Hydraulic fracturing is a drilling process that blasts large amounts of water deep into the earth to fracture dense shale and allow natural gas to escape. Some of the water used in this process which is in the hundreds of thousands of gallons becomes contaminated with toxic and often potentially carcinogenic materials.
Most states where fracking is allowed require the contaminated liquid to be disposed of in deep injection wells. But in some states, primarily PA, the liquid is routinely partially treated and then dumped into rivers and streams.
Fracking was one of those under the radar type activities that didn’t draw much attention unless you live in close proximity to the sites. But it has been in the news lately and a few choice articles caught my attention.
Lots of folks are getting rich off of releasing the huge gas reserves underground, especially since natural gas is in high demand due to the increasing cost of oil products. While the process of fracking and capturing natural gas has it’s advocates, there are some disturbing aspects of the practice coming to light.
A Democratic study of the contaminated water produced is raising the alarm over how sound a practice it really is. There have been incidents of spills, contaminated drinking water and the EPA is finally pushing PA officials to test the water being released into waterways after treatment.
Fracking has also served to divide communities and pit neighbor against neighbor. Land owners getting rich off selling the gas rights on their property are being subjected to acrimonious acts of others in their community. While the land owners defend their right to sell the gas on their property, others argue that the potential for toxic spills and environmental damage, not to mention the increase in noise and traffic related to the gas production will affect their living standards and drive down real estate values.
And while there is no definitive answers yet, there are studies suggesting that deep injection wells may trigger seismic activity especially in earthquake prone areas.
Without government regulation and oversight and further studies of fracking and all related activities, the impact on our environment and the people living in gas rich areas could end up being devastating.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
TEA PARTYING WITH RACISM
Tea Party member and virulent birther, Marilyn Davenport of Orange County, California, had no idea that emailing a photo shopped picture depicting President Obama as an ape to her fellow Tea Partiers was racist. Noooooooo. The thought never crossed what passes as her mind. This woman is apparently so bereft of any common sense that she is clueless about the insulting dehumanization that African Americans have endured throughout our sorry racial history, and that one of the ways to humiliate this group was to compare them to subhumans.
Pointing out that George W. Bush was referred to as "Chimpy" isn't in any way, shape or form an equivalency. George W. Bush's race was never demonized and dehumanized to the point where people felt torturning and lynching a white citizen was justified because he dared speak to or look at a black woman. Members of George Bush's race never were told to sit at the back of the bus, or drink from separate fountains, nor were white children of tax-paying parents denied entrance into a tax supported state college because their skin was lily white. Referring to Dubya as Chimpy had nothing to do with his race, and everything to do with his incompetence. If Tea Party members don't understand the difference, then they need to read up on the history of racism in this country, pull their heads out of their collective anuses, and face their bigotry head on.
But back to this Orange County woman who defended her stupid email:
"This afternoon, Marilyn Davenport sent an email to fellow Orange County Republican elected officials, apologizing if anyone was offended by her depicting President Barack Obama as an ape--while also blasting the "liberal media" for reporting the story."
Notice that this contemptible woman didn't really apologize. Nowhere does she say she's sorry for acting like a foul-hearted asshat. No. she apologizes IF anyone was offended by her depiction of President Obama as an ape--an image that white racists have used to demean and demoralize African Americans through our history. She's too lamebrained to understand this simple fact. And then, like all cowards, she blames the messenger for her atrocious idiocy.
"I simply found it amusing regarding the character of Obama and all the questions surrounding his origin of birth," Davenport wrote. "In no way did I even consider the fact he's half black when I sent out the email. In fact, the thought never entered my mind until one or two other people [Scott Baugh, Orange County GOP boss, and this writer] tried to make this about race. . . . I received plenty of emails about George Bush that I didn't particularly like yet there was no 'cry' in the media about them."
She never considered the fact that President Obama is an African American when she sent out her humiliating email. This is because she is a stupid woman, too ignorant of this country's history to know when she is committing an egregious insult to a group of people who have had to endure the likes of her for centuries.
