70% In One Year

From Jenna Orkin:

Energy
Quote of the day:

Looking at a large sampling of Barnett wells, the overall data reveal that initial gas flows decline rapidly. With some wells, the drop-off is as much as 70% in the first year, with further declines of 20% in the second year. Daily Reckoning

Thirst for Oil Poses Security Threat
US Must Plan for Nuke Wars (from Rice Farmer)
Russia, Turkey to Build Joint Oil Refinery

France
Former French president Chirac charged with embezzlement
Mitterrand guilty in arms scandal

Collapse
Wilbur Ross Sees `Huge' Commercial Property Crash Ahead for U.S. Assets
Harvard Profs Say Global Financial Crisis Is Not Yet Over (from Rice Farmer)
"As a consequence of bailouts and stimulus measures, 'the financial crisis may eventually morph into a government-debt crisis.'"
Has Anyone Read the Copenhagen Agreement? U.N. plans for a new 'government' are scary. Contrary to appearances, Rice Farmer found this in the Wall Street Journal.
Multi-Year Stock Market Top Could Be In
City of Houston is Bankrupt (So are California, Oregon, and Pension Plans in General)
California Constitution May be Rewritten after 130 Years
Budget Bloodbath In Utah
Harvard Lab Workers Were Poisoned (from Rice Farmer)
Industry First: Voting-Machine Firm to Publish Source Code
Feral Houses (pictures from Rice Farmer)

Intelligence
Pakistan picks up trail of al-Qaeda 9/11 suspect
Brother of Afghan Leader Is Said to Be on C.I.A. Payroll
The C.I.A.’s practices also suggest that the United States is not doing everything in its power to stamp out the lucrative Afghan drug trade, a major source of revenue for the Taliban.
Loosening of FBI Rules Stirs Privacy Concerns
Another [section] allows agents to use ethnicity or religion as a factor — as long as it is not the only one — when selecting subjects for scrutiny.
Army's Robotman Walks Like the Real Thing
Darpa Wants to Send Internet Into Orbit
World Military Spending (from Vantage Point)
Ex-FBI director Freeh granted Italian citizenship (from Vantage Point who comments:)
...reminds me of Michael Corleone getting the Knights of Columbus award in Godfather III.

Russia/Asia/Africa
US Shooting Victim Fears Russian Link
Ukraine fears for its future as Moscow muscles in on Crimea (from Rice Farmer)
Government Says It Will Sell Gold (Russia)
Russia forced to postpone gold sale
Leaked information concerning Russia selling up to 50 tonnes of gold has forced the government to postpone the sale due to fears of a drop in price.
Robbers sticking up stores for food / Holdups of convenience stores on the rise, but increase linked to hunger (from Rice Farmer)
"Convenience store robberies have sharply risen in Tokyo this year, but while crooks have targeted cash in the past, many are now focusing on stealing food, according to the Metropolitan Police Department."
Hajj pilgrims may be told to take swine flu vaccine
Desperate farmers sell wives to pay debts in rural India (from Rice Farmer)
China hawks target US sign-off shuffle (from Vantage Point)
Does it matter that Gary Locke as Sec Commerce has deep ties to China? - VP
Food crisis hurting HIV/Aids efforts
People with HIV/Aids in Uganda are beginning to reduce their antiretroviral dosages over lack of food.

Europe
Complaints about mortgage lenders rise 40% in six months
A social timebomb is set to explode in Britain
Climate change will push price of bread to £6.50
Labour puts the banks up for sale
Cinema booms as Britons seek escape from reality
The Depression Redux
Is Swine Flu Really a Pandemic?
Germany has launched the biggest vaccination program in its history. But the inoculation jabs are proving so effective and the disease is so mild in most cases that experts have their doubts about whether swine flu is a real pandemic.
German Government Flu Expert Advising Pharma 'Lobby Group'
A German government flu expert is advising a group funded by the pharma industry. The European Working Group on Influenza says it wants to raise awareness of the dangers of a pandemic. But epidemiologist Luc Bonneaux says ESWI is a lobby group "that has as much to do with science as McDonald's with healthy nutrition."

Climate Change
Australian homes at risk from rising seas
Vegetarianism as Means to End Climate Change

And...
Billionaires for Wealthcare Steal the Show
Having evolved beyond their raison d'etre, the Billionaires for Bush haven't lost their touch for agitprop.
Vanished
Thriller recommended by Secrecy News.
Gold for Cars