Vicky Moos. There will be ranting involved.

People STILL just don't get it

2010-08-29T15:11:00.006-05:00

I've been doing what I said I wasn't going to do today - watching the coverage on TV of the fifth anniversary of Katrina. And it did exactly what I knew it would do - upset me and make me really pissed off.

I wonder what would have been if we had not had the ineptitude in the White House and the mayor's office when Katrina hit. Of course, the happlessness made the election of Barack Obama and Mitch Landrieu possible. We can't change history, though; we have mostly moved on, as we must, but I'm still really angry and will never forget.

Other than the personal reasons, like losing my house and all my belongings that I had accumulated for 43 years, we then had to deal with people who literally threw every roadblock possible in our way to recovery - from Liberty Mutual saying they were "going to depreciate our house," and taking over 6 months to get us our insurance money, to Countrywide Mortgage saying they were going "to charge us to winterize our house" that was open to the elements (I always wondered who was going to do that?), to the SBA not wanting to give me a loan by myself because I am a married woman. And then there's the Corpse of Engineers. And the Corpse of Engineers. Oh, and don't forget - it was a natural disaster!

Still, we were alive, mainly due to our then next door neighbor, John McCusker, talking us out of staying; our house had never flooded, and we had even gone out to New Orleans East to buy a brand new generator. I always remember the people that did not survive, like a neighbor on Pratt Drive, who never got out of his attic. I remember the fact that I had a doctor's appointment the day of Katrina at Memorial Hospital. I remember the friends of mine who have died since the storm - many of them, I'm positive, from stress-induced illness. Sheebie died of pneumonia, after being evacuated. Sam died from Lymphoma, which she found out that she had shortly after moving from around the corner, in Gentilly, to Asheville, NC. She died 3 or 4 months later. Danielle died after getting an infection from minor surgery - I had just had dinner with her 2 or 3 weeks earlier. Johanna, John's wife, died just recently at 53, after having an aneurysm. There have been way too many of these unusual tragedies after Katrina, and I know there are people I'm just not remembering, at the moment.

These things still break my heart, and always will. What pisses me off is that people in the rest of the country still don't get it. I could hear it in the voice of a friend I talked to today in another part of the country. I said that we were upset today on the 5th anniversary of Katrina, and it was like, "that's nice; let me tell you what happened here." Katrina is old news.

We're all living in denial about the problems that we face in this country- we live in the age of the quick soundbite and Twitter. If we get bored with Katrina, or with pictures of poor African Americans starving to death at the Convention Center, we just flip the channel, giving these problems no thought. If we get tired of hearing about Louisiana and the Oil Spill, do we stop, or even reduce our driving? No - we hop right back into our Yukon and go to the mall, or even better, Wal-Mart.

Although I've been watching all over the TV today the hard work that the wonderful volunteers put in down here to rebuild houses, I wonder - can we put the hard work in to deal with our problems in the United States?! Do people understand that New Orleans is a bellweather for the rest of the country? Do we have enough of an attention span and education left to come up with inventive solutions for poverty, racism, education, and climate change? Or have we so systematically undereducated the populace that we would be more content with reruns of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," or more coverage of Paris Hilton's drug bust?! It's hard - these things just plain hurt to think about - but think, we must, even with the possibility of being labeled "someone who can't get over it."

August 29, 2010

2010-08-29T15:10:00.000-05:00

Sporadic posting

2010-07-15T16:59:00.002-05:00

I've enjoyed writing this blog for four years; while I will post pertinent content sporadically, unfortunately, I don't have the time to post each day. I appreciate the people who have read - please check back periodically!

Long, but if you value your health, perhaps you should watch this

2010-07-07T18:51:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq65E7rmO_k&feature=player_embedded

Oil/Water samples from Gulf...VERY TOXIC

H/T to Hurst

2010-07-07T16:41:00.002-05:00

Happy 70th birthday to one of my favorite drummers (and the only one that was a Beatle), Ringo Starr!

Long read, but worth the time

2010-06-29T07:48:00.000-05:00

http://www.thenation.com/article/36608/hole-world?page=0,0

A Hole in the World
Naomi Klein

We need Superman, so let's give him a try

2010-06-28T07:29:00.000-05:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-27/why-barack-obama-needs-arnold-schwarzenegger-to-save-the-environment/?cid=hp:exc

Time for Arnold to Save the World
Obama’s green initiatives need a macho, hard-selling champion. How about the governator?

More heartbreak

2010-06-24T11:45:00.001-05:00

H/T to Bart.

http://mobilebroadcastnews.com/MBN/blog/Kindra-Arnesen-Venice-LA-Needs-be-Evacuated

Heartwrenching. Baby dolphin dies

2010-06-24T08:17:00.001-05:00

http://www.nbc.com/news-sports/page/?page=2

Oil onslaught rolls ashore in Pensacola

I'm afraid this won't be the last

2010-06-24T08:07:00.000-05:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37890523/ns/us_news-washington_post/

Apparent suicide shows oil spill's emotional toll
'We're helping cover up the lie. We're burying ourselves,' fisherman says

I can think of no one on unemployment who thinks of it as an "entitlement"

2010-06-23T08:03:00.002-05:00

This woman's got a really big heart. Hmm...are the unemployed the "spoiled" ones?