I'm sick of it all, but most assuredly sick of the jackasses--people like Davenport--who populate the Tea Party. I'm sick of them denying that this racism is a part of who they are and what they believe. It's part of what the Tea Party is, and it's blatant.
Finally, I'm sick of those who become indignant when they are confronted with the reality that the Tea Party has a HUGE streak of racism running down its spine.
It's wide, it's yellow, and it stinks.
Pointing out that George W. Bush was referred to as "Chimpy" isn't in any way, shape or form an equivalency. George W. Bush's race was never demonized and dehumanized to the point where people felt torturning and lynching a white citizen was justified because he dared speak to or look at a black woman. Members of George Bush's race never were told to sit at the back of the bus, or drink from separate fountains, nor were white children of tax-paying parents denied entrance into a tax supported state college because their skin was lily white. Referring to Dubya as Chimpy had nothing to do with his race, and everything to do with his incompetence. If Tea Party members don't understand the difference, then they need to read up on the history of racism in this country, pull their heads out of their collective anuses, and face their bigotry head on.
But back to this Orange County woman who defended her stupid email:
"This afternoon, Marilyn Davenport sent an email to fellow Orange County Republican elected officials, apologizing if anyone was offended by her depicting President Barack Obama as an ape--while also blasting the "liberal media" for reporting the story."
Notice that this contemptible woman didn't really apologize. Nowhere does she say she's sorry for acting like a foul-hearted asshat. No. she apologizes IF anyone was offended by her depiction of President Obama as an ape--an image that white racists have used to demean and demoralize African Americans through our history. She's too lamebrained to understand this simple fact. And then, like all cowards, she blames the messenger for her atrocious idiocy.
"I simply found it amusing regarding the character of Obama and all the questions surrounding his origin of birth," Davenport wrote. "In no way did I even consider the fact he's half black when I sent out the email. In fact, the thought never entered my mind until one or two other people [Scott Baugh, Orange County GOP boss, and this writer] tried to make this about race. . . . I received plenty of emails about George Bush that I didn't particularly like yet there was no 'cry' in the media about them."
She never considered the fact that President Obama is an African American when she sent out her humiliating email. This is because she is a stupid woman, too ignorant of this country's history to know when she is committing an egregious insult to a group of people who have had to endure the likes of her for centuries.
I'm sick of it all, but most assuredly sick of the jackasses--people like Davenport--who populate the Tea Party. I'm sick of them denying that this racism is a part of who they are and what they believe. It's part of what the Tea Party is, and it's blatant.
Finally, I'm sick of those who become indignant when they are confronted with the reality that the Tea Party has a HUGE streak of racism running down its spine.
It's wide, it's yellow, and it stinks.
Dear Mr. President,
Only 2500 characters allowed, so I had to drop most adjectives, and big chunks of the first and second paragraphs. And, obviously, the video.Dear President Obama,
Interesting speech this week. You made some very good points, and you're going back to one of your strengths - oration. (To be honest, I didn't actually watch it live, but I've seen clips, and I read the transcript. But hey, what do you want out of me? I don't have that kind of attention span. I have publicly admitted to listening to pop music, so it's probably something of a miracle that I know how to read, much less write.)
On top of which, there are only so many hours in the day, after all, and Cartoon Network is replaying episodes of Robot Chicken that I was too drunk to remember the first time.
I'm not going to go into all the points in your speech: I'll admit, however, that it's somewhat refreshing to hear someone in power point out that the Defense budget could use some trimming. You're going to take some hits from the GOP on that, but stand firm. It's got to happen.
Now, here's the thing, though. I voted for you - hell, I even volunteered for your campaign. But I have to say, I'm a little disappointed. Although you came out and told people you were a centrist, you made a lot of promises, and, while you've come through on a lot of them, there's also a bunch of things you haven't done.
Does "Guantanamo" ring a bell?
And, frankly, you've already said that you'd stand firm on not renewing the Bush tax cuts. That was about three months before you renewed them again.
Well, it's only been five months since the last switch, and here you are, saying "I refuse to renew them again."
So, you know, funny thing: it's kind of difficult to believe you, when you've already lied about something once.
