My Blog

Class Documentary

BobM — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:22:44 GMT

I had to do a documentary for my Video Production I class for me degree program (professional photographer). I'm not much of a fan of video but it's a required subject. So I finally finished the video and my bottom line assessment is......at least it doesn't suck. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAZuCVbfZgM

Animal quackers in my soup....

BobM — Wed, 13 May 2009 04:09:38 GMT

Current mood: pleased Ok well not in the soup yet (and perhaps never). BUT they are in the dining room for the time being. Yes there have been a few additions to Casa De Loco. We picked up 6 Mallard Ducks and 6 chicks the other day. Sadly we lost 4 of the Mallard's (I suspect they may have gotten too wet before they should have from playing in the waterer, can't seem to keep them out of it) but the other 2 are doing well and are starting to feather. As for the chicks, they were doing well for a while and then something happened and we lost all 6 of them within an hour start to finish. Not really sure why but suspect some sort of toxic thing because they went so quick after being healthy the whole time. SO we've started over with a second batch (3 amber sex links and 3 golden comets) and so far so good with them. We'll keep fingers crossed and hope for the best while taking active protection measures. Meanwhile I've got a chicken coop to build along with all the other fun things here that scream to be done. LOL The dogs are doing as best they can be. Lacey is getting on in age and has started having trouble hearing I think and her eyes have started to really cloud up a bit as well as her getting much more lumpy with time. Dog is still dog. FAT and lazy. Tough for him to get around these days but he still manages to pretty well. The cats, well they are the cats. LOL The horse made it through yet another winter! I wasn't too sure this year at all. I've been wary the last couple years but I really thought this might be the year. BUT despite being 36 years old and starting to have weight loss problems she continues to act like a 2 year old philly at times. The deer continue to get braver, last week one was in the back yard about 20 feet from the house (about 12-14 roaming the pasture from what I've spotted). Like the old reliables they are the bats are back this year and seem to be doing well (so far none in the house). I lost one bee hive over the winter but the other seems to be doing well and they are out and about. The pond is still full of turtles but I'm hoping to do something about that this year, or at least start to. The beaver seems to have moved on to greener pastures and hasn't been spotted this year. All the other incidental animals (groundhogs, raccoons, birds, foxes, ants, wasps, ticks, etc) are of course thriving as usual. In addition we added two more dogs over the winter, Blizzard (an american bulldog) and Nikita (a lab/pit mix). On the plant side of the spectrum the second (longer) grape arbor has been cleared and fixed, the grapes on both arbors are growing like mad, and I'll be forcing jelly on people again this year I suspect. I'm slowly working on saving the cherry trees from the ravenous honey suckle vines so we should have a decent crop this year. The pear trees seem to be doing ok, even the ones in the back yard seem to be recovering from long term neglect and vine strangulation. Got some raspberries in the ground (gold and red but the red ones bit the dust while the gold ones have flourished). Put a blueberry bush in and might even get a couple small berries from it this year. Sunk a plum tree into the front yard but the jury is still out on that one, doesn't seem to be any growth yet but the branches are still "elastic" and have buds so I'm hoping. In the process of resurrecting the second grape arbor I took down one of the two mulberry trees in the back yard but it was pretty bad off with disease and vine damage so it was an acceptable loss. The other one is doing well despite some disease damage and I've found what I suspect are a couple of others at the edge of the pasture that I'll be keeping an eye on. Despite my best efforts at eradication (well attempts to bring them under control actually) the blackberries are doing well as always. The green apple tree in the front yard is still going strong even though it looks like a pin cushion from the wood peckers and I expect it will fruit again this year. An added pleasant surprise is that the other apple tree in the front yard that I thought had died and cut all the limbs off of in order to pull out has sprouted all kinds of new growth, so I will watch it closely to see what it decides to do. Things continue to get done around here. Brush is getting cleared. Fences are being mended. The yards are being reclaimed. Boxes and sheds and vehicles and trailers are being gone through and things donated, rescued, or gotten rid of. The house is getting worked on and cleaned and the like. The kids now have their learners permits and I'm a nervous wreck sitting in the passenger seat. Me, I'm finally looking at going back to school and getting a degree in professional photography (I'm hoping to take advantage of the new post 911 GI bill). So all in all things are progressing I guess and Casa De Loco continues to improve. Day by day. I'll try and get some new pictures up when I can.

HR-875 NAIS's crazy abusive older brother!

