, and we do not intend to them abroad. ... There is no question of sending the stocks abroad," he said.
Israel: 'Fulfilling our deepest fears'. Netanyahu voiced alarm at the emerging deal. After meeting with visiting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, Netanyahu said, "this agreement as it evolves is fulfilling our deepest fears and even worse." "In parallel to the gathering for this dangerous agreement, the proxies of Iran in the Middle East are carrying out a wide occupation of Yemen," he said. "The Iran-Lausanne-Yemen axis is very dangerous to mankind and needs to be stopped."
The parties are seeking agreement on the basic parameters of a deal before March 31. A comprehensive deal including technical annexes is supposed to be concluded by June 30. Tuesday is seen as a critical milestone to the U.S. negotiators, who are trying to thwart a threat from Congress to impose additional sanctions without the framework. That could prompt Iran to withdraw from the talks and scuttle the chances of a deal altogether.
But even if a pact is reached, it is unclear what form it would take. U.S. officials say they will need to publicize something that quantifies Iran's commitments before submitting it to Congress. But U.S. and Western diplomats say that Iran is looking simply for an "understanding" of what has been agreed to before a formal accord is reached. CNN's Jim Sciutto contributed to this report.
Andrea Mitchell says that this thing can easily fall apart tomorrow. The Russian representative was late today and yesterday and is also leaving early today. I guess there are more important things on his plate today and tomorrow. Now, will the POTUS do a deal for the sake of it? Michael Crowley says no and I agree. Congress will be all over a bad deal. The Congress will be all over any type of a deal. Let alone a bad one. If we 'bend over backwards' just to make some deal for the hell of it, that would be an awful miscalculation. I have to assume that (John) Kerry and this administration is too smart for that to happen. I have to hope for that to be the case.
Some news BTW, broke with regard to that Plane Crash from last week. I am confused about what they are saying about the Pilots. Here is the time line that some media outlet posted and that CNN also posted yesterday. The sounds recorded on one of the "black boxes" recovered from downed Germanwings Flight 9525 firms up investigators' theory that the co-pilot locked the captain out of the cockpit and then crashed the plane.
"For God's sake, open the door!" Capt. Patrick Sondenheimer screamed as he banged on the cockpit door, pleading with the co-pilot.
Thirteen minutes later, the plane slammed into the French Alps.
The audio from the plane's cockpit voice recorder has not been released, but the German newspaper Bild published Sunday what it claims is a summary of the transcript from the recording.
CNN translated Bild's report -- which the newspaper says is based on the 1.5 hours of audio that was on the cockpit voice recorder -- but cannot independently verify the information.
France's accident investigation agency, BEA, told CNN that the agency is "dismayed" by the voice recording leak to Bild.
Martine Del Bono, a spokeswoman for the agency, said the leak could not have come from a BEA agent. She said the agency considers the report mere "voyeurism."
According to Bild's report, Sondenheimer told co-pilot Andreas Lubitz that he didn't manage to go to the bathroom before takeoff. Lubitz tells him he can go anytime.
Lubitz is believed to have locked the pilot of Flight 9525 out of the cockpit before putting the plane on a rapid descent into the mountains, French authorities have said.
The flight took off 20 minutes late. After reaching cruising altitude, Sondenheimer asked Lubitz to prepare the landing.
Once that's finished, Lubitz again tells the captain he "can go anytime."
There is the sound of a seat being pushed backward after which the captain says, "You can take over."
At 10:29 a.m., air traffic radar detects that the plane is starting to descend.
Three minutes later, air traffic controllers try to contact the plane and receive no answer -- shortly after which an alarm goes off in the cockpit, warning of the "sink rate," Bild reported.
Next comes the banging.
Sondenheimer begs Lubitz to let him in. Passengers then begin to scream, according to the transcript obtained by Bild.
Another three minutes pass. A loud metallic bang is heard at 7,000 meters (almost 23,000 feet).
