A Table Before Me In The Presence of My Enemies

Something is Making the Whole World Tremble

A Table Before Me In The Presence of My Enemies

 

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
  He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
  he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
   for his name’s sake.
 Even though I walk
   through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
   for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
   they comfort me.
  You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
   forever.

U.S. radiation experts try to decipher reports from Japan

From the USA Today:

The Japanese government's radiation report for the country's 47 prefectures Wednesday had a notable omission: Fukushima, ground zero in Japan's nuclear crisis. Measurements from Ibaraki, just south of Fukushima, were also blanked out.

Radiation experts in the USA say that the lack of information about radioactivity released from the smoldering reactors makes it impossible to gauge the current danger, project how bad a potential meltdown might be or calculate how much fallout might reach the USA.

Japanese nuclear experts are hard at work gathering information, said Fred Mettler, the U.S. representative for the United Nation's committee on the health effects of radiation. "They're monitoring and evaluating and watching the meteorology," he said. "They need to know what the dose rates are in various places, what direction the (radiation is) moving in and what's causing it."

Japan nuclear plant: Just 48 hours to avoid 'another Chernobyl'

Japan has 48 hours to bring its rapidly escalating nuclear crisis under control before it faces a catastrophe “worse than Chernobyl”, it was claimed last night.

Fukushima Vs. Three Mile Island Vs. Chernobyl

Nuclear incidents quickly escalate to national emergencies with global ramifications.

• Updated : The wind direction will change this might blow radiactive contamination towards the Philippines on friday. Here.

FACT : The halflife of radioactive Iodine is 8,22 days -NOT 4 days !When Chernobyl exploded over 100 different radioactive elements came free in the Atmosphere .Selected Radioisotopes and Their Half-Life here.

• Latest Situation Update No. 38. On 17.03.2011 at 04:18 GMT+2
  Developments at a damaged nuclear reactor in Japan are 'very serious', the UN nuclear watchdog chief said as he prepared to head to the country to assess the situation. Yukiya Amano said he hoped to fly to Japan tomorrow for a one-day trip and needed more information from authorities there. He also said damage to the core of three units at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor had been confirmed. Japanese crews have been trying to prevent a nuclear meltdown by dumping water on the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant. The plant has been hit by a series of explosions after Friday's earthquake and tsunami knocked out reactor cooling systems. The Department of Foreign Affairs is still advising Irish nationals against all non-essential travel to Japan. Britain has advised its citizens in Japan to consider leaving Tokyo and the area north of the capital because of the crisis. The US has warned its citizens living within 80km of the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan to leave the area or seek shelter. That no-go zone is much wider than the 30km radius perimeter set up by the Japanese.It follows a warning from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission that there are 'extremely high' radiation levels at the plant. NRC chairman Gregory Jaczko said that there was now no water left in the spent fuel pool of reactor 4 at the Fukushima plant. 'In addition to the three reactors that were operating at the time of the incident, a fourth reactor is also right now under concern,' he added. 'What we believe at this time is there has been a hydrogen explosion in this unit due to an uncovering of the fuel in the spent fuel pool,' he said, noting the explosion happened several days ago but its effects were cause for concern. France's Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) earlier said that the 'next 48 hours will be decisive.' Meanwhile, the European Union's energy chief has said that the situation at the plant has spun out of control. One day after he said Japan was facing 'apocalypse', Commissioner Guenther Oettinger told a European Parliament committee that the situation is threatening a deeper catastrophe that could cost more lives. Concern has also been mounting that the crews dealing with the crisis might be too few in number, or were possibly exhausted after working nearly round-the-clock since Friday's catastrophe. The authorities withdrew 750 workers yesterday, leaving only 50 to deal with the crisis.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan yesterday urged people within 30km of the facility - a population of 140,000 - to remain indoors. Officials in Tokyo said radiation in the capital was ten times normal at one point this week, but not a threat to human health in the sprawling city. Residents have reacted to the crisis by staying indoors. Public transport and the streets were as deserted as they would be on a public holiday, and many shops and offices were closed. Winds over the plant are forecast to blow from the northwest today, which would take radiation towards the Pacific Ocean. The plight of hundreds of thousands left homeless by the quake worsened overnight following a cold snap that brought snow to some of the worst-affected areas. While the death toll stands at 4,314, more than 8,606 are listed as missing and the figure is expected to rise. About 850,000 households in the north are still without electricity in the freezing weather and the government says at least 1.5m households lack running water.

