Ford Motor Company to Build $1 Billion Automotive Manufacturing & Engineering Complex in Sanand India

File photo: Ford Motor Company assembly line

President Obama will be giving a speech on jobs this Thursday. Many people want him to propose big-idea projects and other manufacturing wonders that will produce thousands of jobs. Ford Motor Company is jumping the gun on El Presidente and has announced a new $1 billion automotive and engineering complex! The complex is expected to create 5,000 or so jobs.

Unfortunately, this complex isn't in the USA - it's in India! While there is nothing to stop Ford from making money in other territories, it is sad that Ford isn't building $1 billion factories in the United States.

US auto giant Ford has started construction on a $1 billion manufacturing and engineering complex in India as it bets on the country to help drive global growth, a company statement said on Tuesday...

...The complex highlights the automaker's plan "to aggressively grow the Ford brand in India," said Ford India president Michael Boneham.

The official press release from Ford is below.

Source: FRANCE 24

###

Ford India Sales Up 45 Percent for the Year; Announces New Plants in Gujarat

* Ford India has sold 71,347 wholesale and export units so far this year, representing year-over-year growth of 45 percent
* The company is investing Rs 4000 crore (approx. USD 1 billion) in India to build vehicle manufacturing and engine plants in Sanand, Gujarat
* The recently launched All-New Fiesta expands Ford’s portfolio and offers a best-in-class experience to customers

NEW DELHI, India, 1 August, 2011 – Ford India’s sales performance this year reinforces its decision to invest approximately USD 1 billion to build a new integrated manufacturing facility in Gujarat (emphasis added).

Ford India, which just launched the All-New Fiesta, sold 71,347 wholesale and export vehicles from January to July 2011, compared to 49,131 units sold during the same period last year – a 45 percent increase year-over-year.

In July 2011, the company had combined wholesales and exports of 10,706 units, compared to 9,666 units in July 2010.

As part of its aggressive global expansion, Ford India and the State of Gujarat signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Gandhinagar on July 28 to build a state-of-the-art vehicle manufacturing plant and an engine plant on a 460-acre site in Sanand.

“These are exciting times for Ford in India,” said Michael Boneham, president and managing director, Ford India. “We are investing in the future and reinforcing our long-term commitment to India by building two new plants in Gujarat and by adding the All-New Fiesta to our portfolio. The All-New Fiesta is the first of eight new vehicles we will bring to India by mid-decade.”

Fuel-efficient diesel variants of Ford vehicles have been in high demand, due to rising fuel prices, creating a customer waiting list. Ford India is expanding its engine plant in Chennai and working with diesel engine part suppliers in order to better meet the strong demand.

“We appreciate our customers’ patience as we work with our suppliers to remove capacity constraints, and ensure we can meet the ever increasing demand for Ford products,” added Boneham. “The All-New Fiesta is a great addition to our portfolio and has had a tremendous reaction from customers so far. We are pleased to have sold over 70,000 vehicles to local and international markets this year.”

The All-New Fiesta, which went on sale July 14, brings many segment-leading technological firsts, such as a voice-controlled in-car entertainment and climate system and Cruise Control, in a stylish, fuel-efficient package.

Led by a surging demand for the compact Ford Figo, Ford India exported more than 3,200 cars to 26 markets, including seven new ones, in July. “It is great to see that in addition to selling over 100,000 units here in India, overseas demand for Figo is high and consistently boosting our exports,” Boneham concluded.

About Ford in India
Established in 1995, Ford India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader. Ford India manufactures and distributes automobiles and engines made at its modern integrated manufacturing facilities at Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai. The company’s models include the Figo, Fiesta Classic, Endeavour and the recently launched All-New global Fiesta.

Ford’s operations in the country also include Global Business Services, comprised of Ford Business Services Center and Ford Technology Services India. Located in Chennai and Coimbatore, these units support Ford globally in the areas of IT, accounting and finance, financial services and automotive operations support, global analytics and engineering services. Ford’s businesses in India employ 10,000 hard-working, dedicated men and women.

For more information, visit www.india.ford.com

Information about Libya That the Mainstream Media Doesn't Report (Video)

I would recommend this video and as you are watching, check out the buildings and the city of Tripoli. The city actually looks just as nice (if not nicer) than any American city. Also, it is interesting that Khaddafy was able to ride through the streets essentially with no protection. Our President would require armored vehicles and hundreds of security agents to make a similar appearance over one (1) block. Khaddafy appears to travel miles in this video.

The captions in this video are also probably accurate. No one in the U.S. government has convinced me of the national interest at stake for the U.S. to be involved militarily in Libya. This Libyan invasion sounds like another war planned and plotted by the globalist bankers who will stand to make immense profits from the new Libyan government at the expense of the Libyan people.

Alleged U.S. Navy Space Command Captain Says He Has Visited Elenin and Other Celestial Bodies!

Navy throwback logo

***To any legal eagles patrolling this site, please read this special disclaimer before proceeding. I do not believe there is any copyright in the interview transcript that was posted on the GodLikeProductions forum (and which I am posting below). However, if any legal representative of either GLP or this alleged Space Command Captain (including the military which sometimes reads my blog) believe that the post is infringing or violates national security, then please send me notice or post in the comments with your credentials and I will remove it.***

With that special disclaimer out of the way, allegedly, a Captain in the United States Navy Space Command* began posting last month on the GodLikeProductions forum requesting forum members to ask him any questions they had about the military's space program. For newbies to this blog, yes, there is a military space program and no, I'm not talking about NASA. Aside from the X-37B unmanned spacecraft, most of the military's space program is either highly classified or non-existent on paper. Many conspiracy theorists (including myself) believe otherwise and think that the U.S. military has a very significant space program.

If you do not have time to read the entire interview, these items caught my interest.

• The U.S. Navy Space Command has allegedly already visited Elenin;
• Revolutionary energy technologies exist and may soon be revealed to mankind;
• The Captain has traveled 250 light years away from Earth and said the Navy has sent people much further away;
• The Captain says that Elenin is a beacon of hope and a glimpse into the past for mankind;
• Some people can surf the space waves like the freakin' Silver Surfer;
• True technology is 50-100 years ahead of what is revealed to the private sector.

