Just a Thought: A Stagnant Truth.

How far does loyalty and American Patriotism take you when a young, supposedly heterosexual soldier is ordered to rape (FUCK) anally abuse teenage boys?  Forget whether the acts were performed in front of family members, or not. It’s the very act that matters.

Just following orders! (?) Foul, evil, conniving, self-righteous.  Humans enjoy nothing more than the act of harming other humans

Does it take this sick behavior to finally stop you in your tracks to say, “this, my entire way of life, has been a vast red-white-blue lie.”?  Does it?  Even a little bit? No wonder more and more of our soldiers and hurting. There are secrets to keep, they bought into the lie, too.

Yes, by all means, let’s offer a free ride and safe passage to George Bush and Dick Cheney, but do everything possible to draw-and-quarter the likes of Edward Snowden for drawing attention to their crimes, and others.

All humans are truly pathetic, dangerous creatures. We’d rather harm others who suffered as we have, than to banish that suffering and those who ordered it in the first place.

I am sick.

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Headline of the Day

Stop laughing...This is serious stuff!  From Talking Points Memo:

Palin Clan Reportedly Involved In Epic 'Dog Pile' Fistfight At Snowmobile Party

Click the headline to read the whole story. Of course, Caribou Barbie is saying she wasn't even there, but traveling.  Uh - huh!

And so it goes.

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BP May Be Fined Up to $18 Billion for Spill in Gulf

Hot on the heels of the announced Halliburton settlement comes this, making me think that there is still more covered up.  From the New York Times:

NEW ORLEANS — In the four years since the blowout on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 workers and sent millions of barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, BP has spent more than $28 billion on damage claims and cleanup costs, pleaded guilty to criminal charges and emerged a shrunken giant.
But through it all, the company has maintained that it was not chiefly responsible for the accident, and that its contractors in the operation, Halliburton and Transocean, should shoulder as much, if not more, of the blame.
On Thursday, a federal judge here for the first time bluntly rejected those arguments, finding that BP was indeed the primary culprit and that only it had acted with “conscious disregard of known risks.” He added that BP’s “conduct was reckless.”
By finding that BP was, in legal parlance, grossly negligent in the disaster, and not merely negligent, United States District Court Judge Carl J. Barbier opened the possibility of $18 billion in new civil penalties for BP, nearly quadruple the maximum Clean Water Act penalty for simple negligence and far more than the $3.5 billion the company has set aside.

The rest of the piece is HERE.

And so it goes.
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Scientists: BP Spill Much Worse than People Think.

Don't believe the commercials and the "it's all cleaned up" propaganda

from BP.  Not if you know anyone in the areas impacted by the spill, or read the scientific data.

Yes, just as BP stalls again files yet another appeal with the SCOTUS (story here) essentially crying “foul and unfair” - again - this report is released by Climate Progress at Think Progress:

Scientists at Penn State University have discovered two new coral reefs near the site of BP’s historic 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the impacts to those reefs from the spill have been greater than expected, according to research released Monday. 

The two additional reefs found by the PSU team were both farther away and deeper than the one coral reef that had previously been found to have been impacted by the spill. That indicates not only that marine ecosystems may be more greatly affected, but that some of the 210 million gallons of oil that BP spilled into the Gulf is making its mark in the deep sea. 

“The footprint of the impact of the spill on coral communities is both deeper and wider than previous data indicated,” PSU biology professor Charles Fisher, who led the study, said.

The rest is HERE. Includes a conversation with Prof. Fisher and more.

BP commercials continue to saturate TV and radio in New Orleans and the Gulf with their lies and propaganda, but folks who know better just sluff it off because, well, they know better.

And so it goes.

