No Fracking Way!

Hydraulic Fracturing is one of those practices that defies the common good and pits private profit against public safety. The following is a review of the documentary “Gasland” by Thom Hartmann:

Both aesthetically and practically, there are several things that make Josh Fox’s documentary “Gasland” extraordinary and unique – and, frankly, the sort of view that will make you want to share it with everybody you know (particularly if they are politically active or an elected official!).
The first is that Josh Fox – the guy who made the movie – is also the guy who lived the story.  Rarely do we find this combination in a documentary, and when we do it’s often because somebody who was already an accomplished documentarian went out in search of a story to jump into and make a movie from.  In this case, the story started with Josh being offered what are really big bucks – $100,000 – for poor people in rural Pennsylvania, if only he’d let his land be used to drill for natural gas.
This started Fox on his odyssey, which led him from the hills of Pennsylvania, across the American Midwest and West, and ultimately to discoveries about mind-bogglingly corrupt deals made by the Bush Administration and Dick Cheney which – literally – have and continue to poison American citizens. Continue reading here.

“Fracking” practices are also threatening Cooperstown N.Y. and the Baseball Hall of Fame:     http://thedailystar.com/localnews/x824023455/Trustees-Fracking-may-leave-Cooperstown-in-permanent-recession

BP Spill Anniversary: It’s All Good!

The following article was written by Dahr Jamail:

April 20, 2011 marks the one-year anniversary of BP’s catastrophic oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. On this day in 2010 the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion caused oil to gush from 5,000 feet below the surface into the ninth largest body of water on the planet.
At least 4.9 million barrels of BP’s oil would eventually be released into the Gulf of Mexico before the well was capped 87 days later.
It is, to date, the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. BP has used at least 1.9 million gallons of toxic dispersants to sink the oil, in an effort the oil giant claimed was aimed at keeping the oil from reaching shore.
Critics believe the chemical dispersants were used simply to hide the oil and minimise BP’s responsibility for environmental fines.
Earlier this month Transocean Ltd, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon, gave its top executives bonuses for achieving what it described as the “best year in safety performance in our company’s history”. Transocean CEO Steve Newman’s bonus was $374,062.
BP has plans to restart deepwater drilling on 10 wells in the Gulf of Mexico this summer after being granted permission by US regulators.
Meanwhile, marine and wildlife biologists, toxicologists, and medical doctors have described the impact of the disaster upon the environment and human health as “catastrophic,” and have told Al Jazeera that this is only the beginning of that what they expect to be an environmental and human health crisis that will likely span decades.    Continue reading here.

Hate Speech 2011

Several posts ago I mentioned that over the New Year I would be traveling with my family. I’m at a loss as to how to describe our experiences between then and now, but we’ve been far enough down the rabbit hole to marvel and be truly grateful for the stability and normalcy of our funky everyday life here in rural Alaska. (There is no place like home!)
It wasn’t until Sunday afternoon between flight changes in Seattle that I heard about the shootings in Tucson including the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Giffords. I will tell you that given the climate of hate and divisiveness that the media in this country seems to promote and celebrate I am not surprised that an event such as this would happen- disgusted, and angry, yes, but certainly not surprised.
It’s not difficult to see a direct connection between negative rhetoric demonizing a segment of our population and this shooting. Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Glen Beck, Sarah Palin and other hate-mongers have spent years stoking the fires of hatred in the hearts of many ignorant and twisted minds in the name of “entertainment”. I could give a rats ass if Bono says the f-word on the air or if the world gets to see Janet Jackson’s plastic titty, but that’s the kind of behavior that the FCC feels it needs to regulate, not the violent hateful screed of many  right-wing pundits.
I believe that free speech is a cornerstone of democracy but that members of the media who intentionally use negative and divisive language have perverted the intention of free speech and have been supremely irresponsible in the name of “ratings”.
I understand that Mr. Limbaugh devoted a recent program to distancing himself and his cronies-in-hate from the actions of the man who shot those in Tucson. It will take much more than one show and a bunch of chicken shit back peddling to neutralize years of spewing sick and debilitating divisiveness.

In this post we use a favorite Limbaugh term and “aim” it (like a survey marker, doncha know) where it seems much more appropriate.

During the Bush Years we were told that “terrorism” is violence in the name of a cause”. Mentally disturbed shooter or not, the shootings in Tucson was domestic terrorism, and the careless rhetoric of Palin, Limbaugh, etc. have encouraged the crippling climate of violence in the United Sates

To quote the quitter: We’re all Arizonans now.

Hypnoticly Hysterical

For the last few years I have wondered where the hysteria at Faux news would lead. It stands to reason that people who are continually fed a load of paranoia and fear would eventually react by lashing out at the focus of the pundits and pukes who are dishing the dirt.The admission of the wretch who was on a mission to kill people at the Tides Foundation in San Fransisco that it was because of the hooyee that Glen Beck passes off as news and information that he embarked on his attempt to start a political revolution by murdering liberals.

Free Speech and Hate Speech are not the same. Beck has earned consequences for encouraging his viewers to violence. If the definition of “Terrorism” is “using violence in the name of a cause” why isn’t Glenn Beck being held accountable for inciting terrorism?

Who Discovered America?

October 12 1492…a fantastic voyage that become historical fantasy is comemorated by millions of unquestioning American’s across the land. Google: Piri Reis Map for an interesting story.

Pre Existing Condition

Mike Huckabee’s comments on “pre-existing conditions” got me thinking about that old boogieman Original Sin, and how preachers like him would be out of business without the concept…maybe that explains his cross over to politics. Here are a couple of perspectives about this issue:

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201006190002

http://www.truth-out.org/sick-bastards63456