Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Thoughts from Yesterday

Let's see--Obama was identified as a killer and an international menace by a member of Congress. Diaper David Vetter leads the moral indignation charge against ACORN. Munitions makers cannot keep up with the demand for bullets (many people do not think 10,000 rounds at home is enough for a coming revolution.) There is a poll calling for Obama'a assasination. The Republicans bitch because Obama is going to try to get the summer Olympics for Chicago and it is taking focus away from the war in Afghanistan. As if they did not botch that job themselves for the last 8 years. Who can forget Bush did not care where Obama was?

A Christian woman who runs interference for Phyllis Schafly's organization and heads a state for them calls for Obama's assasination.What part of insane am I missing? We enter into an unjustified war, but do get to strut our stuff as a country, kill maybe a million and have not set up a stable regime, go bankrupt, and start torturing--lose any moral high ground we ever had--and that is great. It shows we have BIG BALLS. Now we have a black instead of a Texas (yeah, sure) shitkicker, someone who can speak (no, I do not agree with his policies all the time, too centrist for me) who can do things by political dialogue and no blood, and at least 20% in the country wish they could kill him. Openly. Yes, I know there were closet poeples who wanted to kill the last administration. I read blogs. However, spoken openly and repeatedly. Not hardly.

Hell, the Denver Three were locked up for wearing T-Shirts and others were taken away from Presidential meetings because their cars had anti-war bumper stickers. Yet, Obama is seen as a Nazi.

I was shocked at the last set of teabagger videos showing people screaming about czars and how they were given fiefdoms already waiting for a communist takeover. After all, they stated czars were Russians and so were commies. They did not even realize the communists killed the czars. and became autocrats themselves. The irony of this is almost too much.

God help us, the President tells kids to buckle down, stay in school and dammit learn something and this is Democratic or Communist indoctrination.

What these people are are pissed that the world is changing. They handle change by anger against. They are easily manipulated, just like a high school football team being motivated by a coach to get their emotions to a fever pitch and then kill the opposition. Physiologically, there is a response to fight in over 25% of the population. That is how they are hard-wired. They make great fighters, short-term heroes, etc. Warriors and protectors of countries are needed.

However, these people are being manipulated by crass bastards who want power and others to do their dirty work, or who want money and need worker bees. The lack of media attention and real reporting on this crassness is getting crazy. The Fourth Estate used to be somewhat reliable to keep America from losing its collective mind. Now we have a lot of was it Father Joe? who used to scream about commies? and the Family talking about Christian brotherhoods to rule the world. and being succesful at above the scenes and behind the scenes manipulation.

I just talked to three men at a gas station in Kern County CA where they had six rifles turned into fully automatic weapons for the coming revolution. I tghink this country is losing its center and going nuts.

The question is how do we bring it back? Can it be brought back? Or will it become a police state, or a money corporate state?

rojo

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Salmon, Anyone?

Today starts a ten-year project to start a restored flow to 150 miles of a long-dried up river in CA. 150 miles have been dry for years. Little obstacles like moving a house that has been built in the river bed need to be accomplished. The hopes are to restore an annual salmon run. Salmon in Fresno? Who knew? details.

rojo
A JFC Thing!

Read it and weep, oh ye non-believers!!

rojo

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Environmental Issues

Yes, we take care of the defenders of liberty. Other details. with an explanation. All it needed to remove the carcinogens would have been a GAC (granulated activated carbon) system. These are used all the time. We operate two of them in CA alone. We can spend TRILLIONS on weapons but poison the soldiers. Grrrrrrrr!

rojo

Saturday, September 26, 2009

I Wish I Were So Gung Ho As These Guys, not really

The following is a letter that I have written to the founder of an organization "In God We Trust America".