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/2010_elections/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/06/22/angle_no_jobs_spoiled_unemployed

Sharron Angle's promise: She won't create jobs for "spoiled" unemployed

The REAL shakedown

2010-06-23T07:33:00.000-05:00

H/T to Colleen.

http://m.motherjones.com/rights-stuff/2010/06/BP-louisiana-police-stop-activist

Louisiana Police Pull Over Activist at Behest of BP
A bird-loving activist says cop stood by as BP security interrogated him.

Air quality concerns from oil spill

2010-06-22T08:39:00.003-05:00

I'm seriously thinking about buying an air purifier that removes benzene from the air for my house. Of course, that doesn't help once I go outside.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PiOYqHkvxM&feature=related
WWL story

http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/air.html#datarep
EPQ Air Quality website

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-06-21T08:12:00.001-05:00

If I had the money, I would personally pay to evacuate the manatees; however, I'm not sure where we would move them that they wouldn't come back - after all, it's their home that we've *ucked up. Poor little critters.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/oil-spill-threatens-al-manatees/gulf-disaster/?cid=cs:headline8

Oil Spill Threatens AL Manatees

Although I have to admit I need more than one square of toilet paper

2010-06-21T08:02:00.000-05:00

http://www.alternet.org/food/147256/life_after_oil%3A_cuba_can_teach_us_how_to_live_without_our_dirty_fossil_fuel_addiction/?page=entire

Life After Oil: Cuba Can Teach Us How to Live Without Our Dirty Fossil Fuel Addiction
The crisis in the Gulf is only the most recent reminder that we have to begin imagining a post-carbon future.

I've been saying this for years

2010-06-21T07:58:00.001-05:00

And we're losing our advantage in education because the middle class is losing its ability to get a college degree (or incur staggering debt in order to do so).

http://www.alternet.org/world/147261/are_we_going_down_like_the_soviets/?page=entire

Are We Going Down Like the Soviets?
The Soviets made a devastating miscalculation: they mistook military power for power on this planet. Sound familiar?

Shakedown?! I have a word for you, Barton!

2010-06-17T14:08:00.000-05:00

http://www.aolnews.com/the-point/article/rep-joe-barton-calls-20-billion-bp-disaster-fund-a-barack-obama-shakedown/19520523?sms_ss=facebook

Conservatives Call BP Fund an Obama 'Shakedown'

I've encountered this

2010-06-17T10:41:00.001-05:00

But these are the same people who practice racism, ageism, and sexism.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Outofwork-job-applicants-told-cnnm-3498252371.html?x=0

Out-of-work job applicants told unemployed need not apply

Why is there not more outrage about this?!

2010-06-17T07:54:00.000-05:00

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/sea_creatures_flee_oil_spill_g.html

Sea creatures flee oil spill, gather near shore of Gulf of Mexico

UGH

2010-06-17T07:52:00.001-05:00

http://motherjones.com/rights-stuff/2010/06/BP-cleanup-mole-more

More Dirty Details From My BP Mole

Hire more PR people!

2010-06-17T07:49:00.002-05:00

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/bp_chairmans_small_people_rema.html

BP chairman's 'small people' remark generates lots of comment

This hour will be well-spent

2010-06-13T13:22:00.001-05:00

http://www.mediaed.org/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=139&template=PDGCommTemplates/HTN/Item_Preview.html

Capitalism Hits the Fan Preview

It also airs again on Link TV:

Tuesday, June 15th
06:00 am
Wednesday, June 16th
04:00 pm
Saturday, June 19th
10:00 am

Operation Sombrero

2010-06-13T09:35:00.001-05:00

H/T to Kathy. Unbelievable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHmhxpQEGPo

Rachel Maddow- The more spills change_ the more they stay the same

And lo, you will be made "whole"

2010-06-11T16:11:00.005-05:00

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/6/11/headlines#3

BP Hires Firm Specializing in Reducing Cost of Claim Payments
BP is coming under increasing criticism for how it’s handling claims from Gulf residents who have lost jobs or income due to the oil spill in part because BP has hired the firm ESIS to handle its claim process. ESIS describes the goal of its services as "reducing our client’s loss dollar pay-outs." The New Orleans-based organization Advocates for Environmental Human Rights says the hiring of ESIS indicates that "BP’s goal is to minimize the amount of money it pays to claimants."

So sad

2010-06-11T07:50:00.002-05:00

I'm sure this won't be the last closure. It's heartbreaking because so many of these family-owned food businesses struggled to stay open after Katrina and succeeded; now only five years later, they may possibly close forever. I, along with a number of other folks, I'm sure, are hoping P&J and Casamento's come back!

