Word. Maybe a laff or 2. ....A point of view blog....(Off-site web links are in light blue.) NOTE: Website is NO longer updated. (Much of it was produced in 2009-11..) A July, 2021 note: This (former) blog was sharply critical of Vice Pres. Dick Cheney. HOWEVER, Rep. Liz Cheney, his eldest daughter, happens to be a current HERO of mine as she stands up for the U.S. Constitution (..and sanity in general..), and stands up to Donald Trump and his liars/sycophants/insurrectionists
Easy prediction (given current developments): Get ready for more, (organized) citizen actions such as this↓; ref. the (2014) video below. Those represented below -- plus many more -- have not "gone away". Nor will they...
Post-U.S. presidential election, 2016:Three items to (try to) keep front-and-center (article links below), if/when a U.S. administration generally hostile to the environment takes form. Off-site article links, no affiliation. New windows open:
5/16: Hey...way, way more people check in with Jimmy Kimmel than this tiny blog. So, pls. have a listen (if you can get past Sarah...(Unnecessary bad language near the end of the video)):
3/16: Wake-up call ...yet another. ((If such projections are bolstered via add'l research:) Kids! 'Let's play pack-up and move to higher ground' (someday).):
10/2015: 'Surprise'...Exxon understood about climate change -- through their own research -- back in the 1970s; supported misinformation about the concept for years after. Off-site 10/26/15 article link:
- "I'm not sure what the 'height of insanity' might be, but this seems a candidate: Modern, advanced societies ignoring - or deliberately distorting - principal findings of climate scientists -- who the same civilizations train and educate to become experts ..." (P.S. If it needs stating, we know what one of the 'rea$on$' (i.e., for denying) is...)
- "...I have a better idea: do something, Congress. Do anything to help working Americans. Join the rest of the country. Join me, I'm looking forward to working with you...." --- President Barack Obama (7/2014)
From NOAA,Deepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico, update 4/25/10. (That thing above is called a "map", Sarah. Of the Gulf of Mexico. In the United States. Of America.)
A guess: After appropriately mourning the cost in human life....probably fabricating a way to conspiratorially link Greenpeace (or some other political opponent - perhaps Ted Kennedy) -- to this LATESToil spill disaster....
Having a giant laugh (or another paranoia attack)... about this newest environmental desecration to the "rock" the rest of us have to exist upon?? (That includes your children, etc.)
Re update: If luck happens to prevail in this situation, nothing asserted here (in this post) is invalidated. Environmental issues have been raised (again). Dirty energy sources should be questioned. Offshore oil drilling is not "safe"(link). America's oil addiction leads to problems.
(Old photo, Santa Barbara off-shore oil spill, 1969, Google/LIFE archives)
Yeah.....'drill baby drill'. How about ...."spill baby, spill"?? U.S. "commitment" to the environment remains at joke levels. Energy policies? Total hypocrisy. It's basically about finding any way to ensure that "drill-queen" Sarah Palin and zillions of others can drive their fat-ass SUVs/pickups -- solo,on-road, and with a "cargo" of air the majority of the time.....
I've been to Glacier myself a couple of times. The rangers we spoke to there believed "something was up" with climate change....
As Mr. Gore has said: It's going to soon need to be named "The Park Formerly Known as Glacier Nat'l Park"
Go see it.....QUICK.
Oh....BTW:Today is April 7th, and the current temperature is 90 degrees (F) where I live (New England)....(That's about 35 degrees above "normal" for the date. One year doesn't make a trend, but it's been well above normal for temps. here and everywhere(link) during the last several weeks... already.)
We'll see if anything further come to light about this story, but it's more evidence that this country is close-to-insane when it comes to guns. Too many of the unreasonably paranoid and/or gun-packin' maniacs... getting their way:
FWIW: From a recent forum post (re guns in Starbucks):
"Visiting a Starbucks (or similar) while carrying a gun, you are most likely one or more of these:
- An armed criminal. Criminal use of guns, including threatening and intimidating, is far more common in the U.S. than actual self-defense use of guns. (Supporting link) (A broader link.)
- Paranoid. Even in the gun-whacked U.S., the rate of aggravated assault is approx. three per 1000 inhabitants. That's three-tenths of one percent. (Link)
- What the originator of this oh-so-enlightening topic suggests. Put somewhat civilly: An insecure person and/or a gun-packing maniac. You're part of the problem, not the solution."
Actually, scientists have been watching methane for awhile now, but the latest findings (linked below) are of concern.
It's human nature to deny or avoid facts that (likely) convey "bad news" (e.g., for planet dwellers), but please read and remember this one for your kids and grand-kids. And be aware that there are other heat-trapping gases - some man-made - in the climate "mix", also. (I.e., beyond carbon dioxide and methane.)
Whether warming (or the amount of warming) is or isn't an absolute, locked-incertainty (yet), don't we all owe it to future inhabitants to do what is possible about ameliorating climate warming gasses and emissions...now? (Ethically?) It is also time to start seriously looking into man-made methods for removing heat-trapping gases from the earth's atmosphere - whether that sounds like science fiction or not.