A minute and half later and 2,000 meters (about 6,500 feet) lower to the ground, an alarm says "Terrain -- pull up!"
"Open the damn door!" the pilot says.
It's 10:38, and the plane is at 4,000 meters (about 13,000 feet). Lubitz's breathing can still be heard on the voice recorder, according to Bild's report.
Two minutes later, investigators think they hear the plane's right wing scrape a mountaintop.
Screams can be heard one final time.
'Unbelievable' leak
Cockpit recordings are some of the most sensitive and closely held parts of aviation crash investigations. They're never officially released, according to CNN aviation reporter Richard Quest.
Quest called it "unbelievable" that the black box audio would be leaked in this manner.
Communications between air traffic control and a plane's cockpit can be downloaded privately, but that's less common in Europe than it is in the United States.
An edited and redacted version of the transcript is usually published in part of a final report on an incident.
Although search teams have recovered the cockpit voice recorder, the flight data recorder remains missing. That device could reveal crucial details about what happened during the final moments of the flight.
What authorities know
Jean Pierre Michel, lead investigator for the French inquiry, said on Saturday that investigators are not ruling out any scenario with respect to the crash out at this point.
But French authorities have said that Lubitz appeared to have crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 deliberately into the Alps on Tuesday as it flew from Barcelona, Spain, toward Dusseldorf, Germany, with 150 people on board.
Much attention has focused on Lubitz's state of mind since then, with suggestions that he may have had mental health issues.
Lubitz, 27, passed his annual pilot recertification medical examination in summer 2014, a German aviation source told CNN.
An official with Lufthansa, which owns Germanwings, said that the exam only tests physical health, not psychological health.
The official also said that the company was never given any indication Lubitz was depressed, and that if he went to a doctor on his own, he would have been required to self-report if deemed unfit to fly.
A Dusseldorf clinic said he'd gone there twice, most recently on March 10, "concerning a diagnosis." But the University Clinic said it had not treated Lubitz for depression.
The speculation about Lubitz' mental state is based on a letter found in a waste bin in his Dusseldorf apartment.
The note, which was "slashed," said Lubitz was not able to do his job, city prosecutor Christoph Kumpa said Friday.
The fact that investigators found "ripped, recent medical leave notes, including for the day of the offense, leads to the preliminary conclusion that the deceased kept his illness secret from his employer and his professional environment," prosecutors said.
Germanwings corroborated that assertion, saying it had never received a sick note from Lubitz.
Anxiety, burnout and depression
A handful of publications, citing unnamed sources, have reported that Lubitz suffered from various psychological maladies.
CNN has not been able to confirm these reports.
Lubitz suffered from "generalized anxiety disorder," and from severe depression in the past, Le Parisien newspaper reported Sunday, citing sources close to the investigation. In 2010, Lubitz received injections of antipsychotic medication, the paper said.
He was also prescribed a medication that influences neurotransmitters, but it's unclear when that happened, according to Le Parisien.
The newspaper said investigators found a handful of pills in his apartment in addition to two sick notes, which forbade him from working from March 16 to March 29.
The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, reported Friday that Lubitz suffered from mental illness and kept his diagnosis concealed from his employer.
A subsequent report from the Times on Saturday, citing two officials with knowledge of the investigation, said Lubitz sought treatment before the crash for vision problems that might have put his career at risk. However, an official with Lufthansa, said that if Lubitz had vision problems, they would have been discovered during his pilot recertification medical examination.
Authorities have not ruled out the vision problems could have been psychosomatic, according to the Times.
Citing an unidentified senior investigator, German newspaper Die Welt said that Lubitz suffered from a severe "psychosomatic illness" and that German police seized prescription drugs that treat the condition. Lubitz suffered from a "severe subjective burnout syndrome" and from severe depression, the source told the newspaper.
News reports also stated that antidepressants were found during the search of his apartment.