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/oil-spill-shuts-the-nations-oldest-oyster-shucking-company/

Oil Spill Shuts the Nation’s Oldest Oyster-Shucking Company

Hopefully, we won't get fooled again

2010-06-11T07:33:00.001-05:00

Why is it that people who become famous by attempting to run organizations/corporations into the ground end up in politics (and win?!)?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-10/barbara-boxer-hair-gaffe-will-cost-carly-fiorina-plenty/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsL1

Carly's Sorority Girl Curse

Here, here

2010-06-11T07:24:00.002-05:00

I'm almost through with Hot, Flat, and Crowded, by Thomas Friedman. The first part of the book is very scary - it reminds you how our story, as humans, is going to end, unless we do something NOW. Luckily, the second part of the book actually offers answers, and leaves me hopeful, rather than shell-shocked, if we can get off our collective asses.

http://www.alternet.org/vision/147146/the_bp_disaster_marks_the_end_of_the_age_of_arrogance_about_the_environment_..._can_we_change/?page=entire

The BP Disaster Marks the End of the Age of Arrogance About the Environment ... Can We Change?
This spill will mark the time we started to learn about ecocide; a turning point in our realization that our industrial, carbon-dependent way of life cannot last.

I don't know that anything could be funny about this spill, but this is close

2010-06-10T07:57:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AAa0gd7ClM&feature=player_embedded

BP Spills Coffee

It kills me that this area could be spoiled

2010-06-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

http://www.salon.com/wires/us/2010/06/08/D9G70TVG0_us_gulf_oil_spill_magnolia_river/index.html

Ala. river mired in red tape to protect from spill

What I'm reading

2010-06-07T14:47:00.003-05:00

Hot, Flat, and Crowded, by Thomas Friedman. I'm only into the third chapter, but I think this should be required reading for everyone. I know it's wishful thinking, but perhaps people would think about their actions and the effects on the planet. For instance, Friedman actually takes on overpopulation. Because of religion, everyone else is afraid to speak out and say that we're never going to address our planetary problems unless we deal with this elephant in the room. He makes it very clear that the population, in 25 years, being three times what it was when he was born is simply unsustainable. People need to see this in black and white.

Epic

2010-06-07T08:02:00.000-05:00

http://www.salon.com/news/louisiana_oil_spill/index.html?story=/news/feature/2010/06/06/us_gulf_oil_spill_judge_conflicts

Most Gulf judges have big oil ties
In the Gulf Coast 37 of 64 court arbiters are financially bonded to petro companies, BP included

If we were dealing with Apollo 13 now, could we fix it?!

2010-06-07T07:44:00.001-05:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-04/obama-briefed-in-april-by-carol-browner-on-how-bad-bp-spill-was-/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsR5

Obama Knew the Spill Was Hopeless
As the president visits the Gulf anew, Richard Wolffe reports that he was first briefed in April on how bad the spill would be. Plus: the real reason the White House is so mad at Carville—and why Obama would rather talk about the economy.

Go see the sign at Gennero's

2010-06-07T07:37:00.000-05:00

http://www.alternet.org/news/147101/how_bp%2C_big_oil_and_the_feds_screw_louisiana_to_bring_you_cheap_gas/?page=1

How BP, Big Oil and the Feds Screw Louisiana to Bring You Cheap Gas
The waters off Louisiana produce more oil than anywhere else in the nation. So why is it the second poorest state?

Interesting coincidence...

2010-06-05T15:59:00.000-05:00

...that many BP stations used to be Gulf Oil stations.

Yeah, let's not laugh at another guy who made the oil spill possible

2010-06-04T15:00:00.002-05:00

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/george_w_bush/index.html?story=%2Fpolitics%2Fwar_room%2F2010%2F06%2F04%2Fboehner_buried_paul

Outrage! Paul McCartney makes Bush joke!

I was SO wrong to think that Jindal had come to his senses

2010-06-04T07:54:00.001-05:00

http://www.salon.com/news/louisiana_oil_spill/index.html?story=/opinion/feature/2010/06/03/bobby_jindal_oil_drilling

Jindal and the right on oil spill: Shill, baby, shill!
Faced with a devastating oil spill, Louisiana's governor demands ... more drilling?

You go, Billy!

2010-06-04T07:21:00.002-05:00

Readers that know me know how attached I am to animals; to see the birds and other critters that are being killed by this catastrophe makes me livid, as well as despondent. Last week I stated that BP should have to pay 25k for each critter killed by this gusher, and now Plaquesmines Parish has the same idea. I hope they're sending Billy Nungesser to Washington with the delegation from the coast. I don't think you want to piss him off.

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/plaquemines_parish_sues_bp_ove.html

Plaquemines Parish sues BP over damages to wildlife caused by oil spill

The Ronald Reagan Memorial Oil Spill

2010-06-03T07:32:00.002-05:00

I have now renamed the Deepwater Horizon, or BP Oil Spill, the Ronald Reagan Memorial Oil Spill, because Reagan started the ball rolling on deregulation and the Free Market free-for-all (otherwise known as Reaganomics), he removed the solar panels on the White House, and undermined any progress that we made regarding energy policy in the wake of the oil crisis of the 70s.

I started reading Thomas L. Friedman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded last night (which I picked up at Barnes and Noble for $6.98), and it reminded me of these facts. I knew that Reagan started the climate of deregulation (as well as surgically removing financial aid for college students - namely, me!) but I needed to be reminded of this digression in the area of alternative energy. Jimmy Carter was rather unpopular and lost the election in 1980 due to problems with the economy and the hostage crisis, but he definitely made strides in the area of energy policy, and was practicing tough love, which the country has got to return to, 30 years on.

