MAR 31 2011 set as No Gas Day

There’s a driving force on Facebook called “No Gas Day.” today March 31 2011.

A North Carolina woman fed up with gas prices is taking the fight online.

Sarah Thompson has created the No Gas Day Facebook page where she is calling on drivers to avoid all gas stations on March 31. So far Thompson’s page has more than 100,000 people planning to participate in the event. (Sara Thompson has reported to WMASSLocal that she in fact has 1.75 Million people planning to participate.) (Check the comments).

She is one of many people that have created campaigns on Facebook in order to shed light on rising gas prices. Thompson says the effort is not about sending gas prices downward for one day but to send a message.

“This is about taking a stand together against greedy people whose commodity happens to affect all other commodity prices,” Thompson says.

The page describes the event as a way to reach as many people as possible to have a day designated to boycott all gas stations.

This comes on the heels of already higher pump prices this spring and more increases are expected this summer. Home heating prices in the Northeast were averaging at about 3.60 a gallon. Today the OPEC set price for a barrel of oil is set at about $110.

Conflict in the Middle East and fighting in Libya prompted government analysts to raise expectations for gasoline prices by 50 cents a gallon in its monthly Short-Term Energy Outlook released Tuesday. The Energy Department boosted its per-barrel oil estimate by $9 for the peak driving season.

The report says there is “significant uncertainty surrounding the forecast” and pump prices could spike above $5 this summer, which would threaten the all-time highs reached at the beginning of the recession three years ago.

Users on the site are concerned gas will rise to $5 or even $9 a gallon this summer. The protest was scheduled for today, but there is another one scheduled for April 1st and even ongoing protests which call for boycotting gas on Mondays. By filling up the day before the protest, organizers hope oil companies lose millions if not billions of dollars.

“I think its a good idea, but I don’t think it will make a difference unless they get enough people to do it,” says James Norton. He thinks social networking on sites like Facebook can be a priceless marketing tool. “Were you surprised to see it? Not at all, actually thought about doing it myself. How much do you spend on gas for your truck? $120 a week.”

Meanwhile, drivers like what they’re seeing online, rather than outside at the pump. “I have a small car, takes me 60-dollars to fill this car up. Absolutely Ill enjoy the protest 100-percent.”

Radiation Found in Massachusetts Rainwater

Radiation from the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan is now showing up in rain in Massachusetts, health officials announced today.

The state Department of Public Health said low levels of radiation were detected in Bay State rainwater earlier this week. Massachusetts now joins scores of other states from the west to the east reporting higher than normal signs of contamination, all likely from Japan.

The DPH said the radiation — in the form of radioiodine-131– does not pose a health threat to Bay State residents and that the air and public drinking water supplies have tested clean. Radioiodine is a byproduct of nuclear fission and has a half-life of about eight days.

Still, health officials said they will continue to test drinking water supplies. The positive rainwater reading was spotted this week and announced today around noon after confirmation of the findings, officials said.

“The drinking water supply in Massachusetts is unaffected by this short-term, slight elevation in radiation. However, we will carefully monitor the drinking water as we exercise an abundance of caution,” said DPH Commissioner John Auerbach.

Other similar radiation hits have been found in California, Washington and Pennsylvania, according to the DPH. All those positive readings are part of the nation’s RadNet radioactive monitoring system.

The Las Vegas’ Atomic Testing Museum this week also reported detecting low levels of radiation, the Associated Press is reporting this afternoon. Positive readings have also been made in Colorado and Hawaii.

The news comes as courageous Japanese nuclear plant workers desperately try to keep the Fukushima Dai-ichi reactors from falling into a complete meltdown following an 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami March 11. Reports out of Japan today tell of workers being evacuated from one turbine building at the plant due to a spike in radioactivity, only to be told hours later it was a false reading.

Seawater near the plant has elevated signs of radioactivity and officials are saying it could take months to stop the constant radioactive contamination of the environment.

To date, 17 Japanese nuclear plant workers have been exposed to high levels of radiation with two hospitalized, according to reports out of Japan. The country is also warning about infants drinking tap water in Tokyo and produce near the plant — especially spinach and milk — is said to be contaminated.

