Gas Fracking/Oil Drilling In North Dakota: What Could Possibly GLOW Wrong?

Gas Fracking & Oil-Drilling: "It's not just about earthquakes, anymore".

Oil companies overjoyed with their massive fracking/drilling boom in North Dakota are celebrating by throwing confetti... er, no... they're celebrating by throwing socks.

No, I'm not kidding: They're throwing socks away.  Which wouldn't be all that noteworthy if the socks I'm speaking of weren't industrial filter "socks" that are loaded with RADIOACTIVE WASTE.

And, no, of course they aren't throwing them into sealed, radiation leak-proof containers (if such things exist - I don't think so.) and placing them in official radioactive-waste dumps (cringe).

No... These brain-donors are dumping radium-contaminated filter socks - by the many thousands - into industrial waste bags full and then dumping those inside unsuspecting businesses' dumpsters, inside Native American Reservations, inside abandoned vehicles and - in the worst case (sigh), thus far, they filled an abandoned gas station with them.  That one ranks as the worst, human-caused radioactive accident in N.D.  And, again, I say "thus far".

Because these gas/oil guys don't quit.  And (obviously) they don't care.

When you're making that much money, hand over fist, the chorus line goes:

"Drill, baby... Drill...".

*Hey! I have a great idea: Since we all know they won't stop fracking/drilling/polluting, let's make each and every company that does so account for each and every sock filter they purchase!

Taa-daa... Another Problem Solved!

Check out this Happy Fracking video from The Rachel Maddow Show...

*F.Y.I.*
"There were 5,135 inventions that were under secrecy orders at the end of Fiscal Year 2010. (Yes, it's a little dated, but that's not the point.)

The current list of technology areas that is used to screen patent applications for possible restriction under the Invention Secrecy Act is not publicly available and has been denied under the Freedom of Information Act. (*This* is the point.)

The 1971 list indicates that patents for solar photo-voltaic generators were subject to review and possible restriction if they were more than 20% efficient.  Energy conversion systems were likewise subject to review and possible restriction if they offered conversion efficiencies “in excess of 70-80%.”

D'ya think "There's Nothing New Under The Sun..."?

Well... you'd best think again.*

*Just don't let the U.S. Patent Office know what you're thinking about.

Oh... and read the rest of this fantastic yet brief article (by Steven Aftergood at the Federation of American Scientists), here: http://blogs.fas.org/secrecy/2010/10/invention_secrecy_2010/

No Money for Bold Men - The Shame-O-Meter

On February 28th, Senate "Support Our Troops!" Republicans killed a bill which would have expanded education and healthcare for America's veterans.

When questioned about their decision, they claimed they had no choice, since the VA had such a poor track record concerning services and spending.  The funny (funny strange, not funny Haha) thing about that...  Congressional Republicans didn't find it an obstacle, back in 2008, when they agreed to continue funding the Iraq War - despite the fact that the Pentagon couldn't account for a $15 Billion (with a "B") worth of goods and services.

As an alternative, to prove that they weren't unsympathetic of our troops, those same Senate Republicans offered to pass the bill if they could make one change: add on a bill in support of sanctions against Iran.

'Cause as every Congressional Republican will show you, it's our future veterans that we need to focus on/create a conflict for... not our past millions of them.

That's not all, folks.  Kansas GOP Senator, Jerry Moran, blocked the long-delayed floor debate on the issue of sexual assault in the military, insisting that the debate should be linked to new sanctions against Iran...

What will it take for enough good people to get so fed-up and/or angry and/or disappointed with these piss poor excuses for used car salesmen and fire them for incompetence??  War-mongering??  Dereliction of duty??  How 'bout Fraud??  Fraud sounds good...

No Money for Bold Men - The Shame-O-Meter: The Senate uses Iran sanctions to bring shafting veterans to a whole new level.

The Daily Show: Third World Health Care: Knoxville, Tennessee Edition

Can't afford decent healthcare because you're poor?

Fox TV Business Commentator Todd Wilemon's solution: "If you're poor, just stop being poor.".

*Taa-Daa!  Another problem solved.  You're welcome, (don't-have-to-be-)poor people.

The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi investigates America's "We're #37!" (in World Healthcare) status...

Third World Health Care - Knoxville, Tennessee Edition: Aasif Mandvi visits an impoverished, underdeveloped locale with shocking health care conditions.

Richard Dolan: UFOs and 9/11 (Understanding The 2 Greatest Conspiracies...

Richard Dolan: UFOs and 9/11 (Understanding The 2 Greatest Conspiracies Of Our Time)

Go ahead and groan, shake your heads and/or roll your eyes all you want...

Richard M. Dolan is an iconoclastic scholar with legitimate/significant educational credibility (MA in History/University of Rochester; BA/Alfred University; ‘Certificate’ in Political Theory/Oxford University; Rhodes Scholar Finalist).

So, go ahead and keep clinging to that fervent belief that we - the #1 Super-Power in the World - were caught with our pants down, unawares.  Do that - if you must.
And then, please, listen to his lecture with an open, critical mind.
Please.

Thank You.
)

What Not To Buy Or W(hat)W(ould)J(esus)S(oil)?

President Obama signed the Farm Bill into law.

Thanks, Mr. President.  You shouldn't have.  No, I really mean that: You Shouldn't Have.

Why??  Because, that p.o.s. legislation is going to cut $8.6 Billion from America's Food Stamp Program over the next 10 years.

"What's the problem with that?", you might ask.

Well, in case you've been asleep from eating so much food of your choice... More and more people are relying on Food Stamps so that they can afford to buy - What? - FOOD.

Contrary to what the (shite-for-)brain-donors over at Fox TV have been soiling their diapers about...

1.) You cannot buy iPods with Food Stamps.  2.) You cannot buy fitness classes with Food Stamps.  3.) You cannot buy prepared foods, like giant turkey legs at Disneyland. and 4.) Seafood/Fish actually is Healthy FOOD that poor Americans have a right to have access to and need just as much as rich ones!

What can you buy with Food Stamps, Fox TV??

Repeat after me: F. O. O. D.!

Sigh...  So many morons... So little common sense and compassion.

Here's a brief, bitter, yet funny clip from The Daily Show With Jon Stewart:

What Not To Buy: The Fox News network points out the fishier side of welfare benefits.