"We will feel mounting pressure to plunder the environment. We will have a crash program to build more nuclear plants, strip-mine and burn more coal, and drill more offshore wells than we will need if we begin to conserve now." Jimmy Carter, 1977.

More information:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/27/white-house-solar-panels_n_160575.html
White House Solar Panels: What Ever Happened To Carter's Solar Thermal Water Heater? (VIDEO)

------

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/filmmore/ps_energy.html
Primary Sources: The President's Proposed Energy Policy

------

http://www.energybulletin.net/node/9657
Was Jimmy Carter right?

------

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter
Jimmy Carter

Bereft

2010-06-02T11:40:00.000-05:00

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/in_memory_of_all_that_is_lost_20100602/

In Memory of All That Is Lost

Let's end it NOW

2010-06-01T07:13:00.001-05:00

Not only is this a serious risk to the health of the planet, but if we want to concern ourselves at this moment with such things, to the health of our country's economy. I think we are seriously underestimating the disruption to a number of ecological systems, as well as the damage that this is going to do to the stability of the country financially, especially if BP doesn't pick up a majority of the tab.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-31/top-kill-fails-why-obama-should-ignore-bp-and-nuke-the-spill/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsL2

How Big Oil Conned Obama
The president asked the oil companies for their advice instead of ordering them to stop the spill. Christopher Brownfield on what Obama could learn from Bush and Putin about forceful decisions.

You think?

2010-06-01T07:10:00.001-05:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/?cid=hp:cheatsheet1#cheatrow_16767

White House Distances Itself From BP

If this is what needs to be done legally, go to it

2010-05-31T16:02:00.001-05:00

http://www.salon.com/news/louisiana_oil_spill/index.html?story=/opinion/feature/2010/05/31/put_bp_in_receivership_open2010

Put BP into temporary receivership
The administration should do with the oil giant what it did with AIG and GM

Happy Memorial Day

2010-05-31T16:01:00.001-05:00

And thank you to all who have served our country.

WHO is this guy...and what state does he represent?!

2010-05-27T12:44:00.001-05:00

H/T to our intrepid reporter, Karen.

http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12544954

Vitter Pushes for BP Bailout Bill in Senate

I love James Carville

2010-05-26T16:32:00.000-05:00

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/james-carvilles-oil-outburst-10746347

Carville's Oil Outburst

WTF!?!???

2010-05-26T16:29:00.001-05:00

Their sabotage is going to lead to these areas being lost for everyone.

http://www.wdsu.com/news/23674758/detail.html

Fishermen Cutting Into Booms Set To Protect Shores
Crews Block Areas To Prevent Spread Of Oil Spill

No surprise

2010-05-25T07:57:00.001-05:00

http://www.salon.com/news/louisiana_oil_spill/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/05/24/david_vitter_oil_spill_publicity

For Vitter, two sets of rules on publicizing oil spill

How not to treat your ex - on both sides

2010-05-25T07:31:00.005-05:00

Although Fergie used the absolute worst judgement imaginable, I found out that after being married to a royal, they granted her approximately $21,000 a year to live on. You men out there - I know Fergie can get a job, but she was used to a different lifestyle than $21,000 a year can provide. While you should not make a living off selling out your ex, how 'bout the royals providing more than poverty wages for Fergie? I thought he was always the "nice royal!" I think the royals can afford more than poverty wages, but as usual, the ones with the money want to keep it, and give out the absolute minimum they can get away with.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/?cid=hp:cheatsheet1#cheatrow_16576

'Desperate' Fergie 'in a Very Bad Place'

And don't call it a friggin' leak!

2010-05-25T07:27:00.000-05:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-25/rename-the-gulf-spill/?cid=hp:vertical:l

Rename the Gulf Spill
Remember the Exxon Valdez? The name is perfect—because the perpetrator of the environmental catastrophe is attached. Dominique Browning on why we need a name for the Gulf spill that eternally links BP with its disaster.

Don't hold your breath

2010-05-24T07:48:00.001-05:00

Since the administration didn't pursue charges against the previous administration, I don't know that you should hold your breath for this. But I will happily eat my words, if they do.

http://www.salon.com/news/louisiana_oil_spill/index.html?story=/news/feature/2010/05/23/us_gulf_oil_spill_white_house

Obama: DOJ examining BP oil slick
Robert Gibbs claims legal scrutiny of the petro giant while Senator Boxer inquires about criminal charges

Duh. What took you so long!!!???

2010-05-24T07:25:00.002-05:00

Once again, I'm dumbfounded that anyone can expect a large corporation to do what they say they're going to do. If BP is the only entity that knows how to stop this oil spill (which doesn't appear to be true - see earlier article on blowing up the rig), we're all doomed.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/?cid=hp:cheatsheet1#cheatrow_16549

Salazar Talks Tough on BP

Uh...yeah...