I came across your booth at the CA League Of Cities show. I was originally appalled that "In God We Trust" was replacing e pluribus unum as the national motto in the opinion of some. I had to do some research and found that it actually was the national motto. It came to prominence during the days of the Red Scare. I knew that "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance at that time, but was unaware of the change of the national motto.
I am very glad you made me aware of that. Now I will do my damnedest to return the national motto to the previous Latin one. It is embarrassing to think the national visionary approach to our great country is based in fear of communists and heathens, defeating the spirit of e pluribus unum. I see people tout this motto of "In God We Trust" and wonder in whose God we trust? Is it the Catholic God? the Protestant God? the Muslim God? The Deist Deity? the Buddhist One?
After seeing the fracturing of the current political landscape of the United States, where good will has taken a back seat, I am leery, if not frightened by a group who can further polarize the spiritual make up of this great country. I challenge you to prove to me that this organization is not an organization that marginalizes belief systems of others and includes them in an attempt to unify the citizens of this country. Prove to me that this organization does not breed contempt, but rather promotes a healing balm based upon the love exemplified in the New Testament. Then I could back this group.
If your group marginalizes or can be used to breed prejudicial judgment of various social and spiritual organizations, then you have taken a step backwards from the creation of this country.
e pluribus unum.
rojomojo

I am so tired of groups who claim to know how everyone else should believe. It exhausts me. I am reminded of why I don't like consensus government (yes, I lived in a variety of decision-making systems in communes). The one with "the loudest voice and the thickest skin" normally wins. Typically, in America, it is the one's with the funding. How sad.

rojo

Friday, September 25, 2009

Friday, Toone Time!





or

and one to get you on your feet!


rojo

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

I read my daily water world news (Brown and Caldwell Water News) and just shook my head. First story was of a shallow lake that is filled with DDT and other chemicals. and, you guessed it! There is no money for remediation. The costs are either $12,000,000 to dredge the lake or $1,400,000 to cap it. I am sure the wildlife will love the latter alternative. Anyone remember when there was an EPA with Superfund clean up moneys? Just know that the Bush Administration closed down the tax to corporations to help fund those projects and there is no money. Thanks.

I see the news is not so good in England, too. Or upstate New York. The two latter instances are of the same problem. Sewage technology has grown by leaps and bounds in the past fifteen years. You can remove nutrients. In the future, you will be able to remove trace pharmaceuticals. Actually have pristine water. But, all this costs money. I work with so many Districts, cities and boards. They are manned by people who want to be elected. Some to do the right thing, others for power. One thing that is common is that you can't raise taxes or rates and stay elected. People like clean drinking water and swimming and water sports, but few want to pay for it. In England and in NY, you have wastewater systems that are outdated. The issue in NY is that when the collection sewerage systems were built, they combined the sanitary sewers with storm sewers. If you had a heavy rain, excess flow just goes out to the sea, lake or river. Yes, that includes the diluted pooh from everyone's toilets. In the western US and more modern systems that is not a problem. Imagine the difficulty of digging up a whole city to separate the two sewer systems. and the cost. It is no wonder that Obama wanted "shovel-ready" projects to start on. There are so many issues like this to deal with, and the solution is funding and political will. And with the world economy crapping out, it will take real planning (hint, don't elect those who don't want government to govern because they can't do it).

Here Florida is cited as having toxic public water. The whole NY Times is here. I have to love the one article where how much weedkiller (poison) is in your water glass. Makes me feel all fuzzy inside. and we wonder why cancer spreads. Many mutagenic changes happen at concentrations as low as 0.01 parts per billion.

and sadly, what happens when you dam rivers with disregard of the downstream population. As if the rape of their country were not enough, let's steal the water.

just a bundle of joy today.

rojo

Sunday, September 20, 2009

End of Summer Thoughts

First, an environmental story. Apparently the government of China does help produce cheap stuff. And we all need more stuff. But you think that perhaps they might have learned from the Cuyahoga River burning, and disasters like that. The fact that cancer is way up is one thing. The other is that they know they are selling contaminated rice. Makes you fell good inside. yeah.

And, if it isn't global warming, what could it be? Even if it a short-term cyclical climactic change, we is going to have issues. The question then becomes, what do we do? If the coral reefs die, there goes the basis for the marine life cycles. And many people rely on that for food. That is the one thing I don't get. Who cares if it global warming or a cycle? One can be forestalled with stewardship. Both need major changes in our food chain. What we do now is unsustainable.