Investigators are expected to question his relatives, friends and co-workers as they try to pin down what could have prompted the co-pilot to steer a jetliner full of people into a mountainside.
Lubitz had a girlfriend, a teacher at a school in Dusseldorf not far from his apartment, according to German media.
Who was co-pilot Andreas Lubitz?
'This is a man whose life is totally broken'
Dozens of people attended a remembrance ceremony Saturday for the victims of the crash at a church in a nearby town, Digne-les-Bains, France. Most of the people on the plane were from Germany and Spain.
Relatives of the victims and local residents also gathered Saturday afternoon by a simple stone memorial set up near the crash site, in the village of Le Vernet. Flowers have been laid there, in the shadow of the snow-covered peaks of the French Alps.
The mayor of one local community said he had seen Lubitz's father on Thursday evening, describing him as "a man in deep distress."
"We get the impression that that man is bearing the whole weight of the disaster on his shoulders," Bernard Bartolini, the mayor of Prads-Haute-Bleone, said Saturday.
"I can tell that this is a man whose life is totally broken," Bartolini said. "He had so much emotion in him."
'Open the Damn Door' with people yelling in the background is chilling to hear. Phillip Bramley (a Victims Father/Relative) states that it is irrelevant what has happened and that we need to concentrate to make sure that it never happens again. That's a great attitude and it is actually starting to hail on Katy Tur.
I also missed 60 Minutes but when I was at the bar (Iron Hill Brewing Company), it looked intriguing (I saw the highlight of it). And, yes Bill (Karins), how long is it going to be winter time? This is ridic. More showers throughout the East and part of the Midwest this AM and then the rest of the country is rather nice. He does say by April 1 or in two days, we should get some warm weather but there was total frost on my car this morning. I gasped out loud when I saw it. And Phiuk Me, my other work I was trying to get done just got thwarted by their scheduled maintenance. Damn. Looks like it is only going to be you and me for a bit but I’ve been waiting with bated breath for nearly a week for and because President Obama is expected to make a decision any moment on whether to allow Shell to drill in the Arctic this summer — a move that could mean game over for our climate. Honestly, let’s stop Arctic drilling before it starts. If we want to avoid an irreversible climate tipping point, we’ve got to leave Arctic oil underground. But Shell is so keen to drill for Arctic oil that it’s willing to put our futures in jeopardy. Last time Shell attempted Arctic drilling, it caused two major accidents with its gargantuan drill rigs — and still the company is eager to start again. Millions of us are fighting back. What we’ve seen over the past few weeks is extraordinary. Here in the U.S., thousands of you have been making phone calls to the White House, asking Obama to reject Shell’s drilling permits. In Seattle, hundreds of of local residents have given passionate testimonies to keep Shell from using the Port of Seattle as a home base for its Arctic drilling operations. And in the middle of the Pacific, 6 courageous volunteers are aboard a Greenpeace ship, the Esperanza, following closely as Shell carries its drill rig up North.
I can’t stress enough how critical this moment is for the future of our planet. Please make a gift today. If Shell pumps oil in the Arctic, the federal government’s own study shows that there’s a 75 percent chance of a large spill. 75 percent! Arctic conditions are simply too dangerous, and a spill would be next to impossible to clean up. And the chance of climate disruption from burning this oil? 100 percent. Let’s stop Shell from destroying our planet. Together. Thanks for hearing that oiut.
Morning Papers: So far a few deaths from that blast in NYC have been reported. H.P.'s Carly Fioina says that her chance of running in the GOP primary is above 95%. She did well at CEPAC but she actually always does well. I am not sure why she had the reputation. Maybe because she was a female Executive. She is very smart. AP reported that before the Edward Snowden leak, NSA mulled over ending that phone listening program. The WAPO reports that there may not be relevance to how much time parents spend with kids. They state that its the quality of time and not the quantity of time. Well Duh. Its both and/or all encompassing and what works in one family may not work in others and visa versa, but what else? Anything? 60 Minutes had the leader of Syria on to discuss the Syria and USA relationship. Plus, it seems like they poached that curing of cancer report and story using certain diseases to do it from the VICE show.