But I'll tell you what. Let's set up a plan now, for what to do at some unnamed point in the future when you decide to
Let's put it up to a vote. Not Congress, but the American people. If you decide that some subject is too much of a hot potato politically, even if the majority of the American people are for it, how about if, instead of just abandoning those liberal, all-American principles that give Rupert Murdoch heart palpitations, how about if you just put it up to the American voter? Stick a simple, unslanted question onto the ballot: "Should the Bush-era tax cuts be extended?" See what the answer is. I think you'll be surprised.
And maybe you can lead up to this with a few more speeches like this last one. Let's be real - you're never going to be popular with Republicans. They don't like you for a number of reasons (and the fact that you're black may not even be at the top of the list). Point out simple logic, like "if tax breaks for the rich created jobs, shouldn't George W. Bush have left office with no unemployment in the country at all?"
You can't make everybody happy. In fact, you can't make the GOP happy at all. Can you please just ignore Limbaugh and Hannity shrieking, in the face of all evidence to the contrary, that you're the "most liberal president ever!" for just a minute, and do what's right? Please?
Saturday, April 16, 2011
If you don't get the joke, you might be a Republican
By Capt. Fogg
Well no wonder they don't think The Daily Show is funny and don't notice when Colbert rips them to pieces.
Some scientific folks at UC San Francisco have completed a study indicating that people in the early stages of dementia have lost the snark detection system most of us were born with and can't tell when you're lying or being facetious. It explains a lot of things, actually, from why people send their life savings to Nigeria to why they can support a candidate who changes his entire philosophy from hour to hour to negate whatever his opponent says.
"Divergent Neuroanatomic Correlates of Sarcasm and Lie Comprehension in Neurodegenerative Disease," a paper presented Thursday at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Hawaii, suggests that dementia can be detected earlier by noting this telltale disability. Fans of Blade Runner will smile and those of us baffled by the thought processes of Sarah Palin disciples will say "AHAH!" Perhaps we can now begin to understand why there are no really funny conservative comedians and how John McCain can flip and flop faster than a Cray supercomputer without fostering the slightest cynicism from the right.
After all, what has been eroded by disease in some people may simply not exist in others.
Well no wonder they don't think The Daily Show is funny and don't notice when Colbert rips them to pieces.
Some scientific folks at UC San Francisco have completed a study indicating that people in the early stages of dementia have lost the snark detection system most of us were born with and can't tell when you're lying or being facetious. It explains a lot of things, actually, from why people send their life savings to Nigeria to why they can support a candidate who changes his entire philosophy from hour to hour to negate whatever his opponent says.
"Divergent Neuroanatomic Correlates of Sarcasm and Lie Comprehension in Neurodegenerative Disease," a paper presented Thursday at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Hawaii, suggests that dementia can be detected earlier by noting this telltale disability. Fans of Blade Runner will smile and those of us baffled by the thought processes of Sarah Palin disciples will say "AHAH!" Perhaps we can now begin to understand why there are no really funny conservative comedians and how John McCain can flip and flop faster than a Cray supercomputer without fostering the slightest cynicism from the right.
After all, what has been eroded by disease in some people may simply not exist in others.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Fukushima Mon Amour
By Octopus
Curious how human beings reduce natural phenomena to pithy terms: A Richter scale for earthquakes; five categories for storms and tornadoes; a number seven for deadly sins and nuclear alerts.
Earlier this week, authorities in Japan raised the severity alert of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant to a level seven - a Chernobyl scale disaster - reflecting prolonged releases of radiation and wider consequences than previously thought. For weeks, levels of radioactive iodine and cesium in air, rainwater, vegetables, and dairy cattle have far exceeded normal limits.
Despite the catastrophic scope of last month’s earthquake and tsunami, the people of the Rising Sun consider themselves fortunate in at least one respect. Radioactive clouds of steam and smoke have blown eastward over the Pacific Ocean and away from major population centers in Japan. Yet, millions of gallons of radioactive coolant water were discharged at sea, and it may be years before the impact on ocean ecosystems is fully understood.