BobM — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:10:24 GMT

Current mood: angry (I pulled this from one of the discussion groups I’m on) United States Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) has proposed legislation, H.R. 875, which would literally prohibit Americans from raising food for themselves, their families, or even for their animals, without the uber alles national government’s permission! Extreme statement? NOT! H.R. 875 makes Americans serfs on their own land! Read on; this one bill could wipe the United States, as a free nation, from the face of the Earth! We urgently need your help to kill this extremely dangerous bill! H.R. 875, the so-called Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (FSMA) sounds innocent enough at first blush, with language purporting to "protect the public health by preventing food-borne illness, ensuring the safety of food, improving research on contaminants leading to food-borne illness, and improving security of food from intentional contamination, and for other purposes." In reality, the FSMA is an extensive and all-controlling abomination that must be stopped! The FSMA mandates registration of every "food production facility," which the bill defines as "any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation;" and every "food establishment," which the bill defines as "a slaughterhouse..., factory, warehouse, or facility owned or operated by a person located in any State that processes food or a facility that holds, stores, or transports food or food ingredients." H.R. 875 makes NAIS look tame. This bill will not just sweep up commercial food operations. The fine print of the FSMA will subject hobby gardeners, home canners, anyone with a few chickens, or anyone who "holds, stores, or transports food" - including mushrooms or wild berries gathered in the wild - to registration, extensive management, and inspection by a huge new bureaucracy, the Food Safety Administration (FSA)- even if the food items will only be consumed personally. And registration must be via "an electronic portal," which will be costly and difficult for those without computers. H.R. 875 exponentially advances the "Foodborne Disease Surveillance Systems" required of member states of the World Health Organization (WHO), which includes the United States. "Food establishments" will be required to adopt preventive process controls, including implementing recordkeeping and labeling of all food and food ingredients to facilitate their identification and traceability, including instructions for handling and preparation for consumption. This might sound rather reasonable... until you remember the definition of a "food establishment" above. Immensely telling of how seriously this bill does not take "food safety," though, is Section 204(2)(C), which promises the Administrator will identify the "5 most significant (food) contaminants", and "not later than 3 years after a contaminant is so identified, the Administrator shall promulgate a performance standard..." Gee whiz, what’s the rush? Perhaps the Administrator’s promulgation timetable has little to do with acting quickly and decisively to protect U.S. citizens (or even "all people in the United States" as required by the FSMA) and much, much more to do with the World Health Organization’s stated desire in its 2004 report entitled "FOODBORNE DISEASE MONITORING AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS" that "the objectives and strategies (of food borne disease surveillance systems) established by each country should be acceptable to all member countries (www.fao.org/docrep/meeting...81e.htm)," which doubtless would take time. Perhaps it is because "studies linking pathogens in food to the disease in humans would help quantify the risk of food borne diseases." In other words, no entity, not the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and not the WHO, can prove a significant problem exists in the United States. The FSMA will not even quickly implement protections for Americans from contaminated foreign foodstuffs. The bill states, "(n)ot later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act" imported food products shall be certified safe "by the accredited foreign government (think CHINA!) or by an accredited certifying agent..." Again, what’s the rush? Maddeningly, the FSMA expects Congress to again approve a far-reaching bill without knowing the details. In this case, Congress will find out much later: what federal resources would be dedicated to foodborne illness and food safety research; what transfer of agencies, personnel, assets, obligations, and consolidation, reorganization, or streamlining of agencies will be involved; and the details of regulations the new Food Czar (Administrator of the FSA) will promulgate after enactment of the Act. Among the statutory foundations the FSMA claims for guidance and authority is the National Animal Identification System, which HAS NEVER BEEN ENACTED INTO LAW BY CONGRESS! But beyond the mandated violations of our civil liberties in the FSMA - registration, traceability, inspections, seizures, etc. (all without court orders or search warrants), - the truly chilling language lays out civil and criminal penalties of up to $1 million per day, per infraction, and imprisonment of five or ten years, or both, depending how serious the violation(s). Additionally, "(a)n order assessing a civil penalty against a person... shall be a final order unless the person-- (A) not later than 30 days after the effective date of the order, files a petition for judicial review of the order in the United States court of appeals... (and) (t)he findings of the Administrator relating to the order shall be set aside only if found to be unsupported by substantial evidence on the record as a whole." The FSMA is so over-the-top in its overreach that the bill’s language states, "(t)he validity and appropriateness of the order of the Administrator assessing the civil penalty shall not be subject to judicial review." And if you’re by now thinking this is about as outrageous as this bill can be, you’d be very wrong. Section 406 clearly states, "(i)n any action to enforce the requirements of the food safety law, the connection with interstate commerce required for jurisdiction SHALL BE PRESUMED TO EXIST." Now, for those who noticed, and questioned, why "foodborne" is spelled as if we reside "on the Continent," and why the United States government is attempting to implement a "solution" wanting for a "problem" - you guessed it - "Foodborne Disease Monitoring and Surveillance Systems" are a priority with the World Health Organization, to which our national government has committed US through its membership. The 53rd World Health Assembly (a branch of the WHO) in the year 2000 adopted a resolution to recognize food safety as an essential public health function and called for the development of a Global Strategy for reduction of the burden of food borne diseases. The resolution (WHA 53.15) encouraged member states "to implement and keep national, and when appropriate, regional mechanisms for food borne diseases surveillance." All this, despite the WHO admission in a 2004 report (www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/006/j2381e.htm) that "(t)he true dimension of the burden of food borne diseases is still unknown..." The FSMA is a "government solution" in seek of a problem! In the year 1900 at least some cases in two of the ten leading causes of death might have been food related (diarrhea/enteritis, liver disease). But the twin leading causes were pneumonia, followed closely by tuberculosis. In 2002, WHO listed the leading cause of death in the U.S. (www.who.int/whosis/mort/pr.../mort_amro_usa_ unitedstatesofamerica.pdf) as ischaemic heart disease, killing ~ 514,000 people. The second greatest cause was cerebrovascular disease (stroke), killing ~ 163,000. None of the top ten causes bore any relation to foodborne illness. In apparent support of all this brazen, strong-arm command and control attempt, the CDC reports its estimate that every year in the United States sees approximately 76 million cases of foodborne illness (www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/fro...oodborne.html), with 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths (which equates to one death out of every 15,200 who become ill). Admittedly those 5,000 deaths are significant, and devastating to all those involved, but this figure must be put in perspective. We must consider the larger picture long before we even consider such draconian measures as those mandated by the FSMA. Perhaps too little is known of reports that "iatrogenic events" - medical errors - kill almost 800,000 in the U.S. each year (www.whale.to/a/null9.html...enic_Events_). That’s the equivalent of six jumbo jets falling out the sky each and every day. Those who track these events believe as few as 5% and no more than 20% of these deaths are ever reported. Clearly deaths resulting from foodborne disease are exponentially lower than these other major causes, which begs an obvious question: If Congress is so very concerned about our health, why haven’t they felt inclined to tackle the much more significant incidence of iatrogenic deaths in this nation? Hmmm? One need only consider the "Healthy People 2010" goals (www.healthypeople.gov/About/goals.htm) to understand the true (A)genda behind this initiative. ACTION TO TAKE The FSMA is an extremely dangerous bill. We recommend a multi-prong attack, as the more salvos we throw at the FSMA the better chance we have of killing this abomination. Contact House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, via phone: (202) 225-0100, or email: speaker.house.gov/contact/. Contact the House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, via phone: 202.225.3130, or email: www.majorityleader.gov/email_an..._leader/. Contact the House Republican Leader John Boehner, via phone: (202) 225-4000, fax: (202) 225-5117, or email: republicanleader.house.gov/Contact/. On March 11th Congress will hold its first hearing in many years on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), conducted by the Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Subcommittee. It is vitally important you contact all the committees below. Contact the Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Subcommittee members listed below. If one of the Subcommittee members is from your state, call that member. Mike Rogers (R-AL) Phone: 202-225-3261 Fax: 202-226-8485 Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) Phone: 202-225-6131 Fax: 202-225-0819 Jim Costa (D-CA) Phone: 202-225-3341 Fax: 202-225-9308 Joe Baca (D-CA) Phone: 202-225-6161 Fax: 202-225-8671 Betsy Markey (D-CO) Phone: 202-225-4676 Fax: 202-225-5870 David Scott (Chair), (D-GA) Phone: 202-225-2939 Fax: 202-225-4628 Leonard Boswell (D-IA) Phone: 202-225-3806 Fax: 202-225-5608 Steve King (R-IA) Phone: 202-225-4426 Fax: 202-225-3193 Walt Minnick (D-ID) Phone: 202-225-6611 Fax: 202-225-3029 Frank Kratovil, Jr. (D-MD) Phone: 202-225-5311 Fax: 202-225-0254 Adrian Smith (R-NE) Phone: 202-225-6435 Fax: 202-225-0207 Tim Holden (D-PA) Phone: 202-225-5546 Fax: 202-226-0996 David P. Roe (R-TN) Phone: 202-225-6356 Fax: 202-225-5714 K. Michael Conaway (R-TX) Phone: 202-225-3605 or 866-882-381 Fax: 202-225-1783 Randy Neugebauer, Ranking Minority Member (R-TX) Phone: 202-225-4005 or 888-763-1611 Fax: 202-225-9615 Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) Phone: 202-225-5431 Fax: 202-225-9681 Steve Kagen (D-WI) Phone: 202-225-5665 Fax: 202-225-5729 Contact your own Representative and ask him or her to approach the Subcommittee member to urge them to oppose NAIS. If you’re not sure who represents you, click here: www.congress.org/. We strongly recommend that you make at least your initial contact by telephone. Additionally, H.R. 875 has been assigned to the committees on Energy and Commerce, and Agriculture. Contact members of the Energy and Commerce Committee via phone: (202) 225-2927, or email: energycommerce.house.gov/index.php content&task=view&id=1313&Itemid=1. Contact members of the Agriculture Committee via phone: 202-225-2171, fax: 202-225-8510, or email: agriculture@mail.house.gov. Committee members are listed here: agriculture.house.gov/inside/...rs.html. Make as many contacts as possible. Be polite, but firm. Tell them Americans will not stand for this unwarranted and unconstitutional abrogation of our liberty! Tell them THIS BILL NEEDS TO DIE IN COMMITTEE!!! Visit the American Policy Center website SEND THIS MESSAGE TO AT LEAST TEN MORE PEOPLE! APC is now offering you a quick and easy way to multiply your efforts and help win more battles! Simply click here to send this APC Action Alert to up to TEN of your friends! It’s fast, it’s easy and most of all, it’s extremely effective in KILLING OPPRESSIVE POLICIES! www.americanpolicy.org

Constitution? 1st amendment? 4th amendment? Who needs them?