I guess Syria and Al Assad are the lesser of evils if you will, in that Middle east region.
I had crazy dreams this weekend. They were exhausting. I did not more running around in my dreams than I do in real life.
That is another story that broke over the weekend BTW, which is that Hilary wants to keep Bill at certain lengths during the election process. She will use him when they need to do which is what Obama did after Clinton gave Willard (Mitt Romney) the great advice on how to deal with himself (Romney) during that first debate. Which he won big over this current POTUS but that is Bill for you guys. He is a great speaker that does do some very questionable things for his party. But again, he is more of an asset than a liability that I guess if you can keep him quiet during that process, until you need the guy, that could be the best of both worlds for the Dem's and for that campaign.
Ah yes. Marie Harf is on now and she is in Switzerland to handle press for our Admin during the Iran deal talks with the media. But she says that Iran story is not true. The latest one that says that Iran had backed away in some way. She says that the writers got this story and report wrong. She says that there was no break down in those meetings and that the report about what to do with the current stock pile Iran has in hand (export it or destroy it within that country) is still being negotiated. She says the key is to get rid of it. Joe is a crack up today. He says for her to say hi to the Russian representative when he shows his face at these meetings. From what I hear now is that we are saying that its in the Iranians hands and the people from Iran feel that its in our hands. That to me is another way of saying or setting us up for the fall when there is no deal after tomorrow.
Foreign ministers from major powers pressed their Iranian counterpart on Monday as they sought to slot into place the final but also the trickiest pieces of a deal curtailing Tehran's nuclear programme as Tuesday's deadline loomed. "But it has to be a deal which puts the bomb beyond Iran's reach," he said."But it has to be a deal which puts the bomb beyond Iran's reach," he said.Britain's Philip Hammond said as he became the last of the foreign ministers to arrive in a rainy Switzerland that they "believe a deal can be done".
With time of the essence, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Hammond and the top diplomats of Russia, China, France and Germany are meeting for the first time since November. They have set a deadline of midnight on Tuesday to agree the outlines of a deal that they hope will put an Iranian nuclear bomb out of reach and end a crisis that has threatened to escalate dangerously for the past 12 years.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that after 18 months of negotiations, they were in the "endgame". Iran's lead negotiator Abbas Aragchi said they were in the "final phase".
But Aragchi also said the talks were "very difficult" while Steinmeier cautioned that the "final metres are the most difficult". The framework deal, if it can be hammered out, is meant to be finalised by June 30. But opponents have already been lining up to say it stops short of ensuring Iran does not get the bomb. These include US President Barack Obama's Republican opponents and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the "dangerous" deal.
"I just don't understand why we would sign an agreement with a group of people who in my opinion have no intention of keeping their word," US House Speaker John Boehner told CNN. Israel is widely believed to be the sole, if undeclared, nuclear-armed power in the Middle East.
- Jigsaw puzzle -
Western diplomats say that some areas in what would be a highly complex jigsaw puzzle of an accord are tentatively ready to be put into place. But they caution there is a long way to go.
One Western diplomat said Iran had "more or less" agreed to slash the number of its centrifuge enrichment machines from 20,000 to 6,000 and to ship abroad most of its stockpile of low-enriched uranium. This would make it a much more lengthy process to further purify these stocks to weapons-grade, were Iran to attempt to do so. Iran denies having any such aim, saying its programme is purely peaceful.
Iranian officials dismissed the numbers as "speculation", with Aragchi saying ruling out sending the stocks abroad, although he said "other options" were being examined.
"We have almost come to a solution, but it is out of the question to send the stocks abroad," Aragchi said. This could include diluting the low-enriched uranium or converting it to another form. But nevertheless Iranian officials have expressed guarded optimism that a breakthrough may be at hand.