2010-05-21T11:35:00.000-05:00

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/05/chris_myers_apologizes_to_new.html

Fox Sports' Ed Goren, Chris Myers apologize to New Orleans mayor for 'offensive' comments

Help, not hurt

2010-05-21T07:09:00.001-05:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-20/ayaan-hirsi-ali-on-injustice-of-female-genital-mutilation/?cid=hp:mainpromo5

Why Are American Doctors Mutilating Girls?
A new proposal by the American Academy of Pediatrics would have doctors assisting families in the ritual of female circumcision, but activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali says they’d just be complicit in perpetuating a grave injustice.

Finally...

2010-05-21T06:57:00.002-05:00

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-14/1274423452171190.xml&coll=1

Oil Flow Estimates Too Low, BP Admits
Despite siphoning 5,000 barrels per day, gusher remains huge

Finally...

2010-05-21T06:57:00.001-05:00

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-14/1274423497171190.xml&coll=1

BP is ordered to use less-toxic dispersant in oil spill cleanup
Firm also must tell all it knows of leak

You go, Mitch

2010-05-21T06:55:00.001-05:00

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/05/mitch_landrieu_demands_apology.html

Mitch Landrieu demands apology from FOX Sports president

Why are we here? Because we're here

2010-05-20T16:37:00.001-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20100518/sc_space/whyweexistmatterwinsbattleoverantimatter

Why We Exist: Matter Wins Battle Over Antimatter

Blow that sucker up! NOW!

2010-05-19T07:47:00.001-05:00

And I sent an email to President Obama yesterday, to that effect.

http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/it-time-blow-leaking-gulf-oil-well-b

Is it time to blow up the leaking Gulf oil well? BP doing its best to keep that option under wraps

I'm glad they didn't call it a "leak"

2010-05-19T07:43:00.000-05:00

http://www.salon.com/news/env/energy/index.html?story=/opinion/feature/2010/05/18/new_oil_rush_dangers_open2010

The Gulf spill is no fluke
As corporations pursue extreme energy sources, a new oil rush endangers the planet

It's official

2010-05-18T09:20:00.003-05:00

AT&T has the worst customer service of any company I've ever dealt with. If they were the only phone company (and they are, in the nursing home in which my mother resides), I think I'd have to use tin cans and string to communicate, rather than their service.

Must read article

2010-05-18T07:39:00.002-05:00

I personally think we should revive Capitalism 4.0.

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/feature/2010/05/18/next_american_capitalism_model/index.html

American capitalism 6.0: The search for a new model
The form of capitalism the U.S. has pursued for three decades has been discredited. What's next?

Tragic

2010-05-18T07:24:00.000-05:00

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/05/tar_balls_found_off_key_west_f.html

Tar balls found off Key West, Fla., Coast Guard reports

Rainbow in the Dark

2010-05-17T07:28:00.001-05:00

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/37180773/ns/today-entertainment/

Metal legend Ronnie James Dio dead at 67
Singer who replaced Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath had stomach cancer

As I've said before, Republicans have gotten the government they wanted

2010-05-17T07:22:00.001-05:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-14/its-bushs-oil-spill/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsR3

It's Bush's Oil Spill
The GOP rushed to brand the Gulf Coast disaster "Obama's Katrina." But new reports make clear the Bush administration's lax attitude toward regulation deserves much of the blame.

Dire consequences

2010-05-17T07:18:00.001-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100517/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill;_ylt=AoZrDtozs2el_D5Is2RMOaKs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNoYXNzZTBjBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNTE3L3VzX2d1bGZfb2lsX3NwaWxsBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb3MDMQRwb3MDMgRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbG

Worry that Gulf oil spreading into major current

Just like us, only better

2010-05-17T07:16:00.001-05:00

http://www.alternet.org/rights/146756/what_if_bp_were_a_human_being/?page=1

What If BP Were A Human Being?
If BP were a person it would be a career criminal, a pathological liar and an international serial killer with a rap sheet several times the size of the Chicago Yellow Pages.

Beyond me

2010-05-14T07:07:00.002-05:00

Why we're letting a large corporation dump thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals into the Gulf without knowing what the effects are or even what's in the dispersants, is beyond me. However, we have so gutted and privatized the government, that is seems that it's a self-fulfilling prophecy for Republicans. They're right - the government can't do anything because the right's been crying "No big government!" for decades, now. So we no longer have an effective government. The government can no longer regulate, and they no longer have the resources to do anything.

http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/Dispersants-cause-cultural-genocide-fears-in/byF6XJk2X0C2nqfiHDDYkg.cspx

Dispersants cause "cultural genocide" fears in Plaquemines

Spill, baby, spill

2010-05-14T06:54:00.000-05:00

http://www.alternet.org/water/146848/gulf_oil_spill_proves_the_idiocy_of_unfettered_deregulation_/?page=1

Gulf Oil Spill Proves the Idiocy of Unfettered Deregulation
Government regulation of multinational corporations needs to be made respectable once again with adequately funded agencies pursuing an uncompromised public interest agenda.