In Massachusetts, DPH officials said today raw drinking water samples were taken from the Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs last week as part of an expanded monitoring system by the MWRA. Those reservoirs supply Greater Boston with its daily drinking water and all tests were negative.

“The initial result of DPH tests on water samples from the Quabbin and Wachusetts Reservoirs – the source of drinking water for 2.5 million Massachusetts residents – is good news,” said state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr., who chairs the board of the MWRA. “In an abundance of caution, however, MassDEP is sampling additional areas today so that we can be confident that water bodies across the Commonwealth have not been impacted by the nuclear incident in Japan.”

READ MORE >>>>

Real Estate: Spring Buyers Still Reluctant to Make Purchases

Existing home sales plunged nearly 10 percent in February to their lowest level in nine years. It was the largest drop since July. Forty percent of those sales were on distressed properties. And new home sales are on track to come in at just 250,000 this year, the fewest since the Kennedy administration, when there were 120 million fewer people in the United States.

“What is discouraging in many markets is that it appears as if some of the local builders are creating the volume,” says Wayne Yamano, vice president with John Burns Real Estate Consulting.

Across the country, real estate agents are reporting a rise in traffic at open houses. But they say buyers are reluctant because of the shellshock they suffered after the free-money machine blew up in everyone’s face. The foreclosure epidemic. The plague of employment insecurity. The fear that the U.S. is on a downward slide. They’re all playing into buyer commitment phobia, brokers say.

There’s also confusion over the conflicting signals. Prices are low, but unemployment is high. Mortgage rates are attractive, but lending standards are strict. Renting is newly chic. “Everybody is now self-loathing about how we’re greedy Americans and we shouldn’t want to own homes,” says Jonathan Miller, CEO of real estate consulting firm Miller Samuel.

The U.S. will certainly have a spring home buying season this year. But even if sales rise as usual, they won’t pull the zombie housing market out of its stupor. Nationwide, forecasters expect house prices to drop at least 5 percent more this year. And no one in housing land is murmuring about anything like price stabilization until 2012. At least. “We don’t expect a dramatic rebound,” says Paul Ashworth, managing partner at Capital Economics. “We expect stagnation for several more years.”

The housing problems certainly aren’t easing. Foreclosures are expected to peak this year. A third of homeowners owe more than their homes are worth. Normally the number of people with negative equity is 5 percent. And strategic defaults, where people simply walk away, are rising.

The buying that is happening isn’t coming from first-time homebuyers. A recent study by Capital Economics found that 60 percent of sales are to foreigners and investors, most of them paying cash. In fact, in international real estate circles, the U.S. is viewed as the “new emerging market,” says Thomas M. Shapiro, president of global real estate investment firm GTIS Partners.

Read More >>>>

Chicopee U.S. Tsubaki Automotive takes over production from quake-ravaged Japan Factory

Republican File PhotoA panorama of the U.S. Tsubaki plant in Chicopee

CHICOPEE – Earthquake devastation in Japan has shifted production to the U.S. Tsubaki Automotive plant in Chicopee.

The plant in the Chicopee Industrial Park has added two production workers to its staff of 240 in order to keep up with demand from automotive factories in China and Thailand, said President Mark J. Miller. The company makes timing chains for auto engines.

“Toyota is our largest customer, but we make for all the original equipment manufacturers,” Miller said Tuesday. “We do a lot for Chrysler and Ford.”

Tsubaki also has a roller chain plant in Holyoke that has not been impacted, said Charles Monty, the general manager at the Holyoke plant.

Industrial production in Japan slowed to a crawl after the March 11 earthquake, subsequent tsunami and ensuing damage to Japanese nuclear power reactors. Miller said all the Japanese staff members at Tsubaki here in Western Massachusetts have been in touch with their families and those people are safe.

Tsubaki’s Japanese plant is in Hanno City, West of Tokyo and removed from the devastation, Miller said. But with reactors down, the plant is subject to rolling blackouts that prevent workers there from heat-treating parts needed to make the chains.

“They have been told that the blackouts will continue at least through April,” Miller said.

Miller said the Japanese auto industry is largely shut down at the moment. But some customers are asking the Chicopee plant for daily production updates.

“The Japanese will do everything they have to do to get things back up and running,” Miller said.

According to The Associated Press, experts believe that Japanese auto industry will ramp up production this week.