"Getting to an accord is doable. Solutions have been found for numerous questions. We are still working on two or three issues," Aragchi said.
In addition to scaling down its nuclear programme, the powers want the facilities that remain to be subject to an unprecedented level of inspections by the UN atomic watchdog to ensure there is no cheating. Its underground facility at Fordo would also likely be barred from uranium enrichment, diplomats said, although it might be kept open for research purposes.
One of the thorniest issues is the lifting of UN, EU and US sanctions that have choked Iran's economy by strangling its oil exports and banks. Aragchi said Sunday there must be a "precise framework" for lifting sanctions. The duration of any deal -- the US wants at least 10 and possibly up to 15 years -- is also a point of contention. "There are six (UN Security Council) resolutions that have to be annulled," Aragchi said. But a senior US official said all sides had agreed to a phased, step-by-step approach, although the exact formula had yet to be found. Another difficult area is possible limits Iran's research and development of newer, faster centrifuges, which would in theory enable it to make material for a weapon much more quickly.
Why do I have this great feeling that this is going to be a long week? My family has a funeral today in Delaware. My Cousins wifes' dad died in new Zealand last week and they finally got the body back yesterday. I have the dentist to go to again tomorrow and two legal meetings this week before Wednesday. Plus, I am finishing up a half year long project as soon as tomorrow. I had shifted the company I run to doing more Music Supervision rather than to concentrate on album and song sales and those strategic partners I set up, are almost done ingesting the 700 or so songs I can work those ways. Anyway, they have Patrick Healy on to discuss the Hilary campaign. The New York Times did some report about how not repeat the 2008 issue and how for him (Bill) to stay on message.
When Hillary Clinton formally announces her presidential bid–likely in the next month–some of her supporters would prefer that Bill Clinton not be by her side because his “unnecessary baggage” may overshadow her once again. According to a Politico report, “another source of disagreement among Clinton supporters is what role Bill Clinton should play on announcement day.” “Longtime Clinton supporters” reportedly “said Bill Clinton’s presence would confuse Hillary’s message.” One operative told the outlet, “everyone knows who her family is, she doesn’t have to introduce them to the public… It should just be her. It should be her moment and Bill could overshadow her announcement and remind people of unnecessary baggage.”
Former President Barack Obama adviser Tommy Vietor, though, told the outlet that Clinton should be at the announcement because, “on the biggest day of your campaign, you have your family there and they’re there to support you like any spouse would. With Hillary Clinton embroiled in scandals involving her use of a personal email account while Secretary of State and foreign donations–including millions from repressive Middle Eastern regimes–to her family’s Clinton foundation, Hillary Clinton’s aides are well aware that Bill Clinton’s presence may remind voters of all of the “baggage” that voters find troubling about the couple.
Ken Silverstein recently wrote in the Observer that Bill Clinton’s ties to convicted pedophile Jeffery Epstein may potentially “derail” Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid. In 2008, Hillary Clinton’s aides were worried that rumors of Bill Clinton’s numerous alleged hook-ups and affairs would undermine her campaign and remind voters of Monica Lewinsky, the blue dress, and impeachment. According to the New York Post, a former Clinton aide said that Bill Clinton’s “seedy social circle” was “radioactive.”
Bill Clinton also did more harm than good to his wife’s campaign in 2008 by referring to Obama’s campaign as a big “fairy tale” and trying to diminish Obama’s win in the South Carolina primary by comparing him to Jesse Jackson. Black voters viewed Clinton’s comments as an “affront” and, as one activist and The Grio contributor recently wrote,Hillary Clinton’s tenure at Obama’s State Department “does not mean black voters will completely forget the bitter, racially tinged presidential campaign politics of seven years ago.”
After Obama was elected president, Hillary Clinton reportedly even warned Obama when he was considering her to be his Secretary of State that she was concerned her husband would be a “problem” for the administration. “You know my husband,” she reportedly told Obama. “You know I can’t control him, and at some point he’ll be a problem.”