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Lawsuit Against Bush Administration Moves Forward

Wow!  Just, WOW! I’ve heard rumors about this story for a while, but this is

the first I’ve seen it in print and that it appears to be of substance.  I can only say - “IF ONLY” this were to come to pass, at least some vindication for others around the globe who’ve been discussing these events and dates for years. The story:

Earlier this year, the Department of Justice, who is defending the six Bush Administration officials, responded to the lawsuit by requesting that the case be dismissed. The Bush tribe is claiming that the planning of the war occurred within the scope of their employment and therefore they have immunity.
Rather than dismissing the case, the Judge asked for additional information. So Mr. Comar filed a 2nd amended complaint back in June. The amended complaint provides more details about the planning of the Iraq war and when it started.
Comar essentially made two points to the court.
The first argument he made was something called judicial estoppel. It prevents a party from taking a position in a case which is contrary to a position they have taken in earlier legal proceedings. In this case, Comar used the Nuremburg Trials as an example.
The Nuremburg Trials, which the United States views as legitimate, held Nazi leaders accountable for their acts of aggression. Comar held that judicial estoppel dictates the Bush Administration and DOJ can’t argue that leaders aren’t accountable for acts of aggression because it runs contrary to the US’s position at Nuremburg.
The second point that was made referred to the Augusto Pinochet trial. In 1999, British Lawyers determined that Pinochet did not have immunity for certain acts he committed while in office such as torture and other violations of international law. These Brits held that Pinochet was not immune because Chile had signed the convention against torture.
Comar’s evidence, shows the Bush/Cheney team started planning the invasion of Iraq as far back as 1997. The amended complaint also explains that the war was motivated by personal enrichment and the war was a “crime of aggression.” and - In light of the treaties and charters that the United States has signed, Comar stated that the defence can’t now claim that acts of aggression are above a leader’s authority. In this case, the Bush Administration.

Read the rest HERE.

Could there finally be justice done in this case? Or, will whoever is president when the case is decided pardon the lot of them.

So far, this story has been successfully swept under the collective media’s rug. Let’s see what happens from here.

No pictures of the vermin until they're in Orange Jumpsuits, sitting in the dock at the Hague.

And so it goes.

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Healthcare Only Money Can Buy!

The results are in.  We do not have a winner.

Specialists in stem cell research and surgery in 3 of the east coast's best institutions have refused treatment. They will not even see me for evaluation to consider one of the three options suggested for a future course of treatment. 

They will not see me because I don't have personal insurance - only Medicare - even though Medicare will pay for 80% of whatever course treatment is chosen. Told straight away (no beating around the bush) to the oncology coordinator working to secure such a meeting. Blatant discrimination?  Maybe, but it is what it is. And sadly, it's not uncommon.

This shocked the coordinators handling my case.  They couldn't believe what they were hearing. The person who told me was near tears as she related her conversations with various staffers of the specialists in question.

Only one specialist offered to see me, provided I paid my 20% up front.  Makes no sense, I know, because how much would a simple office consultation and evaluation cost.  That said, they wouldn't suggest treatment options unless I signed a waiver relieving them of any blame should their suggested option cause my death.  What?  Yes, I know.

Originally, the three treatment options were, 1) An Allogeneic Stem Cell (non-matching) transplant, 2) take part in a recurring JAK-2 Study dedicated to people suffering with myelodysplastic syndrome, and 3) Vidaza, a mild chemo, I gather, given by IV or injection 5 consecutive days monthly. It has been successful in treating certain types of bone marrow and blood cell disorders.

That's all we were asking for in the consultation.  A sort of second opinion, so to say. No more and no less.  But...No go.

At this point it appears the option has already been chosen for me. The Vidaza treatments can be administered locally, so no traveling to Maryland or Pennsylvania 5 days every month.

The treatments, if successful, would begin to show any improvement in 3 to 5 months after treatments begin. I have an appointment to see the oncologist next week to discuss the situation. My gut feeling is that he was looking for someone else to make the decision for treatment, but now it's back in his lap.  

Having another phone conversation with the coordinator this morning, I suggested that Vidaza was the best option all round. She agreed and said she would pass that information on to the doctor. 

On an Historical Note: For many years I had my own health coverage through NY Life and it was excellent coverage for the times. Then, in 1996 my partner of 20 years, was offered domestic partner benefits through his employer. At this point we were in great health, owned a home in NJ and a town-home in Rehoboth, so it was decided to drop the additional expense of my policy with NY Life and go with the other plan.  It provided better coverage and a lower co-pay for just about everything.  Ten years later he walked out and the insurance coverage went with him.   The End!