The Chicopee plant also relies on parts made in Japan. But Miller said there are ample parts in the supply chain. It takes three weeks for the parts to get here which means the parts that are arriving now left before the earthquake.

“I’m more concerned about four to six weeks from now,” he said.

Miller said the new staff at U.S. Tsubaki will likely be permanent. He’d been expecting more work in the fall even before the earthquake and the new employees will stay on board to handle it.

Read More >>>>

2012 Doom becomes 2011 Doom as Result of New Comet – ELENIN

Comet Elenin Effects: 2012 Doom becomes 2011 Doom

October 27 2011 is said to be the original ACTUAL DATE the Mayan Calendar ENDS.

December 21 2012 was a date that was later chosen to push out the true time of the Mayan Prediction.

Comet Elenin Interactive Tracking Tool on NASA.Gov Web Site

Coincidence: The Comet Elenin is to be inside of the earths orbit of the sun and lined up on the axis with the sun and the earth on Oct 27 2011. There is likely to be tremendous forces of gravitational pull imposed on the earth and all of it tectonic plates. The result is that one can expect the earthquake activity to increase in number, size and magnitude from where it is presently.

Each of the last three major earthquakes have occurred when Comet 2010 X1 known as Elenin was in direct alignment with the earth and the sun.  The next alignment of the earth the sun and Elenin will be around September 25th 2011.

At this point in time the comet Elenin will be inside of the earth’s orbit of the sun . In other words when this alignment occurs  the comet Elenin and its massive gravitational forces will be positioned directly between the earth and the sun.  This will likely cause a noticeable unsettling of the earths tectonic plates. At the very least expect stronger and more frequent earthquake activity through November of 2011 when the comet begins to head back out to deep space.

Weatern Mass Home Heating Oil Prices

Massachusetts Heating Oil Prices

Average, Highest & Lowest

The prices shown are taken from heating oil dealers across the state and are provided for information purposes only. Contact a local heating oil dealer for current price per gallon and any terms or conditions that may apply.

2011 Massachusetts Home Heating Oil Prices
Date	Average	High	Low
March 15, 2011	$3.90	$4.50	$3.43
March 8, 2011	$3.90	$4.50	$3.49
March 1, 2011	$3.77	$4.40	$3.35
February 22, 2011	$3.64	$4.20	$3.16
February 15, 2011	$3.60	$4.20	$3.07
February 8, 2011	$3.60	$4.20	$3.10
February 1, 2011	$3.53	$4.00	$3.10
January 25, 2011	$3.48	$4.00	$3.04
January 18, 2011	$3.44	$4.00	$3.00
January 11, 2011	$3.36	$4.00	$2.91
January 4, 2011	$3.35	$4.00	$2.92
2010 Massachusetts Home Heating Oil Prices
Date	Average	High	Low
December 28, 2010	$3.32	$3.90	$2.90
December 21, 2010	$3.26	$3.85	$2.80
December 14, 2010	$3.23	$3.86	$2.79
December 7, 2010	$3.19	$3.86	$2.70
November 30, 2010	$3.08	$3.75	$2.62
November 23, 2010	$3.10	$3.75	$2.62
November 16, 2010	$3.12	$3.75	$2.70
November 9, 2010	$3.05	$3.70	$2.54
November 2, 2010	$2.97	$3.60	$2.55
October 26, 2010	$2.97	$3.60	$2.55
October 19, 2010	$2.95	$3.60	$2.50
October 12, 2010	$2.94	$3.50	$2.50
October 5, 2010	$2.89	$3.40	$2.45
September 14, 2010	$2.74	$3.20	$2.38
August 24, 2010	$2.72	$3.20	$2.29
July 27 ,2010	$2.73	$3.20	$2.32
June 22, 2010	$2.77	$3.40	$2.40
May 11, 2010	$2.90	$3.60	$2.38
April 27, 2010	$2.94	$3.75	$2.49
April 6, 2010	$2.90	$3.50	$2.52
March 23, 2010	$2.84	$3.30	$2.43
March 16, 2010	$2.86	$3.50	$2.42
March 9, 2010	$2.88	$3.50	$2.44
March 2, 2010	$2.86	$3.40	$2.29
February 23, 2010	$2.86	$3.50	$2.39
February 16, 2010	$2.81	$3.40	$2.29
February 9, 2010	$2.81	$3.40	$2.26
February 2, 2010	$2.82	$3.40	$2.30
January 26, 2010	$2.85	$3.45	$2.30
January 19, 2010	$2.91	$3.50	$2.42
January 12, 2010	$2.96	$3.50	$2.58
January 5, 2010	$2.88	$3.40	$2.50