After formally announcing her presidential bid sometime next month, Clinton will reportedly “embark on a short tour that will almost certainly include Iowa — and perhaps other states — to interact with voters in a series of events” in order to make her seem less “aloof” and more of a down-to-earth candidate. She will also need to justify her reason for wanting to be president. Hillary Clinton’s aides seem to realize that Bill Clinton’s presence, though, threatens to again, at minimum, derail her campaign’s carefully crafted optics and message.
What else? Cool. Mika's dad (Zbigniew Brzezinski) is on next to discuss the potential for a Iran deal.
BTW, Its freezing rain out now as we speak.
Actually, this Rock O Bama skit on SNL is hilarious. Joe says it was indeed a good SNL the other night.
Chris (Mathews) makes great points that Obama is looking towards his legacy and that a bad deal with Iran will not work in a positive way for him. I also get why Joe thinks that many Presidents like to do these types of big deals in their last year or after 7 or so years of being in office. Plus, he (Chris Mathews) says that people like Chuck Schumer and Diane Feinstein must answer to their groups of supporters that are for Israel and that even the Dem's should be able to help keep it (Iran Deal) in check. I hope we do not get a bad deal per se. I would rather have none at this time, rather then to see these leaders to make a stupid deal. They (meaning the US in particular) can't come off seeming like they are being forthcoming and giving either so its going to be smoke and mirrors to deal with too. Even (Ronald) Reagan went from the cold war guy to doing that Nuke deal with the Russian leader at that time.
And, hang on here because I agree with that content Joe is saying that he wrote for Politico about the two failed admin's since 2000. I will find that article to post here. I can't find it but Bush Jr. acted badly after 9/11 and I also agree that Obama over did the way to handle the Bush Jr. years. Plus, I will add that by Obama doing healthcare day one so to speak, was a bad miscalculation for him as the POTUS. That honestly blew it but overall and from where we sit today, what Joe says in that article i think, is what I wanted to articulate but never could figure out the words to do it. Again though, I feel that we have had two Presidency's that were borderline failures with Bush Jr. reacting top 9/11 (overreacting to it by attacking Iraq), and then we have Obama that over compensated when he over reacted to the Bush Jr. extremes (Dick Cheeney really but you know what I am trying to say now). I have to repeat that over and over because that is how I have felt about the 00's and about the POTUS' but I just never knew how to piece it together. I wonder if that article is even out yet. I think Joe said it was written today. You know what is funny? Obama has said that a lot of Middle east leaders 'must go." Including Al Assad. Including Gaddafi. Including Mubarek. What a debacle. That is the best way to describe the Middle East today besides saying it is a confusing mess. Its been a debacle that yes, started with the Bush Jr./Dick Cheeny admin and then it was made more of a mess after the Obama admin (well during it) did whatever he is trying to get done.
I think Mika's dad is up next. He will shed the best light about that region.
Speaking of (Andreas) Lubitz, I had seen and heard somewhere that his girlfriend had broken up with him and then I heard that his eye sight was bad and that could have potentially held him back from becoming a full fledged pilot. I maintain that is no reason to kill 150 people. And, like I said last week that if you are depressed and suicidal, go do it yourself. Why include 150 other people in your issue? Is that how mentally whacked people get because that is a fine line between being depressed and being an out and out killer. Where is that line drawn and how is it drawn in the worlds of mental behavior? Because again, to kill yourself by killing 150 people is more than depression to me. And, thank whomever's god that this guy did not live a day in my shoes because he would have some real shit to be depressed about but then again, I have the mentality that unless you kill me, I get stronger from whatever negative I have to face every day. I also have too much to prove to want to die before it. And, ironically, negatives if you will that you face, make humans stronger and maybe those are my points for the likes of how I deal. To gain a name or to become a household name for diabolical crap you pull makes no sense to me. To kill people and to become popular because of killing other people is counter productive and counter intuitive in my eyes. It makes no sense to me to want to involve any other humans in your own mess. That just makes no sense to me. I run from people if and when I have shit to deal with and I deal my myself for better and worse. I only include other people when I have to do it. That is a weird dichotomy for me to wrap my head around but anyway, i hope to get to some concrete world affairs next.