The below transcript is absolutely fascinating - so much so that it doesn't require a shred of proof. It could be 100% science fiction, but there is no way someone can convince me that some (if not most) of the aspects of this story aren't true. Based on my understanding of science and technology, this seems more feasible to me than the state of technology presented to the private sector.

*I am not a military kid, so I do not really know military protocol or traditions. Nevertheless, there has never been any official U.S. Navy Space Command. There was once a U.S. Naval Space Command, but it was merged with Naval Network Operations Command in July, 2002 to become Naval Network and Space Operations Command (all under the Naval Network Warfare Command). Therefore, this Captain who claims he is from U.S. Navy Space Command (which officially doesn't exist) could be yanking folks' chains!

Enough with my babbling, here is the actual transcript.

Captain S ("Captain")
User ID: 1488297
United States
7/30/2011 10:58 AM

CAPTAIN: Due to all the internet hype the Navy actually sent a recon mission to elenin. Let's just say it won't cause the excitement some think. But it may present a few surprises that no one expected. I'll be here for about 20 minutes to answer questions and then I'm off. Just trying to be nice because I know there is a lot of buzz about it.

How long does it take to get there?
CAPTAIN: From the moment the crew steps in the craft, preps, clears port, about 60 minutes. Actual travel time, about 20.

Go into detail about a few of these surprises
CAPTAIN: No doom from elenin. its not a comet, or not totally just a comet.

What type of craft are you using (TR-B)?
CAPTAIN: no

Ok, what exactly is it
CAPTAIN: check into the properties of E-type asteroids. very similar. however if you connect the dots you 'll know that E types are codeword for something more interesting

What effect does this elenin have on our earth, and what risks does it pose for us?
CAPTAIN: it won't have any effects on earth. But it may be of interest to ham radio operators

X-37, NOTE, Tin Can?
CAPTAIN: sorry, can't go there

is elenin artificial? Is anything riding it so to speak?
CAPTAIN: :)

Well if you aren't so cryptic, maybe someone would take you seriously. Explain further.
CAPTAIN: Remember I don't want to lose my clearance buddy. Look at my response to captain (question directly above). Anyway my twenty minutes are up. Gotta go. I'll check back in 45 minutes or so for one more session of questions. Have a nice weekend all.

whats your opinion op on the all the ex nasa employee's spilling the beens on everything they know since they are all getting canned?
CAPTAIN: NASA is just a front for the public. their budget is miniscule. not enough money to really do anything but put a few probes in our solar system. The real space program falls in the military's domain, mainly airforce and navy. but the nice chemical rockets sure are fun to watch. as far as NASA spilling any beans. very few people from nasa are actually in the loop. they don't know anything to spill

Lets just say if something or someone is riding it, would we have to worry as far as death and destruction go, or would it be more of a eye opener ? I personally don't have a opinion about Elenin, just asking questions....
CAPTAIN: as I said before, there is no doom with it. so no need to worry

Might there be a lot of vehicles? Say 7000?
CAPTAIN: What do you mean by 'a lot of vehicles'? that's all classified and i am not privy to the overall actual numbers other than the area i work in

Might the "Item(s)" in question be able to carry a lot. Say 7000?
ok now I see what you are getting at. i really don't know, sorry. i know there are at least 2 more missions planned and after the next someone will have that answer, maybe. but i probably won't be a part of it.

Did the US space command bring down the twin tower on 9/11 using some kind of powerful weapon?
I don't know anything about that

So why are you telling us this? What can we benefit from what you know? Just tell us what you obviously want to tell, but are afraid to
go look up e class asteroids. also look up the ESA's rosetta mission to steins. where magically the high res cameras just happened to fail. and there is your answer. sorry i can't be more direct. but this one is a bit more operational and is talking. someone savvy will be able to 'hear' it pretty soon. there will be no denying that history isn't what we've been told. but much more interesting. no doom. just something pretty neat coming. i have said enough.

If i were in the navy space command and wanted to talk to the public i would use a conspiracy forum such as glp... why? because no one will believe it lol. Are you using gravitational wave propulsion ships.? and is it true that the navy space command has stations on mars. and is there a collaboration with the grays?
:)

pisses me off that we have been putting astronauts lives in jeopardy with chemical rockets. when in fact we have been hiding a much more advanced safer spaced program all this time..
i have complained about this exact same thing. all in the name of national security. whatever. now you know why there is no replacement for the shuttle. but times are ah changin. and what we do may become a bit more open very soon. we are bankrupt. can you imagine what giving the commercial sector some of this would do for the economy! they are considering it as we speak. instead of taking 5 1/2 hours for a coast to coast flight it would take a matter of minutes. interesting times. its hard to bite my tongue. but keep the faith. soon, very soon

E Class Asteroids -
A fairly rare, very reflective asteroid that is slightly red in color, probably due to the presence of some surface organic chemicals. E-class asteroids dominate the Hungaria family of the main belt, though some, including the two largest, (44) Nysa (see Nysa-Polana family) and (64) Angelina, are found scattered farther out. Their flat reflectance spectra in the 0.3 to 1.0 micron region and high albedos (usually above 0.3) suggest a connection with the aubrite (otherwise known as enstatite achondrite, hence the “E”) category of meteorite. However, this link is problematic because aubrites are clearly of igneous origin, whereas some E-class asteroids (including Nysa) show an absorption feature at 3 microns that points to water-and/or hydroxyl-bearing minerals and a nonigneous history.
basically that means its highly reflective, metallic

Do you fly your vehicles fairly low at night and change direction at nano second speed?
not me. my CO is a hard ass. but i've heard stories, some funny ones. if i did it i'd probably be court martialed

op what can you tell us about the program besides the fact that you went to elenin?
that they know they gotta tell everyone soon, because the gap between what we have and what we admit is increasing to a point that they can't keep it all a secret forever. think 50 lightyears for a one or two day trip is easy. listen to what ben rich said. its all coming out soon or else i wouldn't be posting. we live in the most interesting times ever. and the next 5 years will be the most amazing starting with this year. the the old farts running things realize this and hate change, but its inevitable. thanks for participating guys. i'll check back later tonight.

