Media Release:
Houston-based KBR, formerly the engineering and construction subsidiary of Halliburton Co., has been selected by the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command to compete for future task orders under the Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) Ashore program contract vehicle. KBR will be part of a Lockheed Martin-led team. Three other companies were also selected to compete for tasks throughout the contract period. KBR will be providing the full range of design-build services for facilities infrastructure to the Lockheed Martin team.

The ATFP is a firm fixed price, indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract that covers one base year and four option years. The four companies selected will compete for tasks which, all totaled, have a contract ceiling of up to $500 million over the five-year time period.

Webdiary's last vestige of heart and soul, Craig Rowley has resigned as director and editor. His departure is only mentioned as a sentence buried in the site. Of the names mentioned as the Webdiary Management Team there is only one who is currently active- General Manager David Roffey.

I was honoured and proud to be invited by Margo Kingston to write there, and to start this blog which she and her brother Hamish helped me find my feet on. I'm glad that John is keeping things alive here.

The idea, championed by Margo and Hamish (founders of Your Democracy) of creating a platform for people to write and exchange their ideas was and is a good one

High-speed broadband to woo voters

Lisa Murray

June 5, 2007

THE ROLL-OUT of a multibillion-dollar high-speed broadband network in the cities could be rushed through as the Federal Government tries to seize the upper hand in the debate before the election.

At the same time, it will spend $900 million - $300 million more than expected - on improving internet speeds and access in regional and remote areas.

from Crikey …..

The hitch that might have freed Hicks

Greg Barns writes:

 
Putin Cautions US Over Missile Defense Plans

By Michael A. Fletcher

Washington Post Staff Writer

Monday, June 4, 2007; 4:24 PM

PRAGUE, June 4 - President Bush arrived here Monday to begin an eight-day visit to Europe, at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin is threatening to retaliate against U.S. plans for a European missile defense system by aiming some of Russia's weapons at new targets on the continent.

Labor's green 'fanatics' in denial, says Turnbull

The Federal Government is stepping up its attack on the Opposition's climate change policies.

The Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull is defending the Government's decision to wait until next year before setting pollution reduction targets.

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Let’s face it ….

Bushit’s Amerika is a proud nation of firsts.

Among them:

First in oil consumption:

Amerika burns up 20.7 million barrels per day, the equivalent of the combined oil consumption of China, Japan, Germany, Russia & India.

First in carbon dioxide emissions:

America is ruled by a president who absolutely refuses to bend to the will of the people & a congress that unashamedly ignores the citizenry's demands.

In the instances of Executive & Congressional &, too, as it relates to both parties; all discard the needs & wishes of the people in order to serve only corporate interests.

‘This is an essay born of despair, an angry cry from the heart about the impoverishment of mainstream public debate in this country, delivered with passion and eloquence.

The frustration is palpable as David Marr writes, "What's done most to gag democracy in this country is a sense that debating John Howard is futile".

The lout in the outhouse faced an international backlash today over his attempts to kill off global plans to tackle climate change.

His bushit majesty was accused of effectively tearing up international agreements to try to reduce carbon emissions.

He threw global efforts to control global warming into confusion by proposing an alternative to the United Nations process.

‘The Bush administration has said that it will fight to keep meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease.

The Agriculture Department tests fewer than 1 percent of slaughtered cows for the disease, which can be fatal to humans who eat tainted beef. A beef producer in the western state of Kansas, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, wants to test all of its cows.

‘But it was impossible to save the Great Republic.

She was rotten to the heart.

Lust of conquest had long ago done its work; trampling upon the helpless abroad had taught her, by a natural process, to endure with apathy the like at home; multitudes who had applauded the crushing of other people's liberties, lived to suffer for their mistake in their own persons.