BobM — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:38:15 GMT

Current mood: pissed off Not the Bush administration apparently. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJEcVPiEqS0

Yet another example of why our government is so screwed up and taking our country down with it

BobM — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:56:33 GMT

Current mood: pissed off Ok so I guess we don't waste enough tax dollars as it is. So lets pay dumb-assed legislators to propose asinine laws!!!!!!!! This one ranks right up there with the legislator who proposed a law to ban plastic testicles on vehicles. WAKE UP ASSHOLES!!!!! YOU'VE GOT BETTER THINGS TO BE DOING WITH MY TIME AND MONEY!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29508066/?GT1=43001 Ditch the doll? Lawmaker out to outlaw Barbie West Virginia state delegate says iconic toy overemphasizes beauty to girls Barbie could get an unwelcome present for her 50th birthday: outlawed in West Virginia. A state lawmaker proposed a bill Tuesday to ban sales of the iconic Mattel doll and others like her. The Barbie Ban Bill, proposed by Democratic Delegate Jeff Eldridge (D) Lincoln County, says such toys influence girls to place too much importance on physical beauty, at the expense of their intellectual and emotional development. "I just hate the image that we give to our kids that if you're beautiful, you're beautiful and you don't have to be smart," Eldridge told West Virginia news station WOWK. The delegate concedes that the chances of getting the bill passed are slim, but adds that he stands behind it. "I knew a lot of people were going to joke about it and poke fun at me," Eldridge said. "I couldn't get anybody to sign on the bill with me but I said I'm still going to introduce it." A Mattel spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The Barbie doll officially turns 50 on March 9, and the toy maker has made big plans this year to mark the anniversary. Barbie has had her foes over that half-century. Critics say the doll promotes materialism and an unnatural body image. The bill has been sent to the House Judiciary Committee.

How will you be remembered?

BobM — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:46:10 GMT

Current mood: bummed I think the story speaks for itself. No words necessary. http://www.baltimoresun.com/media/photo/2009-02/44964084.jpg Diplomas and certificates testifying to his academic career were found in Eldridge's home in Northeast Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun photo by Chiaki Kawajiri / February 6, 2009) A lifetime of service ends in despair http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.hermann09feb09,0,1485608.story By Peter Hermann February 9, 2009 Edward William Eldridge Jr. took his own life at the age of 62. He lived alone in a small semidetached, red-brick house on Daywalt Avenue in Northeast Baltimore. He had no wife, no known children, no brothers, no sisters, and his parents died years ago. He listed his only aunt as a beneficiary, but she, too, had passed away. He had no friends, at least none close enough or willing enough to stay with him at the hospital for a few hours so he could undergo the arthroscopic knee surgery he was scheduled to have on the day he died. He had nobody he could talk to or who could help him when he lost $100,000 of his retirement savings to the faltering stock market. Now Eldridge's body lies at Ruck Funeral Home in Towson - a viewing is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow, memorial service at 11 a.m. Wednesday - his earthly remains saved from becoming a ward of the state and from a pauper's grave by the Baltimore homicide detective who got the case, went to the house and recognized the dead man as a colleague and an old acquaintance. He had "shot the breeze" with Eldridge years ago when the detective walked a foot post and the now-dead officer was the Police Department's Central District wagon man. His name, with rank attached, was Agent Edward William Eldridge Jr. He joined the Baltimore Police Department on Aug. 4, 1972, and retired Aug. 6, 1998. He had earned a degree in business and public administration from the University of Maryland, was drafted into the Army and sent to Okinawa to guard underground missile silos. "He served his country for two years and he served this city for 26 years," Detective Randy Wynn said after he claimed the body at the morgue. "At the very least he deserves a proper send-off." The detective is trying to get current and retired police officers to come to services for Eldridge, and he plans to display nearly two dozen certificates and commendations he found after spending days digging through boxes and bags at the house where Eldridge grew up and died. Wynn found a neighbor who told him Eldridge fixed bicycles for the kids - there were parts scattered in his basement - and gave them money for candy. There were 40 names in Eldridge's address book, and Wynn called them all. Every single number went to a business where people had dealt with Eldridge but didn't really know him. Only his retired accountant thought Eldridge's demeanor had soured - "that he didn't seem the way he used to be," Wynn said. He had lost contact with the cops he had worked with, most recently in the Northeast District. He was so alone that he worried nobody would find his body after he died - maybe they wouldn't care enough to even look. It was Jan. 29, a Thursday, at 9:09 in the morning, the day his surgery was scheduled, that he called 911 and told an operator, "Ma'am, I'm planning to shoot myself." His voice was as steady and cavalier as someone ordering a pizza. He was polite, not a trace of urgency or hesitation. "I don't want the body to stink up the neighbor's house," he said into the phone. The operator asked whether he had any weapons, and he said he had two. She asked where he was, and he told her he was in his upstairs back bedroom, and that he had left the front door unlocked so officers could get inside. He had a .40-caliber Glock and a .38 Smith & Wesson revolver. Eldridge chose the Glock - the kind of gun carried by city police - to end his life. The operator was still on the line when he pulled the trigger. It's hard to imagine being so alone, and the extent and reason for whatever emotions caused him to take his life may never be fully known or understood. For Detective Wynn, who gets paid to immerse himself in this city's overabundance of death and despair, this case is a stark reminder that people need to help each other and ask for help for themselves. Wynn could have shoved this file aside, written a perfunctory report and moved on. But he is driven to get others to care about a man who should not have been allowed to die as he lived - without family, without friends, without someone knowing even a little about him. For the detective, who has spent 40 years on the city force, it's a lesson to get friends outside the job. "When you're in uniform, everybody knows who you are," he said. "Then all of a sudden you retire, and nobody knows who you are. After being in his house and reading his stuff for 12 hours, I realized he didn't have a friend in the world." Eldridge was born June 27, 1946, at Union Memorial Hospital and grew up on Daywalt Avenue. His parents were both from Philadelphia; his father worked as a clerk at Sparrows Point. He graduated from Polytechnic Institute in 1964 and headed off to the University of Maryland. Wynn made a list of Eldridge's varied and prodigious studies: introduction to business; introduction to philosophy; public speaking; introduction to world literature; general chemistry; Western civilization; social psychology; principles of government and politics; accounting; marketing principles and organization; auditing theory; income tax accounting; business statistics; and civil rights law. The Army drafted him the year he graduated, 1968, but he was spared Vietnam and sent to train for a year at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, where he earned a marksman's badge for the M-16 before heading off to Japan. While on duty there, he had a security clearance, studied the Japanese language, attended a law enforcement program and rose to the rank of sergeant. Wynn found Eldridge's honorable discharge papers, dated June 14, 1971, along with two letters of appreciation signed by President Richard M. Nixon and Army Gen. William C. Westmoreland. He returned to Baltimore, bought a house on Homestead Street in Better Waverly and joined the police force. Eight years ago, he moved back to Daywalt Avenue to take care of his sick mother. Neighbors said they rarely saw him and that he kept his windows covered. Wynn found piles of books, Western movies and boxes filled with documents that shed some light on Eldridge's personality, and how he kept meticulous records of the most mundane chores. There was a log of "every gallon of gas he ever bought," Wynn said. Curiously, it appears that Eldridge kept the records for records' sake and not to track mileage. He kept a similar list of visits for Halloween and how much money he spent on the small candy bars he handed out. In 2000, 52 kids came to his door; in 2001 it was 18, a year later 31 and a year after that 52. It topped 61 in 2005 and dropped to "only eight children" last year. He spent between $94 and $159 on candy each year. Why he compiled these lists might remain as mysterious as why he took his life. In a suicide note found at the foot of his bed, neatly written in cursive and taking up a full page of notebook paper, Eldridge went on at length about his surgery, scheduled for that day at 2 p.m. at Franklin Square Hospital Center. He had saved the doctor's instructions reminding him not to eat that day, and had written notes to himself about what time to call a taxi to take him to the hospital. He had later made arrangements with officers at the Northeastern District to give him a ride to and from Franklin Square, but he had nobody to stay with him during the procedure, a requirement. He wrote that he was afraid he would be sent home, and that doctors might learn his backup plan was suicide. He was afraid of being committed. Eldridge, fully clothed, lay on his back on his bed and called 911. The final sound on the tape is a gunshot followed by the operator's scream. Wynn said Eldridge actually shot himself twice, the first time through his right jaw, then in a split second he turned his head and shot himself above the left ear. His Glock was still in his right hand when police arrived. The detective has played the tape for his colleagues. "Everyone up here who has heard it has never heard anything like that," he said. "Ever."

