Jed Clampett called it "Black Gold", and in terms of the real costs he was probably underestimating:
Current headlines:
San Francisco Oil Spill
Russia Faces Major Oil Spill Disaster
Fiction, well-researched.
Hungry As The Sea by Wilbur Smith
Wikipedia report on major spills:
Oil Spills of over 100,000 tonnes or 30 million US gallons, ordered by Tonnes[a] Spill / Tanker Location Date *Tonnes of crude oil Reference
| Gulf War oil spill | Persian Gulf | January 23, 1991 | 136,000 - 1,500,000 | [1][2] |
| Ixtoc I oil well | Gulf of Mexico | June 3, 1979- March 23, 1980 | 454,000 - 480,000 | [3] |
| Atlantic Empress / Aegean Captain | Trinidad and Tobago | July 19, 1979 | 287,000 | [4] [5] |
| Fergana Valley | Uzbekistan | March 2, 1992 | 285,000 | [2] |
| Nowruz oil field | Persian Gulf | February 1983 | 260,000 | [6] |
| ABT Summer | 700 nautical miles (1,300 km) off Angola | 1991 | 260,000 | [4] |
| Castillo de Bellver | Saldanha Bay, South Africa | August 6, 1983 | 252,000 | [4] |
| Amoco Cadiz | Brittany, France | March 16, 1978 | 223,000 | [4] [2] |
| Amoco Haven tanker disaster | Mediterranean Sea near Genoa, Italy | 1991 | 144,000 | [4] |
| Odyssey | 700 nautical miles (1,300 km) off Nova Scotia, Canada | 1988 | 132,000 | [4] |
| Sea Star | Gulf of Oman | December 19, 1972 | 115,000 | [4] [2] |
| Torrey Canyon | Scilly Isles, UK | March 18, 1967 | 80,000 - 119,000 | [4] [2] |
| Irenes Serenade | Navarino Bay, Greece | 1980 | 100,000 | [4] |
| Urquiola | A Coruña, Spain | May 12, 1976 | 100,000 | [4] |
When the air pollution from cars & refineries is figured in, It makes the discovery of oil the most damaging event in the history of Mankind.
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Monday November 12, 2007 - 03:44pm (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Top Ten Veteran’s Day Movie Picks - From a Veteran
November 11th is when we honor those men and women who have fought for our right to be free. In a world full of dictators and those who want to destroy our way of life, the epic struggle against the forces of oppression never ceases. I thank all those men and women who have served to 
Since this is a movie and entertainment site, I wanted to do something a little bit different today. My father, Mike Sr., is a veteran of the Vietnam War. He served as a corpsman in the United States Marines. He was one of the medics who went out under fire and saved the lives of countless men and women. He is a true American hero.
When I was a kid he and I would watch war movies all the time. It was sci-fi with my mom and everything military with my dad. So I called him up today and asked for his Top 10 Movies appropriate to watch on veteran’s day. Here are his picks in numerical order. I’ve seen each one countless times. They are all classics.
10 - SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)
Although this is where the dreaded “shaky cam” was born, it is one of the best, most accurate films of World War II. The landing on the beach is horrifyingly realistic. This movie is Steven Spielberg at his best.
9 - DARBY’S RANGERS (1958)
James Garner stars in the classic about American Commandos.
8 - THE GUNS OF NAVARONE (1961)
A group of British commandos are sent across Nazi occupied Greece to smash a massive gun emplacement that threatens Allied shipping. It stars Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Anthony Quinn.
7 - THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
Allied POWs build a rail bridge for their Japanese captors. The film won seven Oscars and stars William Holden and the original OB-WAN, Alec Guinness.
6 - MIDWAY (1976)
This is a star-studded epic about the battle at Midway, which turned the tide of the war in the Pacific toward the Allies. There are too many stars to list, but with the likes of Charlton Heston, James Coburn, and Glenn Ford, you can’t go wrong.
5 - PATTON (1970)
George C. Scott portrays the most outspoken general of World War II. It brought home seven Oscars.
Someone posted on IMDB that this movie inspired George Lucas to write the Death Star attack in STAR WARS with fighters skimming low and firing their torpedos. I can see that. THE DAM BUSTERS is the true story of how the British developed their technique to destroy dams with aircraft during WWII.
3 - A BRIDGE TOO FAR (1977)
This is a story of a British mission in WWII called Market-Garden. Its goal was to
2 - THE LONGEST DAY (1962)
With three Oscar wins, this film tells the story of the D-Day invasion.
1 - SANDS OF IWO JIMA (1949)
Since my dad is a Marine you probably could have guessed that this would be his number one pick. It stars John Wayne and tells the true story of the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Can't Comment!
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Tags: | Edit Tags Monday November 12, 2007 - 03:16pm (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Triggerstreet is offering a new service for writers - upload your book!
Much like we did with Short Stories when that section first launched, we will have an initial temporary period of "free" uploads for Books, meaning that unlike the existing sections of the site that require you to complete assigned reviews before you can upload your work, you can just follow the upload instructions on the site and upload your Book without reviewing any others. Once there are enough Books uploaded to ensure that the Assignment Generator and ranking system can work as designed without favoring the first ones to upload, you will then be able to request assignments and complete reviews for credit just as you do now with Screenplay, Short Film and Short Story assignments. At that point, in order to upload a Book, you will need to successfully complete 2 assigned Book reviews, so take advantage of this 'free upload' time while you can. Reviews of Books will have a 100 word minimum requirement.
(Me) (Home)
The New Books Section Is Now Live!
