TWC Endangers Texas Residents

The nightly news covered a disturbing story in my area. A couple of towns in Parker County have been tested as having elevated levels of uranium. Four times the safe level.

Worse, the Texas Water Commission knew this, and decided not to publish the report, four years ago.

Check out the National Tap Water Quality Database Report on Aledo Texas.

I know that a couple of folks who read my blog, believe that government officials are always angelic beings that are always trying to do the right thing. I have trouble in this case, in finding the sinless motive.

They knew when they chose to bury the report, that this would eventually cause needless deaths and suffering. They knew that children would contract cancer and die horrible deaths. They decided that keeping this report secret, was more important than the lives of their fellow Americans.

They argue that there is nothing to worry about, because the contamination is natural. So keep drinking the contaminated water.

This article, "Radioactive Drilling Waste in Barnett Shale and Marcellus Shale. It's in our water!", points out that in 2007, there were no radionuclides in the drinking water.

So was the TWC report false? Was the reason they say they sat on the report, because they didn't really have one, and they wanted to make it look like the water has been dangerous to drink, all along?

Now, what's strange in my view about the radiation being naturally occurring, is that we're nowhere near mountains. We're in a plain. Our geology is mainly river and glacial sediment atop a limestone formation. There's nothing here that we might expect to concentrate radioactive heavy metals.

What we do have is a number of prominent defense contractors that produce hi-tech weaponry for the US military. You can discover that by doing a google search.

We also have a nuclear power plant in the area that is also discoverable with google. So we do have a lot of nuclear waste to dispose of.

And is this related to the recent surge in drilling for natural gas? Are they mixing radioactive waste with the solvents they are pumping into the earth to extract the natural gas? It appears that there is circumstantial evidence this is the case.

If true, did they really think they could crack and fracture the shale without the waste getting into the water supply? The whole point of fracturing is to force the solvents under pressure to break up the shale. By design, it will get into the drinking water. Why wouldn't it?

Thanks T. Boone Pickens.

Mandelbrot

Just playing around with math. I had played around with fractals back in the days of DOS. After seeing some stunning 3D images of MandelBulbs, I thought I'd play around with this stuff for a bit.

I wrote a little Mandelbrot explorer program that pans and zooms. Here's an example image it created.



And another...



You can download this program at:
MandelBrot1.zip

You may need to run the Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 SP1 Redistributable Pack to run this program.

America Is In Danger!

My wife had the TV on this morning, and first news story I heard was about Obama addressing the soldiers in Ft Hood.
He said, "These are trying times for Americans. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the same extremists that killed three thousand Americans, continue to endanger America."

Now just to be clear, the government's official story is that Saudi Royals financed 9/11 with funding funneled through Saudi Arabian Charities. The hijackers were from Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Dick Cheney blamed Saddam Hussein for 9/11.

Now Obama is blaming villagers in Pakistan and Afghanistan for 9/11.

And the hijackers are still alive! Well, he seems to infer that...

The people who died on 9/11 are the ultimate political war tools. They died so that US politicians could use their deaths to further political aims and scapegoat the enemy of the week.

The next president or maybe Obama, might give later give this speech, "These are trying times for Americans. In Iran and New Zealand, the same extremists that killed three thousand Americans, continue to endanger America."

The people living in remote villages in Afghanistan, continue to endanger America. As they herd their goats and weave fabrics, they continue to plot of he day that they march to the Atlantic, and walk across the ocean bottom, and invade the USA. With their goat cheese and colorful fabrics, they will enslave the defenseless peoples of the USA. This is why we have to enslave them first.

If we can't defeat the people of Afghanistan and make them submit to our rule, and force them to worship us as their overlords, then terrorists from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, just might get their chance to attack us again.

Remember, the USA is in terrible danger! Terrible Danger! We are so weak and defenseless, that we must rain phosgene on remote peasant villages or we risk our own annihilation. If we aren't slaughtering children in a nation that most Americans can't find on a map, then we risk our own extinction.

Be Afraid. Wet Your Pants. Sit In Your Own Urine. Our New President Is Finding New Scary People For You To Fear.

Remember, War Is Peace.

Message From the Right

I didn't think it would take long for folks to put a political spin on a story that doesn't seem to have a political bent, as yet.

I got an email today from Bill Wilson. He publishes regular stories with a Republican bent. This was the first line.
Yesterday, in an unspeakable act of domestic terrorism, a Fort Hood psychiatrist with a long history of erratic and anti-American behavior systematically murdered 13 American soldiers. - Bill Wilson

As yet, I haven't seen any evidence that this murderer, had an anti-American position. He might have. I just haven't seen any evidence in the stories I'm reading.

Now if I take the far right, war loving view, I can see how this can be interpreted this way. To be a patriotic American you have to love war, you have to love killing non-Americans, you need to enjoy setting children on fire. If you don't want America to engage in these activities, then you hate America. if you believe that Jesus created America as a mindless machine that slaughters human beings for hate, fun and profit, then you're a patriot.