No wonder "regular" (non-celebrity, non-politician, non-CEO) citizens are thoroughly disgusted....Seems that way too much is just terminally "dysfunctional" ....Overall, it's just not working for (on behalf of) many people.
Update: Oh yeah...This happened on 2/23 also (link). School shooting, two kids shot for no reason with a high-power rifle, heroic bystanders (teachers) prevented much worse carnage. Etc., etc.
It is not, of course, but this now seems almost typical in gun-nut crazy America.
Part of the repatriating of Canada's fallen heroes. (Note: "The 401" is a very busy highway near Toronto with many overpasses, where people gather to pay respect.):
This may have recently changed somewhat, but in the U.S. we (used to) "sneak" Iraq and Afganistan war casualties into Dover Air Force Base in the dead of night. Most ceremonies and honors are still held largely in private here.
The U.S. can learn a lot from it's Canadian friends and allies. (2/21/10: Except, it seems, in Olympic (prelims.) HOCKEY☻.)
"The Dover (DE) Highway of Heroes". (Or something similar. Even a route part or all the way from Dover to Arlington National Cemetary (for those who will be interred there). (2/23/10: Pls. see the end of this post for updated info.) A special railway train may be possible in that region as an alternative. For others, individual cities/states could also do something similar. I'm sure some smaller towns already include a procession....) Why can't that happen? It should ....It stinks that something like it (i.e., a more public honoring of fallen soldiers) is not regularly done here. It is the least that we can do....
I'm doing a bit more research to learn more. But I'm going to send these YouTube videos with an electronic message to the Dpt. of Defense, my U.S. rep. or others, soon. (If possible.) I think that a public honor/tribute like this is a very good idea. (Please copy this blog post URL if you wish and include it in a message as well, if you agree. Please include a link/URL for this post. Thank you.)
Update, 2/23/10. Please also see a further update detailed at the end of this post: I'm still researching the overall process for fallen U.S. personnel. Here is one link, describing "dignified transfer", from the "Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operation Center (at Dover, DE). As can be seen, the focus is upon dignified, solemn transfer of remains to designated (usually family) individuals, in an expeditious manner: http://www.mortuary.af.mil/library/dignifiedtransfer/index.asp
I understand the focus upon "dignified transfer". This earlier article (10/29/03) from defense.gov states:
"Out of respect for families' privacy, defense officials do not allow
arrival ceremonies for, or media coverage of deceased military
personnel returning to or departing from Dover Air Force Base
or Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, or any other site
As I continue to investigate, I'll offer these (early) assertions:
1) In many cases, soldiers' remains appear to be quickly entrusted at Dover to next-of-kin. What happens after that is not yet clear, though it is likely that each family decides what to do next. I.e., funeral and burial arrangements. I'm sure in some cases the funeral etc. takes place in the soldiers' home town. Any processsion, honors, etc. would take place there. So at Dover AFB, it appears that remains are flown in (from overseas) and transferred to next-of-kin at the base itself, or other, additional transport arrangements are made - at least in some cases. (Need to do more research here.)
2) In the United States, the following armed forces service members are eligible for burial at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington,VA (partial list of eligibility follows). According to Google Maps, the distance by car from Dover, DE A.F.B. to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia is a little more than 100 miles. At least half appears to be over more rural/suburban areas of Delaware and Maryland (Eastern Shore area). It of course becomes more urban nearing Washington, DC. The suggested route also passes through Annapolis, MD. I think that anyone reading can see where I'm attempting to "go" with this. (Given the information above.) Note: The distance from the Canadian air base to the (Canadian) mortuary is about 100 miles, per the NBC News video report, above. So it appears that the motorcades there are traveling a similar (i.e., long) distance. I will try to learn more about how soldiers' remains may "usually" travel from Dover to Arlington.....if that's what happens, at least in some cases.
Partial list of eligibility for internment at Arlington Nat'l Cemetery:
Any active duty member of the Armed Forces (except those members serving on active duty for training only).
Any veteran who is retired from active military service with the Armed Forces.
Any veteran who is retired from the Reserves is eligible upon reaching age 60 and drawing retired pay; and who served a period of active duty (other than for training).
Please note: The original portions of this post are copyrighted, 2010.
"Angler's Smilin' at You"
Additional, 2/23/10 update: This overall issue apparently was discussed in the following 2/14/09 article by John Barry for Newsweek magazine (link) : http://www.newsweek.com/id/184772 Mr. Barry concludes with an interesting idea that I also like, at first glance: Fly fallen soldiers remains into Andrews AFB, Washington, DC, then perform an honor procession - similar to the Canadian one above - from Andrews to Dover, DE (AFB). (Mr. Barry notes that such a procession might even be routed near the White House.) Mr. Barry says that currently, remains are sent from Dover AFB to the soldier's hometown for a military funeral.
Former V.P. Dick Cheney....Secret Service code name 'Angler'. He's still monitoring each one of you. To help secure everyone's #@!*% FREEDOM. He knows best, so don't ask (and don't tell)....
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