Tell the President. Get on the WHO bus and lead by example!

BobM — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 08:17:15 GMT

www. thewhofarm. org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ax4isOuiCM

Will you think twice before helping someone?

BobM — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 23:42:06 GMT

Current mood: thoughtful You can bet I sure will. Sure I feel bad for the woman and perhaps what was done wasn't the right thing to do, but the intent was for all the right reasons. But you can count on this having a chilling effect on anyone helping anyone else in a time of need. Expect to see more people just standing by while someone does. That's my prediction. Calif. Court: Would-be Good Samaritan can be sued By PAUL ELIAS, Associated Press Writer Paul Elias, Associated Press Writer – Thu Dec 18, 6:22 pm ET LOS ANGELES – Proving that no good deed goes unpunished, the state's high court on Thursday said a would-be Good Samaritan accused of rendering her friend paraplegic by pulling her from a wrecked car "like a rag doll" can be sued. California's Supreme Court ruled that the state's Good Samaritan law only protects people from liability if the are administering emergency medical care, and that Lisa Torti's attempted rescue of her friend didn't qualify. Justice Carlos Moreno wrote for a unanimous court that a person is not obligated to come to someone's aid. "If, however, a person elects to come to someone's aid, he or she has a duty to exercise due care," he wrote. Torti had argued that she should still be protected from a lawsuit because she was giving "medical care" when she pulled her friend from a car wreck. Alexandra Van Horn was in the front passenger seat of a car that slammed into a light pole at 45 mph on Nov. 1, 2004, according to her negligence lawsuit. Torti was a passenger in a car that was following behind the vehicle and stopped after the crash. Torti said when she came across the wreck she feared the car was going to explode and pulled Van Horn out. Van Horn testified that Torti pulled her out of the wreckage "like a rag doll." Van Horn blamed her friend for her paralysis. Whether Torti is ultimately liable is still to be determined, but Van Horn's lawsuit can go forward, the Supreme Court ruled. Beverly Hills lawyer Robert Hutchinson, who represented Van Horn, said he's pleased with the ruling. Torti's attorney, Ronald Kent, of Los Angeles didn't immediately return a telephone call.

Vagina: It's NOT a clown car

BobM — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:10:26 GMT

Current mood: vexed Unfortunately some people seem to think it is cause they just had another one. Oh wait, it gets better. THEY WANT MORE!!!!!!! http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28053565/?gt1=43001 Who knows. Maybe her insides will eventually fall out. Then maybe they'll buy a clue.....I doubt it though.

Unconstitutional food?