Yesterday was another day spent at the Center; first for blood draw, CBC count, and then another transfusion. Many of the nurses, having already heard the rejection stories, assured me that they were not surprised - had heard it all before - and shared my opinion regarding the Vidaza treatments.  That was comforting.  I guess I'm on the right track, at least in my own mind.  

I mean, what options are left to me?

I turned off music in the car, drove home in silence, chose supper food, then made a very, very, very large martini - with 3 olives!  It didn't kill me.  In fact, I felt one hell of a lot better during and after the cocktail.

And so it goes.

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Seriously, Who Is That Masked Man?

Took my ever-so jolly (if slightly weakened) self out yesterday morning to get the scripts filled and do a little shopping. Using the Super Market Pharmacy makes it more convenient, to be sure. I was dressed all in black from head to toe, all except for the face which was covered by a bright white medical mask.  Heads turned so much I thought we may have to call in a Chiropractor.

Subject of stares, open-mouth gawks, side long glances, finger-pointing, snickers, folks removing themselves from where I was, by slowly backing away, I guess they hoped I'd not notice.  I did.  Little ones tugged at their mother's clothing and pointed at me; one even went ballistic at the mere sight of the masked man and started screaming at the top of her lungs.  One can only wonder what previous experience with the medical community caused such a violent reaction, but I won't waste time on that one.  That's why God created therapy!  Honest.

The best was last, as usual.  As I stood in the checkout line an obnoxious little girl asked (demanded?) her mother explain why this man was wearing a mask. The mother began her bullshit with "well, he probably has some nasty disease and the mask is to prevent you and me from catching it."   (Shades of the early days of AIDS in the 80s.) I was about to say something, but I didn't have to, the cashier quickly and quietly put the woman in her place, reprimanding her for not noticing the obvious.  She folded her arms, leaned back against the register and explained that the mask was to protect me from whatever germs and diseases they may unknowingly harbor; she explained that her husband (who has been on Chemo for 3 years) has to put up with the same ignorance following  each new round of Chemo.  

The mother was clearly downright pissed to be told she was a dumb ass and said so.  I finally spoke up and with all my strength (and the deepest voice I could muster) told her to pay her bill and get the hell out of the store. That no one cared about her hurt feelings. (How about any one else's?) That there were too many important things in life to give a shit about, and she wasn't one of them.  As Mother struggled with her bags, the cashier got in one more zinger saying, "You might want to educate yourself so this doesn't happen again.  Just a suggestion."

I loved it. The cashier had seen the prescriptions and knew more than I did at the time.  We shared a knowing glance and a smile - if you can see a smile behind those masks - and I was out the door and home within 10 minutes.  

I indulged myself with fresh bagels, cream cheese, a container of Sherbet, and a couple of (still warm) cinnamon buns. Settled in with the latter and a cup of coffee, and all was right with the world for a moment.

And then it happened. Around 1:45 pm I got chills and the shakes. (Is there no end to this?) Checked and fever was 100.5, so I cancelled the Dr's appt. set for 3:15 and went to bed. Fever broke around 5:30, so I changed bed linens, took a shower, got into clean undies and returned to bed. I really, really need to do laundry this morning.  Three sets of bed linens and copious amounts of shorts, tee-shirts and socks await. If I spike another fever today, I've got nothing but the winter flannel sheets to put on the bed, and that will never do in the summer-like temperatures here; today is forecast to be 85', cooling down to about 68' overnight. Hardly time for flannel sheets, no?

And so it goes, for as long as it goes.

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Study Finds Gulf Deep-Sea Ecosystem Recovery Will Take Decades

A Little Note Here: Whenever I was in a public place or restaurant in New Orleans where TVs were in evidence, I noted at times the sound of "boo's" or "raspberries" you know, "The Bronx Cheer."  It was noted, but nothing registered in the conscious mind.  Until, that is, Sunday while having lunch with the sister and family, with the Saints game on in the background.  I couldn't mistake it this time.  The response occurred when a propaganda ad produced by BP touting all they've done for the Gulf was shown.  In essence, no one is being taken in my the BP BS.  It's too close to home and family.  They know it's nothing more than lies as usual.