I'd say one would have to be one bad mofo to drive one of those. Can they see me watching them? Are their eye pieces able to see the fly I swat?
actually its easier than flying a jet. most of it is automated. but they still pick the elite of the elite for this stuff. and yes they can see the fly you are swatting, your facial expression, and who exactly you are via facial recognition.

Does the US Navy Space Command always send recon missions to comets and neo's? Or was this unique? Does something concern them about this Elenin or is this more SOP?
if something is out of the ordinary than they will look at it using a wide variety of sensors. if there is still questions then yes they go out there and check it out.

one thing that I must point out that you just don't get from watching on a tv is the absolute beauty out there.

the earth and other planets are simply magnificent and awe inspiring. i have even suggested to take various world leaders out there to take a look at the earth and see its beauty from space. when you see how amazing it is you wonder what all these wars are about and wonder why we can't concentrate directing our efforts towards lifting mankind up.

saturn close up, mind boggling. a few planets in other star systems would absolutely blow your mind. its too bad they can make an IMAX movie showing some of this stuff. it is so sad the universe is hidden and most are stuck on a rock and can't see the universe in all its beauty and wonder.

and the sheer number of stars you can see without any interference from the atmosphere. WOW!!!!! its absolute paradise this universe.

OP have you or your fellow officers traveled to Niburu/Planet X? If can say, will it come near to earth in a year or two?
i have never heard anything about nibiru.

Your welcome OP. Don't abandon us like so many do.
no i'm back :) can't stay here forever but it really feels great letting curious folks in on a bit. like a weight off my chest. i admit i don't know everything about this stuff, not even close. but i feel happy sharing what i can.

all that taxpayer money going to stuff like this and normally you aren't even told it exists! but change is right around the corner. i've never seen so much activity/excitement among the brass and civilians than i have the last 6 months. some just don't want to change and keep it all to themselves. but they are finding themselves to slowly be in the minority on that viewpoint.

i think we may be heading in the right direction as far as the secrecy. these guys are paranoid by nature and rightly so. but even they realize this is too big to keep secret. humanity deserves to know.

I have read that space is really blue not dark like NASA has fed is. Is this accurate?
it is pitch black

Did you go to flight school in Corpus Christi or Pensacola?
i understand your curiosity. i don't want to talk about personal stuff though.

I was just asking because I want to be a Navy Pilot and have been looking it up online.
From what I understand if I join and pass basic I would probably go to Pensacola. Which is fine with me. The way I see it if you can land a plane on an Air Craft Carrier, then you are one of the best pilots in the world.
you are 100% correct. carrier landings are insane. good luck kid.

OP can you say what the furthest distance from earth you've traveled is? Another star system?
about 250 ly, others much much further, and still heading out

OP do other nations of earth have a Space Command, or is US alone in this ability?
ok i'm not privy to all of this, but obviously from working in this field i will tell you what I have seen.

yes and yes. some other guys are up there, the usual suspects, but so far we see they are only sporting conventional or just a bit more advanced than conventional NASA type tech. they mainly stay in L.E.O. and don't cause much interference with our operations. they are just a nuisance at this time

so what are you talking about happening like first contact or something like that?
as far as elenin, i just hope we have some ham radio operators out there who can listen to to it. we need to learn about ourselves and our heritage. elenin may help with this.

OP thanks!!! for answering. You're point of view of the depth and beauty of space is uplifting for us earth bound ones. A final question about Elenin.... will it be so bright that it might light up the night sky like a double full moon or similar?
you'd have to ask an astronomer. i'd guess its too small to be any sort of visual spectacle UNLESS, it becomes active that way also. that would be amazing. anything is possible.
and yes, my first trip out there was a God smack in my face with the sheer beauty and awe. quite a humbling experience any one of us would benefit from. i hope one day everyone can.

Hey OP, Can you tell us what hidden technology, in your opinion, would be the most valuable to humanity if released to all?
Do we have the technology to end most of the suffering on this planet?
we have a whole bunch of amazing stuff. yes we could end suffering and turn the planet into a total paradise. nothing makes my blood boil more than this. but there is hope. there are some men, a few with vision that are in the right positions now that maybe you'll start to see some of it. i really think we are heading that way.

i guess i didn't answer you question. this is why i think this stuff has been kept in secrecy. they use nat.sec. as an excuse but its really to protect the oil profits. however fukushima has really rattled them.

i am just a peon when it comes to this kind of policy, but there seems to be an internal struggle with one side wanting to get this stuff out and the other side being paid off to keep it secret. this is where i better shut the heck up. but you get the idea.

Have you observed other civilized planets?
yes, city lights from space, very similar if not identical in some cases to our cities

Thanks. Still didn't even throw us a bone with a specific heretofore unknown tech., but that's OK. We don't want you to get into trouble. ;-`)
So give us a name. Who is paying whom to keep humanity suffering and dying? Be a Patriot, give us a name. Thanks. :)
this is a VERY sketchy area. if I gave you names i'd probably have a visit sometime in the next few days that i'd rather not. but really i can only speculate. maybe some of them really do have the view that this is better left to the military for now. or maybe they are getting paid to keep this view. i would really know. but i'm sure there are those that know very well in intelligence circles.

these guys can be very short sighted. why not be the ones responsible for bringing heaven to earth? sad really, but the good guys are gaining ground, trust me.

yes zpe is real. space is actually more energetic than matter. the trick is figuring out how to get it because there is very little to no energy gradient. but they have figured it out long ago.
no need to ever pay another electric bill again or fill your tank up.

they could desalinize all the ocean water they wanted for almost free and irrigate the deserts. the possibilities are unlimited. greed can only hold out and suppress this for so long.

OP do you know what this is:
[link to img253.imageshack.us]
And does your propulsion system for traveling l.y. away has anything to do with a bogey owned by Ra and orbiting the Sun:
[link to img167.imageshack.us]
Haven't seen Ra out there yet, lol.
If you really want to see some neat stuff, buy a pair of 3rd or later gen night vision goggles and spend some time looking up with them.