Quote of the week

2010-05-13T08:26:00.000-05:00

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0512/lawmakers-tee-oil-companies-response-crisis/

‘Not the PGA’: House Democrats mock oil leak fix
"When we heard the best minds were on the case, we expected MIT and not the PGA," said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) during the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing.

My tag line, when I run for Governor of Alabama, will be, "Taking Alabama back from the Fringe."

2010-05-13T08:11:00.003-05:00

I grew up in Alabama, and the state USED to be a Democratic state. From 1874 to 1987, there was an unbroken line of Democratic governors (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Governors_of_Alabama) - a fact I'd like to remind these folks of when they paint candidates (or anyone else, for that matter) as "liberal" or "Socialist" simply because they happen to be a Democrat. I think this fact alone reveals the tactics people resort to just to scare people into voting for their party. Of course, that people can be scared into voting for people that use McCarthyesque tactics says something about our educational system.

http://www.salon.com/life/youtube/index.html?story=/mwt/feature/2010/05/12/bradley_bryne_alabama_ad

Crazy Alabama attack ads just keep getting better
A new commercial smears Bradley Byrne for (gasp!) supporting evolution. And guess who helped pay for it?

The LSU scientist on Rachel Maddow already told us this

2010-05-06T08:46:00.000-05:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36981842/ns/technology_and_science-the_new_york_times/

Poisonous chemicals used to fight Gulf oil slick
Dispersants’ ingredients — ‘proprietary recipes like Coca-Cola’ — are secret

And in other life-affirming news...

2010-05-06T08:42:00.001-05:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/?cid=hp:cheatsheet9#cheatrow_16054

Rove's Secret Plot for Power

BP at it, again

2010-05-05T07:29:00.001-05:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-04/bps-25-million-insult/?cid=hp:mainpromo6

BP's $25 Million Insult
The oil giant took credit yesterday for $25 million grants to states affected by the spill. But officials tell Rick Outzen they'll blow through that within days.

This is all I have to say about this

2010-05-04T07:46:00.002-05:00

http://www.salon.com/news/louisiana_oil_spill/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/05/03/dick_cheney_halliburton_oil_spill

Who's to blame for the oil spill? Dick Cheney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVHFd4iDOmg
Lock & Key, by the Dirty Strangers, featuring the always-spectacular John Sinclair

Take them on, but actually DO something...

2010-05-04T07:34:00.001-05:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/washington-takes-on-bp/repercussions/?cid=cs:headline12#

Washington Takes On BP

One case where perhaps I would have brought in the Boy Scouts

2010-05-04T07:31:00.000-05:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/oil-spill-approaches-florida-keys/disasters/?cid=cs:headline1

Oil Spill Approaches Florida Keys
"Meanwhile, the Alabama Press-Register notes that the federal government did not have a single boom on hand when the oil leak began."

Stop calling it a friggin' oil "leak!"

2010-05-04T07:28:00.002-05:00

This oil is spewing into the Gulf of Mexico; it is not dripping a few drops at a time. It is a gusher- a hemorrhage (thanks, Hurst). Let's call it what it is, and stop pussyfooting around, afraid to anger BP, or scare the citizens!

From a writer based in Pensacola

2010-05-03T07:27:00.001-05:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-03/tension-in-the-gulf/?cid=hp:mainpromo2

Tension in the Gulf
As oil hits coastlines and fishing is banned, BP and Gulf Coast locals spent the weekend wrestling over payoffs and cleanup, reports Rick Outzen. Plus, Eric Dezenhall on BP’s PR strategy.

Why have we not heard about these agreements in AL and LA here on the news in NOLA?

2010-05-03T07:17:00.003-05:00

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/05/bp_told_to_stop_circulating_se.html

BP told to stop circulating settlement agreements with coastal Alabamians

From Humid Beings

2010-05-02T18:01:00.000-05:00

http://nola.humidbeings.com/posts/preview/123752/BP-voids-fishermens-cleanup-contracts-in-La.-cites-legal-mix-up

BP voids fishermen's cleanup contracts in La., cites legal mix-up
"It’s not that BP didn’t want to hire them. And there is nothing these fishermen would hesitate to do to save the bayous, canals and rivers where they and their families have made a living for generations – except this: Sign a contract with BP saying they will “hold harmless and indemnify … release, waive and forever discharge the BP Exploration and Production, Inc., its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, regular employees, and independent contractors … from all claims and damages” arising from helping to clean up the mess that BP has made."

BP trying to settle with fishermen for $5,000?

2010-05-02T11:06:00.002-05:00

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/05/gulf_of_mexico_oil_spill_satur.html

Gulf of Mexico oil spill: Saturday a day of talk, tempers, concern (with videos, photo gallery)
"...Rendon said that claims less than $5,000 would be delivered within five business days. But larger claims would be handled through the company's legal department."

The Privatized States of Corporatocracy

2010-05-02T08:47:00.002-05:00

Mary Landrieu was just on WWL-TV, bending over for the oil industry, talking about how we should not have the same response we had after the Three Mile Island incident (in other words, we're mad now, but let's not lose our oil industry!). I had to stop watching. She's the best we have in this state, which makes me even more distraught.