Radioactive Iodine found in Tokyo’s Water Supply

FUKUSHIMA, Japan – In the first sign that contamination from Japan’s stricken nuclear complex had seeped into the food chain, officials said Saturday that radiation levels in spinach and milk from farms near the tsunami-crippled facility exceeded government safety limits.

Some amounts of radioactive iodine also were found in tap water Friday in Tokyo and elsewhere in Japan — although experts said none of those tests showed any health risks yet. The accumulation of radiation and poisonous particles from the nuclear plant explosions are likely to occur to the point of rendering the water supply unusable.

The Health Ministry also said that radioactive iodine slightly above government safety limits was found in drinking water at one point Thursday in a sampling from Fukushima prefecture, the site of the nuclear plant, but later tests showed the level had fallen again.

Six workers trying to bring the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant back under control were exposed to more than 100 millisieverts of radiation — Japan’s normal limit for those involved in emergency operations, according to Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the complex. The government raised that limit to 250 millisieverts on Tuesday as the crisis escalated. Read More >>>>

Comet “Elenin” to Pass Very Close to Earth: Path in 2011

Wikipedia: Comet C/2010 X1 (Elenin) is a long-period comet discovered by Russian astronomer Leonid Elenin on December 10, 2010 at International Scientific Optical Network‘s robotic observatory near Mayhill, New Mexico, U.S.A.

Last December, Russian Astronomer Leonid Elenin discovered a previously unknown comet. This comet has been named C/2010 X1, or more commonly referred to as Comet Elenin. The discovery of this comet is exciting, yet unsettling at the same time. Exciting in the fact that there are many, many bodies in the solar system that we have yet to discover, unsettling in the fact that it was just a few short months ago. The current projected path puts Comet Elenin at within .24 Au (Astronomical Units – Distance of the Earth to the Sun is 1 Au) of Earth. In comparison, the Hale-Bopp Comet of 1997 closest pass to earth was 1.315 Au. Needless to say, this should be a very bright comet in the night sky.

The first question I have is why hasn’t the media reported much about Comet Elenin? The media has always published large news articles about found comets. Is it because Elenin is going to be coming a little too close for comfort and they don’t want to insight panic? The fact of the matter is, Comet Elenin may hit Earth!

I am not trying to be an alarmist, but the possibility exists. The orbit of Elenin seems to be changing weekly. As it passes through the asteroid belts and such, it’s possible that it could contact another body in space and change its orbit. When Elenin was first discovered, initial predictions had it passing about 8.8 Au from Earth. These first calculations have changed immensely. Today the orbit calculations have Elenin coming as close as .24 to .15 Au from Earth. That is a major difference and one of the reasons why I believe the media has kept relatively quiet about it. To put it in a little perspective, the Moon is only .0026 Au from Earth. As I mentioned before, the data is being recalculated daily to predict exactly how close Elenin will come. Elenin will pass through the Main Asteroid Belt and runs the risk of contacting an asteroid and changing direction. Even a subtle shift could spell disaster for Earth. The next thing we need to be aware of is the debris left behind by Elenin. Earth WILL pass through this debris tail, by current calculations, it should occur around November 6^th, 2011. This should bring quite the light show in the night sky. Take a look at the below dates to gauge when Elenin will be most visible to us.

3/15/2011 alignment—sun earth comet (2.099 Au)
9/11/2011 perihelion – visible with naked eye
9/26/2011 alignment—sun comet earth(.392 Au)–possible tail interaction
10/16/2011 closest (.24 Au)
11/6/2011 debris field
11/22/2011 alignment—sun earth comet (.586 Au)
4/21/2012 debris field
12/25/2012 alignment—sun earth comet (5.242 Au)

It has been calculated that Elenin’s orbit around the sun and back is about 10,000 years. Kind of brings to mind the orbit of another celestial body that is talked about in many circles, Planet X or Nibiru. Could the tales of Nibiru been related to the last time that Elenin passed by the Earth? I have heard from many that claim Comet Elenin is just a coverup for Nibiru. To focus our attention on a wondrous comet in our skies and make us less aware of the approaching brown dwarf planet with three moons known as Planet X, Nibiru.

