Washington Post reveals duplicity of Environmental Agency

The article from the Washington Post as contained in the title link, demonstrates clearly what we all have surmised about regulators of the oil drilling industry...the Minerals Management Service...there is no regulation...only cash bonuses!  So are we surprised that skirting damning reports from environmental specialists in favour of pushing oil projects through approval process as quickly as possible in order to make the most money, may be a common practise?  We certainly shouldn't be...but then what does this mean with respect to our angst against BP?  In my opinion a great deal!  I don't know why this isn't all the"buzz", since it most definitely shifts more blame onto the US government than is currently being relayed.  You would...or at least I would, "expect" the oil industry to be opportunistic in it's approach to disaster preplanning, but the government agency responsible for processing and approving projects should be expected to be ensuring the best advocacy for all of the American people's, and indeed the western hemisphere's, environmental safety...that is after all, their job...what pays their bills...that ensures their well being!  According to the Washington Post article, documents have shown that they have  been corrupt in their handling of previous drilling projects, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the huge lapse of judgement and preparation that has resulted in the largest oil disaster in history, that today continues to spew oil, 36 days after the original explosion. Heads should roll, and not just at BP, but most definitely at the MMS, or the EPA or the BFO |(bucks for oil!) or any other government agency tasked with the responsibility of securing the safety of these oil projects...a responsibility that they have chosen to set aside in the name of business, and probable personal gain.  Their "flow" of income should be "shut off" just as assuredly as this well needs to be shut off.  But I don't hear the noise?...I don't understand why, in a nation so entrenched with gossipy headlines and torrid political romances, we are not calling these people and agencies to account. I don't care about Lindsay  Lohan...what about this corruption?
Come on CNN...where's the story?

Climbing out of the Fibro Funk

The old brain waves are starting to rise in frequency, and it's not so quiet up there in my head!  Yesterday I managed to walk the dogs, do laundry, make my bed, chased down some bullies who were harassing Matt,coloured my hair and fed Matt  while watching a movie!!!!  That may sound like a pretty lame day to you, but for me it's bloody amazing!!It only took 2 1/2weeks in bed to get back to this point!  I'm not so sure that I should blame the Fibro for all the fatigue since there is a definite connection between the extreme fatigue and the brain wipe out.  It's really strange when you have to actively work in order to think something through.  When I'm in this state I quite literally have difficulty understanding conversations because my brain just refuses to process the information at regular speed.  I wonder if it's the Bi Polar 2 disorder, and that I'm kind of crashing but the Lithium keeps me out of the abyss?  Does that sound feasible?  I still get high sometimes too, but not as high as I did before the drugs...my mind races, I can't sleep, and I try to do way more than I should physically, but what I hadn't pain attention to was the noise in my head.  If I scan through this blog I can see when I've crashed and when I've been "Up There". May be there's something we could do about it, since it kinda sucks to have to sleep for 2 weeks in order to get a couple of good days.....Oh but my goodness....how goo those good days are!!!! Gotta go....I'm trying to "pimp" my blog to insert things called meta tags and other stuff...I haven't a clue what I'm doing so if I all of a sudden fall off the face of cyberspace I probably just inserted the wrong html code into the wrong XML space!!!!  If anyone out there knows this stuff please let me know!!!TTFN!

The Leak Goes on... the leak goes on...

 

So the "Beat goes on" and the Leak goes on....the "buck passing" continues, and the numbers change...yet again...as to how much oil is actually floating around in the ocean...the pictures of red oil plumes streaking on top, and now we understand it is confirmed that these plumes exist below the water surface...(told ya!)...and the "Who Bot" failed!!! Surprise surprise!  Interestingly enough there are very few pictures of wildlife being rescued from the oily grip...not sure if it's because thery are presently  lacking in oil injured wildlife, or if there is a reluctance of the media to capture and show this video.  They have apparently managed to insert a smaller tube inside the larger one, and they are hoping that they are collecting at least a percentage of the escaping oil.  My question....If they can get a tube inside the larger shaft, why not perform an angioplasty of sorts and insert an extremely highly pressurized balloon into the smaller tube, and rapidly inflate it to completely close off the entire larger pipe?  Obviously, like my angioplasty, it's not a permanent solution but I think it sounds more feasable than golf balls and dirt! It would also be easy to inflate....just line up all the Head Honcho's from BP; Transocean; and Deep water Horizon, and get them to blow...hard!!! We know they can do it...and they're so full of hot air that no ice particles would form as in the Who Bot! But maybe we should wait until after they've tried the golf balls and dirt...then send them in...after all it was probably too many golf balls and dirt that distracted them from pursuing a safe and secure venture in the first place...that and of course MONEY! What par are they on now?