OP, this crop circle represents the interception of Elenin by an antimatter weapon orbiting the Sun. It will depolarise Elenin's EM field represented by the small rocked thunderbolt at the tip of Apophis head and render the asteroid benin against Earth's EM field. I doubt the Navy Space Command has such a powerfull device to fulfill the work.
[link to [url= [link to www.cropcircleconnector.com]www.cropcircleconnector.com[]
[link to [url= [link to www.cropcircleconnector.com]www.cropcircleconnector.com[]
if it is destroyed, that would be a travesty. there are some out there who could do this. i just hope whoever is making the crop circles is wrong about this one. elenin has been given a lot of doom and gloom press.

it is quite the opposite. a beacon of hope and a glimpse into the past. a glimpse into who we really are perhaps, from all the clues that have been gathered. our guys are going wild like school children on xmas eve when it comes to this thing. i'd love to go back myself.

David Wilcock got an anonymous tip that Air Force Space command was mining Element 115 somewhere in the Hercules constellation. Could this be correct?
mining element 115? sounds like science fiction. is David Wilcock a science fiction writer?

OK... OP... Appreciate that you can't share the actual vehicle designation...
Can you give some idea of the technology involved?
Thanks...
There are various advanced methods of propulsion. one time the discovery channel of all places aired a show about 5 years ago that spoke about some of these techs, at least the early days of it and i almost spit my coffee out watching. it had 'advanced aircraft' in the title. i really which i would have dvr-ed that show as I can't remember the whole title and i have searched for it and never found it. i couldn't believe my eyes when i saw what they were talking about. almost 100% accurate with nice graphics and visualizations. someone spilled the beans. i'm sure its been yanked but that show would have really wet your whistle. perhaps it wasn't yanked and i can't find it. i suggest looking for this and see if you can find it.
as much as i'd like to share. i really can't go there. i'm sorry.

but i will share this small tidbit. there are those that create their own sort of wave and ride it like a surfer.

think about Einstein, when they drop a ball in a sheet to demonstrate how timespace gets warped by matter.

they jokingly say we have front wheel drive. we are pushed not pulled and it certainly feels that way even though they say the inertia is canceled i swear i feel the 'pull'

that's all i will say on this. sorry to be vague.

So you have no information on the Nemesis Dwarf Star. Dr Bill Deagle and company claims it will be visible from the Southern Hemisphere with a high power telescope in about a month. And will start wrecking havic on earth in about 5-9 months?
Never heard of it.

OP: To your knowledge, what year did mankind (our current society) successfully breach the Van Allen Belt? TIA.
i guess i should know this. the apollo missions?

Op - have you seen any angels out there in your travels?
Also, have you seen the so-called approaching "ribbon" or cloud of energy that Sickscent has done so much research on, and that the Boeing and NASA insiders have spoken of as threatening our planet?
you can't see the ribbon but its funny you bring that up. that has been a HUGE concern for the scientists. they put out a cover story that it was the solar wind being reflected back, but that is baloney. its hard to tell. another poster just mentioned the van allen belt, which we don't even think about because we are protected from it. i wouldn't say it was a force field but all EM and radioactive particles cannot penetrate our craft. the system is so good that there is less radiation inside our craft then on the surface of the earth, including going through the ribbon.

but there are experiments going on in the ribbon to see what kind of effects it will have when it reached the inner solar system. good question. so far they just don't know. the ribbon has some odd qualities to it

Well I hope Dr. Deagle is wrong, but the guy is one of the most intelligent people I have ever listened to. Although he does seem prone to flights of fancy!! If the Nemesis Dwarf Star is as close as people are indicating then no doubt its been visited by advanced Space Command craft. He also confirms we have hyper light speed spacecraft, so he knows something concerning black programs! Please if possible ask something about this problem. Although I know that things are very compartmentalized, so its hard to find stuff out!!!!
i would think something so epic i would have heard of. i will surely ask around. thanks for the heads up. I think I've heard Deagle on the internet a long time ago. From what I remember he did sound intelligent, but I can't remember him talking about this nemesis dwarf star. i'd wager it doesn't exists or I would probably have known. but this business is all about compartmentalization and secrecy. a need to know basis. so you never know! i'll ask around.

You guys are the pilots of the huge black isosceles triangle mother ships, right?
[link to [url= [link to www.soupmedianetwork.com]www.soupmedianetwork.com[]
[link to x40.xanga.com]
[link to [url= [link to www.ambergristoday.com]www.ambergristoday.com[]
no, but the black triangles are ours. that is an airforce asset. they are mainly used below 150k ft. they aren't designed for interstellar travel.

hi guys. i just wanted to get the word out that you should start listening with your radios, point them towards elenin. you should start picking up a signal soon if not already.
thanks for the questions, this has actually been very fun.

can't really go into anymore detail, but i must say, you are a fine lot here. thank you and i really mean that.

one more thing. i'm not saying I won't be back. i have just told you as much as i can right now and duty calls. so i won't be able to post until i'm back on August 11th.

when I get back I will post an update. i look forward to it. because 10 years ago i was on the net searching myself, i know what it's like.

take care all. and i will catch up with you soon

Video Purports to Show Missile Hitting Pentagon on 9/11

Let me be the first to say that I'm 100% for 9/11 truth, but I'm not in the "missile hit the Pentagon" group. The evidence to me does not tend to show a missile hitting the Pentagon. However, there are many people who believe a missile hit the Pentagon and no 757 plane ever crashed into it. To date, the government released only (1) video of the alleged crash at the Pentagon and it was inconclusive to me.

This morning I saw the above video posted on a friend's Facebook wall. The above video is a new one to me and I have never seen it until today. It is allegedly another video of the events at the Pentagon on 9/11. If this video is authentic, then I may have to reconsider my position about the missile theory, because this certainly looks like a missile to me at the 0:20 mark. I do not know the original source of this video, so if anyone knows, please post it in the comments. Thanks.

