From Denny: Once again greedy Big Business seeks to hang the American taxpayers with all the liabilities - while they make billions in profits, free to walk away when it goes bad.
The XL Keystone Pipeline is a huge boondoggle that comes out of Canada. Apparently, the Canadian firm, TransCanada, along with some American energy partners sum up their business mantra in one chant, "Let the Americans pay for it!"
Our State Department has been on a fool's errand writing up a study on the impact on America's environment, concluding it would not be a problem, in order to act like they are satisfying the environment folks. As usual, everyone rivets their focus upon the distraction, taking their eye off the obvious.
Image by Official U.S. Navy Imagery via FlickrFrom Denny: The massive storm, Hurricane Irene, that came on land as a category 1 storm on Sunday, left behind billions of dollars in damage and plenty of clean-up headaches. The devastation is widespread because of the relentless 12 hours of rain that pummeled an already soaked landscape.
The video clips tell the story: Rivers of water rushing through a Vermont town, mud-slimed furniture thrown out of houses during clean-up.
Those of us here in Louisiana know the pain of these people. We deal with flooding threats every year. We bear the brunt of extra unexpected financial worries that come from these disasters. We understand how difficult it is to keep your attitude positive and start over once again.
The only good news that may come out of this storm is that the rebuilding may stimulate the economy is these areas. To date this huge hurricane affected 66 million people in America, the largest ever in our history.
Current status of various areas
Power outrages in several states still exist for up to three million. In New Jersey yesterday, they were still sweating out nine rivers cresting as they are already past record flooding levels. It has affected the suburbs the worst. Yesterday, in New Jersey, there were 700 boat rescues as stranded homeowners were taken to higher ground. Today, many of those rivers finally crested and are going down - thankfully!
Folks in Pennsylvania still can't get to work because of downed trees and power lines. In Vermont the massive flooding has cut off eleven communities, down from the previous thirteen. In North Carolina, the Outer Banks coastline area is forever changed while they wait to rebuild the washed out roads. A ferry service is currently their only means of getting in and out of the area. In Connecticut, over a 1,000 roads still remain blocked.
Cost of Hurricane Irene damage
The guessed amount of damage continues to mount. What started as a $3 billion estimate has now climbed to well past $12 billion. The toughest news about this storm is how cash strapped the federal government is to help people.
The Republicans are already calling for cutting funds for emergencies just like this storm. They demand more budget cuts before releasing any funds to new disaster rebuilding or relief. Talk about heartless. Homeland Security is forced to take away funds from people still seeking funds from recent disasters like the tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri, and redirect it to help the current flood and hurricane victims.
For only a category 1 storm it sure did some serious damage up and along the Atlantic Coast. Certainly, Hurricane Irene is a name that will be long remembered - and retired from the weather service.
How FEMA responded during this crisis
The good news out of this situation is that FEMA is finally back as a reliable and helpful agency, though running out of funds. Remember how President Bush had dismantled the agency of 10,000 and gutted the budget? Incredibly stupid considering America is the only country in the world with consistently the most violent weather.
FEMA pre-positioned emergency supplies ahead of the storm is strategic areas, enabling them to get to the needy more efficiently and a lot faster. Both Democrat and Republican governors sang their praises for their efforts and constant communications.
Millennium Prophecy
After viewing the extreme flooding it does bring to mind those "Millennium Prophets" we heard on the news back in the late 1990's and early in 2000. Remember them? Better yet, remember the aerial maps depicting the flooding, showing much of the American Southeast under water and America split in two, divided by a widened Mississippi River?
We are definitely living in a time of geologic change. As a country we need to get serious about adapting to our changing world of melting polar ice caps, more severe weather, earthquakes and rivers changing course. Just this year alone the earthquakes have been so influential as to change the earth's axis by several degrees. That affects how water and weather moves across the planet.
Long Term Planning for America to Respond to Earth Changes
While the weather prophecy is coming true it will still take perhaps decades, even 100 years to fulfill to the level they depicted. That said, a couple of generations is really not much time to begin the process of moving millions of people to higher ground and evolve an economy to absorb the changes gracefully.
America - and its leaders - need to quit taking time off to play golf or go raise campaign monies - and get serious about addressing long term changes affecting humanity. At the snail's pace of our leaders - and constant bickering, we could very well end up fending for ourselves, living in a world so messed up it could take a couple of hundred years to work our way out of it like Europe's Dark Ages.
Do we really have to continue coddling greedy businessmen at the expense of our entire country's future? Let's put pressure on our representatives to get serious about long term planning to ensure the safety and security of the next generation. If we don't Mother Nature may not give us a second chance.