And I saw my first roller derby game live last night. One of my ex-apprentices does that in her spare time. The score was Denver 319 to Sacred City (Sacramento) 12. OW! The women of Denver were ready and able. Better coached and in way better shape. It was very much fun to watch. Athletes having at it.

The description was something like this in the program--
"there are basically 5 chicks skating at a time. There are four blockers and one designated jammer. The pack starts skating at the whistle, A second whistle is blown twenty seconds later and the jammers start. They have to get throught the blockers and lap the pack. Once they lap the pack, they score points by passing members of the opposing team."

Damn, it was fun to watch. The Denver team is used to either the Coliseum of the Fillmore, where they perform to groups of betweee 2500-5000 fans. Here in Sacto, there were maybe 350. My ex-protege is a 6 foot woman who is just a tad buff. Used mostly as blocker, but twice as a ajammer where she uses her strength more than her speed. But a bit of a ham. As she laps the hapless opponent she goes into crouches, doing one skate variations, skating backwards and doing hand signs like Beavis and Butthead while rocking out. and if blockers got in her way, instead of evading them, she often hip checked them. The crowd loved it. It was effective enough she had to do the action shots for about 20 people with digital cameras after the show. What a hoot. and to think she is the one who helped me clean digesters and stuff.

BTW, the only beer served was PBR. That and vodka shots. More tats in the audience then I have seen in a while!

and as summer comes to an end


rojo

Monday, September 14, 2009

Mean, but Funny

Overheard on the radio today--

"If someone had gassed the Capital Mall yesterday, the collective IQ if the country would have increased 10 points."

rojo

Thursday, September 10, 2009

You Can Lead A Whore to Culture

But You Can't Make Her Think!

Little did i know when I moved to CA I was moving to the Wild West. I thought Wyoming was weird enough. Where men are men and sheep are nervous. But no, you get to CA, and Congressmen who profess family values and say the gays are ruining marriage not only have affairs, but brag about it on tape in session. Yes, gays made him have those affairs.

They had nothing to do with the fact that she was an energy lobbyist and he was on some sort of Energy Committee. Let's see, want votes, boff the Pillsbury doughboy blind and see if he votes in your favor. Wait, isn't that called prostitution? and then he is a john. Yes, we have comer a long ways since Miss Kitty's. I mean, we can't really buy votes with a night with a lobbyist, can we?

I am reminded of a business trip to Pahrump, NV to see the progress on the construction of a water plant. We were short $4Mill and the first thing the constructor did was take me to the Chicken Ranch and offer me anything on the menu.

Run Away!!! Run Away!!!! Yes, we lost our ass on the deal. oooops.

And looking at Rep. Duvall, I am reminded of the Joe Jackson song--"Pretty Girls Going Out With Gorillas on My Street..."

rojo

Monday, September 07, 2009

Happy Wealth Stealing Day, Part 2

And whay is the government paying for this instead of the "wealth creator" class? O yes, because that way, they get to keep their wealth. Thank god for socialism and government handouts.

rojo
Happy Steal the Wealth Day!

from an article by Michael Lind on Salon.com--

"Today is Labor Day, when we celebrate the wealth destroyers – at least if the libertarian right is to be believed.

According to many free-market conservatives, economic growth is almost exclusively the result of investment decisions by a small number of rich individuals – the "wealth creators." The wealth creators, according to the conservative press, are constantly being threatened from above by government, which seeks to destroy wealth by taxation, and from below by workers, particularly those organized into unions, who threaten to destroy wealth by insisting that capitalists share a decent amount of their profits with employees. The entire basis of conservative "trickle-down" economics is the idea that the economy will grow faster if the supposed wealth creators keep more of the profits of private enterprise, with less going to taxes and worker compensation.

If you believe this theory, then Labor Day should be a cause for national mourning. We should all pause to mourn the loss of capital that might have gone to a fifth or a sixth mansion or a private jet, but instead was conscripted against its will to pay for a public school or higher wages in a factory.