An Illustration of the Electromagnetic Radiation Emitted by Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL)

This is why I won't get CFL lights in my home. If one's body is surrounded by high levels of electromagnetic radiation, harmful effect will likely occur. Shouts to David Dees for the picture.

Medicinal Genomics Sequences Entire Cannabis Sativa & Indica Genetic Code

The entire DNA sequence of the marijuana plant is now in the books. The above picture is a model of the tetrahydrocannabinol molecule, the active ingredient in marijuana, produced by the cannabis plant as a defense mechanism. I guess even the marijuana industry is going hi-tech. With Obama pushing for patent reform, bio-tech corporations will now be able to change certain genetic sequences in the marijuana DNA and then patent these changes.

Once the companies have patent protection, a marijuana plant goes from being simply a "weed" to being valuable patents and other intellectual property. Therefore, I would not be surprised to see the following two (2) things occur in the coming years:

1. Marijuana being legalized for personal use.
2. Big Agra (the corporate farming companies) begins producing GMO marijuana & makes a huge profit.

The press release is below.

###

August 18, 2011 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Medicinal Genomics Sequences the Cannabis Genome to Assemble the Largest Known Gene Collection of this Therapeutic Plant

The data, representing a 65,000 fold increase in what is publicly known about the genome, is being made readily available to researchers and scientists

MARBLEHEAD, Mass. and AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Medicinal Genomics, a pioneer in the genomics of medicinal plants, today announced that the company has sequenced the entire genome of Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica, assembling the largest known gene collection of this therapeutic plant. The DNA purification was performed at the company’s research facility in Amsterdam, and the sequencing was conducted by several service providers, including the latest long read technology from Roche’s 454 sequencing center.

Previously, only two million bases of Cannabis sequence have been deposited in GenBank, a sequence database provided by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). To date, Medicinal Genomics has privately sequenced over 131 billion bases of sequence, which represents a 65,000 fold increase in what has been publicly shared about the Cannabis genome. Concurrently, Medicinal Genomics has published the raw reads from Cannabis sativa on Amazon’s EC2, a public cloud computing service, giving the scientific community access to conduct further research. The Cannabis indica genome sequence will be made available on the EC2 in a few weeks as well. The genome annotations will be made accessible via an iPad application that the company expects to launch in the fall.

“Despite compelling evidence of the therapeutic benefits of Cannabis, very little genomics research has been performed in this area,” said Kevin McKernan, founder and head of scientific operations of Medicinal Genomics. “Cannabis was one of the most difficult genomes that I ever sequenced, and even though only a draft assembly has been constructed, it is important to provide the scientific community with the raw data as quickly as possible. Ongoing scientific research suggests that some of the non-toxic compounds in this plant may ultimately prove to be powerful therapeutics that can treat a wide range of health conditions, including cancer and inflammatory diseases.”

More than 40 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved clinical trials evaluating Cannabis as a therapy have been completed or are underway, according to information obtained from www.clinicaltrials.gov.

“This is a significant accomplishment,” said Richard Gibbs, Ph.D., director of the human genome sequencing center at the Baylor College of Medicine. “It is excellent to see rapid data release policies being upheld by public and private organizations, particularly when it comes to such challenging genomes.”

With the complete genome in hand, researchers can begin to identify non-psychoactive compounds or enzyme pathways to better elucidate the therapeutic benefits of Cannabis, including the plant’s anti-cancer properties. These pathways can be optimized in the plant or cloned into other hosts for more efficient biologic production. In addition, it may be possible through genome directed breeding to attenuate the psychoactive effects of Cannabis, while enhancing the medicinal aspects.

Medicinal Benefits of Cannabis

Ongoing scientific research suggests that the Cannabis plant harbors beneficial compounds as it pertains to cancer apoptosis, antiemesis for HIV and chemotherapy patients, reduction of muscle spasms for multiple sclerosis patients, as well as the treatment of glaucoma, inflammatory diseases, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other health conditions. Of the 85 identified Cannabinoids in the plant, only one is independently psychoactive. The other 84 appear to be non-psychoactive and are still powerful therapeutics. Many Cannabinoids have been bred to low expression levels over the years but are excellent small molecule therapeutic drug candidates for cancer and inflammatory diseases. The genome sequence can be utilized to design breeding strategies to resurrect these nearly extinct pathways. In addition, Cannabinoids have also been shown to have a very favorable therapeutic index making them a unique class of anti-cancer compounds because the lethal dose is much higher than the effective dose. Furthermore, Cannabinoids are less addictive analgesics than opiates, and target different pain pathways in the body.

Another benefit of Cannabis as a source for a therapeutic drug is that its toxicity is low and well-known. This is unique in drug discovery where every drug candidate must go through expensive and lengthy clinical trials to establish its safety. With Cannabis, side effects have previously been established and might be mitigated with genome directed breeding, whereas many drug candidates are not easily modified and end up failing in clinical trials because of adverse effects on a small percentage of the population.

The American Medical Association, as well as the American College of Physicians each have independently issued reports on the medicinal benefits of Cannabis to justify a reclassification of the plant so it can be more easily researched. By digitizing the genome of Cannabis, researchers from around the world can now study this plant without having to handle it. Assembling the complete Cannabis genome was a logical first step to enable more comprehensive scientific research to begin.

About Medicinal Genomics

Medicinal Genomics is the first known organization to sequence the complete genomes of Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica. Aside from being a useful tool to discover small molecule therapeutic drug candidates, there are many other commercial applications of these sequences, including the design of genomic assays that measure genes predictive of Cannabinoid levels in the plants at seedling stages. Use of this information will enhance breeding strategies to develop high CBD or other medicinal traits into strains. These genomic assays can also be utilized to help regulate the medicinal Cannabis market through better oversight and labeling. The non psycho-active plant known as hemp is also a productive plant for fiber production and may benefit from genome sequencing in its pursuit to improve breeding programs.