Since its inception, TriggerStreet.com has been the place to go if you wanted to find exposure and feedback for your Screenplays and Short Films online. Now, in addition to being able to upload your Short Stories to the site, a section we launched earlier this year, you can now also upload Books that you have written.Much like we did with Short Stories when that section first launched, we will have an initial temporary period of "free" uploads for Books, meaning that unlike the existing sections of the site that require you to complete assigned reviews before you can upload your work, you can just follow the upload instructions on the site and upload your Book without reviewing any others. Once there are enough Books uploaded to ensure that the Assignment Generator and ranking system can work as designed without favoring the first ones to upload, you will then be able to request assignments and complete reviews for credit just as you do now with Screenplay, Short Film and Short Story assignments. At that point, in order to upload a Book, you will need to successfully complete 2 assigned Book reviews, so take advantage of this 'free upload' time while you can. Reviews of Books will have a 100 word minimum requirement.
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Monday November 12, 2007 - 02:38pm (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
When Firefox is running, these are the open windows -instant references & links to net & world events.
(Me) (Home)
Newsday Breaking News
Ebay Advanced Search
Amazon
ABE Advanced Book search
Google Advanced search
Popurls
Fark
BoingBoing
Fox
CNN
Instapundit
These are my once-a-day sites, just to see what is going on.Ebay Advanced Search
Amazon
ABE Advanced Book search
Google Advanced search
Popurls
Fark
BoingBoing
Fox
CNN
Instapundit
Blacktail Mountain Books
Gizmodo
Kevin Kelly -- Cool Tools
Boing Boing Gadgets
Engadget - www.engadget.com
MAKE: Blog
Strange Cosmos
Marbles - No food, but lots of fun! Updated every Monday
Headwaters News: Week in Review
Games
Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters
|M|ummies Clan New Items
The Daily Inter Lake
Darkgate comic slurper
Instapundit.com
The top news headlines on current events from Yahoo! News
Google News
CBSNews.com - Breaking News Headlines and Video from CBS News
Gizmodo
Kevin Kelly -- Cool Tools
Boing Boing Gadgets
Engadget - www.engadget.com
MAKE: Blog
Strange Cosmos
Marbles - No food, but lots of fun! Updated every Monday
Headwaters News: Week in Review
Games
Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters
|M|ummies Clan New Items
The Daily Inter Lake
Darkgate comic slurper
Instapundit.com
The top news headlines on current events from Yahoo! News
Google News
CBSNews.com - Breaking News Headlines and Video from CBS News
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Monday November 12, 2007 - 11:34am (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Sunday November 11, 2007 - 09:19am (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Life is always full of absurdities & contradictions, but I think mine contains more than its share.
People: I totally enjoy them in small doses, but in most cases I am ready to back away after five minutes. I like solitude but am not sure how large a dose of it I can handle - I've only been alone a couple of days at a time, not longer. (I suspect that the desire for solitude comes out of past experience. Being an only child with no neighbors & having a grumpy step-parent must have been a major influence. I grew up being happier alone in my room or outside and in the company of dogs and books.)
Money: I like it - but only in small doses. I have no desire to be rich, and I tend to adjust my income to JUST get by. I've known a few rich people, and not envied any of them. I have no uncertainties about what few friends I have, they obviously don't love me for my money or what i can give them. I have no investment funds or retirement plans, I hope to keep doing what I do until the day I die - I love my job. It is rewarding in every way except financial. Besides, I am lazy.
Things: I like having toys, and books (obviously), and gadgets, but nothing extravagant. I outgrew the desire for Corvettes & yachts & dream cruises. I am quite happy with 15-year-old vehicles and used tools and second-hand computers and tons of old books and the company of dogs .
I have no real idea what the origins of these traits are, but I blame my Mom. She was always happiest puttering about at home or visiting with a close friend. She loved her books and music and flowers.
Oh well - my second-hand life is mentally unsound but environmentally friendly.
(Me) (Home)
People: I totally enjoy them in small doses, but in most cases I am ready to back away after five minutes. I like solitude but am not sure how large a dose of it I can handle - I've only been alone a couple of days at a time, not longer. (I suspect that the desire for solitude comes out of past experience. Being an only child with no neighbors & having a grumpy step-parent must have been a major influence. I grew up being happier alone in my room or outside and in the company of dogs and books.)
Money: I like it - but only in small doses. I have no desire to be rich, and I tend to adjust my income to JUST get by. I've known a few rich people, and not envied any of them. I have no uncertainties about what few friends I have, they obviously don't love me for my money or what i can give them. I have no investment funds or retirement plans, I hope to keep doing what I do until the day I die - I love my job. It is rewarding in every way except financial. Besides, I am lazy.
Things: I like having toys, and books (obviously), and gadgets, but nothing extravagant. I outgrew the desire for Corvettes & yachts & dream cruises. I am quite happy with 15-year-old vehicles and used tools and second-hand computers and tons of old books and the company of dogs .
I have no real idea what the origins of these traits are, but I blame my Mom. She was always happiest puttering about at home or visiting with a close friend. She loved her books and music and flowers.
Oh well - my second-hand life is mentally unsound but environmentally friendly.
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Saturday November 10, 2007 - 12:38pm (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 1 Comment
1. No-one can present himself directly to another of our friends. There must be a third person to do it.
1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man or take an unfair advantage.
2. A Cowboy must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
2. Never look at the wives of friends.
3. A Cowboy must always tell the truth.
3. Never be seen with cops.
4. A Cowboy must be gentle with children, the elderly and small animals.
4. Don’t go to pubs and clubs.
5. A Cowboy must not adovcate or possess racially or religiously interolerant views and ideas.
5. Always being available for Cosa Nostra is a duty - even if your wife’s about to give birth.
6. A Cowboy must help people in distress.
6. Appointments must absolutely be respected.
7. A Cowboy must be a good worker.
7. Wives must be treated with respect.
8. A Cowboy must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action and personal habits.
8. When asked for any information, the answer must be the truth.
9. A Cowboy must respect women, parents and his nations's views.
9. Money cannot be appropriated if it belongs to others or to other families.
10. A Cowboy is a patriot
10. People who can’t be part of Cosa Nostra: anyone who has a close relative in the police, anyone with a two-timing relative in the family, anyone who behaves badly and doesn’t hold to moral values.