Mother's Minute

Wow...I'm so excited...Kathy has signed up for my RSS feeds...that's a real compliment and I so appreciate it...I just hope I have RSS feeds!! Kathy, please tell me if I don't?!!
Well that really cheered me up!  It's been a few days since I've put finger to keypad, and the lapse has been frustrating, but my brain is one "flatline" right now, and it's all very quiet in my brain.  I have sketched out my thoughts on "Mother's Day" but I can't go there emotionally right now. Being on the cusp of "quiet" has only 2 options for escape.  I have avoided slipping towards the abyss for longer than I ever have managed to in recent memory, and I think that the best I can do right now is acknowledge that Mother's Day for me is both wonderful and tragic at the same time.  It has, in it's reflection, the power to, make me laugh; shout with joy; praise God for the depth of love that is incomparable to anything else; but also the power to revisit the loss of relationship;  a life acknowledged only within the exquisite intimacy of  being cradled in your own life...then torn from it; the aching hole that is never filled. I'll do better than this when the "brain line" starts jumping again!  

Gulf Oil Spill counts on a "Who Bot!"

This Gulf oil spill is just another disgusting demonstration of man's "love of money" which totally overrides responsibility.  Their creed is...Let us not do the best that we can do to avoid disaster...No...we'll do only as much as is required by law and pocket the money that we've saved on safety for our greedy selves!...because oil companies don't make enough money anyway!!!!!
British Petroleum says it's the owner of the oil rig's problem...the owner of the oil rig says they weren't required to meet the safety standards in the Gulf, like they are in other countries who seem to be more diligent in securing safety mechanisms like "automatic shut off valves" instead of manual ones...Not to diminish the loss of life in this disastrous mess...but who in their right mind would be running for a "shut off" switch when the very floor they are standing on is being blown sky high??? Come on now!! A "shut off valve" seems like a no brainer on an oil rig right??  The President of the United States seems to be bypassing the whole issue of "Why?" the expectations of BP were so substandard, and why there was no environmental impact study done...and why there was no preplaning in the event of such a disaster?? It just gets shuffled back to BP and the blame game starts all over again, which I'm sure it will continue to do for some time.  Now they're bringing in the Tower of Power, that looks like something Dr Who would fly about in, and I really have my doubts as to whether or not it's going to make a difference unless they have the other leaks completely sealed off first!  Any pressure that builds up in the "Who Bot" is going to force oil out from the place of least resistance...the open leak...am I correct?

So far we haven't seen the environmental destruction in the form of oil soaked otters, birds etc. that we saw so quickly in the Valdez incident, but that's not because it isn't happening, it's because this oil is killing it's first victims in the depths (sea turtles, dolphins) where we have yet to see them.  It's only a moment in time before more than the oil starts washing up on the shore. God help us...13 other countries have offered the US assistance in the clean up of this mess but so far The United States of America, is "still considering" what they need help with!! They still haven't cleaned up after Katrina yet, Tennessee is now underwater, and the biggest oil disaster in history is knocking on their door and they have to "consider" whether they need help!!!! "Pride comes before the fall"!!!

Brain Banners

I've had another couple of bad days, and I'm looking out of the window at sunshine and lilac blooms but I just don't have the energy to get up.  Yuck! But even though my body is drained and pained my mind (although encased by a throbbing brain) is flitting here and there so I'm trying to type a little blog so that I will have accomplished at least one thing today!  When my mind is "flitting" it darts back and forth, and my thoughts are in pictures...this can be both interesting and disturbing at the same time!  For instance (sorry anon) I always love to read the sliding banner on bottom of the screen on CNN (yes I said it...I watched CNN!) you know the one...it slides by with tidbits of intriguing information that make me think "yes... I want to know about that" and then I'll either google it, or wait for the inevitable segment to come on.  So this afternoon I'm catching up on what that "Bumbling" terrorist is up to, (but that's a whole other story) the oil spill in the Gulf, and the riots in Greece, when across the banner streams this little gem...
...Man stabs 28 pigs...Man stabs 28 pigs...okay!... So I'm sure that was as startling a revelation to you as it was to me, and my mind began conjuring up all sorts of  images of how a man could stab 28 pigs. Did he corral them somewhere or did they line up? I mean...that's a whole lot of pigs in my mind...but then all kids of questions began rolling around in my brain and then, naturally, scrolled under the images of the man and the pigs...things like...where did he get 28 pigs?...why does he hate the pigs?...Is he on any psychotropic medications?...should he BE on any psychotropic medications!?! So while all this brain activity is going on another banner streams by...Man stabs 29 pigs...man stabs 29 pigs!!!!! Say What??!!!
What is going on?? All my little brain synapses are in a twirl trying to get around this information! What must be concluded by this update?...They did a recount and updated the info ...or...the film crew is still filming this dude and he's up to 29 now...(it is CNN after all...they like that last breath stuff)...and now I can't change the channel because I'm not sure...maybe he's going for 30?!! Oh my...I've got to get over this tidbit story and move my brain on...but all that's following is this ridiculous segment about the "questionnaire" that people complete to become a naturalized citizen in the USA, and Rick Sanchez is upset that several questions in it concern whether or not you have ever been in a communist party...the Nazi Party...etc. and only...ONLY one question about whether or not you have been involved with a terrorist party!!!! It seems that the suggestions is, if there were more questions about terrorist activity and less about Nazi ism, this guy, and many others would have been caught sooner!!! 
Okay answers to questions...No...No...and again...No! I really don't understand the thought processes here, and why they require any time at all!!!!  What?...is there a terrorist code of ethics..??..
Thou shalt blow up all people with white skin but...
You shalt not lie!

I need a nap!
.... 

Why it's my sister's fault that I write!!

One of my favourite memories of England was our Saturday ritual which included getting a shiny little sixpence which held the promise of all sorts of wonderful things to come.  As a child, the pondering is a large part of the joy, whereas for the adult in supervision, the pondering is akin to Japanese water torture! That little sixpence could buy a bounty of  wonderful sweets, some of my favourites being Sherbet Fountains and white chocolate mice... flying saucers filled with a sweet powdery substance and all sorts of other wonders which were both magical to behold, and delicious to taste! By the time our choosing was done, we were popped into the car ( a little yellow Rover 2000) and whisked home to devour our treats.  I tended to relish the moment, and in all ways actually I was slower than Angela! Slower dressing, slower cleaning up my bedroom, slower moving...well you get my point!!  That being understood it stands to reason that my sister's sweets were consumed and indeed gone before I had finished playing with my white chocolate mouse.  There I would be in my room, with my sweets laid out on my unmade bed, and there would be a little tap on my door...knock, knock, knock..."come in" I would say, except in a British accent of course...and Angela would come in, all bright eyed and a smile as sweet as the candy she was eyeing on my bed!  "Lets play a game" she would suggest..."what game" I would ask foolishly..."You are the rich Princess and I am the little starving pauper."..."alright", I say (why I don't know)..."Oh you beautiful and kind Princess, I am starving to death...would you please give me some food to eat?"...."Of course" I would reply..."What would you like?"... Well it turned out that she basically "liked" everything I had, and for strange reasons known only to God Himself I would feed my Pauper/Sister over and over again most Saturday mornings!!!!  It never really occurred to me to say "No" or to eat my sweets more quickly, but it did bring about a change in me.  The sweet shop was in a row of shops, which also included a bakery (I got lost once and ended up at the bakery where they gave me a doily while I cried!!!) and a stationary shop among others.  One Saturday I paused outside the window of the stationary store and was filled with a warm excited feeling.  I asked to go in, and there found beautiful pens and pencils, pretty paper books in all sorts of colours, notebooks with pretty pictures on them with matching equally pretty envelopes.  I was in love with stationary !!!

From then on , well almost from then on, I bought stationary instead of sweets, and little plastic tea sets that I could play "tea party" with my dolls, but no sweets to serve them!!!  My life was forever changed, and I still love stationary, even if I'm terrible at writing letters!  So Thanks Angela... all this writing came from you and as a direct result of your very convincing "Pauper" role!!! 

Senator Romeo Dallaire pleased with Gov. General's comments

Well done Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean, who made a statement while in Kigali, Rwanda, offering an apology for the world who took so long to respond to the Rwandan Genocide; Of course this has started bickering about responsibility, whose was it, all over again, the same cowardice that did, and will continue to, prevent countries from doing what needs to be done to help their fellow man, no matter what their skin colour, religion, and whether their homeland sits on top of oil, diamonds, or just plain old dirt.  Why are we so hesitant to claim our fair share of responsibility for this human disaster?  I would guess it's the same reason why so many countries fail to acknowledge wrongdoing....it' all about ...Money! The love of money being the root of all evil, is the main reason why acknowledgement is avoided...if you accept responsibility you are on the hook for a lawsuit and we don't like being separated from our money! See the following article...I like our Govenor General more and more!...Oh and to my "irritated" commentor...this is Canadian...how's that for a quick response?!
Traumatized ex-general Dallaire welcomes GG's Rwanda genocide apology
Source: The Canadian Press


Posted: 04/22/10 5:22PM  AOL News

Filed Under: Canada

OTTAWA - "Senator Romeo Dallaire is welcoming Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean's apology for the world's failure to respond to the Rwandan genocide - a tragedy the retired general tried and failed to prevent.

Dallaire said Jean's comments in Kigali on Wednesday were a great gesture. He said suggestions that her words were not a formal apology, but simply a restatement of Canada's recognition that the international community failed the Rwandan people, are a quibble over semantics.

The Governor General's officials described her message as an apology and said it had been cleared with the government. But the Prime Minister's Office later insisted that Jean wasn't delivering a formal apology.

"That's irrelevant to me," Dallaire said Thursday. "And I say that as the former force commander on the ground with bodies up to my neck, screaming for support."

Dallaire led the ill-fated United Nations mission that was helpless to stop the rampage that slaughtered up to 800,000 people in Rwanda in 1994. He was tormented by post-traumatic stress syndrome for years after his return from the central African country.

Dallaire said Jean's comments are very welcome, not just for him, but for the handful of other Canadians who served there and the transport crews who risked their lives to fly in supplies.

"My head of state, who was there, who's the commander-in-chief of our Forces and has articulated those statements there, I think that's a great source of personal relief to the 11 officers who were with me - 12, in fact, one of them committed suicide - and myself and to all the Hercules staff who flew in under fire to keep us going."

He called it "a very positive recognition to them and to their families."

Jean, who is on an African visit, toured a genocide museum in Kigali on Wednesday. The exhibits include one which pays tribute to Dallaire's vain efforts to stop the catastrophe.

She noted that Parliament has passed resolutions of regret.

"In 2008, Canada, with a government motion reiterated that this genocide was made possible by the indifference and inaction of the international community," she told Rwandans.

"The world's failure to respond adequately to the genocide is a failure in which Canada, as part of the international community, readily acknowledges its fair share of responsibility."

Dallaire was given command of a UN force in Rwanda in 1993, made up of soldiers from Belgium, Ghana, Pakistan, Tunisia and Bangladesh and a small staff of Canadians. They were to supervise a recently signed peace agreement between the Hutu government and Tutsi rebels.

Early in 1994, he saw signs that weapons were being stockpiled and violence planned, but he was refused permission for a pre-emptive strike. He and his men were essentially abandoned as the country sank into internecine bloodshed.

Dallaire remains bitter about the countries he feels let him down in Rwanda. The Belgians pulled out their paratroopers after 10 were ambushed and massacred. The United States - leery after its ill-fated intervention in Somalia the year before - wasn't ready to go back to another collapsing African state.

"When we were screaming for people to come and to stop this genocide, over months, governments deliberately decided not to provide resources to the UN to stop it," he said.

Dallaire said he believes the world backed off because Rwanda lacked strategic resources or position.

"It had no strategic value as a geography and as such, the only thing that was there were human beings. As one country told me to my face: 'The only thing that's here is human beings and there is too many of them anyway'."

One of his former colleagues, however, said Canada couldn't have done much to stop what was going on.

Lew MacKenzie, a retired general who gained fame for his peacekeeping work in the former Yugoslavia, told CTV that the Governor General's comments shouldn't be seen as an admission that Canada failed

"It sounded like she was suggesting that Canada could have done more and reacted more quickly and that's just not the case," he said. "Canada has nothing to apologize (for) as an individual nation."

At the time, the Canadian Forces was struggling with budget cuts and reeling from the repercussions from the ill-starred Somalia mission of 1993. The military would have been hard-pressed to scrape up more than a token force for Rwanda and would have had even greater difficulties keeping such a force supported and supplied. "
Shake Hands with the Devil