Ms. Landrieu reiterated that BP is responsible for the cleanup of this mess they've made. I would tell BP to get the *uck out of the way, and we'll send you a bill. Better yet, we'll just go ahead and seize all of your assets, right now. But the Republicans have done a fine job of privatizing every service in this country, so corporations, headed by BP, will be finding a way to cap the gusher (it's not a leak!!!) and then clean up. So far, these operations seem to be working about as well as everything did during, and after, Katrina. Mary Landrieu also stated that there is a "cap" to the liability which BP can shoulder (funny, how there's a cap to their liability, but they can't find one for the gusher!). So, will we be shouldering some of this cost? And don't forget that large corporations (see the Exxon Valdez) seem to have a way of dragging court cases out for decades.

I remember, growing up (before anything having to do with government services brought cries of "socialism!!!!!"), how the government didn't contract out stuff - they did stuff, and they did it well. Now, I wonder if anyone is driving the boat.

It's getting better all the time

2010-05-02T08:40:00.003-05:00

If I'm not distraught enough about this oil gusher (stop calling it a leak!!!), and the possibility that it may ruin half our planet, I went out to water my plants this morning, and found feathers and bugs beneath the place where my new baby doves had been resting. A stray cat in the neighborhood obviously got one of my babies. I know - circle of life, and all that crap, but I feel personally involved, like I should have been there to protect these babies. I watched the mother sit on the nest for weeks, and took pictures of the little, scruffy babies almost every day. We sat in the car and watched them preen and stretch their wings, trying to take flight, yesterday. What a way to welcome a new morning, but then again, each day lately seems to have held little promise.

Change of heart

2010-05-01T11:58:00.001-05:00

I noticed this interesting change in policy yesterday, myself. Maybe he'll reconsider gutting our public universities and mental health facilities, next.

http://www.salon.com/news/louisiana_oil_spill/index.html?story=/tech/htww/2010/04/30/bobby_jindal_s_oil_spill_crisis_of_faith

Bobby Jindal's oil spill crisis of faith
The principled stimulus foe changes his mind about the evils of accepting government assistance

Drill, baby, drill

2010-05-01T11:54:00.002-05:00

Just another reason that anytime this woman comes on TV anymore, I just turn the TV off.

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/sarah_palin/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/04/30/sarah_palin_drill_spill

Sarah Palin calls for more drilling as second rig overturns

My two cents worth

2010-05-01T11:25:00.002-05:00

I don't know if this is legal, considering that most laws in this country are made to protect the large corporations, but if the federal government said that it's going to seize BP's assets if they don't stop the oil spilling into the Gulf immediately, I imagine it would get fixed really fast.

Preparations for living in a) a Superfund site, or b) in Blade Runner

2010-04-30T07:42:00.003-05:00

With people reporting an oil smell in the air across the New Orleans and Jefferson Parish area yesterday, I've started making preparations for living in a Superfund site. Oil particles in the air + rain today = non-organically grown tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers, so I've moved my plants where, hopefully, they won't get rained on. I've put a piece of tape over our water and ice dispenser on the refrigerator so we'll remember to use only bottled water. I don't think we'll have local shrimp or seafood anytime soon, and I'm not sure what the area farmers are going to do if oil-laden rain starts falling on their crops. I'm beginning to feel, like my previous post on this subject, that I'm living within Blade Runner. Fittingly, the gas station that I go to occasionally now assaults you with video advertisements while you pump your gas. And the replicants are the large corporations which have recently been imbued with the same rights as people, only lacking the humanity.

Unfortunately, as in real life, Harrison Ford couldn't really save anyone at the end of Blade Runner.

You bet

2010-04-29T07:56:00.000-05:00

http://www.alternet.org/economy/146606/stop_trying_to_kill_social_security

Stop Trying to Kill Social Security
Worried about the deficit? Wall Street is the problem, not Social Security.

What happens when we *hit ourselves

2010-04-29T07:34:00.003-05:00

You may, somewhat metaphorically, say that we've just *hit ourselves. What is about to happen to our coastline is indicative of what happens when we don't take care with our planet. We saw what happened after the Exxon Valdez, and we did nothing to stop our oil consumption, except proclaim, "Drill, baby, drill!" I'm guilty of it (although we just recently went shopping for a new car and were ready to buy an electric car, but there were none available, yet), and you're guilty of it. We have just continued to consume oil (although there have been great inroads in biking in NOLA), and to complain if the price went up. This is a great illustration of why we should not start ramping up construction of new nukes. When there are humans involved, there are going to be accidents, and we don't need another Cherynobyl or Three Mile Island. We need to proceed assuming the worst case scenario, and in this case, as with nuclear energy, I don't think the devastation is going to be worth it. And by the way, if you think that the individuals hurt or ruined by this disaster are going to be compensated, look into the history of Exxon and lawsuits over the Valdez disaster.

I don't believe that we are going to know the ramifications of this oil spill for a great length of time. It will effect the seafood industry - which has already been teetering after Katrina - restaurants, wildlife, tourism (especially if it makes it to Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida), and no telling what else. And regardless of what Jindal says, the economy is not that great in Louisiana - another man-made disaster is not what we needed.