(Me) (Home)
1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man or take an unfair advantage.
2. A Cowboy must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
2. Never look at the wives of friends.
3. A Cowboy must always tell the truth.
3. Never be seen with cops.
4. A Cowboy must be gentle with children, the elderly and small animals.
4. Don’t go to pubs and clubs.
5. A Cowboy must not adovcate or possess racially or religiously interolerant views and ideas.
5. Always being available for Cosa Nostra is a duty - even if your wife’s about to give birth.
6. A Cowboy must help people in distress.
6. Appointments must absolutely be respected.
7. A Cowboy must be a good worker.
7. Wives must be treated with respect.
8. A Cowboy must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action and personal habits.
8. When asked for any information, the answer must be the truth.
9. A Cowboy must respect women, parents and his nations's views.
9. Money cannot be appropriated if it belongs to others or to other families.
10. A Cowboy is a patriot
10. People who can’t be part of Cosa Nostra: anyone who has a close relative in the police, anyone with a two-timing relative in the family, anyone who behaves badly and doesn’t hold to moral values.
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Friday November 9, 2007 - 03:57pm (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
BookBump
BookBump features an intuitive and rich interface that makes book management easy. The elegant environment allows users to easily build, maintain and expand their personal book catalogs. Searching through and sorting books is a breeze as well.
Organized booklists enable users to keep track of a subset of their book catalog. This facilitates better organization and a more streamlined workflow.
BookBump offers a unique price comparison service that gathers the best price for both new and used books from a variety of online book sellers. Users can utilize this to expand their libraries while saving money.
Management features allow users to store detailed information about books in their catalog. This includes personal notes, ratings and much more.
BookBump gathers reviews from over the web and an integrated review system is in the works as well. Users can make informed decisions about books before purchasing
BookBump's bibliography tool, supporting multiple academic formats, saves time for writers and students. Just select the books and let BookBump make many bibliographies instantly!
(Me) (Home)
BookBump features an intuitive and rich interface that makes book management easy. The elegant environment allows users to easily build, maintain and expand their personal book catalogs. Searching through and sorting books is a breeze as well.
Organized booklists enable users to keep track of a subset of their book catalog. This facilitates better organization and a more streamlined workflow.
BookBump offers a unique price comparison service that gathers the best price for both new and used books from a variety of online book sellers. Users can utilize this to expand their libraries while saving money.
Management features allow users to store detailed information about books in their catalog. This includes personal notes, ratings and much more.
BookBump gathers reviews from over the web and an integrated review system is in the works as well. Users can make informed decisions about books before purchasing
BookBump's bibliography tool, supporting multiple academic formats, saves time for writers and students. Just select the books and let BookBump make many bibliographies instantly!
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Friday November 9, 2007 - 01:24pm (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Being overweight is better! It is nice to read articles like this - but of course next week a new study will refute it.
That's the whole troubles with studies - choosing which one to believe is hard! Then again, given the power of suggestion, maybe it is best to believe the one you WANT to be true. In which case, the above study is flawless!
Which remind me of the book I was reading last night - Sand In My Bra. It is a neat collection of true travel stories from the distaff side, and the one I read was of a young lady who crewed on a sailboat. To make a long story short, she was violently seasick till she applied one of the new medicated anti-nausea patches. Within hours she was feeling fine. It was only after she got into port days later that she found out she hadn't removed the plastic cover from the medicated part of the patch ...
Speaking of healing - Woof is moving better all the time - able to U-turn in narrow spaces, and actually ran a bit while we were playing. Folks who see him at longer intervals are still commenting on the positive change in him. /color me pleased. Since hypochondria and psychosomatic illnesses are rare in four legged citizens, I guess he really did benefit from the operation.
Noting that I was being followed by a small car this morning, I traveled a few alleys I don't normally go through. After checking things out, I finally stopped at Cardinal, the car pulled up beside me - and the occupants were wondering if they could bring in some books to trade after I opened.
I love running a small-town bookstore.
(Me) (Home)
That's the whole troubles with studies - choosing which one to believe is hard! Then again, given the power of suggestion, maybe it is best to believe the one you WANT to be true. In which case, the above study is flawless!
Which remind me of the book I was reading last night - Sand In My Bra. It is a neat collection of true travel stories from the distaff side, and the one I read was of a young lady who crewed on a sailboat. To make a long story short, she was violently seasick till she applied one of the new medicated anti-nausea patches. Within hours she was feeling fine. It was only after she got into port days later that she found out she hadn't removed the plastic cover from the medicated part of the patch ...
Speaking of healing - Woof is moving better all the time - able to U-turn in narrow spaces, and actually ran a bit while we were playing. Folks who see him at longer intervals are still commenting on the positive change in him. /color me pleased. Since hypochondria and psychosomatic illnesses are rare in four legged citizens, I guess he really did benefit from the operation.
Noting that I was being followed by a small car this morning, I traveled a few alleys I don't normally go through. After checking things out, I finally stopped at Cardinal, the car pulled up beside me - and the occupants were wondering if they could bring in some books to trade after I opened.
I love running a small-town bookstore.
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Thursday November 8, 2007 - 01:56pm (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 1 Comment
CNN Gets Gun Control Wrong
It represents the worst sort of base appeal to emotions that the anti-gun side has to offer, and the article itself reads like a Brady Campaign press release. I’ll debunk the factual inaccuracies here.
And, the funniest bit about this, comes from Carnaby:
Two days ago, on November 4, 2007, The Real Gun Guys Posted The Journalist's Guide to Gun Violence Coverage. Two days later, on November 6, 2007, CNN.com publishd on the front page of their website Cops find themselves in arms race with criminals. Let's have a rundown:
Sebastian on why the press can't get gun issues right: I mean, why even bother to fact check?
They don't. They just take dictation from The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership.
Posted by SayUncle on November 07, 2007 at 08:45 AMNo Comments!