In a rare public appearance, Japanese Emperor Akihito said he was praying for the people's safety and expressed his deep concern about the escalating nuclear crisis. 'The number of people killed is increasing day by day and we do not know how many people have fallen victim,' Emperor Akihito said in an address on live television. 'I pray for the safety of as many people as possible.' He also said he was 'deeply concerned' about the 'unpredictable' nature of the situation at Fukushima. 'I sincerely hope that we can keep the situation from getting worse,' Emperor Akihito said. Meanwhile, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore said the Government has approved €1m in emergency funding for the Red Cross relief operation in Japan. The Japanese Embassy in Dublin has opened a book of condolence. It will be open at the embassy on Nutley Lane from 2pm to 4.30pm today and from 9am to 4.30pm on Friday. Source .

• Get out of Tokyo: Foreign Office tells all Britons to leave toxic radiation zone as Japanese 'lose control' of stricken reactor.17,000 British nationals could be evacuated as last ditch efforts are made to stop nuclear catastrophe.Rich scramble to book private jets out the country as fleeing passengers pack Tokyo airport French say Japanese have 'visibly lost essential control' as they urge their citizens to get out.Plans are being drawn up to evacuate every British national in Japan amid mounting fears of a nuclear catastrophe. Thousands of Britons were last night warned to leave Tokyo and all other areas under threat of radiation poisoning.The advice – echoed by other countries around the world – followed a meeting of the Cabinet’s emergency Cobra committee to discuss the meltdown-threatened Fukushima nuclear plant. It heightened suspicions that the crisis at the plant – already ranked the second-worst nuclear disaster after Chernobyl – is worse than the Japanese authorities have publicly let on. Yesterday ‘last-ditch’ efforts were continuing at Fukushima to prevent a catastrophe with a Japanese army helicopter dumping water onto troubled nuclear reactor.A CH-47 Chinook helicopter began dumping seawater on the damaged reactor of Unit 3 at the Fukushima complex at 9.48am local time, said defense ministry spokeswoman Kazumi Toyama. The aircraft dumped at least four loads on the reactor, though much of the water appeared to be dispersed in the air.The dumping was intended both to help cool the reactor and to replenish water in a pool holding spent fuel rods, Toyama said. The plant's owner, Tokyo Electric Power Co., said earlier that the pool was nearly empty, which might cause the rods to overheat.Last night an official at Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency said that radiation levels at the plant had fallen steadily over the past 12 hours. However, ministers were due to hold further talks last night on whether an immediate evacuation from Japan should be considered.About 17,000 British nationals are thought to be in the country, mostly in Tokyo. Last night’s Foreign Office warning stopped short of ordering them to leave the country – a diplomatic gesture which will be welcomed by the Japanese government. But officials conceded that in reality most Britons will have few options but to leave Japan if they want to heed the advice. Thousands of Japanese citizens are already fleeing Tokyo for the south.Officials yesterday insisted there was no significant risk to human health in Tokyo, which is less than 140 miles south of Fukushima. But Europe’s energy chief Guenther Oettinger warned the huge plant was ‘effectively out of control’ – sparking fears of a meltdown, which could send a radioactive cloud into the atmosphere.He warned of ‘further catastrophic events, which could pose a threat to the lives of people on the island’. Mr Oettinger predicted the dire situation could take a further turn for the worse ‘within hours’. The Japanese public was also unconvinced by its government’s reassurances. The mayor of Minimisoma, which is 12 miles from the Fukushima plant, said: ‘We weren’t told when the first reactor exploded, we only heard about it on television. The government doesn’t tell us anything. We are isolated. They’re leaving us to die.’Hmmmm.....it's just Chernobyl all over again.Read the full story here.