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Choose from world news analysis combined with the best political cartoon opinion, celebrity watching, science and health news, arts, poetry, funny photos, serious photography, funny videos, great satire, awesome food and spiritual thoughts.
From Denny: The world is changing at a dizzying rate the past few weeks with all the political upheaval in the Middle East. This kind of change is good and will end up improving everyone's lives around the world. Thirty years of poor economies and human rights abuses brought it to a head. This change was inevitable. When people feel so desperate they no longer feel they have anything to lose is when people take high risks.
Egypt and Tunisia have been decided and they are in transition to developing new governments. Libya has yet to be decided though defections from the Army and other sectors has Gadhafi increasingly isolated from his former supporters - and enablers.
It's best the West stay out of this turmoil. We don't need to arm the rebels or protect the leader in the process of getting deposed. It is up to the people of Libya to rise up and do the work themselves. If America interferes it takes away their pride of their moment in history. It is not for us to be so paternalistic in attitude toward developing nations. They will learn to grow just as we are also learning to take a hands off approach and trust them to choose well for themselves.
Where you can easily find all the links to all the posts on all the blogs on a daily basis:
From Denny: What an exciting week it has been with the 18 Day Egypt Revolution, following the twists and turns of real life drama. I'm proud to say I wrote many posts to cover it. The most time consuming was to wade through various English written Egyptian blogs to find out what was going on, what they thought was happening in their own country.
Remember the state controlled the news. You think it's bad in America, try living under martial rule with news black-outs and propaganda. OK, the Republicans do so love to spread their political gospel but at least most Americans know it's all lies. Comics make jest of what the GOP churns out of their "war rooms."
I've started yet another silly blog for interesting people, whatever I find as I find it: Dennys People Watching. Originally, I thought it might be interesting to cover world leaders but then Lady Gaga just had to get some face time. She is my most favorite outrageous person. If she's this cheeky at age 24, can you imagine her at age 50? Sure hope she doesn't burn herself out and become a conservative in her old age.
I also waded through a tremendous number of political cartoons about the Egypt Revolution which, naturally, have proven to be a big hit with the Middle Eastern countries. I even started posting the Egypt news on The Social Poets rather than Dennys Global Politics because I was concerned anyone from the Middle East or Egypt might be in danger for visiting what the state might perceive as a mainstream American media site After all, who would think a poetess would be a political subversive? OK, bring on the political clowns... :)
Check out news, opinion, silly political humor and funny cartoons, jokes, recipes, poetry, photography, science, spiritual thoughts and great quotes.
From Denny: The year just marches on, doesn't it? This is a roundup of the past three weeks of various posts. Oh, how I wish I had the time to write more science posts as I do enjoy being curious about my world. If it were not for the tense political times requiring constant attention I'd be off writing about art, science, poetry, lots of food, photography and total humor.
With all the tough economic times it seems like we all have to stay on top of our politicians to get the very best from them. These days with so much in flux economically, politically, rogue countries struggling to become nuclear states and the last gasps of terrorist organizations still rearing their ugly little heads, I'm focused on writing mostly news. Like you, I long for a time when Life is easier and a lot more enjoyable. Those times will come again. Try to be patient. And while you are being patient, keep your foot in the backs of your politicians, making them crystal clear aware of what you voted for is what you expect to be delivered. Game on! :)
Dont Touch My Junk Video and how airport scanners pose a serious public health risk to millions.
From Denny: John Tyner, age 31 and a software engineer, is facing a $10,000 fine for refusing the full body pat-down security check at a San Diego, California, airport. He is the author of the instantly popular viral YouTube video "Don't Touch My Junk."
Like a lot of people he is furious at the excessive government intervention into his privacy. Think about it. We have one idiot terrorist who loaded up chemical explosives into his underwear and now two million people a day in America have to go through the indignity of the government response to that terrorist act.
How did we get to this? Try the usual suspects. Businessmen saw an opportunity to market their controversial scanner machines to make a serious profit - at the expense of our privacy and health. Health, you say? Yes, health. We only have the word of the scanner machine company and studies commissioned by them from so-called disinterested third parties who make the claim that the machines pose a low risk of cancer.
First of all, most studies these days are done by people of vested interests in the products. Second of all, these are not long term studies over a few years that consider many different ways this product could impact the public health. In short, they are often quick studies meant to give the obvious result: clear the public perception and discredit anyone who protests to the contrary. Spin.
Now comes along a guy who challenges the government's poor response to terrorism. When we have so many other weapons in our arsenal to combat air terrorism, like drug dogs at our disposal, this excessively invasive probe into our most intimate privacy is unacceptable. Most of all, the health risk is far more unacceptable.
By itself the machine may not pose but a low risk to cancer if a person is only irradiated once a year or less. The problem comes from the fact that we are constantly bombarded by radiation in our natural environment every day. When we add man-made radiation on top of that is when we should be considering public health concerns. We get radiated from our microwave ovens and even our grocery produce is subjected to radiation. We experience cosmic radiation during air travel. Then there are magnetic fields from our computers, our TVs, our radios, our washing machines and our cars. Anyway you look at it, magnetic fields and radiation are constant assaults on breaking down our immune systems.
As to the airport scanner machines specifically - especially if the government continues to foolishly invest in this unproven technology and expands use to all airports over this decade - consider the maintenance on them. Growing up in the scientific community there is one thing I learned: machines need constant calibration. How are we to know if these airport scanners are getting consistently calibrated so they don't expose us to more radiation than they are claiming? We don't. We have no way of knowing it. And I can bet the government has not even thought about this obvious vulnerability.
Along comes John Tyner who makes a stink about the process and suddenly these airport scanners, the government's handling of privacy issues, public health and now responses to terrorism are all riveting our focus. Tyner made a video, uploaded it to YouTube and now you find the government suddenly on defense and spin mode.
In the words of your opponents, Team Obama, "Man up!" and quit using this controversial technology. Find another way to examine two million people a day without being so invasive. Besides, have you ever considered what an indignity it is for the TSA folks who have to do these obnoxious pat-downs? Can you imagine the conversation when they come home from work every day?
It probably goes like this:
"Honey, how was your day?"
"Oh, it was great. I got to feel off this great looking blonde today and a gay guy was thrilled at my technique. He told me I had magic hands."
All comedy aside, there are a growing number of voices in the scientific community who are complaining about the radiation risk from these machines. Back in May there were four scientists (U. of California at San Francisco) who wrote the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. They related that the scanners could expose the skin to very high doses of X-rays. That, in turn, could lead to risk of cancer as well as other health problems like birth defects and sterility. The scientists were most concerned for the vulnerable in our society: pregnant women, children, older travelers, those who have weak immune systems. They said there are also no studies as to how repeated exposure to these airport scanners will affect frequent travelers.
We also do not have a long-term study to know how radiating millions of people every day will affect them. Could we be sterilizing our world and not even realize it? Could we be creating unnecessary catastrophic illness in thousands of people? I say, cease and desist, Mr. Obama. Find another way to combat terrorism. Have the terrorists so succeeded in terrorizing us that now we are paranoid? Are we now paranoid enough to destroy ourselves with our technology? Then those terrorists do win. Are you sure you want to give in to that insanity - as well as giving away our quality of life?
This is Tyner's exchange with the TSA officials. Since when did buying an airline ticket take away this many of our rights? Enough is enough. The government, in its understandable need to protect us, really has gone too far. Find another way, Mr. Obama.
*** Photo from a Rapiscan Secure 1000 backscatter X-ray scanner, which can produce cancer-causing radiation, reputed to be at very low levels. photo from johnwild.info
* * * Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - helping homeless female military veterans come home. Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new! And a special thanks to those of you supporting this effort! You rock!
* Check out Dennys News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food - a place where all my other 20 blogs link so you can choose from among the latest posts all in one place. A free to read online newspaper from independent journalist blogger Denny Lyon. *
*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!
*** Our body language reveals much about our thoughts, telegraphing it to others if only we learn the language and how to read it.
President Obama's hand gestures
From Denny: Are you right or left hand dominant? President Obama is left hand dominant and when he wants to discuss his favorite things he favors using his left hand to gesture.
Left hand dominant people studied
Scientists have studied the left-hand dominant like the President. Researchers discovered that left-handers tend to favor their left hand when discussing any subject of which they feel positive. Left-handers use their right hand to gesture when they feel negative about a subject. Are you a right-hand dominant? Then the results are the opposite: you use your right hand to gesture when you feel positive and your left hand when you feel negative...
*** More bizarre reports from the BP and government corners trying to end the politics about the Gulf oil spill, when all they did was stir up a hornet's nest of criticism and anger.
White House tone deaf to the Gulf residents and Dems political survival
From Denny: Apparently, I'm not the only one who sees politics as the driving force behind the Gulf oil spill pie charts. The political guys at the White House - yet again - have made a really bad call, both on timing and substance. When tone deaf news reports like this barf out of the White House it always has Axelrod's fingerprints on it. What does the President see in this guy?
Oil spill report is bad science and just political posturing
On to the oil spill report trumpeting how there is hardly any oil left in the Gulf. This report is based on speculation "modeling and extrapolation and very generous assumptions" and that cannot be tested. People that ain't science; it's politics. How insensitive can this White House be to the Gulf residents?