(Me) (Home) Tags: | Edit Tags Wednesday November 7, 2007 - 03:48pm (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
There is a reason Ronald Reagan is vilified. In his first inaugural address he said : "In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem"
No lie! Still is, though neither major political party feels that way. We seem to be trapped in an ever-growing bureaucracy.
I think folks must be feeling a little worried. Costco & Target are selling survival kits, which indicates a mainstream interest. Writers are noticing it too. Even here in the store, I am getting more requests for Foxfire books and other survival and back-to-the-land resources.
Well, we live in a house of cards. It won't take much to make it all come tumbling down, and when it does I doubt that the government is going to be any more help than it was when Katrina hit.
It is a tactical fact that small units respond better and faster than large units under any conditions, and the worse the conditions the smaller the unit the better.
Consider YOURSELF & your family as a survival unit.
When the grease on the stove catches fire, do you grab an extinguisher & put it out, or do you wait for the fire department? When someone attacks you, do you defend yourself, or wait for law enforcement to get there?
I am willing to bet that you react before you call for help.
As a survival unit, it pays to have some basic supplies on hand - things like toilet paper, matches, some food, spare glasses, basic hand tools, an axe or saw, a radio, lights, pain killers, a weapon of some type, batteries & a solar charger, etc, - and the skills to use them all effectively. You need to be as self-sufficient as you can until - if & when - the big units arrive to help.
Oh - and don't forget books! Basic how-to references are vital, and a supply of entertainment reading is almost as important. Books will not only educate you, they entertain you, and are wonderful items for trading.
I know I am prejudiced, but I think a good library is the most important thing you can own.
(Me) (Home)
No lie! Still is, though neither major political party feels that way. We seem to be trapped in an ever-growing bureaucracy.
I think folks must be feeling a little worried. Costco & Target are selling survival kits, which indicates a mainstream interest. Writers are noticing it too. Even here in the store, I am getting more requests for Foxfire books and other survival and back-to-the-land resources.
Well, we live in a house of cards. It won't take much to make it all come tumbling down, and when it does I doubt that the government is going to be any more help than it was when Katrina hit.
It is a tactical fact that small units respond better and faster than large units under any conditions, and the worse the conditions the smaller the unit the better.
Consider YOURSELF & your family as a survival unit.
When the grease on the stove catches fire, do you grab an extinguisher & put it out, or do you wait for the fire department? When someone attacks you, do you defend yourself, or wait for law enforcement to get there?
I am willing to bet that you react before you call for help.
As a survival unit, it pays to have some basic supplies on hand - things like toilet paper, matches, some food, spare glasses, basic hand tools, an axe or saw, a radio, lights, pain killers, a weapon of some type, batteries & a solar charger, etc, - and the skills to use them all effectively. You need to be as self-sufficient as you can until - if & when - the big units arrive to help.
Oh - and don't forget books! Basic how-to references are vital, and a supply of entertainment reading is almost as important. Books will not only educate you, they entertain you, and are wonderful items for trading.
I know I am prejudiced, but I think a good library is the most important thing you can own.
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Wednesday November 7, 2007 - 11:26am (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Tags: | Edit Tags Wednesday November 7, 2007 - 10:43am (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Kids expelled from school for giving a classmate a hug.
Innocent people being detained because someone reports them as a terrorist
Failure-prone cameras replacing police - because they increase the revenue for the places that use them.
Talk show hosts that are unable to write their own scripts or ad lib their own shows.
Sports teams being sued over their names or logos.
Retroactive laws that create new offenders or put unfair fresh curbs on old ones.
Feds over-ruling states' rights in things like marijuana usage.
People being arrested for assault for pointing their fingers at someone and saying "bang".
Teenagers being arrested for having consensual sex with other teens.
Planned obsolesence - which is wrong on so many levels it's pathetic
Having an arrest on your record affecting you for life - EVEN IF YOU ARE FOUND INNOCENT AT A TRIAL!
MADD DUI laws that don't ( and can't) keep habitual drunk drivers off the roads, but penalize someone for life for a one-thousandth-of-one-percent excess blood alcohol level.
Frivolous lawsuits - and the judges that allow them. (If you spill hot coffee in your lap - it is YOUR FAULT!)
Doctors and insurance companies that constantly rip government programs and each other off, with the patient as the scapegoat.
The whole ineptness of Homeland Security & its employees.
A press that slants the reporting of events it doesn't approve of. It happened in Viet Nam & it's happening now in the Mideast.
Photographers being arrested for taking pictures in public places & streets.
The criminalization of being white & male. (See my Dr. Helen post.)
People hired/promoted because of race or sex, just to fill a quota. (It's fine, as long as they can do the job - but when public safety departments lower their physical standards just so that women can pass them it puts YOU at risk)
Making everything Co-ed. You can't mix men & women and not expect sexual tensions and problems. It ain't human nature.
Blaming inanimate objects for crime, when the person misusing the object is the real problem.
Punishment for people who make politically incorrect statements with no regard to the truth or otherwise of the statements.
The whole nanny-state/thought police mess.
----------------------------------
These are a few of the things that make me glad I am not young, because I don't foresee any improvement coming up. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's going to get worse out there.
Maybe if we are taken over by our Latin American immigrants it will be an improvement - Latin America is NOT known for PC.
(Me) (Home)
Innocent people being detained because someone reports them as a terrorist
Failure-prone cameras replacing police - because they increase the revenue for the places that use them.
Talk show hosts that are unable to write their own scripts or ad lib their own shows.
Sports teams being sued over their names or logos.
Retroactive laws that create new offenders or put unfair fresh curbs on old ones.
Feds over-ruling states' rights in things like marijuana usage.
People being arrested for assault for pointing their fingers at someone and saying "bang".
Teenagers being arrested for having consensual sex with other teens.