I am back able to rant here and do my real work. I just uploaded 20 more songs to Audio Micro. What a job I have in life. The entertainment world is so glamorous today. I paper push and watch uploads while doing data entry more than I did when i worked at Warner doing it. Maybe having that last gig at Warner was a pre cursor for me to know that if it happens on that large scaled level, that it is OK for me to deal with it at my own company.
Finally, Dr. (Zbigniew) Brzezinski is on now saying that if there is some movement on the Iranian nuclear issue, it would slow things down while not changing anything immediately. He also says that if there is no deal, we will have a mess on our hands. Which we already have that mess on our hands. As far as how that type of a deal would affect its neighboring countries, we know that answer. Even the UAB and other small countries are setting themselves up now with Nukes. I think they will stop it with a deal in place and I feel its them posturing but still, it is happening today. I honestly had no clue we were potentially getting ourselves into another war with Iran. Not another one with Iran. I mean in another war. So if this deal fails, are we potentially doing another war? I hope not. Or, does he mean an Israeli / Iranian war? Remember that again, this is not a deal that is getting done to implement starting after tomorrow. This is a deal to make a deal before June ends. This deal sets the tone for the overall deal and then they would have to implement it over the next few years. I also had no clue that Egypt was a negative issue for us (USA). I think we need to separate issues but again, I thought they are great allies for us in that region. Israel and Egypt I thought were also getting along in the broad schemes of those life styles. The problem now is Yemen. The problem we have is with Pakitsan. The problem we have is with the Turks. Those are the main negative issues to me. I think they are more negative issue wise than Iran but then again, I am me and I must hope that our world leaders know what the hell they are doing priority wise.
Steve Schmidt and Mike Allen are on now. Star Studded today. Mike Allen is talking about Scott Walker and his Super Pac. I actually agree with Steve Schmidt in that (Scott) Walker must remember that during a primary run or run at the POTUS, that there never any bad questions. And, that there are only bad answers. (Scott) Walker has had some bad answers and some non answers quite frankly, over the last two months. If Jeb Bush loses New Hampshire, he will lose the primary race. The only thing Jeb has is NH. He wont win Iowa. He needs to seriously win in New Hampshire. As far as Ted Cruz and his chances in that primary race, I agree with Luke (Russert). It is a long shot and Ted Cruz does flip flop a lot although that contradicts what I said about him after he was on the show within the last week or so. Joe just said it too with regard to his (Ted Cruz) stance on immigration which he has flip flopped on three times now. Ran Paul lies and he will be easy to catch when he does lie again.
I think that is about time for me to do my USPS run. I sold 180 DVDs this weekend or Saturday and Sunday at a sale I had at the vending Lot (www.Sunset-Vending.com). What a week so far and its only Monday ay 8AM/9AM.
Evan Osnos and Tim Gunn. This Evan Osnos China discussion seems great. Its just way over my head. I know nothing about that country. Which is all the more reason for the likes of me to read his article in the New Yorker. Tim Gunn is one my favorite humans. I used to watch Project Runway all of the time. I have no fashion sense whatsoever so this another segment that went over my head. That woman BTW, that is married to Harvey Wienstein that was on the show and that did All-Stars maybe, is one of the hottest women (I forget her name but she may have run Willamena for however long or I dunno. I think Willamena is a modeling agency and I know she ran some fashion magazine) on this planet. And, it gives me hope that f my company breaks in future years, I, like (Harvey), Wienstein may be able to get the hottie that is worldly and cool. It also seems like Tim has a book coming out or maybe its in stores already by today.
Regardless of it all today, Please stay in touch and Please have a great week!