BobM — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:24:13 GMT

Current mood: hungry I've been a bit busy of late and haven't posted much here so sorry about that. Today though I ran across the attached article and found it to be interesting and thought that it raised some good questions in my mind the might be interesting to discuss. First question is just how bad IS Nutraloaf anyway? Well maybe we shall see. If I have some time down the road maybe I'll try it out. Second question is even if it is kind of bad, if you are in prison and you are enough of a problem inmate to rate this food then so hat? Don't you deserve what you get? I think so. Third question is how bad is TOO bad? I've eaten some pretty nasty stuff, some of it being my own creation, so it's gotta be pretty bad before bad taste is going to overcome bad hunger IMO. Attached at the bottom are the recipes for various forms of Nutraloaf in case you are interested. http://www.slate.com/id/2193538/?GT1=38001 Taste-Testing NutraloafThe prison food that just might be unconstitutionally bad. By Arin Greenwood Posted Tuesday, June 24, 2008, at 8:07 AM ET Nobody thinks prison food is haute cuisine, but could it be so bad it's unconstitutional? The question comes up more often than you might think, and there's one dish in particular that so offends the palates of America's prisoners that it's repeatedly been the subject of lawsuits: Nutraloaf. Nutraloaf (sometimes called Nutri-loaf, sometimes just "the loaf") is served in state prisons around the country. It's not part of the regular menu but is prescribed for inmates who have misbehaved in various ways—usually by proving untrustworthy with their utensils. The loaf provides a full day's nutrients, and it's finger food—no fork necessary. Prisoners sue over Nutraloaf with some regularity, usually arguing either that their due process rights have been violated (because they are served the punitive loaves without a hearing) or that the dish is so disgusting as to make it cruel and unusual and thus a violation of the Eighth Amendment. Typical of these suits is the 1992 case LeMaire v. Maass. Samuel LeMaire slit a man's throat before going to state prison and attacked his prison guards and fellow prisoners with sharpened poles, feces, and a homemade knife once inside. LeMaire was then put in a Nutraloaf-serving disciplinary unit. Among other complaints about the accommodations there, LeMaire argued that Nutraloaf was cruel and unusual and thus violated his 8th Amendment rights. A lower court agreed with LeMaire and ordered the prison to serve him something more delicious. The 9th Circuit, however, overturned the lower court's decision, holding that while Nutraloaf may be unappetizing, "The Eighth Amendment requires only that prisoners receive food that is adequate to maintain health; it need not be tasty or aesthetically pleasing." Prisoners in Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and West Virginia, among other states, have sued over Nutraloaf or its equivalent. The latest court to hear a Nutraloaf case is the Vermont Supreme Court, where prisoners argued that Vermont's use of the loaf violated their due process rights. (In Vermont, the punishment is one loaf, served at normal meal times, for up to a week.) Oral arguments (MP3) were heard in March, and a decision is expected to come down by the end of the year. But it doesn't look good for the prisoners. The lawyer representing the prisoners noted that "Nutraloaf has been found to be uniformly unappetizing to everyone who has been served it." To which one justice replied: "Counsel, I've eaten Nutraloaf. And it isn't tasty. But many things I've eaten aren't tasty." Even unsympathetic courts seem willing to concede that Nutraloaf is pretty disgusting, but after reading through the court filings in these cases, I couldn't shake a nagging question—just how bad is it? Nutraloaf is made differently in different prisons. Vermont's penal cookbook calls for a combination of vegetables, beans, bread, cheese, and raisins. I recently spent $15 on a nearly identical dish at a vegan cafe in New York—and it didn't even have raisins. In a spirit of legal and culinary adventurousness, I decided to make some Nutraloaf of my own. I chose three test recipes that seemed representative of the various loaves served in prisons across the land: a vegan Nutraloaf from Illinois that is heavy on processed ingredients (and has been the subject of lawsuits); a meat recipe from California that favors fresh, natural ingredients (which has not been challenged in court); and the Nutraloaf from Vermont, the one most recently at issue before a court. I started with Illinois. I mixed canned spinach in with baked beans, tomato paste, margarine, applesauce, bread crumbs, and garlic powder. Together the ingredients became a thick, odorous, brown paste, which I spread into a loaf pan and put in the oven. After 40 minutes, I took the loaf out of the oven and sliced some off. It was dense and dry and tasted like falafel gone wrong. But instead of it making me feel pleasantly sated like falafel does, even the small test slice I sampled gave me a stomachache. I cooked up Vermont next, wondering what I'd gotten myself into. Vermont was like Illinois but with raisins and nondairy cheese. I'm a vegetarian, so my sister-in-law Lori volunteered to cook the California loaf, which includes ground beef. As she mixed up the chopped cabbage, diced carrots, cubed potatoes, whole wheat flour, and beans, I realized that what she was making looked delicious, at least compared with the first two loaves. Lori kindly offered to make two California loaves—one with meat and one without, our only deviation from the Nutraloaf recipes. To test the loaves, I invited friends and relatives over for what I promised would be an educational dinner party. This being Washington, D.C., more than half the adults were lawyers, which I thought gave our experiment a nice jurisprudential twist. To keep the Nutraloaf test authentic, I mandated that my guests eat with their hands; plus, after sneaking in that taste of Illinois earlier in the day, I was worried someone might stab me if I let them use utensils. I thought I'd start out easy with the loaf that hasn't inspired a lawsuit—yet. California looked nice on the plate, though it didn't quite hold together as a loaf. I picked some off my plate with my fingers. It tasted a bit like vegetarian chili. Not bad. My cousin Steve, a mortgage broker who had sampled the California loaf with meat, disagreed. "It's what you imagine Alpo tastes like," he said. Lori said she liked it and said she'd even consider making it again, though she'd use more spices. Lee, a lawyer and her husband, asked her not to. Next came Illinois. I couldn't bear to try another piece; the others were divided about whether it was cruel or merely unusual. Lee described Illinois as "absolutely detestable." David, a lawyer, liked it and willingly ate a second piece. Steve summed up Illinois generously: "I think if you like baked beans, you like Illinois. I like baked beans. I wouldn't think it's fair to sue anyone over it." Last came Vermont. It looked the best of the three—it was moist—and the nondairy cheese and canned carrots gave it a fetching orange color. But it tasted terrible. Mike, a computer guy at NASA, said the raisins were disconcerting; you couldn't tell if they were supposed to be in there or not. Steve said he hated it, but it wasn't the worst thing he'd ever eaten. I asked him what was the worst thing he'd ever eaten. "Cat," he said. "But I didn't know it was cat." David, meanwhile, helped himself to another slice of Illinois, a decision he later came to regret. "The third slice sits a little heavy," he said. As the night went on, and wine washed away the taste of loaves, we discussed the Eighth Amendment and how bad food would actually have to be in order to be unconstitutional. Kim, a lawyer who works in asylum law and knows a human rights violation when she sees one, said the loaves would have to be extremely bad—considerably worse than any of the food we'd just eaten. Courts have nearly all found that prison food can be unappetizing, cold, and even contain foreign objects, and still not be unconstitutional. Inmates hoping for relief from the courts for their Nutraloaf punishments aren't likely to get it from the courts. They won't likely get it from the prison cooks, either. When the Vermont prison's lawyer was asked during oral arguments why Nutraloaf couldn't be made more appetizing, he answered that if it were tastier, then prisoners would act up for the privilege of getting Nutraloaf. Hardly a ringing endorsement for the rest of the prison menu. ILLINOIS Single Meal Loaf Recipe This recipe must be followed without substitution or variation in procedure. Any such change could effect the nutrient content. 2 oz Ground Beef Brown off in kettle and drain thoroughly 4 oz Canned, Chopped Spinach 4 oz Canned Carrots, Diced 4 oz Vegetarian Beans Open and drain all vegetables well 4 oz Applesauce 1 oz Tomato Paste 1/2 cup Potato Flakes 1 cup Bread Crumbs 2 oz Dry Milk Powder 1 tsp Garlic Powder or Flakes Combine beef and vegetables. Gradually blend in remaining ingredients until well combined. Mixture should be stiff but moist enough to spread. Each loaf should weigh 1 1/2 pounds precooked weight and be scaled to insure proper weight. Place mixture into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with pan release and lined with filter paper. Each loaf should bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit in convection/steam oven for approximately 40 minutes or until the loaf reaches 155 degrees internal temperature. Vegan Recipe 4 oz Canned, Chopped Spinach 4 oz Canned Carrots, Diced 8 oz Vegetarian Beans Open and drain all vegetables well 4 oz Applesauce 1 oz Tomato Paste 1/2 cup Potato Flakes 1 cup Bread Crumbs 1 T Margarine 1 tsp Garlic Powder or Flakes Combine drained vegetables. Gradually and gently blend in remaining ingredients until well combined but do not over beat. Mixture should be stiff but moist enough to spread. Each loaf should weigh 1 1/2 pounds precooked weight and be scaled to insure proper weight. Place mixture into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with pan release and lined with filter paper. Each loaf should bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit in convection/steam oven for approximately 40 minutes or until the loaf reaches 155 degrees internal temperature. Maryland Special Management Meal Yield - Three Loaves • 6 slices whole wheat bread, finely chopped • 4 ounces imitation cheddar cheese, finely grated • 4 ounces raw carrots, finely grated • 12 ounces spinach, canned, drained • 2 cups dried Great Northern Beans, soaked, cooked and drained • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil • 6 ounces potato flakes, dehydrated • 6 ounces tomato paste • 8 ounces powdered skim milk • 4 ounces raisins Mix all ingredients in a 12-quart mixing bowl. Make sure all wet items are drained. Mix until stiff, just moist enough to spread. Form three loaves in glazed bread pans. Place loaf pans in the oven on a sheet pan filled with water, to keep the bottom of the loaves from burning. Bake at 325 degrees in a convection oven for approximately 45 minutes. The loaf will start to pull away from the sides of the bread pan when done. California 2-1/2 oz. nonfat dry milk 4-1/2 oz. raw grated potato 3 oz. raw carrots, chopped or grated fine 1-1/2 oz. tomato juice or puree 4-1/2 oz. raw cabbage, chopped fine 7 oz. lean ground beef, turkey or rehydrated, canned, or frozen Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) 2-1/2 fl. oz. oil 1-1/2 oz. whole wheat flour 1/4 tsp. salt 4 tsp. raw onion, chopped 1 egg 6 oz. dry red beans, pre-cooked before baking (or 16 oz. canned or cooked red kidney beans) 4 tsp. chili powder Shape into a loaf and bake at 350-375 degrees for 50-70 minutes. Vermont NUTRALOAF MEAL Makes 3 loaves, providing 1 loaf per meal. Contains 996 calories, for a total of 2988 calories per day INGREDIENTS: 6 Slices of Whole Wheat Bread, finely chopped 4 Ounces of Non-Dairy Cheese, finely grated 4 Ounces of Raw Carrots, finely grated 12 Ounces of Spinach, canned, drained 4 Ounces of Seedless Raisins 2 Cups of Great Northern Beans, cooked and drained 4 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil 6 Ounces of Tomato Paste 8 Ounces of Milk, powdered, instant, non-fat/skim 6 Ounces of Potato Flakes, dehydrated PREPARATION In a 12-quart stainless steel mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Make sure all wet items are drained. Ingredients may be kneaded with hands (wearing plastic gloves) or mixed with a spoon. The mixture should be stiff and just moist enough to spread. Form loaf in glazed bread pan. It is suggested that the loaf pan be placed in the oven on a sheet pan containing water. This will help keep the bottom of the loaf from burning. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, until each loaf reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees. The loaf will start to pull away from the side of the bread pan when baking is completed.