Planned obsolesence - which is wrong on so many levels it's pathetic
Having an arrest on your record affecting you for life - EVEN IF YOU ARE FOUND INNOCENT AT A TRIAL!
MADD DUI laws that don't ( and can't) keep habitual drunk drivers off the roads, but penalize someone for life for a one-thousandth-of-one-percent excess blood alcohol level.
Frivolous lawsuits - and the judges that allow them. (If you spill hot coffee in your lap - it is YOUR FAULT!)
Doctors and insurance companies that constantly rip government programs and each other off, with the patient as the scapegoat.
The whole ineptness of Homeland Security & its employees.
A press that slants the reporting of events it doesn't approve of. It happened in Viet Nam & it's happening now in the Mideast.
Photographers being arrested for taking pictures in public places & streets.
The criminalization of being white & male. (See my Dr. Helen post.)
People hired/promoted because of race or sex, just to fill a quota. (It's fine, as long as they can do the job - but when public safety departments lower their physical standards just so that women can pass them it puts YOU at risk)
Making everything Co-ed. You can't mix men & women and not expect sexual tensions and problems. It ain't human nature.
Blaming inanimate objects for crime, when the person misusing the object is the real problem.
Punishment for people who make politically incorrect statements with no regard to the truth or otherwise of the statements.
The whole nanny-state/thought police mess.
----------------------------------
These are a few of the things that make me glad I am not young, because I don't foresee any improvement coming up. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's going to get worse out there.
Maybe if we are taken over by our Latin American immigrants it will be an improvement - Latin America is NOT known for PC.
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Monday November 5, 2007 - 12:56pm (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Dr Helen > Dr. Phil
I hate PC & admire her..... check out the bold italicized part below, then tell me why domestic violence is portrayed in such a slanted fashion in media and institutions. Granted I am prejudiced, I was in an abusive relationship - on the receiving end - and criticized for defending myself.
---------------------------------------
o Husband
o Ex-husband
o Boyfriend
o Ex-boyfriend
So I sent them this letter:
So what do you think the chances are that they will respond or make changes to update their website with current data on domestic violence?
(Me) (Home)
I hate PC & admire her..... check out the bold italicized part below, then tell me why domestic violence is portrayed in such a slanted fashion in media and institutions. Granted I am prejudiced, I was in an abusive relationship - on the receiving end - and criticized for defending myself.
---------------------------------------
My Efforts at Educating Officialdom
So I received this card in the mail announcing the new domestic violence reporting requirements for the Tennessee Department of Health. I decided to check out their website and found it to be lacking in the recent research on the role women play in domestic violence. I also noticed that the reporting form had the word "female" listed first under "patient" and under perpetrator in the first column listed:o Husband
o Ex-husband
o Boyfriend
o Ex-boyfriend
So I sent them this letter:
Division of Health Statistics/DV
4th Floor, Cordell Hull Building
425 5th Avernue North
Nashville, TN37243
Dear Domestic Violence Reporting Coordinator:
As a licensed psychologist, I recently received a card on the new domestic violence reporting requirements that states that licensed professionals are now required to report cases of suspected or confirmed domestic violence/abuse to the Tennessee Department of Health. I am writing out of concern after reading the information on your site and noticing that much of this information is not updated with the most recent research on domestic violence.
I am a psychologist who has worked with numerous patients who have been victims of domestic violence over the years. As you may well know, domestic violence is not just perpretrated by men against women, it is also perpretrated against men by women. Many professionals do not know this and it is not apparent in your literature. For example, your information to EMS workers states:
"Approximately 98% of documented domestic assaults are committed by men against women. As a result, throughout this text, we will refer to the perpetrator as “he” and the survivor or victim as “she” even though some domestic violence is initiated by women and some cases involve people of the same sex."
Recent studies are finding that both men and women act out physically in relationships and in one recent study, women initiated violence in over 70% of cases. Here is some information from the head of the American Psychological Association:
"Several studies of domestic violence have suggested that males and females in relationships have an equal likelihood of acting out physical aggression, although differing in tactics and potential for causing injury (e.g., women assailants will more likely throw something, slap, kick, bite, or punch their partner, or hit them with an object, while males will more likely beat up their partners, and choke or strangle them). In addition, data show that that intimate partner violence rates among heterosexual and gay and lesbian teens do not differ significantly."
The source is here.
Another recent study in the journal "Violence and Victims" found that nearly twice as many women as men perpetrated domestic violence:
"The study, published in the journal Violence and Victims, also found no independent link between an individual's use of alcohol or drugs and committing domestic violence. In addition it showed that nearly twice as many women as men said they perpetrated domestic violence in the past year, including kicking, biting or punching a partner, threatening to hit or throw something at a partner, and pushing, grabbing or shoving a partner, said Herrenkohl."
The source is here.
Psychiatric News also reports a study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development that stated that men should not be overlooked as victims and that reciprocal violence leads to injury in men more often than women:
"Regarding perpetration of violence, more women than men (25 percent versus 11 percent) were responsible. In fact, 71 percent of the instigators in nonreciprocal partner violence were women. This finding surprised Whitaker and his colleagues, they admitted in their study report.
As for physical injury due to intimate partner violence, it was more likely to occur when the violence was reciprocal than nonreciprocal. And while injury was more likely when violence was perpetrated by men, in relationships with reciprocal violence it was the men who were injured more often (25 percent of the time) than were women (20 percent of the time). "This is important as violence perpetrated by women is often seen as not serious," Whitaker and his group stressed."
The source is here.
In summary, I would just like to request that professionals receive information on female on male domestic violence and that your website be updated to reflect the findings of current research in the field of domestic violence. My fear is that professionals will only report male on female violence and the men and perhaps children that are victims of domestic violence will be left out of the equation to suffer on their own.
Thank you in advance for your time and attention to this matter.
Helen Smith, PhD, HSP
Licensed Psychologist
So what do you think the chances are that they will respond or make changes to update their website with current data on domestic violence?