Now, there is this:

WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - The muddy deep-sea ecosystem around the massive 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill could take decades to recover from the effects of the disaster, researchers reported on Tuesday.
The oil spill from BP Plc's Macondo well had its most severe impact on the ecosystem in an area about nine square miles (24 square km) around the wellhead, the report in the online scientific journal PLoS One said.
Moderate effects were seen at 57 square miles (148 square km). The sea bottom's rich biodiversity was greatly reduced by the oil plume, which was up to 200 yards (183 meters) thick and 1.2 miles (1.9 km) wide, it said.
"Given deep-sea conditions, it is possible that recovery of deep-sea soft-bottom habitat and the associated communities in the vicinity of the DWH blowout will take decades or longer," the report concluded.
The April 20, 2010 disaster aboard the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig killed 11 workers and ruptured the Macondo well, triggering the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
The research was carried out for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Paul Montagna, an ecosystems professor at Texas A&M University, said on NOAA's website that normally pollution was found within 300 to 600 yards (meters) of an offshore well.
In the Macondo case, it was found nearly two miles (3.2 km) from the well, he said.
Jeff Baguley, an expert on tiny marine and freshwater invertebrates from the University of Nevada, said on the NOAA website that the samples showed that the dominant group in affected areas had become nematode worms.
The research team included members from University of Nevada-Reno, Texas A&M, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and representatives from BP.

So, the fat lady isn't even warming up to sing and won't be for a while.

And so it goes.
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1100 Diagnosed with WTC-Related Cancer. Why, Thank You and FUCK YOU!!!

I'd like to say a few words here, if you don't mind.  FUCK YOU, RUDOLPH GIULIANI (Mayor of 9/11),  FUCK YOU CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN (Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (from 2001 to 2003 in THE CABINET OF GEORGE W. BUSH.) Well, aren't we totally fucking surprised?  Not. 
And a gigantic FUCK YOU TO GEORGE W. BUSH (initiating the coverup in the first place. "No toxins in the air!"  Indeed.  They should die in a fire.  Now this from Yahoo News:

More than 1,000 people who have lived or worked near ground zero, including first responders, have been diagnosed with a cancer related to the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, health officials say.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1,140 people have been certified with a WTC-related cancer. And that number is expected to grow, the Daily News reports.
"There are more cases out there, because we just know of the people in our government-funded medical programs, not those who have been treated by their private doctors,”  Dr. Jim Melius, chairman of the WTC Responder Medical Program, told the newspaper. “Because of the carcinogens in the air at ground zero, people who were exposed are vulnerable. And with cancer, there is a delay.”
Tina Engel, an oncology nurse at North Shore Hospital’s WTC clinic in Queens, told the paper she identified 12 new cases in the last two months and has another 25 patients whose diagnostic test results are pending.
“The good news is that with new federal funding, I get what I need when I need it for our patients," Engel said. "Their biopsies and scans are turned around in a week. Cancer trumps everything.”
As many as 65,000 people, including first responders, became sick from 9/11 exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A Mount Sinai Medical Center study cited by the Daily News found a 15 percent higher cancer rate among first responders than among people who were not exposed to the toxic air.
Marty Cervellion, a 63-year-old city engineer who spent more than two months at ground zero following the attacks, developed gastroesophageal cancer in 2011.
“It was always in the back of everyone’s mind we were in jeopardy given the contamination down there, but the entire world was calling on you," he told the Daily News. "It felt so good to serve, there was no wanting to escape."

Anyone with half a brain (George W. Bush excluded) knew there was no way the air was free of toxic chemicals at the site.  It was only a matter of time before the truth would surface.  Not that the three above care much. Only the Mayor of 9/11 may show his face, but I doubt it. The other two are far away from the spotlight.  And that's as it should be.  Wonder if the media will pick up on this and hunt them down.  Especially Whitman who emphatically denied the rumors of toxins at the site or anywhere in the area.  They ought to be in prison.