• Japan nuclear crisis: Meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi plant may now be inevitability.Americans were told to flee a wide area around Japan's failing nuclear plant on Wednesday as federal officials warned it might be too late to avoid meltdown.So much radiation may have leaked at the Fukushima Daiichi plant that workers may not be able to get close enough to fix it, said Gregory Jaczko, head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission."We believe that radiation levels are extremely high, which could possibly impact the ability to take corrective measures," Jaczko said.He said all water had apparently boiled away from the cooling pool at Reactor No. 4, where 1,097 tons of spent fuel rods are stored."I hope my information is wrong. It's a terrible tragedy for Japan," Jaczko said.When exposed to air, fuel rods first emit hydrogen gas - apparently the cause of an explosion late Monday that blew a 26-foot-wide hole in the side of the reactor building.The rods then continue to overheat, releasing more radioactive gases that would vent through the new hole directly to the outside air.Eventually, the rods could get hot enough to melt, releasing lethal quantities of additional radioactivity."The actual radiation releases could approach that category of Chernobyl," warned former NRC Commissioner Victor Gilinsky, referring to the worst nuclear accident in history.Tokyo Electric said it was trying to hook up a new power line to the plant to restart cooling pumps, submerge the rods and ratchet down the crisis.Military helicopters began dumping water on Reactor No. 3 to cool the rods at the core, officials said. Authorities are also considering having the national police use water cannons to spray the reactor.Levels of radiation had quadrupled in Tokyo, 150 miles away, sparking panic in the city and alarm internationally.The State Department told Americans within 50 miles of the plant to flee. The Japanese government's evacuation zone is only 12 miles.White House press secretary Jay Carney said the more stringent American alert was based on "our independent analysis of the deteriorating situation.""We're not far enough away," fretted Cory Koby, 41, a Canadian high school teacher in Sendai, the quake-hit city 40 miles from the plant."We stayed indoors all day today," said Koby, whose home withstood the earthquake and tsunami, but was now seeing ominous radiation measuring trucks go by.Officials insisted that radiation levels were dangerous only in and around the plant itself.Hmmmmm......Remember Chernobyl?Reindeer were radioactive in Lapland and Sheep in Ireland were radioactive.And Chernobyl was only ONE reactor.Read the full story here.

Imam of the Grand Mosque in Paris "It's a fighting ideology,an idiology of agression"     What’s one to say about a situation in which a non-fundamuslim Imam of the Grand Mosque in Paris has to have body guards as he moves around the city where he lives? Dalil Boubakeur is a brave man, but the ideology he follows is seriously flawed and violent, so much so that he would be better off just leaving it altogether. How people like this can still cling to something so detestable is beyond me. The man even admits that Islam is a militant ideology of aggression for crying out loud.Hmmmm........For starters we want all your empty Churches that France their Christians pay'd for not the French state!Read the full story here.

Sweden allows display of naked pictures of Mohamed and Ayesha     In Malmo, Swsden, of all places, a court has ruled that it is legal to display naked pictures of Mohamed and his 9-year old wife Ayesha. Malmö district court has ruled that the poster does not fall foul of press freedom legislation and confirmed a not guilty ruling from March 3rd in favour of Carl P Herslow, leader of the Skåne Party (Skånepartiet) who faced charges of agitation against an ethnic group (hets mot folkgrupp).The poster included the text: 'He is 53 and she is nine. Is this the kind of wedding we want to see in Skåne?'.Herslow admitted producing the poster but contested the charges and argued to the court that the poster was intended to stimulate a debate about Islam, which he argued was incompatible with democracy and equality.The case had been brought by the Chancellor of Justice (Justitiekanslern - JK) - the country's top legal official and responsible for prosecution of cases involving freedom of speech.Prosecutor Bo Birgerson, representing JK, said that the distribution of the poster showed disrespect to Muslims.Hmmmm......Expect a swift reaction to this,and i mean the 'explosive' kind.Read the full story here.