The company was founded by Kevin McKernan, a recognized thought leader and innovator in DNA sequencing. Kevin co-invented a magnetic bead-based chemistry, called SPRI, which enabled fully automated nucleic acid purification for the Human Genome Project. Based on the SPRI technology, Kevin, along with his two brothers, founded Agencourt Bioscience, an efficient, low cost sequencing laboratory. Agencourt was the only commercial laboratory selected to participate in the Human, Rat, and Puffer Fish Genome Projects, in addition to serving as the lone sequencing facility for the Mammalian Gene Collection. Agencourt was sold to Beckman Coulter in 2005. Prior to the sale to Beckman, Agencourt spun off its subsidiary, Agencourt Personal Genomics, to its shareholders. Agencourt Personal Genomics was a next generation sequencing (NGS) project that Kevin had also co-invented, which subsequently became known as SOLiD. Agencourt Personal Genomics created an instrument that advanced the accuracy and throughput of NGS, lowering the cost of sequencing by a factor of 100,000. Nine months after the spin out, Agencourt Personal Genomics was purchased by Applied Biosystems, the then leader in DNA sequencers. Kevin remained with Applied Biosystems for 5 years, even after Applied Biosystems was acquired by Life Technologies, to complete the family of NGS products. He most recently served as vice president of advanced research and head of research and development for the Ion Torrent division of Life Technologies.

Medicinal Genomics maintains its corporate headquarters in Marblehead, Mass. All scientific operations are conducted at the company’s research facility in Amsterdam, Netherlands. For further information, please visit www.medicinalgenomics.com.

Contacts

Schwartz Communications
Benjamin Navon/Rachel Gross
781-684-0770
medgen@schwartzcomm.com

Department of Defense Inspector General to Audit DARPA over $4.3 Billion in Contracts and Grants

I doubt this Inspector General audit of DARPA will truly be an independent audit considering DARPA is a part of the Defense Department. Nevertheless, the Defense Department is going through the whole song and dance of showing it is serious about accountability. I will wait until I see the audit results before making a final determination.

The Department of Defense Inspector General (IG) is auditing the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and looking into financial ties of DARPA Director Regina Dugan after POGO called for an investigation into potential conflicts of interest at the agency. The Pentagon IG explained the audits in a letter to POGO sent on Friday.

Regular readers of this blog know that I frequently blog about DARPA being the "mad scientist wing" of the Pentagon. The DARPA agency is always coming up with new technologies that seem to be straight out of a comic book. Apparently, it was not spending its monies appropriately.

Source: Project on Government Oversight (POGO)

Saudi Prince Mohammad al-Faisal Engages Engineer to Tow Icebergs from Arctic Region to Middle East for Fresh Water

If this idea becomes a reality, then this idea to tow icebergs from the Arctic to the Middle East could be a boon for parched regions. I remember learning in my elementary science classes that most of the fresh water on Earth is frozen. It would help increase the world's fresh water supply if this frozen water could be tapped. I wonder if there would be any affect on global weather patterns if this frozen water is suddenly removed. While this appears to be a novel idea, any fans of the 1985 movie Brewster's Millons will know that it is not novel at all.

So did French engineer Georges Mougin. And that's why he's invented a system for towing icebergs across the ocean and straight to the world's thirsty. Using 3-D technology, recently declassified satellite data, and the new science of oceanic forecasting, Mougin has created an elaborate method for hauling ginormous icebergs using a "skirt" and a tugboat.

Source: Fast Company

Dr. Sue Rabbitt Roff Says Governments Should Consider Paying Kidney Donors

I thought I saw a Wabbitt! Unlike a cartoon though, this is some serious business.

Dr Sue Rabbitt Roff, of Dundee University, called on the health service to offer financial rewards to individuals willing to give up a kidney as a means of speeding up the rate of transplants and reducing the cost of treatments and dialysis to the NHS.

If governments legalize the sale of organs, let me guess which economic segment of the population will be affected the most by the law? Hmmm, it shouldn't take long to see that lower economic classes will be impacted the most by any future legislation, because many folks will see their organs as potential monetary assets and use them accordingly.

A kid sitting on a trust fund isn't going to sell his kidney for an iPod, but some poor sap in China will. A rich diva isn't going to sell her kidney to go to USC, but an inner city kid might consider it.

Source: British Medical Journal; The Herald Scotland

Minnesota Court of Appeals Rules Chemical Pesticides Drifting from Conventional Farm to Organic Farm May Constitute Trespass!

Johnson vs. Paynesville Farmers Union Cooperative Oil Company (Case No. A10-1596 A10-2135)

The ruling of the court in this case (Johnson vs. Paynesville Farmers Union Cooperative Oil Company) is that chemical pesticide drifting from one farm to another because of errant overspray may constitute trespass. Under a similar analysis, I can imagine that an organic farmer will be able to sue (and potentially prevail against) a conventional farmer whose GMO seeds contaminate an organic farmer's land. This intrusion onto the organic farmer's land would be a trespass by GMO seeds under the analysis used by this Minnesota court.

The Court of Appeals overturned the lower court ruling which had denied relief to the Johnsons. The facts of the case at hand involves an alleged trespass by chemical pesticides from one farm to another:

In the 1990s, Oluf and Debra Johnson began the three-year process of converting their conventional family farm to a certified-organic farm to realize the higher market prices for organic produce and seeds. Oluf Johnson posted signs at the farm’s perimeter indicating that it was chemical free, maintained a buffer zone between his organic fields and his chemical-using neighbors’ farms, and implemented a detailed crop-rotation plan. He also notified commercial pesticide sprayer Paynseville Farmers Union Cooperative Oil Company of the transition. He specifically asked the cooperative to take precautions to avoid overspraying pesticide onto his fields when treating adjacent fields.

Despite the Johnsons’ requests, in 1998, 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2008, the cooperative sprayed pesticide and herbicide on fields adjacent to theirs in a manner that violated Minnesota law, causing chemicals to land on the Johnsons’ farm. Oluf Johnson complained to the cooperative after the 1998 incident, and it apologized, promising to “make it right.” But when the Johnsons gave the cooperative an invoice documenting their losses from the overspray, the cooperative refused to pay.

Oluf Johnson complained to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) after the 2002 overspray. The MDA investigated and determined that the cooperative illegally sprayed herbicide, causing visually apparent tainting of the Johnsons’ crops consistent with drift. Johnson sold his herbicide-tainted crops at lower, nonorganic prices and, as required by federal regulation, removed the tainted field from organic production for three years. The Johnsons settled their losses with the cooperative for that incident.