We should weep for the capital that might have given its life for high-end caterers but instead was forced by government to be spent on public hospital nurses. And we should grieve for the dollars that were wasted on public police protection, when they might have gone instead to private security guards in a gated community.

But maybe instead of mourning we should celebrate. Maybe Labor Day should be replaced by a new holiday to celebrate the tiny number of brilliant investors who, more or less single-handedly, are responsible for long-term economic progress. We should abolish Labor Day and replace it with Capital Day – a festive time when we, the majority of parasitic wealth destroyers whose income comes from wages rather than investments, can give our collective thanks to the small number of people who have most of the money."

rojo

Sunday, September 06, 2009

JFC!!!!

So we have a Sarah Palin who was part of a secession party and now this. It is a must read for those who wonder about things in this world.

rojo
Why, oh Why?!

Here I sit and know that school children can opt out of a presidential address that is supposed to accentuate the need for effort, academic excellence and other things of that ilk. Yes, they can opt out because of clauses that education that may be objectionable like sex education may not be forced upon their delicate belief systems. In school systems in Weld County, CO the address will not even be shown because of the possibility of indoctrination into Democratic ideals.

I am horrified that such topics as hard work and excellence are seen as possibly detrimental to the well-being of students. And that people can opt out of it. Yes, let's remain insulated and stupid. While I actively disliked the swaggering election stealer, Curious George Bush for his ham-fisted approach to diplomacy and leadership ("Bring It ON!" and "Mission Accomplished" will always resound to me as remarks more fitting from a beauty pageant loser than a world leader. and wearing a flight suit codpiece looking like a character from Clockwork Orange is always classy.), I never said no one should listen to him. In fact, would have wanted my kidlettes to listen to him and then do research to pick apart or agree with his arguments.

I am reminded of the three monkeys hearing, speaking and seeing no evil. Sorry, the world is not that way. There is weird shit out there and you better learn how to discern what is bullshit and how to obviate the consequences of the bull. This is education for the world stages. How far afield was Rumsfeld's statement of WMD being somewhere North, South, East and West of Tikrit. He should have been so ripped badly for that, he could no longer show his face in public. Hell, Hitler is somewhere North, East, South or West of Sacramento. And the fish logos on the back of cars show the way to the largest used car dealership in the nation. And Ashcroft covering Lady Justice's breasts because he fantasized about suckling from them so much it disturbed his good judgment was unbelievable, but better than Gonzo trying to get him to sign paperwork just out of surgery and under the influence of anesthetics and painkillers. Real class there. You have to learn to sense bullshit in the world and not be influenced by it. But also to know how to interact with those you disagree with so that discourse can be established and changes wrought. Or how to walk away and start something constructive on your own if the gulf is too large.

Protecting children so they can be innocent and untouched by Democratic indoctrination is as bad as the dude in Antioch, CA who abducted a young female and held her in his backyard, had children by her and kept them all away from TV, school and doctors, so they could be perfect innocent mates. And listen to his word of God. Oh yes, he was a preacher too. Teaching them the Word of God according to him. In fact, that was how he got caught after 15 years of this double life. He brought his daughter with him to UC Berkeley to ask for a prayer meeting permit. And the security guard thought "What is wrong with this picture?" and did research into him.

I am very sensitive to issues such as this after living in a commune that really was cultic in its belief systems. The guys there thought there dicks were magical conduits of God's energy. They were rationalizing their importance as messengers of God rather than that sex was really fun and a good outcome of the human condition and potential. and divine in nature, by its very existence. Not that there wonderfulness in the sight of some God somewhere was being channeled through their magic Dicks. Hell, Magic Dick was just a hell of a harmonica player (J Geils), not a bodily and spiritual function.

Being secluded does not guarantee innocence. Stupidity does not guarantee cultural purity. It is a crime to let children opt of of the Presidential address to keep them from being indoctrinated. Teach them to think and participate. Any less than that breeds monocultural nightmares where "Peace is War" can be ideologically achieved as a truism. It is a form of abuse.

rojo