And so it goes.
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BP CEO Says He’s Done Paying For The Deepwater Horizon Disaster

Wonder if anyone will call his hand on this.  The destruction of livelihood, land, seabed, and lives is a terrible legacy for BP to leave behind. From Think Progress:

BP CEO Robert Dudley told Businessweek in an interviewThursday that continuing to send millions of dollars to people who claim they were hurt by the 2010 disaster is “not good for America.” While BP is trying to halt its paymentsand reduce the amount owed to victims, Dudley claimed the company has been the wronged party:

We are still committed to make sure that legitimate claimants and people who were true victims of the spill are paid. [...]
Quite frankly, the results have been really strange. The claims going through a claims facility have resulted in absurd results, and millions of dollars are going out to pay people who suffered, in many cases, no losses from the spill. And this is just not right. I don’t think it’s right for America. We’re a big investor in the United States, and we’ve challenged this really strongly. It’s just not right.

Dudley’s claim that BP has in good faith agreed to all of the damages misrepresents the current state of affairs. The company has actually been working to reduce its debts. BP had asked a federal judge to halt spill payments, though the judge decided against BP yesterday. That will not prevent BP from fighting claims with its new hotline that pays watchdogs to report fraud.
Since scientists can’t quite quantify the true environmental or economic consequences of the Gulf Oil spill, exactly who was impacted is still unclear. For instance, tar continues to wash up onto the coast.
Based on the interview, the BP CEO is perplexed as to why Americans perceive the oil industry badly. This negative perception might have something to do with receiving billion-dollar subsidies for a highly profitable industry that charges high gas prices. BP claims it pays too much in taxes, despite receiving an annual $300 million in estimated tax breaks on top of a $12 billion profit last year.

And so it goes.

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Three Years After the BP Spill the Gulf Is Still a Mess

Earth Island Journal / By Maureen Nandini Mitra
"Most people have lost faith the in the recovery process," says photojournalist Julie Dermansky.

April 21, 2013  

Three years after an explosion at British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 workers, injured dozens, and set off the worst oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry, the waters along Gulf Coast seems almost back to normal. Much of the oil is gone. New Orleans-based photographer  Julie Dermansky says there’s still a lot left. The oil, she says, is often hard to locate because it has a tendency to play hide and seek.
Dermansky, who photographed the spill in 2010 “pretty much non-stop for four months, has been doggedly following the story for the past three years — reading up all the research she can lay her hands on, making trips out to the worst impacted areas in Louisiana every few months, and talking to people from affected communities. In the early days of the spill the spill she was hired by several major publications, including The Times, London, The Washington Post, and Der Spiegel.
But these days she travels without assignment, covering expenses on her own since few publications hire photographers or reporters to cover what’s now an old news story. Last, Dermansky again visited the beaches and marshes along the Louisiana and Mississippi coast — some of the worst hit areas where crews are still cleaning up tar mats and tar balls. I spoke with Dermansky via email and over the phone about her trip and her assessment of the situation in the Gulf Coast.
Maureen Nandini Mitra: What did you find on your recent trip out to Grand Isle, Bay Jimmy in Louisiana, and the Mississippi coast?
Julie Dermansy: There was oil sheen stirred up from the turbulence in the Bay Jimmy PJ Hahn Plaquemines Parish director of coastal zone management, who I accompanied on an oil spotting trip, turned over some of the dead marsh grass and exposed roots covered in hardened oil. There was also hardened oil on top of some of the surface we walked on. With each step on the surface, oil sheen spread around my boots. Much of the vegetation there is now dead. That’s tragic as with less vegetation coastal erosion, already a problem before the spill, has intensified. A rainbow oil sheen has moved over parts of the marsh surface. There were signs of life though: small crabs moving around, snails and, raccoon paw prints.
On Grand Isle, at the state park, I found tar balls ranging from the size of a quarter to eight inches long. The beach was not blanketed in them but you could find one every couple of feet.
On the beach in Mississippi, from Waveland to Pass Christian, I found tar balls and dead animals including a Kemp's Ridely turtle (pictured above). Though finding dead animals on the beach is not uncommon, I find the quantity of dead animals on the shore in Mississippi alarming. How the animals are dying is impossible to say. There is no proof the deaths are BP related as none of the scientific studies done on the dolphins and sea turtles have been released. The results of those studies are controlled by the NRDA [Natural Resources Damage Assessment] and are part the evidence being used in the current civil trial going on against BP in New Orleans.
MNM: You mentioned earlier that this is a difficult story to cover because of the "hide and seek oil plays." Could you elaborate on that?
JD: From the start of covering the spill it was every photojournalists task to find the oil. There would be a sighting one day and if you could get yourself out to those coordinates you very well may have found it gone. Odds are it wouldn't be in the same place. It kept, and keeps, moving with the tides. Last week the tide is higher then usual and there was a south wind, so odds were if you went to Bay Jimmy where the oil had hit the hardest, you wouldn't find anything. When I went on Monday (April 15) with PJ Hahn, he was surprised and saddened we found as much as we did.