I am quite distraught when anticipating what is going to happen this weekend. However, what can an individual do about it? I'm going to look into the Nissan Leaf, as well as redouble my efforts to bike (with a blown out knee, it's difficult) or walk to places that I can. I've only been to an Exxon once since the Valdez spoiled the Alaska coast (it was the only gas station for miles), and I've just added BP to my boycott list. We all need to continue to PUSH this country towards more rail, more solar, more wind power, and more public transportation. Unfortunately, Republicans, sometimes you have to spend and invest in infrastructure to position yourself for a better future. And if we want a future more closely resembling what we remember than a scene out of Blade Runner, we have to stop allowing things like this to happen.

Very happy about this

2010-04-29T07:32:00.001-05:00

As someone who gets a sinus infection each time I hang out at a smoky bar, I'm delighted about this progress.

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1272523791223580.xml&coll=1

Ban on smoking in bars lights up
Senate panel's OK affects casinos too

The hazards of work in the 21st century

2010-04-27T07:41:00.002-05:00

I've complained, many times, about Wonderful Hubby being called for his job on vacations (we've only had one vacation where he's not been called), holidays, nights, weekends, etc. Of course, people tell me that we should be glad he's got a job. I'm complaining about the practice of huge corporations heaping more and more work on their employees, while laying off or firing employees - leaving massive amounts of work for the remaining employees. And of course, the company makes more profit while doing this. I'm wondering if it might be better to be a contractor, instead - at least, while getting called in the middle of the night (11:30, last night - he wasn't supposed to be on call), you're getting paid.

And then there's my extremely part-time job, at which I was kicked by a 14 month old child yesterday. I had to come home and ice down my thigh. Luckily, it's not hurting this morning, but should you really have to have such physical contact at a customer service position? I mean, I already know I'm going to be coughed and sneezed on by people who were born in a barn, but do I have to wear football pads to work? All this, and then I had an owner of a business come up to me and complain that he can't find employees in NOLA that have basic math skills and who can read. Hello!!! I'm here and ready to go to work, if I get my own cubicle and don't have to deal with hundreds of people a day!

Drill, baby, drill!

2010-04-27T07:24:00.002-05:00

The oil is not only expected to reach the Louisiana coast, but the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf Coasts, as well as Northwest Florida. Let's drill MORE!!!!!!!!

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheat-sheet/item/gulf-oil-spill-to-reach-land/disasters/?cid=cs:headline1#

Gulf Oil Spill to Reach Land

Censored for "jiggly parts"

2010-04-23T07:04:00.002-05:00

My goodness, they'll show the crap on reality shows, but this ad was censored because of the "jiggly parts?" This can be the only reason, considering that Victoria's Secret ads are shown all the time - in which the models don't have anything to jiggle. Give me a break! God help us - they're showing sexy fat women (is she fat?!)!!!!!!

http://www.lanebryant.com/content.jsp?pageName=RTWsweeps&intid=LB040410x0001

Must read article - and it was written by a retired Lieutenant Colonel (USAF)

2010-04-21T07:26:00.002-05:00

http://www.alternet.org/world/146553/we%27re_living_in_a_kleptocracy%3A_fears_of_socialism_and_fascism_are_a_distraction_from_the_naked_theft_of_trillions

We're Living in a Kleptocracy: Fears of Socialism and Fascism Are a Distraction from the Naked Theft of Trillions
The headlines tell the story -- repetitively. Everyone, it seems, is on the take. But are we too distracted to try and stop it?

Good article

2010-04-20T07:46:00.000-05:00

http://www.alternet.org/vision/146484/imagine_a_world_where_people_love_their_jobs?page=1

Imagine a World Where People Love Their Jobs
With 15 million men and women unemployed, the first step to fixing the job crisis is re-imagining what Americans should be working on in the first place.

Words of wisdom from Garrison Keillor

2010-04-15T07:47:00.001-05:00

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/garrison_keillor/index.html?story=/opinion/feature/2010/04/13/sensible_virtues_of_middle_class_life

The sensible virtues
You don't have to be so smart to make your way through adult life, but you should know the basic rules

I'm beginning to think that NO food is safe

2010-04-14T07:21:00.000-05:00

http://www.alternet.org/food/146439/which_veggie_burgers_were_made_with_a_neurotoxin

Which Veggie Burgers Were Made With a Neurotoxin?
Most non-organic veggie burgers currently on the market are made with the chemical hexane, an EPA-registered air pollutant and neurotoxin.

George Lopez - class act

2010-04-13T07:36:00.000-05:00

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-04-12/inside-conans-tbs-deal/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsR1

Inside Conan's TBS Deal
Why did Conan O’Brien choose TBS over Fox for his new late-night show? Kim Masters talks to the comedian’s manager, Gavin Polone, about Team Coco’s shocking move.

The Third World

2010-04-12T07:44:00.000-05:00

http://www.salon.com/life/pinched/index.html?story=/mwt/pinched/2010/04/12/five_kids_in_a_trailer

How I lost my middle-class life
Two years ago, my four kids and I lived in a two-story house. Now, we fight for space in a 26-foot trailer