Ocean dumping of nuclear waste was banned by international treaty in the 1970s. Of concern to scientists now is not the immediate level of radioactivity but the longer-term consequences. Even minute amounts of radiation have the potential to be absorbed by plants and animals and enter the food chain. As smaller fish are eaten by larger fish, heavy metals and their radioactive counterparts bio-accumulate up the food chain until the ultimate consumer – the human population – is put at maximum risk.
 |
| W. Eugene Smith, Minamata |
Nuclear waste is a subset of the larger problem of industrial pollution, and Fukushima is merely the latest chapter of a long and appalling saga: Minamata, Love Canal, Bhopal, Deepwater Horizon, Libby Asbestos, Exxon Valdez, Three Mile Island, and Chernobyl, as the most grotesque examples. Entire ecosystems destroyed for generations, landscapes and seascapes laid waste and barren, dead zones and ghost towns, crippled economies and ruined lives … our world dies by a thousand blows.
 |
| Paul Fusco, Chernobyl |
To maintain lavish lifestyles, we consume prodigious amounts of energy and pay for it – not just in unit costs per BTU – but in terms of health and human life. In this unholy bargain, we have come to regard consumers and workers as fungibles and expendables, as a necessary sacrifice in exchange for a profligate and reckless economic system gone mad. Yet, incident after incident, and year after year, we continue to place our trust in the infallibility of our technologies and enterprises. It is a pact made with Mephistopheles Inc.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Free exercise
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"
All well and good, but as it so often happens, the ignorant, angry rabble the constitution was designed to prevent from directly controlling our country disagree. According to a CNN poll this morning, 64% of Americans responding, support a federal ban on garments that hide the face; garments which are required by the free exercise of some religious denominations. So much for our constant squealing about Freedom.
Where are the cries of too much government I have to listen to constantly? There's a move here to eliminate licensing for professions that now require them, like Yacht brokerage -- in the interest of "less government" and because, as the local paper says, "it will make it easier to get into the business." I'm sure it will, especially for the unscrupulous.
I had to listen to a tantrum in Miami International Airport the other day, when a man decided the overly long walk to the customs hall was the result of "too much government," but telling us how to constitute our families, who we may marry, what clothes we may not wear, what religion we may not freely exercise? Well, now, that's different!
All well and good, but as it so often happens, the ignorant, angry rabble the constitution was designed to prevent from directly controlling our country disagree. According to a CNN poll this morning, 64% of Americans responding, support a federal ban on garments that hide the face; garments which are required by the free exercise of some religious denominations. So much for our constant squealing about Freedom.
Where are the cries of too much government I have to listen to constantly? There's a move here to eliminate licensing for professions that now require them, like Yacht brokerage -- in the interest of "less government" and because, as the local paper says, "it will make it easier to get into the business." I'm sure it will, especially for the unscrupulous.
I had to listen to a tantrum in Miami International Airport the other day, when a man decided the overly long walk to the customs hall was the result of "too much government," but telling us how to constitute our families, who we may marry, what clothes we may not wear, what religion we may not freely exercise? Well, now, that's different!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Justice for the menstrual murderers!
To: Rep. John Merrill (R-Tuscaloosa)
cc: Letters to the Editor, Tuscaloosa News
Dear Representative Merrill,
Congratulations, sir! Thank you for standing up for the rights of unborn Americans everywhere. Or at least in Alabama.
Trying to amend both the legal code and the Constitution of the Great State of Alabama to define the word "person" as: "any human being from the moment of fertilization or the functional equivalent thereof" is a bold move, and would certainly make abortion illegal immediately.
I would like to point out a few difficulties that you'll be facing on the long road ahead of you, though. For one thing, the Census is certainly going to be more difficult, as all of the formerly-ignored blastocyst-Americans will need to be counted as well. And if we just rely on self-reporting, we will already be under-counting a huge number of Alabama citizens, as women aren't always immediately aware that they are pregnant.
So you'll need to think about that. Fortunately, you have just under a decade to consider the problem.
Furthermore, you will have to develop a completely new arm of the Alabama Department of Public Safety, to investigate all of the millions of new charges of murder that will have to be filed every year. After all, having declared them to be persons, they have rights, and their deaths must be investigated, right? And the mothers must at least be charged with manslaughter; that's the law.