• Think living in Tennessee makes you safe from earthquakes? The earthquake map of America that will make you think again.Amid the outpouring of concern for disaster-ravaged Japan, experts claimed that many more areas of America are at risk from catastrophic earthquakes than most people realise.Most Americans associate quakes with the West Coast, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.But 39 out of the 50 states – including New York and Tennessee – have moderate to high seismic hazard risk.The 'New Madrid' fault line in the heart of the country is particularly dangerous and could affect more than 15million people in eight states – Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.The roughly one million people living in and around Memphis are said by the U.S. Geological Survey to be at the greatest risk of a major earthquake of 7.0 or 8.0 on the Richter scale.The fault, running from St Louis to Memphis, was the site of some of the worst ever quakes to hit the U.S. The series of four tremblers in 1811 and 1812 were so powerful they reportedly caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards.There was said to be damage as far afield as Washington DC and Charlotte, South Carolina.According to a 2009 report by the U.S. Geological Survey, the southern states are unprepared to ride out a major earthquake, both in terms of planning and infrastructure.There are also 15 nuclear power plants in the fault zone that are of similar design to those battling meltdowns in Japan.‘Memphis has an ageing infrastructure, and many of its large buildings, including unreinforced schools and fire and police stations, would be particularly vulnerable when subjected to severe ground shaking,’ said the report.Another study by the Mid-America Earthquake Centre estimated that nearly three-quarters of a millions buildings would be damaged, 3,000 bridges could collapse, there could be 400,000 breaks and leaks to pipelines and the total clean-up bill could total as much as $900billion.'We have about 200 small earthquakes per year that we record,’ Gary Patterson of the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information, told ABC News.‘Compared to California, you're getting two to three thousand smaller quakes like that, but for eastern North America, this is a hot spot, the most active seismic area east of the Rockies in the United States.’Another well-known fault line is in New York City, crossing along 125 Street from the Hudson River to the East River. The Ramapo Fault runs about 70 miles through New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.South Carolina is also home to an active faultline and had a 7.6-magnitude quake in Charleston in 1886.Both Hawaii and Alaska, along with West Coast states, are in the red danger zone as having a high propensity for disasters.Hmmmm......Impair"Rien ne va plus"? Read the full story here.

• Chabad sends supplies to Japanese city.Hasidic Jewish movement commissions bakery in Sendai, one of cities hardest hit by tsunami, to give out free bread.The Tokyo-based Chabad-Lubavitch of Japan’s Hong Kong-based Chabad-Lubavitch of Asia, have sent bread, rice, noodles, soups, and more to the city of Sendai, one of the cities hardest hit by last week’s tsunami, according to Chabad.org. Chabad has also commissioned a bakery in Sendai to give out free bread, while the bakery will also serve as the Jewish response’s command center, said Chabad-Lubavitch of Japan director Rabbi Mendy Sudakevich.Following aftershocks early this week, many Israeli diplomats and their families stationed in Tokyo returned home temporarily, according to Israel's Foreign Ministry. The diplomats' return is not connected to the possibility of more radiation leaks from nuclear power plants affected by the natural disasters, the ministry stressed.Hmmmm......"Blame the Joooooo's"?Read the full story here.

• White House Cancels Obama’s Openness Award After Being Called Out on Their Flaming Hypocrisy.The White House announced Wednesday it has postponed a ceremony for President Obama to accept transparency award from a government watchdog group.The event was scrubbed due to scheduling changes, according to a White House pool report, and is supposed to be rescheduled.Obama was scheduled to accept an award from the Freedom of Information Day Conference recognizing, “his deep commitment to an open and transparent government—of, by, and for the people,” according to press guidance.The right-leaning Drudge Report played up the award ceremony Wednesday on its site under the headline, “All WH events Wednesday ‘closed press’ — except for ceremony praising Obama’s ‘commitment to transparent government’…”A pool spray was scheduled to cover the top of the event.Hmmmm.....The most open administration evah!At what time can we speak of a communist dictatorship?Read the full story here.

• Diplomats: Iran weapons material seized.UN sources say Singapore, South Korea intercepted nuclear, weapon materials bound for Tehran.South Korea and Singapore have intercepted suspect nuclear and weapons materials bound for Iran that breach UN sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic, diplomats said Thursday.The two seizures, made in the past six months but only revealed now, add to a growing list of alleged Iranian attempts to breach an international arms embargo, which are bringing mounting pressure to tighten sanctions, they said. "South Korea authorities found more than 400 suspicious tubes in a jet cargo at Seoul airport in December," one diplomat said, giving details from a report to the UN Iran sanctions committee. The tubes could be used for nuclear facilities, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the seizures haven't been made public. "In September, aluminum powder that can be used for rockets was found on a ship in Singapore harbor," the diplomat added.In each case the product was destined for Iran. The details were confirmed by a second envoy at the UN who said the sanctions committee would study them when it discusses the latest report from Iran experts monitoring the sanctions regime.Hmmmm.....Of course we wont here a word from Obama's side as long it's Iran everything get the 'go ahead'.Makes you wonder what passes through Turkey to Iran.Read the full story here.