The warmth of spring!!!!

BobM — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:51:14 GMT

Current mood: warm It's here! Spring! Warmth! I can feel my toes! Perhaps it time for yet another Happy Dance Project like last year?!?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RAZ1GWxWzw

Definitive proof that I have the looks for radio and the voice for silent movies!

BobM — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 06:08:22 GMT

Watch out, I have a video camera and I know how to use it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB-j_av4lbA

Do you have any skeletons in your closet?

BobM — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:22:58 GMT

Current mood: amused http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23592779/?GT1=43001 Woman stopped over skeleton in luggage 62-year-old fulfilling brother’s wish, transporting remains to Italy for burial updated 11:22 a.m. ET, Wed., March. 12, 2008.. MUNICH, Germany - A woman was stopped at Munich airport after baggage control handlers found the skeleton of her brother sealed in a plastic bag in her luggage, police said Wednesday. The 62-year-old woman and her 63-year-old friend, who both live in Italy, were hauled in by airport police Tuesday after a scan of the bag showed a human skull and other bones. The women were traveling to Italy from Brazil. It turned out that the woman was trying to fulfill the last wish of her brother — who died 11 years ago in Sao Paulo, Brazil — to be buried in Italy. The travelers produced the appropriate papers from Brazilian authorities for the unusual transport, and were allowed to carry on their way to Naples — bones and all.

Pizza in the new world!

BobM — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:06:45 GMT

Current mood: bullied Ever wonder what things might be like in the future with things like RealID and government watch programs like the Patriot Act? NAIS? What about all those Mega-databases that the government wants to create to make you "safer"? What about all that credit card purchasing information that we all create each and every day? Well if you want an idea of just what it might be like then check out this link. http://aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf Oh and don't think it could happen? Try Googling your home phone number or your name and address. And here in MD anyone with your license number and $15 could pay the DMV for your driving record and get it. That was about 2 years ago or so. They stopped doing it when the public found out and raised cane but up until then.......... Got someones name? Old address? Even better SSN? Then there are all kinds of places on line that you can find out their past addresses, credit score, and criminal background. All for a few bucks and it's totally legal. SCARED YET???????? YOU SHOULD BE!!!!!!!!!!

Of course you can trust your government. Just ask them. (Or ask an Indian)

BobM — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:01:23 GMT

Current mood: peeved POWER CORRUPTS AND ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY Once again we have yet another example of how the nations trust in our government has been abused and taken for granted. How long will the people sit idly by like sheep while their constitutional rights are eroded and taken away by corrupt policy makers? Meanwhile President Bush says that we should give retroactive immunity to companies who illegally and unconstitutionally handed over tons of information to a closed secret government simply because they asked for it. The claim of course is that those companies should be protected because they "thought they were following the law". Hmm let's anylize that shall we? THE BILL OF RIGHTS http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/bill_of_rights/index.htm FOURTH AMENDMENT THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO BE SECURE IN THEIR PERSON, HOUSES, PAPERS, AND EFFECTS, AGAINST UNREASONABLE SEARCHES AND SEIZURES, SHALL NOT BE VIOLATED, AND NO WARRANTS SHALL ISSUE, BUT UPON PROBABLE CAUSE, SUPPORTED BY OATH OR AFFERMATION, AND PARTICULARLY DESCRIBING THE PLACE TO BE SEARCHED, AND THE PERSONS OR THINGS TO BE SEIZED. 6TH AMENDMENT IN ALL CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS, THE ACCUSED SHALL ENJOY THE RIGHT TO A SPEEDY AND PUBLIC TRIAL, BY AN IMPARTIAL JURY OF THE STATE AND DISTRICT WHEREIN THE CRIME SHALL HAVE BEEN COMMITTED, WHICH DISTRICT SHALL HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY ASCERTAINED BY LAW, AND TO BE INFORMED OF THE NATURE AND CAUSE OF THE ACCUSATION; TO BE CONFRONTED WITH THE WITNESSES AGAINST HIM; TO HAVE COMPULSORY PROCESS FOR OBTAINING WITNESSES IN HIS FAVOR, AND TO HAVE THE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL FOR HIS DEFENSE. I don't know. Maybe it's me. But it sure seems like a whole lot of people in this country need to go back to High School and retake High School Civics Class! More FBI privacy violations confirmed http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080306/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/senate_fbi_10;_ylt=Agv4c1u1A7oSqjrAzxxQK.sL1vAI WASHINGTON - The FBI acknowledged Wednesday it improperly accessed Americans' telephone records, credit reports and Internet traffic in 2006, the fourth straight year of privacy abuses resulting from investigations aimed at tracking terrorists and spies. The breach occurred before the FBI enacted broad new reforms in March 2007 to prevent future lapses, FBI Director Robert Mueller said. And it was caused, in part, by banks, telecommunication companies and other private businesses giving the FBI more personal client data than was requested. Testifying at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Mueller raised the issue of the FBI's controversial use of so-called national security letters in reference to an upcoming report on the topic by the Justice Department's inspector general. An audit by the inspector general last year found the FBI demanded personal records without official authorization or otherwise collected more data than allowed in dozens of cases between 2003 and 2005. Additionally, last year's audit found that the FBI had underreported to Congress how many national security letters were requested by more than 4,600. The new audit, which examines use of national security letters issued in 2006, "will identify issues similar to those in the report issued last March," Mueller told senators. The privacy abuse "predates the reforms we now have in place," he said. "We are committed to ensuring that we not only get this right, but maintain the vital trust of the American people," Mueller said. He offered no additional details about the upcoming audit. National security letters, as outlined in the USA Patriot Act, are administrative subpoenas used in suspected terrorism and espionage cases. They allow the FBI to require telephone companies, Internet service providers, banks, credit bureaus and other businesses to produce highly personal records about their customers or subscribers without a judge's approval. Last year's audit by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine, issued March 9, 2007, blamed agent error and shoddy record-keeping for the bulk of the problems and did not find any indication of criminal misconduct. Fine's latest report is expected to be released as early as next week. Several Justice Department and FBI officials familiar with the upcoming 2006 findings have said privately the new audit will show national security letters were used incorrectly at a similar rate as during the previous three years. The number of national security letters issued by the FBI skyrocketed in the years after the Patriot Act became law in 2001, according to last year's report. Fine's annual review is required by Congress, over the objections of the Bush administration. In 2005, for example, Fine's office found more than 1,000 violations within 19,000 FBI requests to obtain 47,000 records. Each letter issued may contain several requests. In contrast to the strong concerns expressed by Congress and civil liberties groups after last year's inspector general's report was issued, Mueller's disclosure drew no criticism from senators during just over two hours of testimony Wednesday. Speaking before the FBI chief, Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., urged Mueller to be more vigilant in correcting what he called "widespread illegal and improper use of national security letters." "Everybody wants to stop terrorists. But we also, though, as Americans, we believe in our privacy rights and we want those protected," Leahy said. "There has to be a better chain of command for this. You cannot just have an FBI agent who decides he'd like to obtain Americans' records, bank records or anything else and do it just because they want to." Following last year's audit, the Justice Department enacted guidelines that sternly reminded FBI agents to carefully follow the rules governing national security letters. The new rules caution agents to review all data before it is transferred into FBI databases to make sure that only the information specifically requested is used. Fine's upcoming report also credits the FBI with putting the additional checks in place to make sure privacy rights aren't violated, according to a Justice official familiar with its findings. Critics seized on Mueller's testimony as proof that a judge should sign off on the national security letters before they are issued. "The credibility factor shows there needs to be outside oversight," said former FBI agent Michael German, now a national security adviser for the American Civil Liberties Union. He also cast doubt on the FBI's reforms. "There were guidelines before, and there were laws before, and the FBI violated those laws," German said. "And the idea that new guidelines would make a difference, I think cuts against rationality."