I suppose that a mandatory pregnancy test for every post-pubescent woman is a possibility, but those tests are not extremely reliable, and a positive result would have to be verified. And all this takes us awfully close to the area of government-sponsored healthcare, which must be destroyed - after all, we know that Jesus would support allowing the poor to die in the streets if they couldn't afford a doctor.
You did take into account the fact that two-thirds of all fertilized eggs fail to implant in the mother's womb, right? And if you allow this newly-legalized human life to be simply flushed away, you are just as guilty as the murderous woman who refused to allow the child berth in her womb!
That is really a tricky question when you think about it. If life does begin at conception, wouldn't Heaven be filled wall-to-wall with little floating fetuses? But then again, since they were never baptized and never accepted Jesus into their unformed hearts, they would have gone straight to Hell, where their little unborn souls could simply be used as fuel for the furnaces. This would be very efficient, and exactly the way that a loving God would have designed the system.
I suppose that it's possible that you were unaware of this dirty little secret of human pregnancy. After all, Alabama's educational system does rank about forty-fifth among the fifty states, and as a graduate of the University of Alabama, this does place you at a disadvantage.
But I'm sure that you aren't adding billions of dollars to the Alabama deficit simply because you're stubbornly, pig-ignorantly arrogant, but simply because you love Alabama so much.
Thank you for your time,
A Concerned Citizen
_______________
Update: So, it seems that Rep. Merrill, in the true spirit of Republican governance, doesn't really want to talk to people who aren't donating money to him.
Despite what it says on his webpage, the email address john@tuscaloosagop.org gets rejected immediately. Now, if you look into it a little, the link on his webpage actually opens up an email to ohn@tuscaloosagop.org (no "j"). And that email address actually makes it into the Tuscaloosa GOP servers before being rejected as nonexistent.
I suppose I could have printed it out and mailed it. After all, he provides both his work address and his office at the Statehouse (and his home address, for the love of Bacchus!) on his webpage. But that would take, you know, time and money and stuff. Instead, I sent it to every Democratic member of the Health Committee, who are currently considering both of Merrill's bills.
Easier that way.
cc: Letters to the Editor, Tuscaloosa News
Dear Representative Merrill,
Congratulations, sir! Thank you for standing up for the rights of unborn Americans everywhere. Or at least in Alabama.
Trying to amend both the legal code and the Constitution of the Great State of Alabama to define the word "person" as: "any human being from the moment of fertilization or the functional equivalent thereof" is a bold move, and would certainly make abortion illegal immediately.
I would like to point out a few difficulties that you'll be facing on the long road ahead of you, though. For one thing, the Census is certainly going to be more difficult, as all of the formerly-ignored blastocyst-Americans will need to be counted as well. And if we just rely on self-reporting, we will already be under-counting a huge number of Alabama citizens, as women aren't always immediately aware that they are pregnant.
So you'll need to think about that. Fortunately, you have just under a decade to consider the problem.
Furthermore, you will have to develop a completely new arm of the Alabama Department of Public Safety, to investigate all of the millions of new charges of murder that will have to be filed every year. After all, having declared them to be persons, they have rights, and their deaths must be investigated, right? And the mothers must at least be charged with manslaughter; that's the law.
I suppose that a mandatory pregnancy test for every post-pubescent woman is a possibility, but those tests are not extremely reliable, and a positive result would have to be verified. And all this takes us awfully close to the area of government-sponsored healthcare, which must be destroyed - after all, we know that Jesus would support allowing the poor to die in the streets if they couldn't afford a doctor.
You did take into account the fact that two-thirds of all fertilized eggs fail to implant in the mother's womb, right? And if you allow this newly-legalized human life to be simply flushed away, you are just as guilty as the murderous woman who refused to allow the child berth in her womb!
That is really a tricky question when you think about it. If life does begin at conception, wouldn't Heaven be filled wall-to-wall with little floating fetuses? But then again, since they were never baptized and never accepted Jesus into their unformed hearts, they would have gone straight to Hell, where their little unborn souls could simply be used as fuel for the furnaces. This would be very efficient, and exactly the way that a loving God would have designed the system.