Forget all those BP "feel good" commercials produced by their PR department. If BP spent as much money on the cleanup, We'd be in better shape now.  Sad, really.

 Read pages 2 & 3 Here.

And so it goes.
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The Value of Silence

David really nails this one. I think it's what I've been feeling since the bombings.
 David Sirota:

Can you hear yourself think? Can you manage more than bursts of confusion and anger? Can you feel your own humanity anymore? I'll admit it — I've had trouble this week, too. After an explosion like the one in Boston, it is indeed hard to hear one's own internal monologue, much less meditate on such horrific events. Polluting that sacred quiet of the mind is both the haunting boom of the bombs themselves and even worse, the noisy coda that we've become so accustomed to.
Sensory overload, of course, is the deafening effect of the Catastrophe Aftermath — one of the last unifying and consistent rituals in our atomized nation. Yes, regardless of whether the tragedy is a school shooting or a terrorist attack, the epilogues of these now-constant mass casualty events have become prepackaged productions that seem less like reality than scripted television dramas.
You know how it goes. Cable outlets blare breaking news chyrons. Twitter explodes with declarations that we are "all from (insert city name) today." Websites post videos of viscera and other disaster porn. Pundits wildly speculate about perpetrators. The president promises justice. Law enforcement press conferences review body counts. Municipal officials insist the community will "stand united." Funerals commence. A media icon says something outrageous. Other media carnival barkers then react to the bombast. Ultimately, the whole episode becomes another excuse to limit civil liberties and is forgotten by all but those personally affected.

Go and read the rest HERE.  You may feel better, as I do now.

And so it goes.

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Crucial Caturday

This should be good.

More later,
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FEMA Head To Michael Brown: 'Better To Be Fast Than To Be Late'

On Tuesday I posted an interview with Michael Brown, BushCo's head of FEMA, who botched the Katrina disaster and now has the gall to criticize Obama's quick response to Sandy's devastation.  My personal views aside, the current head of FEMA, no longer the gutted agency it was under Dubya, responds to Brownie's comments today.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate dismissed criticisms of President Barack Obama's response to Hurricane Sandy lobbed by Michael Brown, who oversaw the disastrous Bush administration response to Hurricane Katrina.
"Better to be fast than to be late," Fugate said in an interview on NPR Tuesday morning.
Brown, whom President George W. Bush infamously praised for doing a "heckuva job" in the aftermath of Katrina in 2005, told a Denver paper that Obama had acted too quickly in mobilizing relief for Sandy.
"Here's my concern," Brown told Denver's Westword on Monday, suggesting that the prompt official response was actually making people complacent. "It's premature [when] the brunt of the storm won't happen until later this afternoon."

Fugate also addressed the role of FEMA, which has been a hot topic since Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said he wanted to abolish the agency so that states would have direct responsibility for disaster response.

His campaign later clarified that he would not eliminate FEMA.

"Governor Romney believes that states should be in charge of emergency management in responding to storms and other natural disasters in their jurisdictions,” said campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg. “As the first responders, states are in the best position to aid affected individuals and communities and to direct resources and assistance to where they are needed most. This includes help from the federal government and FEMA.”

But as Fugate explained on Tuesday, this is exactly how FEMA already works.

"We're a federal government; we're not a national government," he said "Disasters are local. Through state constitutions, the governors are the primary incident commanders for the entire state response in support of that. And the role of the federal government is to support the states when the disaster exceeds their capabilities. And when it's this bad, we work as one team. But we are in support of the governors, as they are in support of the local officials. It's a federal system of government."