Personally, I am sickened by the mere notion of setting children on fire with phosgene, even in a war designed to make more money for rich people. And for this, devout Republicans are quick to dismiss me as a leftist peacenick wanker. It's funny though, I haven't met a war loving Republican yet, that enjoys setting children on fire and watching them burn to death. I guess the point is to love the idea of burning children to death for America.

I digress a bit though. So I'll make my point.

So far, this story has more parallels with the Columbine shootings than terrorism. This man suffered continuous harassment and abuse from his fellow soldiers until he made the decision to become a murderer and go on a shooting spree. It appears that his imminent deployment to Iraq (a war he did not believe in), triggered his murderous rampage.

If someone comes across evidence that he was making a political statement or that he has openly expressed hatred of his native country, the USA, please pass it along. I will be happy to print that. I will be happy to change my viewpoint.

At this time, such claims in my view, are a sick exploitation of the deaths of my fellow Americans to make a political statement.

The deaths of these patriotic soldiers, should not be used as a podium for political grandstanding by either party. Bill Wilson is exploiting their deaths to make a political statement about Obama, who he claims is exploiting their deaths to make a political statement.

Time out folks! Leave the partisan politics at the door. Show a little respect.

Should We Discharge Muslims From The Military?

I'm sure everyone has read at a least a few articles like the one below.
Suspect, devout Muslim from Va., wanted Army discharge, aunt said

He prayed every day at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, a devout Muslim who, despite asking to be discharged from the U.S. Army, was on the eve of his first deployment to war. Yesterday, authorities said Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, a 39-year-old Arlington-born psychiatrist, shot and killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Tex.

As conservatives like to argue, we are primarily a Christian nation. Or at least the media, and much of the public likes to think so. Further we are at war with two Muslim nations. Since 9/11 the media, The Pentagon and many politicians have been painting Muslims as evil terrorists. Here in the South, it's common bar talk for folks to argue just to nuke all of the Muslims. In some of our local churches we're taught that Allah is really Satan, so Muslims are devil worshipers. Less extreme churches paint Allah as a false god, and Mohammad as a false prophet. In my personal experience in Southern Churches, I have not seen any tolerance for Islam. It's bad enough to learn in Sunday School that God probably has a grading system of different levels of Heaven for the different Christian faiths. The best Christian faiths get the best rooms in heaven, while the other faiths get to claim heaven's slums.

In early childhood, I didn't attend bible school or know too many folks from our church. Later as a preteen, I started attending bible school regularly, and evidently missed out on my formative years of bible school training as a I didn't understand who I was supposed to hate, or how to be acceptably racist. And it never really took. How am I supposed to hate people I've never met, and know nothing about?

As an adult, I think that helped some. For a time I was doing international training and working with folks from China and Qatar. I found the differences and similarities in attitudes and cultures to be fascinating and interesting. During this time, most of my friends were European transplants working here or going to school on Visas. I discovered that some of island folk and Cubans were a blast to hang out with. My native friends understood me and had no problem with that, but many Texans that knew, but weren't friends with couldn't understand why I enjoyed the company of 'Fill in Racial Slur Here'. One question I was asked a few times was, "Aren't you scared to go jamming with Cubans? they aren't like us. They are poor. they might rob you." Or, "How can you hang out with those people, (Irish), they don't even speak English..."

But I seem to be digressing... In my own culture I've seen the hate, the intolerance and the venom that my fellow man can express. People who seem sane and reasonable in the company of their own kind can often hide an ugly side that simply needs a little encouragement to come out.

On this note, I can see how that murderer at Ft Hood must have endured years of abuse in a horrifying work environment.

I do not condone what he did. I condemn it. Let me be clear on that.

But I'm actually surprised that so far, he's been the only Muslim to break, in a military that teaches the recruits that Muslims are a sub-human enemy, meant to be despised. And as we're fighting two wars that were advertised to be acts of vengeance against Islam for 9/11. Payback if you will. I don't understand why the military didn't quietly start a program of honorably discharging Muslims from it's ranks.

Even though many conservatives will openly deny it, I've met quite a lot of people that look at our two wars as crusades against Islam. They want the wars expanded, because they believe, that they are in struggle to the death between Christianity and Islam. They believe that only one side can survive the struggle and if they don't wipe out the Islamic Religion, then the Muslims will exterminate all of the Christians. These people are patriotic, and believe that their way of life depends on this struggle. They see the military as their vehicle for engaging in their Holy Crusade. And the military of course, gladly accepts any recruit that is itching to get some payback for 9/11.

We know that Muslim Clerics in the ME are preaching that this is a Holy War against the Christian Crusaders. We can lie to ourselves and say that's not what it is, but so long as the military is recruiting fundamentalist Christians from the South, that is going to be the nature of these wars.