I suppose that it's possible that you were unaware of this dirty little secret of human pregnancy. After all, Alabama's educational system does rank about forty-fifth among the fifty states, and as a graduate of the University of Alabama, this does place you at a disadvantage.
But I'm sure that you aren't adding billions of dollars to the Alabama deficit simply because you're stubbornly, pig-ignorantly arrogant, but simply because you love Alabama so much.
Thank you for your time,
A Concerned Citizen
_______________
Update: So, it seems that Rep. Merrill, in the true spirit of Republican governance, doesn't really want to talk to people who aren't donating money to him.
Despite what it says on his webpage, the email address john@tuscaloosagop.org gets rejected immediately. Now, if you look into it a little, the link on his webpage actually opens up an email to ohn@tuscaloosagop.org (no "j"). And that email address actually makes it into the Tuscaloosa GOP servers before being rejected as nonexistent.
I suppose I could have printed it out and mailed it. After all, he provides both his work address and his office at the Statehouse (and his home address, for the love of Bacchus!) on his webpage. But that would take, you know, time and money and stuff. Instead, I sent it to every Democratic member of the Health Committee, who are currently considering both of Merrill's bills.
Easier that way.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
When Trolls Mark Your Territory
By Octopus
When unwelcome trolls visit your weblogs and treat you like a dog, it reminds me of that most basic of animal instincts: Marking the territory. They think their scent trail confers a right to stake a claim.
As stray dogs spray shrubbery, stray trolls drop unwelcome messages. Their purpose is to relieve themselves - its not your lap or leg they want - and responding to them only encourages them. Never cave to temptation by starting a conversation. To rid yourself of nettlesome pests, does it make sense to reward them with a bone?
Cayenne pepper or Dog-B-Gone may work outdoors, but repellants have no effect on the Internet. I recommend a liberal use of the ‘delete button.’ Even the most persistent critter responds to Pavlov conditioning, gets the hint, and eventually goes away.
Which is more important to you: The quality of your online interactions, or counting the number of snarls and yelps in the Community Dog Bark of your comment box? Once you rid yourself of annoying pests, think of the free time you will have to read a book, write the Great American Post, and keep in touch with exalted loved ones.
Update (Sun Apr 10, 2011): For more commentary on this bane of bloggers, please go to Bloggingdino's classic post, You Might Be a Troll If ... (A Long Essay on Trolls and Trollery).
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The GOP and the government shutdown
Funny how quick they are to deny it, now that they're actually planning it...
The part I find funniest? Newt Gingrich's bit. After all, he was responsible for the last government shutdown, in 1995. (Which, incidentally, might have helped improve Clinton's approval ratings - so good planning there, guys).
The part I find funniest? Newt Gingrich's bit. After all, he was responsible for the last government shutdown, in 1995. (Which, incidentally, might have helped improve Clinton's approval ratings - so good planning there, guys).
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Is Prosser Cuter than Kloppenburg?
Or is the Assistant Prosecutor cuter than Prosser? Open thread …
Update (12:26 AM): Democrats Win Walker's Old Office In Landslide Victory: One thumbs up, one more to go.
Update (1:06 AM): Kloppenburg up again, by about 1500 votes with 97% of precincts in - a real nail biter!
Update (Wed, 1:00 PM): Kloppenburg has 739,574 votes to Prosser's 739,350 -- a lead of 224 votes, a tentative hurray pending the outcome of the recount.
Update (Wed, 5:00 PM): Its Kloppenburg by 204 votes. Hippity-hop, hurray!
Update (12:26 AM): Democrats Win Walker's Old Office In Landslide Victory: One thumbs up, one more to go.
Update (1:06 AM): Kloppenburg up again, by about 1500 votes with 97% of precincts in - a real nail biter!
Update (Wed, 1:00 PM): Kloppenburg has 739,574 votes to Prosser's 739,350 -- a lead of 224 votes, a tentative hurray pending the outcome of the recount.
Update (Wed, 5:00 PM): Its Kloppenburg by 204 votes. Hippity-hop, hurray!
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