Read the rest and listen to the NPR interview HERE.

And so it goes.
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Big Joe Biden and the Joyful Noise

A review and in-depth look at the VP debate last night. Whatever I was going to say doesn't matter.  This does. Here's a snippet. From William Rivers Pitt at Truth-out.

Vice President Joseph Biden of Delaware dropped the hammer on Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan on Thursday, and it was a powerful thing to see.
Anyone who tells you the vice presidential debate was a tie, or that Mr. Ryan prevailed, is trying to sell you a diamond mine that ain't worth a dime. The ultimate impact and import of what went down during Thursday's debate won't be immediately known, but the simple fact is beyond dispute: Joe Biden owned the night, and owned his opponent, in a way rarely seen in modern debate history.
*snip*
This much is certain: what took place on Thursday night in Kentucky was a clinic, a deconstruction, a masterpiece, a thunderclap. The sun came up on Friday morning to shine upon a world that will never, ever underestimate Joe Biden again. For those who needed what he gave, it was a joyful noise indeed.

Of course, I didn't see the debate - I have no TV service - but I watched a few clips this afternoon and I totally agree with Mr. Pitt.

Please go to the Truth-out article HERE.

And so it goes.
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Oil Companies Bribing Gulf States to Ignore Spill?

 Interesting reading from whowhatwhy.  A news site I've just stumbled upon.

Recently, Gulf area legislators have been pushing to get their states a larger share of government income from offshore drilling. We’re told that they need the extra revenue to improve flood protection. But more is afoot here, and it deserves scrutiny.
First, here’s the background, from the Los Angeles Times:

Severe flooding from Hurricane Isaac has prompted a new effort by Gulf Coast lawmakers to secure a larger share of federal offshore drilling revenue to fund projects such as flood protection.

But the idea faces opposition from lawmakers who say it would siphon away money needed to pay Uncle Sam’s bills.

Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (D-La.) stoked the debate this week by appealing to President Obama during his visit to the storm-battered area to support letting states share 37.5% of federal revenue from energy production off their coasts…..

Fair enough. But there’s a missing piece of this, about who benefits most. And it’s not the public.
Flood control work generates a ton of local income. It creates jobs. Channeling a larger share of the federal share of drilling income into the local area, you give residents a reason not to oppose continued drilling. Of course, these are the same people whose environment has been so badly harmed, perhaps permanently, by the risky practices of offshore production.

Read the rest HERE.

 I know.  Bribery is such a harsh word. But the truth is sometimes indelicate.

And so it goes.
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Examples of "gross negligence" by BP

Interesting. Very interesting. From Reuters:

(Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is ramping up its rhetoric against BP PLC for the massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, describing in new court papers examples of what it calls "gross negligence and willful misconduct."

The court filing is the sharpest position yet taken by the U.S. government as it seeks to hold the British oil giant largely responsible for the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

Gross negligence is a central issue to the case, slated to go to trial in New Orleans in January 2013. A gross negligence finding could nearly quadruple the civil damages owed by BP under the Clean Water Act to $21 billion.

The U.S. government and BP are engaged in talks to settle civil and potential criminal liability, though neither side will comment on the status of negotiations.

"The behavior, words, and actions of these BP executives would not be tolerated in a middling size company manufacturing dry goods for sale in a suburban mall," government lawyers wrote in the filing on August 31 in federal court in New Orleans.

The filing comes more than two years after the disaster that struck on April 20, 2010 when a surge of methane gas known to rig hands as a "kick" sparked an explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig as it was drilling the mile-deep Macondo 252 well off Louisiana's coast. The rig sank two days later.

The well spewed 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 straight days, unleashing a torrent of oil that fouled the shorelines of four Gulf Coast states and eclipsed the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in severity.

Specifically, errors made by BP and Swiss-based Transocean Ltd, owner of the Deepwater Horizon platform, in deciphering a key pressure test of the Macondo well are a clear indication of gross negligence, the Justice Department said.