Under that settlement, the cooperative paid damages and agreed to give the Johnsons 24 hours’ notice before it sprayed in any adjacent field.

The cooperative oversprayed adjacent fields again in 2005 and the Johnsons again contacted the MDA. The MDA investigated, found drift, and instructed the Johnsons to burn their contaminated alfalfa. In addition to losing the tainted alfalfa, the Johnsons could not grow anything on the burn spot and took the contaminated field out of organic production for three years.

The cooperative again oversprayed in 2007. Johnson again contacted the MDA, and after investigating the MDA required Johnson to plow under a 175-foot wide strip of soybeans running the entire length of his field. He was also told by the state’s organic certifying agent that if any pesticide residue was detected, he must take the field out of organic production for three years. The MDA detected pesticide residue, and so Johnson took the field out of organic production.

Johnson again notified the MDA in 2008 about the cooperative’s spraying in July and August. He smelled chemicals in the air over his field, leaving him with “cottonmouth, headache and nausea” and his wife a headache and nausea. The MDA investigated and again cited the cooperative for illegally spraying, and the Johnsons again took the affected fields out of organic production for three years. He plowed part of the alfalfa field under because it was “becoming choked with weeds and the alfalfa was very sick and poor.”

In January 2009, the Johnsons sued the cooperative for the 2005 and 2007 incidents. They asked the district court to enjoin the cooperative from spraying within one-half mile of their farm and for damages based on common-law theories of trespass, nuisance, negligence per se, and battery. In June 2009, the district court granted a temporary injunction, prohibiting the cooperative from spraying within one-quarter mile of the Johnsons’ farm and requiring it to give notice of its spraying activities in the area.

In April 2010, the Johnsons moved to amend their complaint to include damages from the 2008 incidents.

The district court granted summary judgment in the cooperative’s favor and dismissed all of the Johnsons’ claims. It concluded that the claims arising from the 2005 overspray are time barred. Regarding the 2007 overspray, the district court dismissed the trespass claim because it concluded that “trespass by particulate matter” is not recognized in Minnesota; it dismissed the nuisance and negligence-per-se claims because the Johnsons presented no evidence that the cooperative’s spraying caused damages; and it dismissed the battery claim for lack of evidence of intent. The district court also denied the Johnsons’ motion to amend their complaint, reasoning that the claims arising from the 2008 overspray would fail for the same reasons the 2007-overspray claims failed. The district court consequently denied the Johnsons’ request for permanent injunctive relief. The Johnsons appeal.

U.S. Department of Transportation To Require CDL License(s) to Operate Farm Machinery?

This is just another example of the government over-regulating everything in peoples' lives. Is it really necessary to require farm workers to get CDL licenses to operate farm equipment? On many of these farms, young children and elderly family members work and operate the machinery. How are family farms going to survive this requirement?

The time-honored initiation into working the family farm could one day be a thing of the past, with discussions underway in Washington to require operators of farm equipment to have a commercial driver's license, or CDL...

..."The vast majority of our farms are family farms, operators of equipment are usually family members, and if [those changes] were to take place, that would eliminate some of the family participation in the farm operation."

Source: KXXV-25

FLASHBACK: Why Did U.S. Government Secure Crop Technology Patent for Aluminum Resistant Genes? (2009)

Why is the United States' government developing aluminum-resistant genetics? The patent (US# 7,582,809) says that the purpose of the technology is to aid in areas where soil has been contaminated with aluminum. I personally think that this seed technology might also used for "chemtrail" fallout - fallout that is alleged to contain aluminum. Aluminum toxicity would decimate the organic markets, because organic seeds will not contain this aluminum-resistance gene. If aluminum toxicity increases, then it might be required of farmers to license this genetic technology in order to plant seeds that will survive in the aluminum-rich soils.

The technology appears to use cloned sorghum to create the necessary genes for geneticists to modify other food crops to be aluminum resistant.

This invention relates to a major aluminum tolerance gene, SbMATE (for Sorghum bicolor ember of the multidrug and toxic compound extrusion transporter family), that is responsible for AltSB locus (for aluminum tolerance in Sorghum bicolor), cloned from sorghum along with its native promoter and regulatory regions, a construct containing a gene and a constitutive promoter, a vector containing the construct, and a method of transforming a plant utilizing the construct and vector, and plants, including staple crop plans, transformed with the gene construct having increased tolerance to aluminum toxicity.

I didn't know what SbMATE was, but a little research revealed a typical story of the Western World allegedly stealing rights of the Third World. In this case, it is patent rights derived from a gene in sorghum, a crop in Tanzania. For further reading, check out The SbMATE Patent: American Ingenuity or Looting of a Tanzanian Resource?

Sorghum bicolor major aluminum tolerance (SbMATE) gene
• Isolated from sorghum
• Enables plants to grow normally in aluminum‐ rich soil, which is normally toxic to crops
– aluminum toxicity is one of the primary limitations for crop production in developing countries
– crops such as wheat, rice, and maize are unable to grow in aluminum‐rich soil because aluminum in such soil takes a chemical form that is toxic to them

If you want to read the full government file on this patent (including file wrappers), click here for the USPTO link. If that link is not working, then simply do a search on this page for patent #7,582,809.

See also: Cloned gene being used to develop aluminum tolerant crops, Kochian says at AAAS

Source: Google Patents / US Patent # 7,582,809

Federal Reserve Prepares for Financial Default By United States of America!

This blog post is neither sponsored nor commissioned by the Fed!

Please note that this story about the Federal Reserve preparing for a U.S. default is from a week ago, so it shows that the Federal Reserve had little hope that our political leaders would reach an agreement on the debt ceiling. As of this writing, the lawmakers have not reached an agreement on the debt ceiling.

Nevertheless, this is just like a WWE match where it's all about suspense and drama! I still believe that the lawmakers will reach some last minute B.S. deal to avoid having a default occur on their respective watches, but anything is always possible.