Of course if we say it out loud, we lose must of our righteous justification for slaughtering people to capture land we don't need, in a place that most Americans can't find on a map.

But that's why many recruits sign up. Why we have these wars is of course, because some people get richer by getting us into wars.

A lot of very influential people are making huge fortunes on these wars. So there's no reason to think were going to win them or quit them. Victory and Defeat would both destroy the flow of money from you and I into over bloated bank accounts. So there's no financial incentive to quit slaughtering people.

And though I think most of the educated public is tired of the war and about half the nation has wanted them ended for some time, there is still a big contingency of folks that believe that were are fighting a righteous war for God. And these people are willing to sign up, and go kill Muslims for Jesus. Our military encourages this, and reinforces any beliefs that lead to making young men into efficient killing machines.

So in this view, is it wise to allow Muslims to serve in our armed forces? Can you treat a man as an enemy for years, and expect him to be your friend when you need help?

And finally, yes, I know where this leads. I think most of you know my views by now. I want the war over. I want our boys home. I want tolerance and respect on both sides. I want Christians to tolerate and respect Muslims and I want Muslims to tolerate and respect Christians. Oh Yeah, and I also want a flying horse, a 600 acre ranch, lots of dough in my bank account and to play guitar and sing much better than I do...

Segregation can lead to internment camps and all of the other horrors. We seem to have some of that now. But it could get worse. But I wonder what the fall out from this shooting will be? As the wars will continue, we'll have more events like these. We did in Vietnam and in that war, we didn't have a lot of Vietnamese in the USA. Now we're in a Holy War against Islam and we do have many Muslims living in the USA.

In times like these, I don't think we're all that smart.

Voter Fraud In My State

h/t Karl Denninger

It seems a little strange that Karl continues to post article after article on the widespread corruption in our political system, but insists that our corruption is nothing like the corruption seen in politics in other countries.



Now in Argentina, the corruptiuon really became endemic when the gov started appointing banking representatives to run government organizations and to set policies. They rewarded the bankers that destroyed their country, with even more power.

In the USA, we're different, because we're doing the same thing. Well Karl says we're different, but I can't really figure out why. He can't explain it, but he says it's true, because he says so.

For instance, we have a former Goldman Sachs VP appointed as Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs-designate (since July 2009). h/t Kitty, from Petropest Launchpad.

I have to wonder, as the evidence for widespread corruption and conspiracy in our government continues to mount, when is that 1200 amp denial fuse in Karl's brain, gonna blow? I wonder how many stories of corruption and banking conspiracies he can post, and still insist that we have an honest and decent government, that has nothing in common with other governments that are corrupt?

As to the this Texas story, I have read accounts previously, where politicians in the house and senate coast votes for each other, when one is absent. What we see in this video in my home State's Capital, is essentially the same thing. The thing is, it's up to the representative present to decide the vote, as the person they are voting for, will probably never know how their vote was cast, or what they voted on.

I think we can assume that the missing lobbyists are out partying with lobbyists. That's what they do, right?

I'm surprised that Karl is surprised by this. I don't understand why he wasn't aware of this practice, years ago. What's up Karl? Why didn't you already know this?

Pride In Killing

Below is a typical email that lands in my inbox.

It's the last thing that we Americans seem to be able to muster some pride in.

We can't be proud our manufacturing, our auto industry, our oil industry, textiles or other industrious activities.

We can't take pride in the future we're leaving our children.

We can't take pride in our corrupt government.

We aren't proud of our health care system or our education system.

We certainly can't be proud of our wealth, when our debt has accelerated to escape velocity.

We can't be proud that we're blowing another bubble that will likely destroy us as a nation.

We should not be proud that we've lost our status as the world's economic powerhouse.

We are failing on every account, when it comes to being the world leader in anything at all. This isn't an emotional point. This isn't me ragging the nation that I love. This is what the cold hard numbers say when we look at any facet of our nation's health.

But there is one thing we can take pride in. We are efficient and skilled at killing human beings.

This 19 year old ex-cheerleader (now an Air Force Security Forces Sniper) was watching a road that led to a NATO military base when she observed a man digging by the road. She engaged the target (i.e., she shot him). It turned out he was a bomb maker for the Taliban, and he was burying an IED that was to be detonated when a US patrol walked by 30 minutes later. It would have certainly killed and wounded several soldiers.
The interesting fact of this story is the shot was measured at 725 yards. She shot him as he was bent over burying the bomb. The shot went through his butt and into the bomb which detonated; he was blown to pieces. The Air Force made a motivational poster of her:



(Folks, that's a shot 25 yards longer than seven football fields!)
And the last thing that came out of his mouth ... was his ass!
If You Can Not Stand Behind Our Troops,
please Feel Free To Stand In Front Of Them!