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Monday November 5, 2007 - 12:52pm (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
The joy of modern technology!
Google Analytics reports these 30-day stats for my website:
Email feedback is sure positive, & helpful to the point where the page is a community project. As I stated, finding & filling a unique & useful niche on the net is kinda cool, even if it is such a tiny one.
I have done the website, like this blog and like my photography, for my own pleasure, but it is nice when others find it to be rewarding.
Which reminds me, one lady rented a photo of a deer from me so she could use it in a painting - she paid me with a bottle of Aussie wine. :) I also got an advance copy of that flier with my Bigfork photo from the graphics artist with a thank you note. It made me smile.
(Me) (Home)
Google Analytics reports these 30-day stats for my website:
392 Visitors, 382 new visitors, 520 visits, 1,188 pageviews, 2.28 pages per visit
Adding a new page and discussing it on Yahoo sure drives up the stats. Before this, I had run about 1,000 visits per year, which is pathetic as far as websites go. Who knows, I might even get some link-backs from this.Email feedback is sure positive, & helpful to the point where the page is a community project. As I stated, finding & filling a unique & useful niche on the net is kinda cool, even if it is such a tiny one.
I have done the website, like this blog and like my photography, for my own pleasure, but it is nice when others find it to be rewarding.
Which reminds me, one lady rented a photo of a deer from me so she could use it in a painting - she paid me with a bottle of Aussie wine. :) I also got an advance copy of that flier with my Bigfork photo from the graphics artist with a thank you note. It made me smile.
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Monday November 5, 2007 - 12:19pm (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Can't even find a cartoon for inspiration, let alone anything serious.
Bookstore is SNAFU here - Situation Normal, All Filled UP. A bigger store would be nice.
Woof: Improving daily.
Asked the lady at SA why, since Halloween was over, she didn't take off her mask. It may be a while before I hear the last of that.
I put a caveat on the RX321 page - "Be aware that I can't vouch for the accuracy of these. They were provided by an anonymous source at GW." All I am doing is putting up info supplied by others, no guarantees of accuracy.
Stuck up some photos of the radio, not too happy with them, probably have to take more later. Over 300 distinct visitors this month, so I guess I am stirring up a little interest. It has been fun doing the site - all plain vanilla, no frills, table layouts designed more for function than eye candy.
Dunno if I am bored or not. Ending a project alway leaves me feeling a bit odd & deflated.
(Me) (Home)
Bookstore is SNAFU here - Situation Normal, All Filled UP. A bigger store would be nice.
Woof: Improving daily.
Asked the lady at SA why, since Halloween was over, she didn't take off her mask. It may be a while before I hear the last of that.
I put a caveat on the RX321 page - "Be aware that I can't vouch for the accuracy of these. They were provided by an anonymous source at GW." All I am doing is putting up info supplied by others, no guarantees of accuracy.
Stuck up some photos of the radio, not too happy with them, probably have to take more later. Over 300 distinct visitors this month, so I guess I am stirring up a little interest. It has been fun doing the site - all plain vanilla, no frills, table layouts designed more for function than eye candy.
Dunno if I am bored or not. Ending a project alway leaves me feeling a bit odd & deflated.
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Sunday November 4, 2007 - 04:37pm (MST) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 1 Comment
. . . if that is funny or not. Dad always told me I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached . . .
Mixed bag this morning. Woof got his stitches out and no longer has to wear the Ecollar but is still on antibiotics. He had to take them for a week from the day they drained the serum buildup from his incision and has a few days left to go.. He seems quite happy and moves more freely than he has for a long time.
Weird mutt - he enjoys going to the vet! He is eager to scramble over the tailgate and put his nose to work - I guess it is an olfactory smorgasboard for him there. Plus they like him there and he gets special treatment.
The RX321 page is basically done except for photos I need to take and then post. It's getting a lot of visits and some great feedback, so I guess it fills a need. I feel a little pride of accomplishment - nowadays it is hard to find an empty (but needed and useful) information niche on the net. I assume I did a good job, going by the responses. I am greatly indebted to the good folks that sent me information to add - the aquisition of the schematics filled a major need and gave me a scoop. Lack of schematics has been a lament of RX321 owners ever since they were released to the public. I hope that the anonymous donor lets me eventually credit him on the page.
I got a copy of the Montana Conservation Voters' flyer from the graphic artist today. It was a little ego trip to see one of my photos in print. I suspect Shorty will be pleased too, since A Able Fishing gets star billing in it.
Please pardon my warm glow on this overcast & sunless day!
(Me) (Home)
Mixed bag this morning. Woof got his stitches out and no longer has to wear the Ecollar but is still on antibiotics. He had to take them for a week from the day they drained the serum buildup from his incision and has a few days left to go.. He seems quite happy and moves more freely than he has for a long time.
Weird mutt - he enjoys going to the vet! He is eager to scramble over the tailgate and put his nose to work - I guess it is an olfactory smorgasboard for him there. Plus they like him there and he gets special treatment.
The RX321 page is basically done except for photos I need to take and then post. It's getting a lot of visits and some great feedback, so I guess it fills a need. I feel a little pride of accomplishment - nowadays it is hard to find an empty (but needed and useful) information niche on the net. I assume I did a good job, going by the responses. I am greatly indebted to the good folks that sent me information to add - the aquisition of the schematics filled a major need and gave me a scoop. Lack of schematics has been a lament of RX321 owners ever since they were released to the public. I hope that the anonymous donor lets me eventually credit him on the page.
I got a copy of the Montana Conservation Voters' flyer from the graphic artist today. It was a little ego trip to see one of my photos in print. I suspect Shorty will be pleased too, since A Able Fishing gets star billing in it.
Please pardon my warm glow on this overcast & sunless day!
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Saturday November 3, 2007 - 12:08pm (MDT) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
This country was founded on the basis of freedom for the individual, but freedom in the USA has been eroding since they drove the gold spike in Utah. Every day since then there has been less room for what society terms individualists or misfits, and now individualism is treated too often as a crime.