As the wrangling over the U.S. debt ceiling continues in Washington, the Federal Reserve is making preparations in the event that Congress and President Obama fail to reach an agreement by the August 2 deadline...

"We are in contingency planning mode," Charles Plosser, president of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank, told Reuters...

Source: globalpost

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Issues License to Uranerz Energy for Nichols Ranch Uranium Recovery Project in Wyoming

In case you weren't aware, the United States is still issuing mining permits for uranium! This one is in Wyoming. I've never actually met anyone from Wyoming, so if you're reading this in Wyoming, please drop a line in the comments!

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NRC ISSUES LICENSE TO URANERZ ENERGY CORP. FOR NICHOLS RANCH URANIUM RECOVERY PROJECT IN WYOMING

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a license to Uranerz Energy Corp. to construct and operate the proposed Nichols Ranch in-situ leach uranium recovery project in Johnson and Campbell counties in Wyoming.

Uranerz submitted the license application for Nichols Ranch on Nov. 30, 2007. The project is to be located in the Pumpkin Buttes Uranium Mining District of the Powder River Basin, about 46 miles south-southwest of Gillette and 60 miles northnortheast of Casper. The project will cover nearly 3,400 acres, of which about 300 acres will be directly affected by operations. The project will recover and mill uranium for use in fuel for commercial nuclear power plants.

The NRC published its Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Nichols Ranch project in January. That report determined that there were no major environmental impacts that would preclude issuing the license. The environmental report is available in the agency’s ADAMS online database by searching for ML103440120. The staff has also completed its Safety Evaluation Report, which will be available in ADAMS by searching for ML102240206.

More information about the Nichols Ranch project and in situ uranium recovery is available on the NRC website.

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News releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC’s website.

NRC NEWS
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Office of Public Affairs
Telephone: 301/415-8200
Washington, D.C. 20555-0001
E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov
Site: www.nrc.gov
Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov
No. 11-131
July 20, 2011

Evergreen Aviation Offers Weather Modification Services with Its Supertanker Aircraft

Image © Evergreen International Aviation

I have previously posted on this blog about weather modification technology and if I haven't, then please note that the Chinese government has a dedicated Weather Services Department. As for Evergreen International Aviation, I will quote from its site regarding its services and its Supertanker:

MARKETS:

• Firefighting
• Oil Spill Containment
• Weather Modification
• Biochemical Decontamination

The Evergreen Supertanker is not just limited to fighting fire. It will be a true utilitarian aircraft with the capability to configure to different applications on short notice. This multimission aircraft can support sensitive security and environmental missions. The aircraft’s exceptional drop capabilities, loiter time and size make it an ideal tool to perform challenging homeland security missions, able to neutralize chemical attacks on military installments or major population centers, and help control large, environmentally disastrous oil spills.

Finally, I linked the image above directly from the Evergreen Aviation website image gallery. You would think the image of three (3) planes flying in formation over New York City while spraying some unknown chemical would be directly from some conspiracy theory website and not from the official corporate website.

Source: Evergreen Aviation

U.S. & Russia Reaffirm Agreement to Dispose of No Less Than 68 Metric Tons of Weapons-Grade Plutonium!

17,000 nuclear weapons worth of plutonium! That is a whole lot of plutonium for the USA and Russia to eliminate. How does one dispose of plutonium when it has a half-life of 24,000 years? As Fukushima shows the world, it is probably not a good idea to have plutonium sitting around to radiate everyone.

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U.S., Russia Reaffirm Commitment to Dispose of Enough Plutonium for 17,000 Nuclear Weapons

Release Date:

July 13, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) today announced the formal entry into force of the amended Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA) after an exchange of diplomatic notes this afternoon by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the State Department. The United States and Russia reaffirmed their commitment to each dispose of no less than 34 metric tons each of their surplus weapon-grade plutonium by irradiating the plutonium as mixed oxide (MOX) fuel in nuclear power reactors. The material to be disposed under the Agreement is enough for 17,000 nuclear weapons.

Over the last year, the amended PMDA has been provisionally applied by the U.S. and Russian governments and has now been ratified by action of the Russian Duma and by Russian President Dmitri Medvedev’s approval on June 3, 2011. The two countries have today exchanged diplomatic notes bringing the agreement into full effect.

“This milestone marks important progress on U.S. and Russian commitments to eliminate nuclear weapons material,” said Laura Holgate, Senior Director, WMD Terrorism & Threat Reduction at National Security Council. “Such eliminations are the ultimate in improving nuclear security, as they permanently remove the threat of theft or misuse of nuclear material, at the same time reducing the burden of securing materials.”

“I am pleased that the United States and Russia are formally moving forward with their plutonium disposition partnership,” said Anne Harrington, NNSA’s Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation. “As we work to implement the unprecedented nuclear security agenda outlined by Presidents Obama and Medvedev, NNSA looks forward to working with the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation ‘Rosatom’ to implement the next phase of cooperation under this amended Agreement.”

First signed in September 2000, the PMDA was amended in April 2010, by a Protocol signed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the margins of President Obama’s Nuclear Security Summit in Washington D.C. This Protocol codified a revised Russian plutonium disposition program based on using fast reactors for irradiating the plutonium and operating under strict nonproliferation conditions. According to the amended PMDA, the United States will provide up to $400 million to support plutonium disposition in Russia, subject to future appropriations, and Russia will fund the balance of its disposition program, estimated to be more than $3 billion. NNSA and its Russian counterpart, Rosatom, will also jointly seek international contributions for Russia’s program.

To implement U.S. plutonium disposition, NNSA is overseeing the construction of three major facilities at the Savannah River Site: the MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility; the Waste Solidification Building; and a pit disassembly and conversion capability. At the same time, Russia is making significant investments in its MOX fuel fabrication capabilities and construction of the BN-800 fast reactor (both currently scheduled to become operational in 2014). Under the amended PMDA, both countries will begin disposition in 2018.

Follow NNSA News on Facebook [1], Twitter [2], YouTube [3], and Flickr [4].

Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science in the nation’s national security enterprise. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, reliability, and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing; reduces the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad.