Heck yes, it's way past time to profile these people.
Take stock of all of the attacks and foiled attacks we've had and what do you get? Muslims and arabs, hands down.
These are times where a group of people have vowed to destroy us. What more motivation do we need?
I say, profile the heck out of them, search them including the underpants when they get on a plane.
Also, we should outlaw lighters and all matches totally on planes.
Is there a way to check for matches on a person? This might actually be easier than checking for bombs.....
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
First post in a long long time
It's been a long time since I posted. Work has been busy, and oh yeah, we had that ice storm at the end of January. It was a once-in-a-lifetime happening. Our power went out at 7 p.m. on January 27. It came back on for about 12 hours on January 30, then was off again until midnite Friday night, when it finally came on again for good.
While we were without power, I was without a job, because I work from home with phone and internet and fax. So we fired up the old wood stove in the basement and sat huddled around the fire, while tree branches went "crack...BOOM!" for the first two days.
That first night was one to remember. The branches cracked and fell from the weight of the ice, almost constantly. I was worried that one would hit out roof and come crashing into the den or bedroom, as we have 3 pretty large trees within hitting distance of the backside of the house. Fortunately, only one branch pierced the roof with a fairly small hole, and we got it patched before the ice melted.
But the sound....OH, the SOUND! Every branch that hit the roof made such a whopping loud noise that I literally was out of my chair and ready to run every time it happened close to our house.
When the storm was over, I had a yard full of branches and more broken ones hanging from the trees that did not fall completely off. (in the vernacular of tree cutters, they call these hanging broken branches "hangers" or, more appropriately, "widow-makers.")
At any rate, I have spent the past month working the yard, trying to clean up as much of the mess of branches as I can before my yard man comes to start the really big work of trimming the trees and cutting up the big parts for my wood stove. I plan to get a nice mess of firewood for my patio downstairs, so that I have wood for the next time this happens, or at least for when it's really cold outside. We run the stove as an adjunct to our heat when the temperature stays below 30 degrees, it really helps to defray the heat cost.
I am including some pictures of the yard below, to give you a better understanding just what a big storm this was. Click on the pictures to get the really big version if you want more detail.
Here is how it looked when the ice was on everything.
Here's what my back yard looked like when it was over.
And here's the nice little deposit the sycamore tree left on my roof, including a hole all the way through the decking.
Here the backyard one month later. Note the nice little cache of firewood on the left of the top picture.
I still have to cut the usable firewood out of two stacks of branches, along with the rest of the branches on the ground. I estimate I have cut about 60% of the available wood in the back yard at this point.
I'm using a Black & Decker alligator lopper to cut the wood. This little honey will cut anything up to 4 inches in diameter. All of the big stuff I'm leaving for my yard man to cut up for me...at 59 years old (nearly 60 now), I don't have any business cutting up the big stuff.
Now, here is the Eerie similarity: My town had an identical ice storm 107 years ago to the day that this current storm occurred. It too devastated the town. They estimated the damages at $200,000 in 1902 dollars, which would be one big price tag for the cost of the storm. The writer of the book about the storm said that only 8 people had telephone service at the end of the storm. Frankly, AT&T failed us miserably during the current storm, as they had no backup generators on their towers and the only phone service in the entire town was Verizon cellular. I guess those commercials from Verizon that tout their network really are true! Anyway, here's a pic from the 1902 storm and you can click on it for the big version if you want to read the text below the pic.
While we were without power, I was without a job, because I work from home with phone and internet and fax. So we fired up the old wood stove in the basement and sat huddled around the fire, while tree branches went "crack...BOOM!" for the first two days.
That first night was one to remember. The branches cracked and fell from the weight of the ice, almost constantly. I was worried that one would hit out roof and come crashing into the den or bedroom, as we have 3 pretty large trees within hitting distance of the backside of the house. Fortunately, only one branch pierced the roof with a fairly small hole, and we got it patched before the ice melted.
But the sound....OH, the SOUND! Every branch that hit the roof made such a whopping loud noise that I literally was out of my chair and ready to run every time it happened close to our house.
When the storm was over, I had a yard full of branches and more broken ones hanging from the trees that did not fall completely off. (in the vernacular of tree cutters, they call these hanging broken branches "hangers" or, more appropriately, "widow-makers.")
At any rate, I have spent the past month working the yard, trying to clean up as much of the mess of branches as I can before my yard man comes to start the really big work of trimming the trees and cutting up the big parts for my wood stove. I plan to get a nice mess of firewood for my patio downstairs, so that I have wood for the next time this happens, or at least for when it's really cold outside. We run the stove as an adjunct to our heat when the temperature stays below 30 degrees, it really helps to defray the heat cost.
I am including some pictures of the yard below, to give you a better understanding just what a big storm this was. Click on the pictures to get the really big version if you want more detail.
Here is how it looked when the ice was on everything.
Here's what my back yard looked like when it was over.
And here's the nice little deposit the sycamore tree left on my roof, including a hole all the way through the decking.
Here the backyard one month later. Note the nice little cache of firewood on the left of the top picture.
I still have to cut the usable firewood out of two stacks of branches, along with the rest of the branches on the ground. I estimate I have cut about 60% of the available wood in the back yard at this point.
I'm using a Black & Decker alligator lopper to cut the wood. This little honey will cut anything up to 4 inches in diameter. All of the big stuff I'm leaving for my yard man to cut up for me...at 59 years old (nearly 60 now), I don't have any business cutting up the big stuff.
Now, here is the Eerie similarity: My town had an identical ice storm 107 years ago to the day that this current storm occurred. It too devastated the town. They estimated the damages at $200,000 in 1902 dollars, which would be one big price tag for the cost of the storm. The writer of the book about the storm said that only 8 people had telephone service at the end of the storm. Frankly, AT&T failed us miserably during the current storm, as they had no backup generators on their towers and the only phone service in the entire town was Verizon cellular. I guess those commercials from Verizon that tout their network really are true! Anyway, here's a pic from the 1902 storm and you can click on it for the big version if you want to read the text below the pic.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Bush Administration Plans Disastrous Health Care Policy Rule
This is a very important policy that could deny anyone of any health care they are paying for. Well worth the read. This means that anyone working with a patient could object to anything on moral grounds and refuse to provide service.
Can you see what a disaster this could be for patients? F
(click link to read entire article)First few lines of the article:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- Under a proposed HHS rule the Bush administration plans to promulgate in its final days, any healthcare worker who morally objects to any medical procedure or service can legally refuse to perform it or take part in any way.
Unlike older "provider conscience" laws, which deal largely with the behavior of physicians and nurses, the new rule would apply to any employee who has a hand in the healthcare delivery process, including menial tasks such as washing medical instruments.
Such workers could legally object to performing their duties if the utensils were to be used in a way the worker deemed morally objectionable.
==========
Article comment:
Can you see what a disaster this could be for patients? F
(click link to read entire article)First few lines of the article:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 -- Under a proposed HHS rule the Bush administration plans to promulgate in its final days, any healthcare worker who morally objects to any medical procedure or service can legally refuse to perform it or take part in any way.
Unlike older "provider conscience" laws, which deal largely with the behavior of physicians and nurses, the new rule would apply to any employee who has a hand in the healthcare delivery process, including menial tasks such as washing medical instruments.
Such workers could legally object to performing their duties if the utensils were to be used in a way the worker deemed morally objectionable.
==========
Article comment:
"The way this reads to me is that if I, as a nurse, had a patient who required resuscitation, for instance, and I had a "moral objection" to doing it, then I could refuse to do the procedure. It does not appear that I would need any specific reason. On this basis, it appears that I could refuse to resuscitate anyone because they were, for example, too old, had a communicable disease, were "too sick to live" or any other reason I wanted to dream up. This frankly puts the patient at risk of not receiving life-sustaining services for which he/she is paying. I am appalled."
Monday, November 24, 2008
"I see dead people"
Hear a European discussion of the US market woes and the predictions for the future, including nationalization of the US banks within one year. This video ran rather jumpy-start-stoppy for me, but it was well worth taking the time to let it play.
Bottom line: buy only US treasuries, or buy a safe.
Bottom line: buy only US treasuries, or buy a safe.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Doctors' Professional Opinions on the Wallstreet Bailout
Doctors registered opinions About the current financial disaster, Specifically in regard to the Government "Bail Out Package".
Opinions were as follows:
Allergists voted to scratch it, whereas
Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.
Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling, but
Neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve!
Obstetricians said we were laboring under a misconception, but
Ophthalmologists flat out vetoed the bill as being short-sighted.
Pathologists yelled, 'Over my dead body!' and
Pediatricians rallied to chant, 'Oh, Grow up!'
Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while
Radiologists could see right through it.
Surgeons agreed to cut it up and wash their hands of it, yet
Internists thought it was a bitter pill we have to swallow.
Plastic Surgeons said, 'This puts a whole new face on things.'
Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but
Urologists said the it would not hold water.
Anesthesiologists noted that the whole idea was a gas, but
Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.
Final opinion was voiced by a coalition of Proctologists
Who advised everyone to leave the financial fiasco
With the assholes in Washington who caused it.
Opinions were as follows:
Allergists voted to scratch it, whereas
Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.
Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling, but
Neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve!
Obstetricians said we were laboring under a misconception, but
Ophthalmologists flat out vetoed the bill as being short-sighted.
Pathologists yelled, 'Over my dead body!' and
Pediatricians rallied to chant, 'Oh, Grow up!'
Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while
Radiologists could see right through it.
Surgeons agreed to cut it up and wash their hands of it, yet
Internists thought it was a bitter pill we have to swallow.
Plastic Surgeons said, 'This puts a whole new face on things.'
Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but
Urologists said the it would not hold water.
Anesthesiologists noted that the whole idea was a gas, but
Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.
Final opinion was voiced by a coalition of Proctologists
Who advised everyone to leave the financial fiasco
With the assholes in Washington who caused it.
Regulators fired, disciplined for taking gifts from oil firms
Regulators fired, disciplined for taking gifts from oil firms
By Greg Gordon | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Two employees of the Interior Department have been fired and eight others disciplined in a scandal over the acceptance of meals, junkets, gifts and, in some cases, illicit sex and drugs from the oil companies that they regulated, a knowledgeable person said Friday.
Randall Luthi, the director of the department's Minerals Management Service, announced Friday that he'd meted out discipline ranging from a letter of reprimand to dismissal, but gave no details. All those disciplined worked in the controversial Royalties-in-Kind program, in which the government forgoes royalties on federal leases and instead takes a percentage of the pumped oil and gas for resale.
The actions came in response to a scathing September report in which Department Inspector General Earl Devaney described ``a culture of substance abuse and promiscuity'' in the RIK program and said 19 of its employees had taken gifts from oil and gas industry sources.
By Greg Gordon | McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — Two employees of the Interior Department have been fired and eight others disciplined in a scandal over the acceptance of meals, junkets, gifts and, in some cases, illicit sex and drugs from the oil companies that they regulated, a knowledgeable person said Friday.
Randall Luthi, the director of the department's Minerals Management Service, announced Friday that he'd meted out discipline ranging from a letter of reprimand to dismissal, but gave no details. All those disciplined worked in the controversial Royalties-in-Kind program, in which the government forgoes royalties on federal leases and instead takes a percentage of the pumped oil and gas for resale.
The actions came in response to a scathing September report in which Department Inspector General Earl Devaney described ``a culture of substance abuse and promiscuity'' in the RIK program and said 19 of its employees had taken gifts from oil and gas industry sources.
Wall Street insider speaks out, a MUST-WATCH video!
Excellent PBS video on this page that you really should watch.
What role did the credit rating agencies play in the current economic crisis? This week, a former managing director at Standard & Poor's speaks out on U.S. television for the first time about how he was pressured to compromise standards in a push for profits.
Frank Raiter reveals what was really going on behind closed doors at the credit rating agencies the public relies on to evaluate the safety of their investments.
"During this period, profit was primary; analytics were secondary," Raiter tells NOW Senior Correspondent Maria Hinojosa.
In an Instant Message exchange, an S&P employee in the structured finance division writes: "It could be structured by cows and we would rate it."
Other worthwhile links too.
What role did the credit rating agencies play in the current economic crisis? This week, a former managing director at Standard & Poor's speaks out on U.S. television for the first time about how he was pressured to compromise standards in a push for profits.
Frank Raiter reveals what was really going on behind closed doors at the credit rating agencies the public relies on to evaluate the safety of their investments.
"During this period, profit was primary; analytics were secondary," Raiter tells NOW Senior Correspondent Maria Hinojosa.
In an Instant Message exchange, an S&P employee in the structured finance division writes: "It could be structured by cows and we would rate it."
Other worthwhile links too.
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