The world changed a lot after WWII, and I guess my generation screwed us up. When I was a kid, the federal government was seldom encountered, family units still functioned, divorce was frowned on, and the per-capita ratio of lawyers was a heck of a lot smaller than it is now - all good things, in my opinion. PC begs to differ with me, though, and I guess PC is winning.
PC doesn't handle conflicts too well though. The people who say violence never settles anything have never had to deal with violence up close & personal. It can and does settle things, and is sometimes the only way.
The press seems appalled that Paul W. Tibbets Jr., the pilot of the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb, never expressed regrets at the deaths he caused. This was combat - ask someone who has been there. Why should he feel guilt over Hiroshima - he saved millions of lives, both Japanese and American? I guess this doesn't fit in with the latest fad in PC - apologizing for history.
Those who speak out against torture and killing do so in the abstract too. Using the PC value of greatest good, isn't getting vital information that can save countless lives more important than any one person's wellbeing? When a choice lies between killing or seeing yourself or someone you love killed, can you stand idly by and let it happen?
(Speaking of history - here is a question. We treat the period of slavery as a dark blot in our history, which it was, but do we ever consider the effect NOT being brought to America would have had on thousands of Black familes? From what I have read, life in Africa was much harsher than life as a slave here - there was good reason for it to be called the "Dark Continent" and the overall survival rate was pretty low. Isn't life better for some of the descendants now because they are here, and not starving in Kenya or Uganda?)
Even the finding of scientists are questioned when they don't agree with political correctness. Look at the what happened to brilliant DNA discoverer James Watson when he dared to state his opinions and findings on racial intelligence. I don't know if he was right or wrong, but I thought he had a right to freedom of speech.
Look at women in the military. Few, if any, of our commanders feel like co-ed troops are a good idea, but none will go on record saying it because it is career suicide.
I guess "The greater good for the greater number" is a good rule, but I wish it had more flexibility.
On a totally unrelated note, I wonder if this New marriage counseling will be the latest fad? Probably not...
(Me) (Home)
The world changed a lot after WWII, and I guess my generation screwed us up. When I was a kid, the federal government was seldom encountered, family units still functioned, divorce was frowned on, and the per-capita ratio of lawyers was a heck of a lot smaller than it is now - all good things, in my opinion. PC begs to differ with me, though, and I guess PC is winning.
PC doesn't handle conflicts too well though. The people who say violence never settles anything have never had to deal with violence up close & personal. It can and does settle things, and is sometimes the only way.
The press seems appalled that Paul W. Tibbets Jr., the pilot of the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb, never expressed regrets at the deaths he caused. This was combat - ask someone who has been there. Why should he feel guilt over Hiroshima - he saved millions of lives, both Japanese and American? I guess this doesn't fit in with the latest fad in PC - apologizing for history.
Those who speak out against torture and killing do so in the abstract too. Using the PC value of greatest good, isn't getting vital information that can save countless lives more important than any one person's wellbeing? When a choice lies between killing or seeing yourself or someone you love killed, can you stand idly by and let it happen?
(Speaking of history - here is a question. We treat the period of slavery as a dark blot in our history, which it was, but do we ever consider the effect NOT being brought to America would have had on thousands of Black familes? From what I have read, life in Africa was much harsher than life as a slave here - there was good reason for it to be called the "Dark Continent" and the overall survival rate was pretty low. Isn't life better for some of the descendants now because they are here, and not starving in Kenya or Uganda?)
Even the finding of scientists are questioned when they don't agree with political correctness. Look at the what happened to brilliant DNA discoverer James Watson when he dared to state his opinions and findings on racial intelligence. I don't know if he was right or wrong, but I thought he had a right to freedom of speech.
Look at women in the military. Few, if any, of our commanders feel like co-ed troops are a good idea, but none will go on record saying it because it is career suicide.
I guess "The greater good for the greater number" is a good rule, but I wish it had more flexibility.
On a totally unrelated note, I wonder if this New marriage counseling will be the latest fad? Probably not...
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Friday November 2, 2007 - 02:19pm (MDT) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Unfortunately, the only truly effective diet requires a change of lifestyle, which means WORK.
(Me) (Home)
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Friday November 2, 2007 - 11:58am (MDT) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Tags: | Edit Tags Friday November 2, 2007 - 10:32am (MDT) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
12angrymen has a great post on the fate of chemistry sets.
At what point does the outlawing of items because of their potential use reach complete idiocy? The banning of sea water & table salt?
There was a time when the US got along fine with the states running their own business and the feds taking care of the international scene. Now the "Federal Creep" is reaching into every aspect of our lives, which is a LONG way from the founding father's concept of the Feds butting out except in the case of trade between states - a loophole our government has enthusiastically used to expand its power. Many, many things that used to be local misdemeanors are now Federal felonies.
I suppose the situation was created by the failure of individuals to accept responsibility for their own actions. People who are outright failures as parents can blame TV, games, and the local drug dealers for their kids problems. Alcoholic? Blame society. Mugged/raped/murdered? Blame the availability of ... whatever.
That placing of blame absolves folks of guilt but forces SOMEONE to react - usually the lawmakers. No, let me rephrase that: UNFORTUNATELY it is usually the lawmakers.
Someone you care about gets slammed by a drunk driver? Let's make a new law that makes more drivers illegal. (Never mind that those laws don't keep serious drunk drivers off the roads and make very minor infractions into life-changing events for the average person.)
I think the most dangerous words in the language are "There ought to be a law...". No - there ought to be LESS laws and more personal responsibility and conscience.
(Me) (Home)
At what point does the outlawing of items because of their potential use reach complete idiocy? The banning of sea water & table salt?