The next effect I have heard about is Comet Elenin triggering the Pole Shift that has been spoken of. The pole shift is when the Earth’s magnetic poles move and switch. Some believe this to be a process that will take about 5 years. During those years, we may lose many plants and animals to solar radiation poisoning because of the weakening of the protective magnetic layer around Earth. The other school of thought is that it will happen quickly, inside of a few days, and re-establish the magnetic protective layer around Earth. The drawback from this happening that quick is it could trigger many natural disasters from large earthquakes to volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. The gravitational pulls of the comet will assist the Earth’s magnetic poles to shift. My only question to this is why didn’t it happen in 1997 with Comet Hale-Bopp?

The last prediction related to Comet Elenin comes from Nostradamus. Let’s take a look at his Century 2, Quatrain 62:

‘Mabus will soon die, then will come

A horrible undoing of people and animals,

At once one will see vengeance,

One hundred powers, thirst, famine, when the comet will pass.’

From this prediction one could believe that the comet passing is what causes the strife to mankind. Could Comet Elenin be the comet that Nostradamus is referring to? To some, this is an extremely scary prediction, and cause for great alarm. Back to an earlier question, this could be why the media has kept quiet about this phenomenon.

Whether we like it or not, Comet Elenin is going to pass by, or hit, Earth. Is there something we can do to change that? I don’t see it. Unless we can get Bruce Willis to jump on an experimental space craft and put a nuke inside of the comet. Back on topic, Comet Elenin will provide us with a great space show later this year. I am looking forward to it. As for all the doom and gloom predictions associated with it, I guess only time will tell. Read More >>>>

Comment by Morpheus: Take for instance the line of (One hundred powers, thirst, famine, when the comet will pass) in above listed Nostradamus Quotran. “One Hundred Powers” could very likely be Nostradamus’ reference to the Nuclear Catastrophe for which there were no words to describe in his time but which is currently taking place in 2011 in Japan.

If so Nostradamus is telling us that many, many people will die from famine and thirst as a direct result of the Nuclear Event taking place in Japan before our very eyes by means of TV and Web reporting.

Also use of the term vengeance:
–noun

1. infliction of injury, harm, humiliation, or the like, on a person by another who has been harmed by that person; violent revenge: But have you the right to vengeance?
2. an act or opportunity of inflicting such trouble: to take one’s vengeance.
3. the desire for revenge: a man full of vengeance.
4. Obsolete . hurt; injury.
5. Obsolete . curse; imprecation.

—Idiom

1. with a vengeance,

• a. with force or violence.
• b. greatly; extremely.
• c. to an unreasonable, excessive, or surprising degree: He attacked the job with a vengeance.

 

What’s going on in Japan’s nuclear plants

What’s going on in Japan’s nuclear plants

The “slow-moving nightmare” has officials considering last-ditch efforts to stem radiation.

20 Unlicensed Impostors Posing as Electricians Arrested in Craigslist related Sting

20 Unlicensed Impostors Posing as Electricians Arrested in Craigslist related Sting

Twenty allegedly unlicensed electricians were busted in a Craigslist sting engineered by the Massachusetts Division of Professional License.

The individuals allegedly advertised on Craigslist looking for work and met with the undercover investigators to discuss projects. The state says in some cases the unlicensed electricians didn’t give their last names, and many demanded cash for payment.

“It is imperative that consumers use a licensed electrician, even when it might be a simple project like installing a light fixture,” said Barbara Anthony, the Undersecretary of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation. “Unlicensed electricians may not know the details of building codes, may not handle the permitting process appropriately, and will likely leave the consumer with no recourse if the work is incomplete or shoddily done.”

All 20 cases are now being reviewed, and the unlicensed electricians face fines of up to $1,000 for unlicensed practice.

Read more: 20 unlicensed electricians busted in Craigslist sting | Boston Business Journal