• PM Netanyahu: 'We have to confront the axis of terror'.Six advanced Iranian-made anti-ship missiles, two radar systems and close to 50 tons of assorted weaponry were put on display on Wednesday after being discovered inside three containers aboard the German-owned Victoria cargo ship.The Victoria was seized by Israeli naval commandos early Tuesday morning as it sailed from Turkey to Egypt, about 320 kilometers from Israel’s coast.On Wednesday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz visited the Ashdod Port and inspected the arms cache.“To all those who questioned and attacked and criticized Israel for stopping Gazabound ships in order to check them, here is the answer,” Netanyahu said, with the anti-ship radar-guided missiles, artillery rounds and assault-rifle ammunition laid out behind him.Netanyahu said that Iran’s attempt to smuggle arms to Hamas in the Gaza Strip was a demonstration of the “axis of terror” that Israel needs to confront in the Middle East.“Every day there are efforts by Iran, Syria and terrorist organizations to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah and Hamas,” Netanyahu said.“There is an axis of terror in our region, and we have to confront it if we want to prevent terrorism and create a chance for peace.“The weaponry discovered onboard the Victoria proves why Israel needed to prevent ships from sailing freely into the Gaza Strip.”The containers filled with weaponry included six C-704 anti-ship missiles made in Iran with Chinese components, and two radar control systems manufactured by Kelvin Hughes, a British company.In addition, the ship contained thousands of mortar shells designed according to specifications sold to Iran by the Israeli company Soltam in the 1970s, when Israel and Iran were allies.The Chinese-designed C- 704s could have enabled Palestinians in Gaza to undermine the navy’s operational freedom along the Gaza coast.Hezbollah used a similar missile to attack an Israeli Sa’ar 5- class missile ship during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.Iran put stickers that said “Made in Britain” on all of the crates, in an attempt to deceive whoever inspected the containers.“We prevented something dangerous,” Barak said. “This is weaponry that could have impacted our navy ships and gas fields.“I have no doubt that the other side will continue trying, but we will continue fighting,” Barak added.The spokesman said “It is good question,” when asked why Germany had failed to implement unilateral sanctions to stop the leasing of German ships involved in circumventing sanctions.Two previous German-owned ships, the Hansa India and Francop, were involved in transporting Iranian weapons in late 2009.Hmmmm.......Germany.....Turks......Erdogan...Ahmadinejad?Read the full story here.

• Muslims explain "Sharia Law" to Blount Co community.Wednesday night, East Tennessee Muslims openly discussed a part of their faith that has become a controversial topic in the state. From talk radio to the state capitol, there are concerns that the "Sharia Law" is connected to terrorism. At the meeting, local muslims held an open forum in an effort to explain their religion and dispel some fear and misunderstanding.In front of a small crowd, Nadeem Siddiqi tried to explain "Sharia." "I think the best thing is to create dialogue, and with dialogue is understanding," said Siddiqi. Tennessee Senator Bill Ketron has introduced a bill against what he calls "Homegrown Terrorism." However, many interpret it as making the practice of "Sharia," a crime. "I think it misguided. It really affects Muslims on a broad level. For practicing Islam, I would get 15 years in jail," said Siddiqi. However, in a press release on Senator Ketron's website from February, he said, "This is not about religious rights or about those who practice islamic beliefs. It's about protecting our citizens from acts of terrorism..."Siddiqi said "Sharia" and terrorism do not mix, "The muslim community condemns terrorism. Terrorism is completely prohibited by "Sharia." It is not something we support. It is prohibited and we would work with anyone to stop that. Banning Islam is not that solution."There will be another informative discussion on "Sharia" next Wednesday at the Blount County Library.Hmmmm.......Ever heard about "Al-taqiyya "?Perhaps they could explain this to the 'infidels'?Read the full story here.