There was a time when the US got along fine with the states running their own business and the feds taking care of the international scene. Now the "Federal Creep" is reaching into every aspect of our lives, which is a LONG way from the founding father's concept of the Feds butting out except in the case of trade between states - a loophole our government has enthusiastically used to expand its power. Many, many things that used to be local misdemeanors are now Federal felonies.
I suppose the situation was created by the failure of individuals to accept responsibility for their own actions. People who are outright failures as parents can blame TV, games, and the local drug dealers for their kids problems. Alcoholic? Blame society. Mugged/raped/murdered? Blame the availability of ... whatever.
That placing of blame absolves folks of guilt but forces SOMEONE to react - usually the lawmakers. No, let me rephrase that: UNFORTUNATELY it is usually the lawmakers.
Someone you care about gets slammed by a drunk driver? Let's make a new law that makes more drivers illegal. (Never mind that those laws don't keep serious drunk drivers off the roads and make very minor infractions into life-changing events for the average person.)
I think the most dangerous words in the language are "There ought to be a law...". No - there ought to be LESS laws and more personal responsibility and conscience.
(Me) (Home)
The new page for the RX321 is now my most popular page. This will wear off fast since I invited views in some news groups. 50-60 visits each day since I posted the link to it. It needs a lot of cleaning up and maybe some sub-pages installed. We'll see...
Woof went to the Vet yesterday & had the incision drained - a lot of serum buildup in the cavity. No infection, but now he is on antibiotics in case the draining introduced germs. Stitches out tomorrow, which will be a relief to all of us.
Interesting bit about what yahoo search can do that Googlle doesn't.
I am NOT happy with Google's group search. It's busted! Unfortunately, Yahoo is no better. If anyone know os a better usenet/groups search engine, let me know, please! (Google ignores date ranges right now - in either FF or IE7, only 2007 is searched and older posts are ignored, which makes data-mining for RX321 posts a bit harder than necessary.)
(Me) (Home)
Woof went to the Vet yesterday & had the incision drained - a lot of serum buildup in the cavity. No infection, but now he is on antibiotics in case the draining introduced germs. Stitches out tomorrow, which will be a relief to all of us.
Interesting bit about what yahoo search can do that Googlle doesn't.
I am NOT happy with Google's group search. It's busted! Unfortunately, Yahoo is no better. If anyone know os a better usenet/groups search engine, let me know, please! (Google ignores date ranges right now - in either FF or IE7, only 2007 is searched and older posts are ignored, which makes data-mining for RX321 posts a bit harder than necessary.)
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Thursday November 1, 2007 - 12:07pm (MDT) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
From the Paris International herald tribune:
Shortwave-radio era looks short-lived
By Doreen Carvajal
Published: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2006
PARIS: Perhaps it is fitting that a 50-second video clip of an ear-shattering explosion of 13 shortwave radio antenna towers on the Spanish Costa Brava is getting viewers on the Web site YouTube.
It took 32 pounds, or 14.5 kilograms, of dynamite to fell the massive antennas, which long relayed news from the United States to the former Soviet Union. But the most powerful force behind the demolition was the rapidly shifting landscape of radio, where listeners are migrating toward MP3 players, Internet radio and podcasting.
The felling of the towers was the latest noisy outburst of a cost-cutting trend that is silencing the familiar and crackly shortwave voices that leap across the globe through the clear night sky in times of crisis and Cold War, tsunami and Thai coup.
In January, the Finnish public broadcaster YLE will end all of its shortwave broadcasts with the goal of saving money and diverting resources to online news services.
Next month, Germany's public broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, will end its German-language shortwave broadcasts aimed at Canada and the United States.
(Me) (Home)
Tags: | Edit Tags Wednesday October 31, 2007 - 04:46pm (MDT) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
. . . or whatever.
Tags: | Edit Tags Wednesday October 31, 2007 - 10:29am (MDT) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Swiped from Cato, and very scary:
(Me) (Home)
How many federal police agencies can you name?
The list is getting longer. CIA, FBI, NSA, ATF, DEA, INS, TSA, Secret Service, Customs, Border Patrol, U.S. Marshals Service, to name a few. But there are many more. IRS agents are armed. So are EPA agents. Agents with the Bureau of Land Management are not only armed, they have a SWAT team. Now agents with the Office of the Inspector General are getting into the police business, as Ryan Scott found out when his dog was shot and killed by an unnamed investigator.
Expect more stories like this. The number of federal criminal laws has been steadily expanding (pdf). To enforce those laws, Congress hires more agents. The agents, in turn, conduct more raids. To process the cases, Congress hires more prosecutors. And then, of course, Congress builds more prisons.
What we need to do is roll all of this back. Way back. For Cato scholarship on the federalization of crime, go here (pdf), here, and here.
Tags: | Edit Tags Tuesday October 30, 2007 - 03:25pm (MDT) Edit | Delete | Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Between the store & the RX321 web page, I haven't had time to blog. maybe this is a good thing? I think I have a one-track mind when it comes to projects.
Very little response to my radio info request. The one man connected to the RX321 development wouldn't comment and no one else has responded. Oh well, the page is up and I am sure that if I have any gross errors they will be pointed out to me.
My friends that went through the fire have listed their ranch for sale. This saddens me in many ways. Oh well - life consists of constant change. As old as I am you think I would be usd to it by now.
Woof is doing better every day, and is molre alert and happier than he has been in a long time.
I see Sony has a new DSLR out. I want one! Well, if it is better than the 7D. That remains to be seen.
(Me) (Home)
Very little response to my radio info request. The one man connected to the RX321 development wouldn't comment and no one else has responded. Oh well, the page is up and I am sure that if I have any gross errors they will be pointed out to me.
My friends that went through the fire have listed their ranch for sale. This saddens me in many ways. Oh well - life consists of constant change. As old as I am you think I would be usd to it by now.
Woof is doing better every day, and is molre alert and happier than he has been in a long time.
I see Sony has a new DSLR out. I want one! Well, if it is better than the 7D. That remains to be seen.
(Me) (Home)
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