The latest update on stupid assed government ideas

BobM — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 04:19:14 GMT

Current mood: validated Ok well I thought I'd heard it all with things like the RealID program and NAIS and The Patriot Act and other stupid shit like that. Well guess not. I just heard about this one. Now the government wants make it a law that manufacturers must laser etch serial numbers onto the cases and bullets of each individual bullet that you buy. Then when you buy them the seller must report your purchase, including serial numbers, to the government. That way if they are used in a crime they can track you down. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!! Guess it's time to go stock up now. And the breakdown of government and society can't seem to get here soon enough for my liking some days! http://skeptacles.blogspot.com/2008/02/bullet-serial-numbers.html http://blog.joehuffman.org/2004/10/08/MoreInfoOnBulletSerialNumberScheme.aspx http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1963795/posts http://www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?id=178&issue=005 http://jerrythegeek.blogspot.com/2005/04/kalifornia-bullet-coding-scheme-clears.html

Hurray!!!!!!! Yet another reason not to get up early!!!

BobM — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:17:09 GMT

Current mood: ecstatic Study: Daylight Saving Time actually raises utility bills http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/83073 Fri Feb 29, 2008 2:06PM EST It's official: Daylight Saving Time is a bust. Designed (and recently extended) as a measure to save energy in a period of inflated electricity prices, an in-depth University of California study has now shown that DST doesn't save anyone any money at all. In fact, it's costing consumers extra, to the tune of $3.19 in extra utility bills per year. The study was made possible because of the peculiarities of the state of Indiana, which was only partially on DST until 2006. When the whole state finally went DST (to sync with the national business day), some comparisons vs. the prior method were made apparent. The study calculated that the shift costs Indiana residents an extra $8.6 million in electricity bills in total. Why? Shouldn't they be, well, saving daylight -- and burning fewer light bulbs? They are, said the study. But while lighting bills were reduced, air-conditioning units had to run more often, because people were home on hot afternoons when they'd otherwise be still at the office. Heaters had to be run on cool mornings, too, when people got up and it was still dark outside. Professor Matthew Kotchen, who pioneered the study, noted, "I've never had a paper with such a clear and unambiguous finding as this." This isn't the first time the energy-saving rationale of Daylight Saving Time has been attacked. The first was in 1976, three years after DST went into effect, when the National Bureau of Standards found that there was no significant energy savings after the switch. The recent expansion of DST to a few extra weeks was also revealed to have saved no energy during its run. And yet here we are... In related news, it was also revealed that Daylight Saving Time actually creates no additional daylight.

Lets build the nuclear power program as fast as we can!