"That such a simple, yet fundamental and safety-critical test could have been so stunningly, blindingly botched in so many ways, by so many people, demonstrates gross negligence," the government said in its 39-page filing.

The rest is HERE.

And so it goes.
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"One Term More" - Broadway Calls the GOP BS

This is magnificent and not connected to any campaign or party. If you know Les Miz you'll recognize the music.  The important thing here is the lyrics.  They are creative, insightful, and mostly on the money.  The vocal talent is, well, Broadway quality.  Enjoy.

And so it goes.
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Rehoboth Beach Fun & Petty BullS**t!

 For the first time in a week the day dawned without immediate threat of thunderstorms and high winds.  As I walked to work I found it easier to breathe, telling me that the humidity was down a bit, too.

People were already streaming down the streets toward the beach at 7 AM.  There was a line of  about 30 people outside the bakery, but not Starbucks.  WTF?  That's a switch. It's usually the other way round.

The benches lining the sidewalk on the Avenue were filled with folks munching pastries, drinking coffee, and reading the Sunday papers. The Washington Post is most prominent here, followed by the NY Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Though we served around 300 diners at lunch yesterday, over 500 more were served last evening - and the evidence was everywhere.  No problem.

We opened on time and were set upon almost immediately by groups - large and small - wanting a meal before hitting the beach, or ordering items to-go to enjoy later.

By 1:30 pm, I stopped taking reservations for the evening.  We were totally booked.  I spent the rest of the afternoon being insulted (until I hung up on them) or explaining why a last minute party of 30 would be impossible.  People have no idea what it takes to take care of that many people while handling other reservations and those we call "walk-ins".

Although the restaurant wasn't as busy as in recent days (thanks to the good weather) the incessant, arrogant phone calls began taking a toll. So, I was happy when my evening replacement arrived and I could come home.

I am enjoying an early evening. I plan to run a load of laundry in the morning before going to work.  Tuesday (my day off) is already smothered in lists of things that had to be put off last week due to the dead car battery crisis.

Nonetheless, I am looking forward to time away from work to tackle other things in other places. Need a new Messenger Bag (my canvas one is falling apart) and headphones for the Kindle for music and audio books.  It will be a day well spent.

And so it goes.
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'S' for Storms, 'M' for Movies

Thunderstorms began rolling through yesterday afternoon forcing everyone off the beach and into Happy Hours.  All in all, a cheerful bunch with the occasional grump thrown in to keep us on our toes.  (Of course, you KNOW that whenever it rains at the beach, it is automatically OUR fault. Look it up.)

Coastal Highway traffic was a nightmare and crew couldn't get in on time, so we juggled tables and servers as we could to keep up - but it was a stretch. I am changing my name to Juanita; I never want to hear my name whined as often or as loud as it was yesterday.

Walked home in yet another storm, was soaked to the skin when I arrived...but I didn't care.  I was HOME!!!  Slipped out of the wet work drag and into a dry martini as I prepared a light supper.

After that, I decided to stream a movie via Amazon Prime and chose "The Big Uneasy" by Harry Shearer - the true story of the Katrina debacle, coverup by the Army Corps of Engineers, and the ultimate truth destroying the ACoE's stories.  Well done and something everyone ought to spend 90 minutes watching, because the area you live in may be next.

BTW, the 7th Anniversary of the Katrina disaster is coming up on August 29th and I am sure there will be precious little coverage in the press, but much to-do in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

It was still early and I was still revved up from the day, so I found another interesting film (also on Prime - free) called "Forks over Knives" yes another documentary, but this one about how the so-called "diseases of affluence" that afflict us can be controlled; or even reversed; by cutting back, or rejecting most of our animal-based and processed foods. It made some very good points and the folks involved are top-notch in their fields.

While I could never see myself as a true vegan, I like the Asian diet of mostly fresh veggies, rice, sprouts, and a little meat on the side for flavour.

There!  I knocked out an entire evening that would have been boring otherwise, went to bed and slept like a rock.

Today was again filled with thunderstorms and the Crazy.  More on that later, maybe tomorrow. Another storm is upon us, so I'll end this and shutdown everything in case of a power-surge or outage.

And so it goes.
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