• FBI Chief: al Qaeda Using Internet to Incite Terrorism; Homegrown "Radicalized" Muslims a Threat.The Director of the FBI testified to the House Judiciary Committee today. I've posted the entire statement below the fold, but here are the money quotes:Terrorism, in general, and al Qaeda and its affiliates in particular, continue to present the most significant threat to our national security. As we have seen in recent months, al Qaeda and its affiliates remain committed to conducting attacks inside the United States, and they constantly develop new tactics and techniques to penetrate our security measures...We also confront the increasing use of the Internet for spreading extremist propaganda and for terrorist recruiting, training, and planning. Consider the impact of someone like Anwar Aulaqi—the Yemeni-based extremist. Fifteen years ago, Aulaqi’s means of communication were limited. Today, on the Internet, he has unlimited reach to individuals around the world, including those here at home.In the past 10 years, al Qaeda’s online presence has become just as detrimental as its physical presence. As noted above, extremists are not limiting their use of the Internet to recruitment or radicalization; they are using it to incite terrorism. Thousands of extremist websites promote violence to an online worldwide audience predisposed to the extremist message. They are posting videos on how to build backpack bombs and bio-weapons. They are using social networking to link terrorist plotters and those seeking to carry out these plans.Liberals and others in denial about Rep. King's hearings on radicalization should stop reading at this point : Along with traditional international terrorist groups, homegrown terrorists as well as domestic terrorist groups also pose a serious, rapidly evolving threat. There is no typical profile of a homegrown terrorist; their experiences and motivating factors vary widely.FYI: we categorize "homegrown terrorists" as Americans who have been "radicalized" in such a way that they are inspired by an international terrorist organization. In this context, Mueller was talking about radicalized Muslims. Exactly what Rep. King was warning us about.Hmmm.........Read the full report here.

• A Kuwaiti news agency reports that Turkey refused an Israeli request to intercept the weapons-carrying Victoria (Hat Tip: IMRA). On Tuesday, an Israeli Navy commando team intercepted the ship and dragged it back to the port of Ashdod, where the full extent of its weapons-laden cargo was revealed. Israel affirmed Wednesday that Turkey refused an Israeli request to intercept the "Victoria" cargo vessel which, according to Israeli sources, carried weapons being smuggled to help Palestinian activities in the Gaza Strip.According to Maariv Israeli newspaper, Israel requested Ankara to intercept the cargo vessel, a request which Turkey flatly refused.Israel had stopped the ship which was hoisting the Turkish and Liberian flags, indicated the newspaper, adding that the cargo consisted of weapons suspected to be shipped to Palestinian factions.Israel, however, did not hold any of the two states accountable for items discovered on the ship, indicated the newspaper.Why did we even bother to ask the Turks? Why did anyone think they would be helpful?Hmmmmm........Obama's friend........Erdogan... his friend.......Ahmadinejad......Get Turkey out of NATO before they nuke us with our own weapons!Read the full story here.

• Obama May Use Executive Orders to Bypass Congress on Gun Control Laws.Faced with a Congress hostile to even slight restrictions of Second Amendment rights, the Obama administration is exploring potential changes to gun laws that can be secured strictly through executive action, administration officials say.The Department of Justice held the first in what is expected to be a series of meetings on Tuesday afternoon with a group of stakeholders in the ongoing gun-policy debates. Before the meeting, officials said part of the discussion was expected to center around the White House’s options for shaping policy on its own or through its adjoining agencies and departments — on issues ranging from beefing up background checks to encouraging better data-sharing.Administration officials said talk of executive orders or agency action are among a host of options that President Barack Obama and his advisers are considering. “The purpose of these discussions is to be a productive exchange of good ideas from folks across the spectrum,” one official said. “We think that’s a good place to start.”Earlier in the day, House Democrats joined New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to offer another possible starting point, announcing legislation that would make fundamental changes to the nation’s gun background check system. Sponsored by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), a longtime gun control advocate, the bill mirrors one introduced late last month by another New York Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer.Hmmmm.....And another step closer to dictatorship?Read the full story here.