BobM — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:39:24 GMT

Current mood: awake Yet another reason that nuclear power is not the panacea that everyone thinks it is. A Toxic Time Bomb in the Northwest By Chris Gregoire and Maria Cantwell Monday, March 3, 2008; A17 Buried in President Bush's proposed budget for next year is a story of broken promises. It's a story that puts our nation's honor -- and our environment, economy and families -- on the line. The president wants to increase spending on every major category of our government's nuclear program except one: cleaning up the toxic legacy that lurks at nuclear reservations and facilities around the nation. The administration wants more funding for nuclear weaponry, nuclear energy, nuclear science and management. But it would spend $800 million less on environmental cleanups at 20 federal nuclear sites in 14 states. Its request for cleanups at nuclear sites in several states is the lowest since 1997. Federal cleanups are not yet completed in Washington state, New York, South Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, California, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Nevada or Utah. Our government is turning its back on long-standing commitments. Nothing better illustrates why America must clean up the enormous quantities of waste at these sites than Hanford, our country's most-contaminated federal nuclear reservation. Here, the United States produced weapons-grade plutonium, unlocking the code to the power that helped win the Cold War. The legacy of that era is a witches' brew of the world's most dangerous materials, housed in half-century-old storage tanks, that are contaminating nearby soils and aquifers. Will America keep its promises and clean up this toxic legacy? Will our nation and Congress allow the administration to turn its back on millions of Americans? Success won't come easily. Conscientious Americans must join the states that are living with unfinished nuclear cleanups to compel the Energy Department to get its program moving again. And time is not on our side. Just below ground at the Hanford site are 177 enormous steel tanks. They contain 53 million gallons of heavy metals, acids, solvents and highly radioactive elements, including plutonium, cesium, strontium and uranium. Sixty-seven tanks are confirmed leakers, and nearly all are well beyond their design lifespan. According to the Government Accountability Office, the federal government and its contractors also buried thousands of tons of radioactive and hazardous waste in unlined landfills and injected 450 billion gallons of liquid waste into ponds, ditches and drainfields at the site. That is about the amount of water that flows through the Potomac River in a month. As you read this, a huge plume of groundwater contaminated with radiation and heavy metals is moving from Hanford toward the Columbia River. If this toxic brew were buried 12 miles from the Potomac, the water source for hundreds of thousands of people in the D.C. area, the administration would undoubtedly make it a top budget priority. We are asking for nothing less for our communities. Adequate cleanup funding is imperative. And it doesn't require a budget increase; President Bush only has to get his nuclear priorities right. Each passing day increases the risk of leakage and catastrophic tank failure at Hanford. Each delay increases the risk to workers, the environment and more than a million people who live and work near the Columbia River downstream from Hanford. In the Oregon counties along the river below Hanford, 32,000 companies depend on clean, safe water to provide 500,000 jobs with a payroll of $18 billion -- 30 percent of the state's economic activity. In the Washington counties below Hanford, 25,000 companies rely on water to provide 280,000 jobs and a payroll of $9.5 billion -- 10 percent of the state's economic activity. Bush's proposed budget falls $600 million short of what the Energy Department says it needs for cleanup in 2009. The department is grossly out of compliance with major portions of the cleanup order signed 19 years ago on behalf of President George H.W. Bush that includes Washington state, the Energy Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. If this budget stands, only one tank at Hanford will be emptied in 2009. At that rate, it will take 140 years to empty the remaining 142 single-shell tanks and process the waste. We don't have 140 years. The river doesn't have 140 years. A dedicated pool of skilled individuals is ready to work, day in and day out, to clean up Hanford. They need our support to get the job done. A nation that cracked the code to the nuclear era can clean up that effort's toxic legacy. What's more, we are obligated to. Just as we must support the men and women in uniform who defend our freedom, we must also protect those communities that answered the call to duty. We are counting on the Bush administration and Congress to honor their commitments to the communities that helped win the Cold War. That is the America we can all be proud of. Chris Gregoire, a Democrat, is governor of Washington. Maria Cantwell, also a Democrat, represents the state in the Senate, where she serves on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Yes! I knew it! Scientific proof that people are sheep!

BobM — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:45:08 GMT

Current mood: validated "Results from a study at the University of Leeds show that it takes a minority of just five per cent to influence a crowd's direction – and that the other 95 per cent follow without realising it." http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1254815/scientists_explain_flock_mentality_in_humans/index.html

Hurray! I might be a terrorist!

BobM — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:56:07 GMT

Current mood: frisky Well I might just be a proud member of a home grown terrorist group. Or perhaps I'm my own group all on my own! After all I seek change in my government, I voice my general dislike about how things are being run, and I don't agree with the sheep mentality of the world we live in today. So Yup I'm a Homegrown Terrorist! At least it sounds like it to me. http://tracypress.com/content/view/13536/2244/

I can think of a few political leaders I’d like to send here!

BobM — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:49:47 GMT

Current mood: amused Honey, good news! We're sending you to summer camp! http://catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=11755

This just in! Terrorism causes all the woes of the world!

BobM — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:45:46 GMT

Current mood: pugnacious Just when I was beginning to wonder about the ineffectiveness of terrorism, how ineffective it's been in curbing our freedoms and way of life. You know things like the loss of rights through the Patriot Act, Secret Courts, Torture, Secret Jails, Suspension of Habeas Corpus, those sorts of thing. But then I find myself encouraged by the news that the housing market problems all stem from 9/11! Thank god! My confidence in terrorism is saved! http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/HomeFinancing/DidTerroristsCauseTheHousingMess.aspx I mean it certainly couldn't have been caused by stupid people over extending themselves buying homes they didn't need could it? And certainly not by greedy banks ready to give out a credit card or a loan to any Tom, Dick, or Harry who asks regardless of risk. NO that sort of thing would NEVER happen! We're too smart for that sort of thing. Aren't we? So yeah I guess it was the terrorists yet again. Quick raise the color code!!!!!!!

Speaking of nuclear power......

BobM — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:08:29 GMT

Current mood: thoughtful Here is a summary breakdown of power generation by type. http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epa_sum.html In short electricity produced by fossil fuels (coal, gas, oil, etc) is currently 71% of our total power generation. Nuclear power accounts for 19.4%. According to the web site below (and a few others) we currently have 104 nuclear reactors operating in the US (Oh and BTW a number of them are coming up on the end of their licenses and projected usable time I do believe). http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epat2p2.html So if 104 nuke reactors account for 19.4% of our electricity right now it would take 381 more nuclear reactors to offset our current use of fossil fuels. That does not take into account any industrial or population growth between now and the time that they are all built. According to the below web site all of the nuclear power plants in the United States together produce about 2,000 metric tons per year of radioactive waste. http://www.epa.gov/solar/energy-and-you/affect/nuclear.html So that would make an additional 7,327 metric tons per year or a total of 9,327 metric tons per year of nuclear waste to completely offset our fossil fuel power generation. According to the site below (yeah I know it's Wiki but it's close) Yucca Mnt. is currently planned for a total storage capacity of 72,000 metric tons (although they already want to increase it to 135,000 metric tons and it isn't even done being built yet). At the 72,000 metric ton capacity the facility would be full in less than 10 years (the expansion would give us 18 years). So then what? Where we going to put it then? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_Mountain And of course all of that is if things go perfectly and we never ever have a plant go boom, a train transporting the waste wreck or get stolen or blown up, that there's no earthquake at Yucca, that it doesn't leak into any ground water, or have any accidents at the storage site, or....... Best guess is that it takes about 5 years give or take to build a plant. Once the site is secured, approved and what not. So there's another question where are we going to put an additional 381 nuclear reactors so that the have access to things like the space needed to build them and secure them and the water needed to cool them (Oh and if you want some real fun look into what waste heat from power generation dumped into rivers does to the ecology not to mention what the water intakes do to fish). Of course none of this takes into account the availability of U-235 (it's a finite resource as well) or the processing it takes to turn it into fuel which of course would also have to be increased. I added a few likes below that are equally interesting. I especially like the one about the auto industry helping to build nuclear reactors. http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2005/3225build_6000_nukes.html http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2005/3250auto_n_nukes.html http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/nuclear-faq.html http://www.physicsforums.com/archive/index.php/t-86601.html http://www.llrx.com/extras/energy2007.htm http://www.uic.com.au/nfc.htm

Do you know where you are?

BobM — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:08:35 GMT

Current mood: awake Well you can sure bet that somebody does! http://www.southtownstar.com/news/784679,021008cellphone.article

Welcome to the not so new police state

BobM — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:11:58 GMT

Current mood: pissed off More and more we are traveling down a very slippery slope. Not only that but we don't even do it kicking and screaming. No, we do it like blind sheep to the slaughter laughing and singing all the way like it's the yellow brick road. Blind and drunk on the pablum of lies, not forced down our throats, but lapped up willingly with the sugary coating of fear and security. http://www.news.com/Federal-buildings-become-Real-ID-zones/2009-1028_3-6229133.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-5&subj=news http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/02/04/fbi.biometrics/index.html